Mutianyu is a restored Ming-dynasty section of the Great Wall in Beijing’s Huairou District, about 70 km from the city and 1.5 to 2 hours by car. Watchtowers 1 to 20 make up the open area. Adult entry is CNY 40, and an enclosed cable car or a chairlift with a toboggan ride down saves you the climb.
- Tickets: adults CNY 40 (about US$6); concession CNY 20 (about US$3); shuttle bus CNY 15
- Reservation: real-name booking with your passport, up to 30 days ahead (as of November 2026)
- Opening hours: 16 March–15 November, 7:30–18:00 weekdays and 7:30–18:30 weekends; 16 November–15 March, 8:00–17:30 daily
- Lifts: enclosed cable car to Tower 14; chairlift near Towers 5–6 with a toboggan run down
- Getting there: about 1.5–2 hours by car from central Beijing
What you see from the wall at Mutianyu
Step off the cable car at Tower 14 and the wall runs away from you in both directions along the ridge, with battlements on both sides of the walkway. The operator calls these double-sided battlements the main feature that sets Mutianyu apart. At Zhengguantai, three watchtowers stand side by side on a single platform, something you rarely see anywhere else on the Great Wall.
From Tower 14 the operator points you toward the views of Jiankou, the jagged, unrestored ridge you have probably seen in photographs. You look at it from the open wall; it is not a section you can walk. Next door, Tower 15 is where Ge You proposed to Shu Qi in the Chinese film If You Are the One II, and the cable car has carried visiting leaders including Bill Clinton and John Major.
Mutianyu’s operator describes the seasons as wildflowers in spring, green hills and running streams in summer, red leaves and ripe fruit on the slopes in autumn, and snow on the ramparts in winter.
A short history
What you walk on today is Ming-dynasty wall. The Ming general Xu Da rebuilt it on foundations laid by the Northern Qi, and Mutianyu Pass itself was built in 1404, the second year of the Yongle reign. The hollow watchtowers you walk through were added later, during Qi Jiguang’s reconstruction. Mutianyu links Juyongguan to the west with Gubeikou to the east, and it is one of the best-preserved Ming sections near Beijing.
Tickets and who pays what
Prices below are from the scenic area’s own booking page, as of November 2026. There is no separate peak-season price for entry.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Entrance, adult | CNY 40 (about US$6) |
| Entrance, concession | CNY 20 (about US$3) |
| Postcard ticket (same entry plus a souvenir postcard) | CNY 45 adult, CNY 25 concession |
| Shuttle bus | CNY 15 |
| Enclosed cable car | CNY 140 return, CNY 100 one way |
| Package: postcard entry, shuttle and return cable car | CNY 200 (about US$30) |
| Chairlift and toboggan (separate company) | About CNY 100 one way, about CNY 140 return |
Children and seniors. Free entry at Mutianyu applies only to minors 18 and under of Chinese nationality (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), to seniors 60 and over who hold a Beijing senior card, and to disabled-card holders. Foreign children over 6 and up to 18, if taller than 1.2 m, pay the concession price. Seniors 60 and over from outside Beijing, which includes overseas visitors, also pay the concession price. We check each traveler’s eligibility when we book.
On the shuttle bus and the cable car, children under 1.2 m ride free. Everyone taller pays the full price; there is no child or senior discount on these.
How booking works
Entry is by real-name advance booking, up to 30 days ahead, as of November 2026. Each passport can be used for one ticket per day. On the day you simply show the passport you booked with at the gate; there is no ticket to collect. Booking runs through the scenic area’s Chinese-language WeChat account and mini-program, so on our tours we book the included tickets for you using the passport details you send after you confirm.
Ticket sales stop one hour before closing and the ticket check closes 30 minutes before closing, so plan to arrive well before the late afternoon.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Cable car, chairlift or toboggan
Mutianyu has two separate lift systems, run by different companies, and their tickets are not interchangeable.
- Enclosed cable car: closed cabins up to Tower 14, where the upper station sits at about 640 m above sea level. Cable car riders use the north ticket gate. It runs during park hours, with occasional stops for annual inspection.
- Chairlift and toboggan: an open chairlift goes up near Towers 5–6. The toboggan only goes down, from near Tower 6, on a track of about 1,580 m that takes about five minutes. Chairlift and toboggan riders use their own ticket gate. Travelers report that the chairlift and toboggan stop earlier in the afternoon than the cable car, so plan to ride them well before closing time.
Children under 10 ride the toboggan with an adult, one adult or one adult with one child per sled. Travelers report that children under 3 are not allowed on it. The toboggan is not recommended for anyone with high blood pressure or heart disease, and travelers report that riders over 60 may be turned away. The operator also advises against the cable car for people with a fear of heights, high blood pressure or heart disease, some pregnant women and some frail older travelers. For older travelers, the enclosed cable car both ways is usually the comfortable choice.
Which towers are open in 2026
The open daytime area is Watchtowers 1 to 20. Two restoration projects were under way in 2026:
- From 7 April 2026, the wall from 10 m above the “Hero Slope” at Tower 19 up to Tower 20 was closed for restoration. Beijing’s official news account reported that the work finished on 24 October 2026 and the stretch reopened on 25 October.
- From 26 May 2026, restoration work is under way between Towers 16 and 17. The inner side of Tower 16 stays passable.
As of November 2026 no completion notice had appeared for the work between Towers 16 and 17, so a short stretch there may still be fenced off or diverted when you visit. We check the latest notices before your day.
Opening hours, seasons and weather
Peak season runs from 16 March to 15 November, with opening from 7:30 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 7:30 to 18:30 at weekends. From 16 November to 15 March the site opens 8:00 to 17:30 daily. There is no weekly closing day. Travelers report long lines at Mutianyu on autumn Mondays, when many city museums are closed, for the shuttle, the ticket gate and the cable car alike, so when your Great Wall day falls on a Monday we aim to arrive soon after opening.
In summer there are evening sessions on some nights, when Towers 10 to 15 stay open into the evening; dates are announced in notices rather than as a fixed schedule. Summer rainstorm warnings can close the whole site for safety, as happened on several days in July and August 2026, and thunder, snow, fog or strong wind can close all or part of it. We watch the notices and adjust your plan. Travelers also report that the ridge feels noticeably colder than the city in autumn, so bring a warm layer, and that drinks on the wall cost more than at the foot, so carry water. Our guide to the best time to visit Beijing covers the weather month by month.
Getting there
By car, the route follows the Jingcheng Expressway to exit 13 (Beitai Road), then through Kuangou to Mutianyu: about 1.5 to 2 hours from central Beijing in normal traffic. The CNY 15 shuttle bus covers the roughly 3 km between the shuttle station and the ticket gate.
If you are not on a private tour, scheduled Great Wall express buses leave from Qianmen, Dongzhimen, Shaoyaoju and Wangjing West, take about 70 to 90 minutes, and cost CNY 80 return; you can buy Mutianyu tickets on board at the scenic area’s prices.
Walking from Tower 14 toward Tower 6
Ride the enclosed cable car up to Tower 14 and take your time with the view toward Jiankou. Then walk along the wall toward the lower-numbered towers, with steps up and down between each one. If your legs are happy, carry on toward Tower 6 and ride the chairlift or toboggan down on a one-way ticket (in that case buy a one-way cable car ticket for the ride up, because return cable car tickets mean coming back the same way; the two one-way tickets come to about CNY 200, about US$30, compared with CNY 140 for a return); if not, simply turn back and take the cable car down. Families with grandparents and young children can find more ideas in our guide to Beijing with seniors and families.
Our Mutianyu Great Wall private tour includes hotel pick-up in central Beijing, a private car and driver, an English-speaking guide, your entrance ticket, the shuttle bus and the cable car or chairlift up and down; the toboggan you can add on the day. To compare Mutianyu with Badaling, Jinshanling and the other sections, see which part of the Great Wall to visit.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Mutianyu Great Wall ticket?
As of November 2026, adult entry is CNY 40 (about US$6) and the concession ticket is CNY 20. The shuttle bus is CNY 15, and the enclosed cable car costs CNY 140 return or CNY 100 one way. A package of entry, shuttle and return cable car is CNY 200.
Do I need to book Mutianyu in advance?
You need a real-name advance booking, which you can make up to 30 days ahead, as of November 2026. Each passport can hold one ticket per day, and you enter by showing the passport you booked with. On our tours we make this booking for you.
Do foreign children and seniors get in free at Mutianyu?
Free entry is only for Chinese-national minors and for Beijing senior-card holders aged 60 and over. Foreign children over 6 and up to 18 (taller than 1.2 m) and seniors 60 and over from outside Beijing pay the concession price of CNY 20. Children under 1.2 m ride the shuttle and cable car free.
Should we take the cable car or the toboggan?
The enclosed cable car goes to Tower 14 and suits older travelers and anyone who wants the higher views. The chairlift goes up near Towers 5 and 6, and the toboggan runs about five minutes down. Under-10s ride with an adult, and travelers report that riders over 60 may be refused, so grandparents usually take the cable car. The two use separate tickets.
How long does it take to get to Mutianyu from Beijing?
About 1.5 to 2 hours by car from central Beijing in normal traffic, via the Jingcheng Expressway. Scheduled Great Wall express buses from Qianmen, Dongzhimen, Shaoyaoju and Wangjing West take about 70 to 90 minutes.
Which part of Mutianyu is open in 2026?
The open area is Watchtowers 1 to 20. The stretch from just above Hero Slope at Tower 19 to Tower 20, closed for restoration from April 2026, reopened on 25 October 2026, according to Beijing's official news account. Work between Towers 16 and 17, under way since May 2026, had no completion notice as of November 2026.
Is Mutianyu open in winter?
Yes, every day. From 16 November to 15 March it opens 8:00 to 17:30, and ticket sales stop an hour before closing. Snow, fog or strong wind can close all or part of the site for safety, so we check the notices before your day.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.