Private Beijing Day Trip: Mutianyu Great Wall and Ming Tombs

The Mutianyu section stays quieter than Badaling, and the restored Wall has handrails where it climbs steepest.

A private day trip from Beijing to the Mutianyu Great Wall and Ming Tombs, with a professional guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, lunch and entrance fees included. The tour runs about nine hours, starting at 8am from your hotel and taking roughly 90 minutes to reach the Wall. You choose which Ming Tomb section to visit (the Sacred Way with its stone sculptures, the largest Changling Tomb, or the only excavated underground palace at Dingling), and a guide in your chosen language leads both stops. Comfortable walking shoes are essential. The Wall involves moderate climbing, and dietary requirements can be arranged ahead of time.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Mutianyu Great Wall2h · entry included
2. Ming Tombs1h 30m · entry included

Visit Mutianyu Great Wall and Ming Tombs

• Pick up from Beijing hotel at 8:00am
• Drive 1.5 hours to Mutianyu Great Wall
• Explore Mutianyu Great Wall
• Have lunch at local Chinese restaurant
• Visit Ming Tombs Sacred Way and tomb
• Return to Beijing hotel

The experience

Your driver and guide pick you up from your Beijing hotel at 8am and drive roughly 90 minutes to Mutianyu, a restored section of the Great Wall that draws fewer visitors than the closer Badaling site. The Wall here has handrails bolted into the steepest climbs, and the views open across the ridgeline without the crowds pressing behind you. After you've walked the Wall, you head back down for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant.

The Ming Tombs come next: a sprawl of thirteen imperial mausoleums built between 1409 and 1644 for Ming dynasty emperors. The Sacred Way is the entrance, a stone-lined processional flanked by twelve animal sculptures and six officials carved in lifelike detail. It leads deeper into the complex toward the tombs themselves. You pick which section to explore: Changling, the largest and earliest, with the best-preserved buildings; or Dingling, the only tomb whose underground palace was excavated and opened to visitors. Your guide walks you through whichever you choose, then the driver takes you back to your hotel.

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional guide who speaks your chosen language (English, Spanish, Italian, French or one of four others), all entrance fees for one Ming Tomb section, transport by private vehicle, and lunch. Wear comfortable walking shoes: the Wall involves a moderate amount of climbing, and the tombs mean more walking across the grounds. If you need a vegetarian meal or have other dietary needs, let the operator know when you book.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Beijing hotel.
• a professional guide in your choice of language.
• entrance fees for one section of the Ming Tombs (Sacred Way, Changling, or Dingling).
• private vehicle transport.
• and lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, with vegetarian options available if you request them when booking.

Options for this experience

3 options

English/Chinese Speaking Guide07:00, 07:30 and 08:30The guide speaks English and Mandarin. Includes pickup.

Spanish/French Speaking Guide07:00, 07:30, 08:00 and 08:30A French- or Spanish-speaking tour guide is available; please make your booking at least 3 days in advance. Includes pickup.

German/Italian Speaking Guide07:00, 07:30, 08:00 and 08:30A German- or Italian-speaking tour guide is available. Includes pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00, 07:30, 08:00 and 08:30

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Beijing Tour Guide

Is this one for you?Book this if your first days are tight on time: a private guide and included transport mean you skip arranging pickups and tickets, while Mutianyu's location keeps you away from the heaviest crowds at Badaling.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

In English and Chinese, at 07:00, 07:30 and 08:30. In French, German and Italian, at 07:00, 07:30, 08:00 and 08:30.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How far is Mutianyu from Beijing, and why is it less crowded than other Great Wall sections?

Mutianyu is about 90 minutes' drive from downtown Beijing. It sits further out than the popular Badaling section, which is why fewer tour groups make the trip there. You get the same restored Wall and views without the press of crowds.

What exactly is the Sacred Way at Ming Tombs, and what will I see there?

The Sacred Way is the main processional entrance to the Ming Tombs complex, lined on both sides with stone sculptures: twelve animal figures and six officials carved in lifelike detail. It leads toward the thirteen imperial mausoleums deeper inside the scenic area.

Do I have to choose which Ming Tomb to visit, or do I see all of them?

You choose one section to visit based on your interests. Changling is the largest and earliest tomb with the best-preserved buildings. Dingling is the only one whose underground palace was excavated and is open to the public. Your guide will help you decide which suits you.

What's included in the price, and what costs extra?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, the professional guide, entrance fees for one Ming Tomb section, private vehicle transport, and lunch are all included. Cable car or toboggan tickets for the Great Wall are not included, and gratuities are separate.

How long does the whole tour take, and what time does it end?

The tour runs about nine hours total, starting at 8am from your hotel. With the 90-minute drive to Mutianyu, time on the Wall, lunch, the Ming Tombs visit, and the return drive, you'll be back at your hotel in the late afternoon.