China Travel Forum

[David]

I'm working in Beijing for a few days this week and literally have one day (Sunday) to visit the great wall. Which is the better view point/place to visit - Badaling or Mutianyu? I heard that Badaling is more touristy (but closer), but is the experience at Mutianyu just all around better to justify the time getting there?
One more thing - I'm thinking of hitting the Forbidden City and Great Wall in teh same day - will this be at all possible or should I just focus on one.

[Nora]

I've been to Mutianyu, but not Badaling. The day we visited, there were perhaps only another 10 or 15 people on that section of the wall that day - we were able to take lots of sweeping photographs of the wall, without a lot of people in the shots. I don't know if this is always true for Mutianyu, but I have heard that Badaling is almost always crowded. The disadvantage of a lack of crowds? Ain't nobody there but you and the touts.
If you go to Mutianyu, I wouldn't do that and the Forbidden City in the same day (It took about 2 hours to get there). We had a full day for each. If you've only got one day free, perhaps you should consider Badaling. Honestly, though, I wouldn't try to cram both experiences into the same day - sensory overload, plus you'll have to practically run through the Forbidden City. We hired a cab to take us to Mutianyu (we negotiated a rate for the whole day), and then we got him to drop us off at the Temple of Heaven on the way back, just in time for sunset, so we did get to see a couple of things on the same day - just not two major things.