Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog, and glad to know that you found it useful before your upcoming trip! 🥰 The Great Wall is indeed a historical and architectural wonder - have a great time hiking/exploring the Mutianyu section, and do consider other sections if you have more time! 😂 Look forward to hearing about your adventures when you're back. 🙌🏻
@tuyetle5764 hello there, thanks for watching our vlog and channel sub. Yes there are generally hotels around the Great Wall, though they may not be right next to the entrance. For Dragon Head, the eventual hotel/resort where we stay at (literally translated to Look-sea-village resort) was within 5-10mins walking distance to the entrance gate. At point of filming, this hotel was one of the fews that were open for foreigners to stay at (since then, the common hotel practice of accepting-locals-only has been discontinued, not sure if it has been implemented on ground). For Mutianyu, given the high visitorship, there are some luxurious hotel options surrounding the entrance that charges ~200usd/night. We didn't try staying though as we felt it was near enough to Beijing to warrant a day trip. hope this helps and have a good trip! 😄
@tzew thank you so much for your reply. One last question if you don’t mind, what month did you visit? I’m planning a trip in June/July so was wondering of the weather during that time of the year.
@@tuyetle5764 you’re welcome, happy we are able to share some useful tips. We travelled during September and the general weather was cooling, but do note that when you are the walls, there are no shelters (except for the intermittent towers) for you to hide from the sun. Coupled with a hike/stairs, this can fast become quite strenuous so do plan for a cap, lots of water and some snacks.
@@tuyetle5764 Hello there! We're glad to know that you found our vlog informative! 😄 As you can tell from his detailed replies, Mr. P is the "master planner" of our trips. 😆 Based off my previous trips to China, June & July are pretty warm and humid months. Walking/exploring the Great Wall can be quite strenuous physically, and you will also likely be spending long hours outdoors w/o shelter, so sun protection is highly recommended. Another important thing to note - Beijing (and the other cities in China) school holidays start in first week of July, so you may encounter a serious influx crowds at the more popular sections of the wall e.g. Mutianyu/Badaling. This will make hiking/exploring the wall uncomfortable and quite chaotic. PS: I vlogged about our experiences visiting Yunnan (4 part series) during their summer school holidays, and you can tell from the crowds...it was no joke 🤪. ua-cam.com/video/PSay0k46SDI/v-deo.htmlsi=QPy-wqS0kl-s2u2W
Great video; thank you! I got to visit Mutianyu last November. Most of it was a very easy hike, though the climb to Watchtower 20 was a bit more taxing. The views were worth the effort, though!
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog & welcome to the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! 😊 Yes, Mutianyu's terrain is generally kind & there are so many activities/transport options if one doesn't wish to hike 😛. Did you manage to visit Jinshanling? If you like less crowds & raw, vast green rolling mountains...this section would take your breath away!! 😍
@lisalau836 hello there, thanks for watching our vlog, happy to hear that it was entertaining for you. The arrows on the map indicated our walking route for mty. I would categorise it this way. The climb up tower 10 was steep, 10 to 14 tower was steep and the terrain flattened out after the cable car station. Walking back to 10 was a downhill before it flattened out to tower 6. From tower 6 it’s another steep descent before a steep ascent towards tower 1 Hope this helps! 🙂
@@tzew That's very helpful, thank you! I'll be travelling with an older family member and want to minimise the more strenuous walking/climbing. Is the walk from the ticket station to shuttle bus, and then from shuttle bus setdown to the cable car station, on fairly flat ground? All up would it be a 15 min walk? Which option do you think would be better once we've caught the cable car up to tower 14: (a) Walk to tower 6 and then catch the chairlift down. (b) Wander around the flat area and then catch the cable car back down?
@@lisalau836 I see. From entrance ticket counter to shuttle bus--> 10-15mins walk on flat ground through shops. Shuttle bus will eventually drop you off at a carpark area where visitors have to walk a gradient up slope upwards either towards the cable car or towards the stairs hiking point (like we did). If minimising walking/climbing is the intention, then it is best that you take the shuttle bus/ cable car and option B would be the less tiring and faster option. Option A, while mostly descent, would still be quite an adventurous stretch. 20:13 is a good pov of how steep the descent from tower 14 to 10 will be. That said, walking down the steps imo, gave us a deeper appreciation of how massive the wall really is and how challenging it must have been for builders/soldiers alike to build/man this wall. Do note that the chairlift descending point is near to the Toboggan ride (the chairlift brings up all the toboggans). But after all the walking down from Tower 14, you would likely be very tired so even that extra stretch may feel very painful on the knees. Bring along sufficient water for hydration and go at your own pace👍 Hope this helps, we would be happy to hear more on your experience post trip 🙂
@@tzew You're a legend, thank you for the detailed answer. We will definitely do option B. It is an engineering marvel, we can't wait to see it! I will report back and let you know how we go. Thanks again for your help!
