Mutianyu Great Wall Day Tour: cable car up, toboggan down

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.92 (25 reviews) 92% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/26

Duration6h–9h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ZH +1

PickupAt your hotel

Why hike when you can ride up and slide down?

You’ll step straight from Beijing airport into a private car bound for Mutianyu Great Wall—no time wasted in terminals. With a local guide by your side and a VIP pass in hand, you’ll ride up by cable car (or hike if you’re bold), wander quiet stretches of ancient stones, then share lunch overlooking forested hills before heading back for your next flight.

6h–9h

Step-by-step itinerary

Airport pickup and Great Wall visit

Pickup at airport exit Starbucks
Meet staff with name card
Transfer to Mutianyu Great Wall
Hike or take cable car up
Descend by cable car or toboggan
Enjoy meal with Great Wall view
Transfer back to airport

The Experience

We were barely out of the arrivals gate at Beijing Capital Airport before spotting a sign with my name on it — which always feels a bit surreal, like I’m in some spy movie. Our driver grinned, asked if we wanted coffee first (I did), and then we were winding out of the city towards the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. The roads got quieter, more trees crowding in, and I kept craning my neck trying to spot any hint of the wall through the misty hills. Didn’t see it until we were almost there — suddenly those stone curves just appeared above us, and I got this weird shiver. Maybe it was the cold air or maybe just… you know, realizing where I was.

Li, our guide, handed us our VIP passes and joked that this part of the wall is “where Beijingers come to escape tourists.” Not sure if that’s true, but it was definitely calmer than I expected. We could’ve hiked up but took the cable car instead (legs still jet-lagged). The air smelled sharp — pine needles? — and there was this odd silence except for wind scraping over old stones. Up top, Li pointed out which towers were original Ming dynasty work and which bits had been rebuilt. He laughed when I tried saying “Mutianyu” properly; apparently my Mandarin is hopeless.

After wobbling down in a toboggan (yes, really — you can slide down!), we sat in a tiny restaurant nearby for lunch. The food was simple but good — stir-fried greens, dumplings that stuck together a bit, hot tea that steamed up my glasses. I remember watching clouds drift over the wall while chewing a bite of something spicy; felt oddly peaceful after all that airport chaos earlier. Then back in the car for the drive to catch our flight — tired but kind of buzzing inside.

What’s included

Your day includes private airport or hotel pickup with direct transfer to Mutianyu Great Wall by comfortable vehicle.
all tolls, parking fees, entry tickets.
VIP pass access.
round-trip cable car or chairlift/toboggan rides.
plus a local meal at a nearby restaurant before returning right back to your terminal or hotel—no stress about timing or logistics along the way.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availableNot for back problems

Operated by Lily's Tour Company