Travel from Beijing Airports to Great Wall of China 2024

If you travel to Beijing, it will be a shame not to spare one or half a day visiting the Great Wall which is Beijing's premier attraction for most travelers. Sometimes, travelers will turn to the Great Wall directly after they land at the airport to take full advantage of the 144-Hour Visa-free Transits in Beijing. Currently, two international airports serve Beijing and receive international/domestic flights, namely Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport.

4 Days Classic Beijing Tour Package (Leisure Paced)

Itinerary: Beijing
Highlights: Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace, Local Family Visit

Is One Day Great Wall Tour from Beijing Airport Possible?

It is available to travel from Beijing Airport to Great Wall in only one day if you land at the airport in the early morning and have a layover of more than 12 hours. However, if you fly from your country to Beijing by international flight, it's not recommended to travel Great Wall from the airport directly. It takes about 1 hour to leave the airport because you will have your passport and visa checked. You also need time to take a good rest in your hotel and deal with jet lag.

If you plan a short day tour, you're suggested to travel with us with a private transfer from the airports to Great Walls so that you have more time spent on the walls. It is also important to choose a less touristy section of Great Wall like Mutianyu Great Wall and Huanghuacheng Great Wall which are also closer to the airport. Besides, don't plan your tour on Chinese holidays (including National Day, Labor Day, Tomb-sweeping Day, etc.) when most sections of Great Wall will be rather crowded and it needs more time to fully explore the beauty.

If you are not in a very tight schedule, we strongly suggest you spend at least 2 days touring Beijing with Great Wall included. Therefore, you can admire more natural and cultural wonder at a more relaxed pace. ⨠ Check more about How to Get from Beijing City to Great Wall

4 Days Beijing Essence Tour with Simatai Great Wall Night Sightseeing

Itinerary: Beijing / Jinshanling / Simatai / Gubeikou Water Town / Beijing
Highlights: Jinshanling Great Wall, Simatai Great Wall Evening Sightseeing, Gubei Water Town

Private Transfer with China Discovery - Most Recommended

There are many different sections of Great Wall preserved, and the most popular ones around Beijing City include Mutianyu Great Wall, Jinshanling Great Wall, Simatai Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall, Huanghuacheng Great Wall, Juyongguan Great Wall, etc. There are no direct buses or metros running between Beijing Capital International Airport (or Beijing Daxing International Airport) and the different sections of Great Wall, so you are highly suggested to travel Great Wall with China Discovery who will provide well-organized itineraries, even assistance of Chinese Visa application, convenient airport/train station pick-up & drop-off and transfer between all scenic spots, knowledgeable tour guide, safe & licensed private vehicle, satisfactory accommodation and dining and so on.

The popular sections of Great Wall are located in the north outskirts of Beijing, and it needs about 1.5 ~ 3 hours to drive from Beijing Capital International Airport to one of them. As Beijing Daxing Airport is located in the far south outskirts of Beijing, driving from the airport to the different sections of Great Wall takes longer time (about 2.5 ~ 4 hours)

Maria's group from Spain Visiting Mutianyu Great Wall

Transfer from Beijing Capital Airport to Great Wall

Beijing Capital Airport to Great Walls is about 55km (1.5 hours' driving) to Mutianyu Great Wall, about 80km (1.5 hours' driving) to Badaling Great Wall, about 130km (2 hours' driving) to Chengde Jinshanling Great Wall (Hebei). It's highly recommended to take a private car or local taxi, since the public transfer is very complicated and confusing for newcomers, and it will take at least 3 hours to get to the Great Wall.

Transfer from Beijing Daxing Airport to Great Wall

Beijing Daxing Airport to Great Wall is located at the junction of Daxing District of Beijing and Langfang City of Hebei Province, about 50 kilometers south of the city center Tiananmen Square. It's 138 km (2.5 hours' driving) to get to Mutianyu Great Wall and much farther from other sections of Great Wall. It will take you 2 to 4 hours by car and more time by public transportation to travel from Beijing Daxing Airport to most sections of Great Wall.

If you want to use public transportation, you need to make a transfer in Beijing City. There are tourist buses running from Beijing downtown to some sections of Great Wall directly, but the buses usually depart in the morning. Hence, it is possible to catch a tourist bus to Great Wall if you arrive at the airport in the early morning. If you arrive at the airport late, you have to take public buses and transfer several times.

⨠ Click to know How to Transfer from Beijing Airports to Beijing Downtown, and How to Get from Beijing City to Great Wall

5 Days Beijing Highlights Tour with Sidetrip to Chengde

Itinerary: Beijing / Chengde / Beijing
Highlights: Forbidden City, Jinshanling Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Hutong Rickshaw, Chengde Mountain Resort, Putuo Zhongcheng Temple, Puning Temple

How to Plan a Beijing Tour

Because of the implementation of 144-Hour Transit in Beijing, many foreign travelers are able to spend 3 ~ 6 days appreciating the historical and cultural wonders.

2 full days in Beijing allow you to see the essence of ancient Beijing. In the morning of the first day, you can pay a visit Temple of Heaven which once was used to pay homage to heaven and pray for harvest but now becomes a park for locals. Then drive to Mutianyu Great Wall, a less crowded but well-preserved segment of Great Wall. On your way back to Beijing, you can take a stop to enjoy the magnificent architecture of Bird's Nest and Water Cube. On the next day, you will firstly visit Forbidden City where the 24 emperors used to live in. Then drive to traditional Hutongs for a wonderful stroll or a rickshaw riding experience. In the afternoon, you can have an enjoyable time in Summer Palace – the largest royal garden in china.

If you have more days, you can travel at a leisure pace, or explore more attractions, like 798 Art Zone - a group of old military factory buildings with unique architectural style, Jingshan Park which delivers a panoramic view of Forbidden City, Lama Temple - a combination of Chinese and Tibetan style, and numerous museums. Check more about Things to Do in Beijing>

Top Recommended Beijing Tours with Great Wall Experience:

☛ 4 Days Classic Beijing Tour Package

☛ 3 Days Beijing Essential Short Stay Tour

☛ 4 Days Classic Beijing Tour with Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking

☛ 5 Days Classic Beijing Tour with In-depth Great Wall Experience

Chona from Phinlippines had a happy tour in Mutianyu Great Wall

Picturesque View of Huanghuacheng Great Wall

You can also easily travel from Beijing to any other hot travel destination in China by flight or train, such as Xian, Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, Yangtze River, Guilin, Chengdu, Tibet, etc. China Discovery has designed many classic China tour packages including Beijing for you. If you have any new travel ideas, feel free to contact us.

☛ 8 Days Best of China Tour (Flight/Bullet Train Covered)

☛ 6 Days Classic Beijing Xian High-speed Train Tour

☛ Travel China at Leisure - 13 Days Classic China Tour with Yangtze Cruise (Beijing | Xian | Guilin | Yangtze Cruise | Shanghai)