Hi Jelly! Thanks for sharing your experience. Had a great laugh during the cough/sneezing part hahaha. Regarding the hotel by the Jinshanling entrance, do you remember the name of it? And how close was it to the entrance? Hoping to stay there !
@trizzinc thanks for watching our vlog, the hotel is called 金山岭长城大酒店 and a quick check on their hotel policy shows that they are able to allow foreigners to stay (some domestic hotels do not have license for foreigners), so you should be able to book a room through ctrip. Good luck for your marathon on the Great Wall ! 💪
Hello!! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the video & found it useful 🥰. Mr. P is the main planner for our trips, so he would know the locations best 🤭. All the best for the marathon - it sounds like it's gonna be an amazing trip for you! 💪🏻
The public buses to Jinshanling doesn't run on weekdays, so an alternative if you wish to visit on weekdays is to book a day trip via an agent, or hire your own private transport & driver to bring you there. In that way, you're also not restricted by the timing you need to return back to the bus station to catch the bus back to the city! We took the public bus from 东直门外巴士站 to visit JSL. It’s good to reach at least 20mins earlier as the bus leaves punctually. Our bus tickets cost 50rmb one way and payable in cash only. The public buses only operate on weekends from 8am and return at 4pm. Also note that there was a sign stating that the bus runs from May-Nov, but this didn’t affect us since we were there in Sep. You can refer to @2:05 to @4:33 of this video to see how the buses look like.
First of all many many thanks for the detailed tour of both sections❤. Will really help us plan accordingly. We will be travelling in a couple of months and I can see that you loved JSL better but what would you recommend to first timers like us?
@harishpj2922 thanks for watching our vlog, we are happy to hear that our sharing is useful for your planning. Before this trip, I told Jelly that each wall has its unique features, but the long meandering wall that most of us imagine would be best represented by JSL. Given its location, there were also less crowds which allowed us to better enjoy the landscape in its entirety. Of course the flipside was that there were little food choices, and lesser time on the wall for day trips. MTY on comparison had more modernised infrastructure (in terms of cable car, food options, shuttle bus, general signs). It also has the toboggan option which I enjoyed. There were definitely more crowds since it was nearer to Beijing. We also went to the Shan Hai Guan/ Lao Long Tou, which is the first Pass from the East and where the Great Wall ends in the sea. It was definitely interesting too. Depending on your preferences, Ba Da Ling / Mu Tian Yu are generally for first timers to get a taste of the wall with more modernised comforts. If you have the time and don't mind a longer hike, we would say definitely try JSL or Sima Tai. We chose to take a direct express bus to each wall section, but you could also consider picking a private tour and it would likely make the travelling bit easier. Jelly was a first timer, so I'd let her share more of her thoughts. Meanwhile, have a good trip!
Hello!! Thanks for leaving us a comment! Here's my veryyyy lengthy reply...😊 Like what Mr. P pointed out, we actually visited 3 sections of the Great Wall. The 3rd section - Old Dragon's Head 🐲- is featured in another vlog, and that wall section is cool 😎 because we get to see the where wall & sea meet! Winds are also super strong at this wall section (hold onto your hats/caps!), since it's by the seaside, and there are sandy beaches and places to chill/dine by the beach. You can bring food along for a picnic even. The wall section is relatively easy to walk, and very well-maintained. MTY was wayyy too crowded for my liking (i get overstimulated by noise 😐) but i must admit that it's a easier walk - for someone with general fitness. If you don't like walking, there are also a variety of other transport options up/down the wall. I saw most tourists were super excited by the toboggan 😂. JSL presented me with a raw & natural beauty which i really appreciated. Some wall segments weren't fully restored, some were extremely steep & rocky. There were plenty of steps, and you could take time to walk, explore, climb & take in the sights, sounds and crisp clean air - but you must like hiking, and don't mind breaking into a sweat. Drawback was that food options are limited. Of course, you can always purchase a cup noodle/drinks at one of the makeshift stalls housed in a couple of "general towers" to take a break. We chose to bring along packed food & drinks instead 😀. Amenities are limited too. Mr. P HATED the cable car ride down, and so i wouldn't recommend it for people with fear of heights/suffer from vertigo. Ultimately, i think you may have to consider a multitude of factors - 1) how much time do you have to explore great wall? 2) how keen are you to hike, and also your physical fitness? 3) will you be taking public/tourist buses, or hiring a private transport? 4) do you prefer a more commercialized experience, or something more authentic? Hope this helps! Reach out if you'll like to chat more. 😊
@@harishpj2922 Hope that you'll have a good and insightful trip! ✨ Drop back in to update us on which wall sections you made it to! I'll be very interested to find out about your experience too. 😊
Hi@@oheyjelly, hope you guys are doing great!!! We wanted to share our experience of visiting Mutianyu stretch and gotta say it was a breathtaking one. All thanks to your suggestions we were so glad we chose it!!! We took the cable car to and fro and got to ascend the 'Hero Rock' at the top at the final section and get ourselves a medallion for the same 😂 it was our last day at Beijing but The Wall will forever remain in our memories ❤❤ Thanks again, take care and to more travel & memories 🤩🙌🏻
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog! You can buy tickets at the bus station, from the bus driver! To our knowledge, there's no way to purchase the bus tics online, or in advance 🫤.
Hello! Thanks for watching our vlog and joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! 🥰 Glad that you found the video helpful towards your trip/itinerary planning! The Great Wall of China (all the different wall sections) is quite a spectacular historical site to visit.😄
Thanks for watching our video & leaving us such an encouraging comment! ❤️ Glad that you found our sharing useful! We'll be heading to Yunnan in July - can't wait to explore and learn more. ✨
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog & joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam family! Haha yes, i think there still needs to be more 'education' and 'awareness' when it comes to public hygiene and manners. We experience this in many countries, not just in China 😅.
hello, thanks for your sharing! I intend to walk from the tower at cable car to the toboggan tower. Is the walk easy, mostly flat or downhill or some sections have steep climb?
Hello! Thanks for watching our vlog and joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! ✨ The walk from cable car tower to toboggan tower is not entirely flat. There's a short segment along the wall which is quite steep (downwards), but definitely doable for most people! The rest of the way is quite a breeze and mostly flat. ☺️ Hope this helps!
@hendrasugianto2482 hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. Unfortunately, the public buses to jsl doesn’t run on weekdays so an alternative is to look for day trips to these wall sections, which usually covers the to/fro transport and with a guide. Hope you have a good climb on the wall 💪🏼
Hello there! To add onto Mr. P's reply, i guess the easier (but slightly more costly) way is to get a private hire car + tour guide to drive you to the Great Wall sections you wish to explore. 😊 In this way, you're not restricted by the public bus timings and you can explore the Great Wall slowly. 👍🏻
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog 😍. Just as a guide, I believe we spent about 5 hours exploring/hiking/filming at each wall section - lao long tou, mutianyu, jinshanling. This excludes traveling time e.g. public bus to and fro. We planned our day largely around these bus timings, so that we can catch the bus to Great Wall & bus back to the city. There are decent bathroom facilities at the visitor centres for all wall sections. I would use the bathroom at the visitor centres before starting our hike, and after our hike to empty my bladder, before returning back onto the bus. I did not need to use the washroom in the 5 hours we were hiking...😛 Water - we brought our own drinks for the hike. Bottled water and some sweet drinks for an energy boost mid-day. If you don't want to bring any drinks, there are some small shops (jinshanling) and restaurants (mutianyu) located at the wall sections where you can purchase them.
Hello! Thanks for watching our vlog & joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! 😊 Yes, please visit JSL if you have the opportunity to - the scenic views are unique, and the wall infrastructure is quite authentic. Makes for a less-touristy Great Wall experience! 😍
@123tammy hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. Its not an easy hike, unless you take the cable car. It probably look easy because Jelly and I already were already in the "climb Great Wall" mode. That said, JSL was worth it, primarily because of the views. Hope you get to climb JSL someday!
