Mutianyu Great Wall tour from Beijing: Skip-the-line shuttle

Board the shuttle without waiting in line and walk the wall at your own pace.

A skip-the-line shuttle bus tour from Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall includes round-trip transportation, a bilingual English-Mandarin guide, admission, an internal shuttle for uphill and downhill travel, and buffet lunch. You arrive at 9:30am, explore the restored wall for nearly four hours with cable car access, and return to Beijing by late afternoon or evening depending on your departure time.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Mutianyu Great Wall and return

• Meet guide and driver at meeting point
• Travel to Mutianyu Great Wall
• Explore Mutianyu Great Wall
• Enjoy buffet lunch near Great Wall
• Return to Beijing meeting point

What’s included

• English-Mandarin speaking guide on the bus.
• round-trip air-conditioned coach transportation from Beijing.
• Mutianyu Great Wall admission ticket.
• internal shuttle bus for uphill and downhill travel.
• buffet lunch at a restaurant near the wall.

Times

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• Every day 08:00 10:00

Information

Skip-the-line shuttle bus tour from Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall with bilingual guide, admission and buffet lunch.

Group Up to 45

Live guide English and Chinese Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup No hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point. 1 similar tour with pickup › See the exact address

Book up to 12h before

Ages Adult (9 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 8 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund. It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Public transport nearby Infants must sit on laps

More information The exact meeting point address, the operator’s instructions and every other detail are in the full listing. See the full listing

Traveler reviews

4.69 ★★★★★ Excellent 13 verified traveler reviews

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The experience

The tour starts with a 7:30am or 9:30am pickup at your meeting point in Beijing, then a two-hour drive north to Mutianyu. Your bilingual guide travels on the coach and explains the wall's history and layout in both English and Mandarin. When you arrive at the gate, you skip the queue for the internal shuttle bus (the exclusive access that saves time when crowds are heaviest), and ride uphill to the restored section where most visitors spend their day.

You have nearly four hours to walk the wall itself. The Mutianyu section is one of the best-preserved stretches, with rebuilt watchtowers and clear views across the ridges. Cable cars run both uphill and downhill, so you can walk as much or as little as you want. Many visitors ride up, walk a section, and ride back down. A lunch break happens midway through. You eat at a restaurant near the wall, and the meal is included in your tour price.

The return journey leaves at 2:30pm, and you're back at your Beijing meeting point by 4:30pm (morning departure) or 6:30pm (afternoon departure). The whole day runs seven hours door-to-door, which means you can still have an evening free in the city.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 8 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How much of the Great Wall do I actually get to walk?

Mutianyu is a restored section with multiple watchtowers and ridgeline views. You spend nearly four hours on the wall itself, and cable cars let you choose how far to walk: some visitors cover a mile or more, others walk a shorter stretch and ride the cable car both ways.

What's included in the tour price?

Round-trip bus transportation from Beijing, the admission ticket to Mutianyu, the internal shuttle bus (the skip-the-line part), buffet lunch at a restaurant near the wall, and a bilingual guide on the coach who speaks English and Mandarin.

Can I choose when to leave Beijing?

Yes. The morning departure leaves at 8:00am and returns around 4:30pm. The afternoon departure leaves at 10:00am and returns around 6:30pm. You pick which one suits your schedule when you book.

Is the cable car included, or do I pay extra?

The cable car is not included in the tour price, but it's available at Mutianyu if you want to use it. Many visitors ride up and walk down, or walk up and ride down, depending on their energy and time.

Operated by Trippest Travel. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago