Backpacking to The Great Wall of China

“He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man”- Mao Zedong

There’s not a lot that needs to be said about the Great Wall that people don’t know already. Any trip to China is not complete without a visit, because, as an old Chinese proverb goes, you are not a man unless you have climbed the Great Wall.

This famous landmark stretches all the way from Liaoning through Shaanxi, Hebei, Shanxi, Tianjin Municipality, Beijing, Inner Mongolia to Gansu Province.

It is a series of several walls built at different times by different emperors (the First- the forth Great Wall) and can be seen at many places along its length of several thousand kilometres.

Standing proudly on top of this greatest engineering triumph will be a moment you will remember forever.

Once you make it there you will admire a breath-taking landscape surrounded by high mountains, hills and trees. This place is a symbol of diligence, mass manpower and freedom to people.

One of the best parts of the Great Wall of China to explore is Badaling Pass. It is located about 55 miles from Beijing and is therefore the most convenient place to view The Great Wall.

Badaling might be a bit touristy, especially in summer, but it’s easy to ignore that fact when you’re confronted with one of the world’s most incredible sights. It has a cable car that will save you the walk to the top of the wall. There is a fee for the ride, but it’s a great time saver, and the spectacular views as you rise will inspire photographers of all skill levels!

Getting to Badaling on the cheap as a backpacker:

There are a load of buses which go from Deshengmen Gate to Badaling, for example Bus 919 – one bus stops closer to the Great Wall but has more stops along the way (cost: RMB 8, duration: 1,5 hour) and the other 919-bus which is much faster (cost: RMB 12, duration: 1hr).

There are also trains going there from Beijing North Railway Station. The first one leaves at 06:08, then 07:26, 08:00, 09:33 and 10:20. It is one hour to Badaling. Fare is around RMB 15 and the entrance of the Great Wall is nearby the station.