Mutianyu Great Wall Tour from Shanghai: Cable Car Included

A full day on the Great Wall: flight, hiking, cable car descent, and lunch

A private tour from Shanghai to the Mutianyu Great Wall combines roundtrip flights, hotel pickup in both cities, an English-speaking guide, entrance fees, lunch and cable car access in a single 16-hour day. The guide meets you at the Beijing airport and leads about 2.5 hours of walking on the wall itself, with the option to cable down or toboggan back to the base. This suits first-time visitors who want to see the wall without navigating Chinese transit or haggling with vendors.

Step-by-step itinerary

Shanghai to Beijing and Great Wall Tour

• Meet private driver at Shanghai hotel
• Transfer to Shanghai airport
• Fly from Shanghai to Beijing PEK airport
• Meet Beijing driver and guide at airport
• Transfer to Mutianyu Great Wall
• Hike and explore Mutianyu Great Wall
• Ride cable car up and down or toboggan
• Enjoy lunch at local restaurant
• Shop at Great Wall local market
• Transfer back to Beijing PEK airport
• Fly back to Shanghai
• Transfer to Shanghai hotel

The experience

The day starts with a private driver picking you up at your Shanghai hotel and taking you to the airport for a morning flight to Beijing. You book the flights yourself (the operator recommends departing around 9am and returning around 6:30pm), but everything else is arranged: a Beijing driver meets you at the airport, and you're transferred straight to Mutianyu. The wall sits in a less-crowded section of the Great Wall, surrounded by orchards and villages, and you spend roughly 2.5 hours walking and hiking at your own pace while your private guide shares the history and significance of the site.

The cable car is included both ways up and down the wall. If you want something different on the descent, you can choose the toboggan (a slide that runs down the mountainside), instead of the cable car down. After the walk, lunch happens at a local restaurant near the wall, either a subway cafe or the Mutianyu Great Wall dumplings restaurant. Your guide can help you shop for Great Wall souvenirs at the local market and negotiate prices if you want them. Then you're driven back to Beijing airport for your evening flight home, where a Shanghai driver meets you and takes you back to your hotel.

The tour works best if you're comfortable with a full day of travel and walking. You'll cover roughly 10,000 to 20,000 steps (equivalent to about 30 floors of climbing), so wear shoes built for hiking and bring water. The guide speaks English fluently, so you won't need to navigate Chinese on your own or worry about miscommunication with drivers or vendors.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Shanghai.
• roundtrip airport transfers in Beijing.
• entrance fees to Mutianyu Great Wall.
• lunch at a local restaurant.
• English-speaking private guide for the entire Beijing portion.
• experienced Beijing driver.
• roundtrip cable car access on the Great Wall.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (6 to 80 years) · Child (under 6)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Sunflower Tours China

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English throughout the Beijing portion, so you won't need to navigate Chinese or worry about miscommunication with drivers or vendors. A real advantage if this is your first time in China and you want to focus on the wall instead of logistics.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 6).

How much walking is actually involved on the Great Wall itself?

You spend about 2.5 hours on the wall, walking and hiking at a leisurely pace with your guide. The total day involves 10,000 to 20,000 steps across the entire experience, including the airport transfers and the wall itself.

Do I book my own flights, or are they included?

You book your own roundtrip flights between Shanghai and Beijing. The operator recommends a 9am departure from Shanghai and a 6:30pm return flight, which gives you a full day at the wall. Do not book Beijing Daxing Airport. Use Pudong or Hongqiao in Shanghai and PEK in Beijing.

What's included in the lunch, and where do we eat?

Lunch is included at either a subway cafe or the Mutianyu Great Wall dumplings restaurant near the wall. Your guide will take you there after the walk, and you can ask about dietary preferences when you book.

Can I choose between the cable car and the toboggan for going down?

The cable car is included both up and down the wall. You can opt for the toboggan on the descent instead if you prefer, it's a slide down the mountainside, but the cable car is the standard return.

What if I want to buy souvenirs at the Great Wall market?

There's a local market at Mutianyu where you can buy Great Wall T-shirts, postcards and other items. Your guide can help you negotiate prices and shop, but any purchases are your own cost.

Is this tour physically demanding, and who shouldn't book it?

The tour involves 2.5 hours of walking and hiking on the wall with 10,000 to 20,000 steps total. It's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy. You should have at least a moderate level of fitness and wear comfortable hiking shoes.