Have you always wanted to visit the Great Wall of China? Are you wanting to tour The Great Wall of China with a Toddler…but you aren’t sure that it’s practical, or even possible? We had the same concerns, but we came back armed with some great information and tips.
Soon after moving to Korea, our family took a trip to China. Getting the visas was A Process, so plan ahead if you’re wanting to visit. You can get a 10-year visa if you want that flexibility, or are planning to go multiple times.
My husband had already been to China on a business school trip, but my son and I had never visited. We knew the Great Wall of China was going to be a priority, so we structured the rest of our Beijing itinerary around it.
When to Go
We went in August and it was pretty hot– but also very green! An experience at the Great Wall will naturally vary significantly depending on the season. Our friends went in winter and those photos were magical in an entirely different way. Autumn foliage would be fantastic as well. The only “meh” time might be that dead-looking-plants-period in late February/early March…not my favorite time for East Asia.
Where to Go & How to Get There
So it’s a pretty big wall…;) which means there are sections of the Great Wall that are visit-able throughout different provinces (including an eastern part that borders North Korea). The most popular sections with tourists tend to be within several hours of Beijing.
With a toddler in tow we knew we wanted somewhere pretty close to Beijing for the convenience…but also didn’t want massive crowds, if possible. We did some research beforehand and talked to the local hotel staff upon arrival.
The Jinshanling & Badaling sections are very close to Beijing and accessible by public transportation. It takes 1-2 hours to travel from Beijing to these sections. There are various routes- most are combinations of buses and subway trains. The price is right, but the language barriers and erratic schedule changes can make these routes a little unpredictable. Because these sections are accessible by public transport they do tend to be some of the most crowded (so we’ve heard). If we hadn’t been with our 21 month old, we probably would’ve taken this option and rolled with any punches or surprises in transit.
(Badaling section shown on map above- zoom out to see where it is in relation to Beijing)
We ultimately decided to go to the Mutianyu section, which is about an 80 minute drive (75 km) from Beijing. The Mutianyu section is fully restored (IE no chunks suddenly missing beneath your feet), so a great option with our toddler. (This is a helpful article by China Highlights where you can read more!)
(Mutianyu section shown on map above- Zoom in and out for more geographical context!)
Since Mutianyu isn’t accessible by public transport, we hired a driver through our hotel’s concierge desk. Apparently this is very common when touring in China. The price was higher than the bus, but not outrageous.
Toddler Tip: We appreciated that a hired car & driver allowed us to be on our own schedule, and on a direct route without transferring halfway. We timed it so our son could nap in the car the whole way home, uninterrupted.
Ok, I’m here! Now what?
At Mutianyu, you have three options to get from the initial welcome area to the Great Wall:
- hike until your legs fall off
- take the scenic cable car
- ride in a chairlift
We chose the first option- despite the August heat and humidity and the fact that Dad was carrying a toddler on his back (Paul, you stud!). I don’t regret it, but I’m sure the cable car or chair lift would both be a lot faster and less physically draining. I have no recollection of the chair lift being an option, but maybe we immediately dismissed it based on how prone to climbing and jumping our son was is.
The hike was really just many many steps upward forever. The views were lovely, though, and we felt like Bosses (a big motivator in hiking for me).
alllll the steps…
Wandering the Wall
I will never forget my first glimpse of the Great Wall, extending far into the distance. It was breathtaking. (Almost as breathtaking as the arduous trek to get there…OKOK enough about the stairs already)
So many “tourist attractions” don’t live up to their hype– but the Great Wall of China is not one of them. Not for me. I remember watching a short movie in elementary school all about China & the Great Wall. I had the thought, “wow, I’ll probably never see that. That’s so far away.”
It was very surreal to be there. We followed the path for a couple of hours, took some pictures, and tried to soak it all in.
We mostly kept our son in the Ergo carrier #safetyfirst, but we did let him get out to stretch his legs and explore a bit. This required major guidance…it was VERY steep at times, and also– those watch holes are no joke!
I’m glad we got there pretty early in the day, because by the time we left it was a lot more crowded. It was never SO CROWDED that you couldn’t move around easily… but towards the afternoon, it was a lot trickier to get photos without people in the background (which some people would care more about than others I’m sure).
Getting Back Down
Walking along the Great Wall was a bucket list dream come true. BUT, unexpectedly, coming back down the mountain was delightful too! There are four options to come back down the mountain at Mutianyu:
- Hike down all the steps
- Ride in the cable car
- Ride in the chairlift
- Ride down in a TOBOGGAN
We decided to ride the toboggan and it was so fun! I just looked it up on a few travel blogs, and it does NOT have 5-star safety ratings and is NOT recommended for kids or elderly, generally. Just a disclaimer 😉 But! we knew none of this, and had a great experience. Paul rode on his own and I rode with our son in front of me (you know, toboggan-style).
We didn’t take pictures on the ride itself, but you could slow it down pretty well. I didn’t feel scared at any point. They take a “ride picture” of you at the end, so don’t forget to smile!
What to Bring
If you’re bringing a baby or toddler I HIGHLY recommend a carrier of some kind. We love our Ergo for carrying babies (front) and young toddlers (back) for long periods of time. We often bring an umbrella stroller that’s foldable to have both options– but this is way too hilly, uneven, and too many steps (even hike excluded) for a stroller of any kind.
Don’t forget water and snacks, too. There are a few food options at the bottom, but it’s nice to have something familiar and ready to go ASAP for little ones. It’s also good to carry a small first aid kit (scraped knees etc.)… All the normal stuff for a day hike with kids.
There’s a museum at the bottom that’s worth checking out! And bathrooms, and souvenirs.
Our son doesn’t remember this trip, but he’s enjoyed seeing the pictures and hearing all about it. You can read why I think traveling with kids (even very little ones) is great here.
All photos are my own. We visited August 2017.
Now you know how to tour the Great Wall of China with a Toddler!
Have you been to the Great Wall of China?
Which section did you visit? I’d love to hear all of your thoughts in the comments below!
Read more about our travels in Asia with young kids:
HONG KONG DISNEYLAND: PREGNANT & WITH A TODDLER
HOW TO VISIT HOI AN, VIETNAM WITH A BABY & TODDLER
HOW TO VISIT SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND WITH A TODDLER
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