Very Nice video! Thanks! I'm going to great wall in August, I'm undecided if go to mutinyau section o jinshanling section. Have you got any suggestions? Do you think that mutianyu will be very crowded in August? Or maybe the same crowd of your video?
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlogs & joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! 😄 Each wall has its unique features, but the long meandering wall would be best represented by JinShanLing. There were also less crowds which allowed us to better enjoy the landscape in its entirety. There's a raw & natural beauty which i really appreciated. Some wall segments weren't fully restored, extremely steep & rocky. There are plenty of steps, and you could take time to walk, explore, climb & take in the sights, sounds and crisp clean air - but you must like hiking, and don't mind breaking into a sweat. The flipside was that there were little food choices, and lesser time on the wall for day trips. MuTianYu has more modernised infrastructure (in terms of cable car, food options, shuttle bus, general signs). It's an easier walk for someone with general fitness. If you don't like walking, there are also a variety of other transport options up/down the wall. It also has the toboggan for thrill seekers. There are definitely more crowds since it's nearer to Beijing. We also went to the Shan Hai Guan/ Lao Long Tou, which is the first Pass from the East and where the Great Wall ends in the sea. It was definitely interesting too. Ultimately, i think you may have to consider a multitude of factors - 1) how much time do you have to explore great wall? 2) how keen are you to hike, and also your physical fitness? 3) will you be taking public/tourist buses, or hiring a private transport? 4) do you prefer a more commercialized experience, or something more authentic? PS: I just returned from an early July trip to China and it happens to be their 2-month school vacation break now. It should extend till August and domestic travels are insane. Would advise you to go after August for sure. :)
@94vrcommodore Hey Gordon, thanks for dropping by again! 😄 We consciously avoided their National holidays, so I would say it was quite alright in terms of crowd at the Great Wall - sufficient space to walk and no "sandwiching"! We did encounter quite a few domestic tour groups, families, school kids on excursions etc. It was the weekend....so that can't be helped (bus to Jinshanling only runs on Saturday)! 🙃 Have you visited The Great Wall before?
@@oheyjelly hey Jelly. I’ve visited China 5 years ago, but haven’t visited the Great Wall yet. That’s something I love to check out. How long were you 2 in China?
@@94vrcommodorehey Gordon, we were only in China for 6 days this time, so it became sort of a 3-sections-of-the-Great-Wall focus let’s see how it goes trip. Each section had its thing we enjoyed but the wall itself is most definitely worth a visit. Just avoid visiting during their National holidays😅
@@tzew awesome. I know to avoid going to places in China during their holidays, just like when I went to the moat in Xian while it was their public holiday
@royleow hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. Yes there is only one bus to JSL operating on Sat/Sun/PH. It’s good to reach at least 20mins earlier as the bus does leave quite punctually. Bus tickets cost 50rmb one way and payable in cash only. Also note that there was a sign stating that the bus runs from May-Nov, but this didn’t affect us since we were there in Sep. We reached JSL at around 10.30am, bought tix/ shuttle bus to entrance (20mins) and hiked to first tower (35mins). We had a good 3-4 hours (which was enough under the hot sun) on the wall to explore before taking 1 way cable car down. Lunch wise, JSL is not as commercialized as badaling or mutianyu, and there are no shops at the towers checkpoints. We brought our own lunch box. Hope this helps. Do like/sub if you found our tips useful, thanks!
@@royleow you’re welcome. If you are up for a steep climb, tower 1-6 at mutianyu will be quite a fun challenge, before that toboggan ride down. Enjoy your visit!
@oakleytraveler88 hello thanks for watching our vlog and dropping a comment. Yes there are direct buses to JSL. @oheyjelly and myself took the public bus from 东直门外巴士站 to visit JSL in a day. It’s good to reach at least 20mins earlier as the bus does leave quite punctually. Bus tickets cost 50rmb one way and payable in cash only. Buses only operate on weekends from 8am and return at 4pm. Also note that there was a sign stating that the bus runs from May-Nov, but this didn’t affect us since we were there in Sep. You can refer to @2:05 to @4:33 of this video to see how the buses look like. Through this route, we had about a good 5 hours on the walls of JSL. Alternatively, there are plenty of day tours with minivans, though more expensive. Hope this helps, cheers!
@fidelchandra hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. To clarify, the toboggan is only at Mutianyu and the entrance point is located near Tower 6. No, you would not have to take any cable car down from Tower 6 to take the toboggan, but there is a chair lift station nearby which visitors could also opt to take down, instead of the toboggan. This chairlift also serves to bring up the toboggan, similar to that of ski lifts. Hope this helps 🙂
@yvetthernandez6013 hi there, thanks for watching our vlogs. Are you visiting Jin Shan Ling or Mutianyu? If it is Jin Shan Ling, then yes the bus only leaves at 0730-0800hrs on weekends and public holidays between May - October. If it is Mutianyu, the bus leaves daily at 0830am. Hope this helps, happy travels!
Hello! @yvetthernandez6013 Mr. P the planner of our trips has replied your question down below. If you would like flexibility in terms of transport i.e. you can visit the Great Wall at any time of the week, there's the pricier option of hiring a private taxi/driver too. 😄
@jacintochua6885, hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. Not sure if I understood your comment correctly but it is actually less obvious than one would think. While theoretically JSL should be quieter given that it is further away from Beijing, who knows if it would be popular with locals / seasoned hikers, especially given that it is a weekend and close to small towns around like Xin Cheng Zi and other walls like Simatai. We thought sharing our experiences would be helpful to others when planning which wall sections to visit. Cheers.
Hello there! I believe the ticket prices for JSL entrance varies depending on the time of the year you visit. April to Oct would be around 65yuan, while Dec to Mar will be around 55yuan.
@sparaglione hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. To add on to Jelly's comment, one way bus ticket from beijing costs 50yuan pp. The shuttle one way from the ticket counter to the wall entrance is 10yuan pp and the cable car one way is 40yuan pp (if you buy return there would be a slight discount at 60yuan pp). Hope this helps.
Hello! Thanks for watching our vlog! We did not manage to visit Badaling this round, but have instead ventured to explore Old Dragon's Head (where the Great Wall ends in the sea), Jin Shan Ling and Mu Tian Yu. 😄Will definitely check out the other Great Wall sections the next time we head into Beijing! 💯
Hi Douglas, thanks for watching our vlog and sharing. One interesting thing with the Great Wall is that even within the commercialized section itself ie badaling, there are still parts of the section that are less crowded. As you rightly pointed out, gate #1 with the Mao saying is one of these spots. When Jelly told me she wanted to visit the Great Wall, I thought to first accompany her to visit 3 different sections, each with its own individual highlights. Mutianyu was a taste of the wall with crowd/ convenience, jinshanling was the raw/ less crowded section and Lao long tou being the end of the wall. Hopefully, we get to visit #1 gate mao saying at badaling next time 🇨🇳
Thanks!
Thanks for the informative tips and guide. I’ll be going up soon at end Dec 2024 through Mutianyu entrance and this vlog really helps.
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog, and glad to know that you found it useful before your upcoming trip! 🥰 The Great Wall is indeed a historical and architectural wonder - have a great time hiking/exploring the Mutianyu section, and do consider other sections if you have more time! 😂 Look forward to hearing about your adventures when you're back. 🙌🏻
@lzam0042 glad our tips helped. hope it was a good climb!
Thank you dear, lovely and informative blog🤗💐will be watching all your China Beijing Vid❤
Hello!! @allysia4 Thank you so much for watching our vlogs. We're glad to know that you found it informative and helpful. 🥰
Hi Jelly and Mr. P. Thank you so much for the informative video. Do you know if there were hotel by the entrance of Mutianyu or the dragon head?
@tuyetle5764 hello there, thanks for watching our vlog and channel sub. Yes there are generally hotels around the Great Wall, though they may not be right next to the entrance. For Dragon Head, the eventual hotel/resort where we stay at (literally translated to Look-sea-village resort) was within 5-10mins walking distance to the entrance gate. At point of filming, this hotel was one of the fews that were open for foreigners to stay at (since then, the common hotel practice of accepting-locals-only has been discontinued, not sure if it has been implemented on ground).
For Mutianyu, given the high visitorship, there are some luxurious hotel options surrounding the entrance that charges ~200usd/night. We didn't try staying though as we felt it was near enough to Beijing to warrant a day trip. hope this helps and have a good trip! 😄
@tzew thank you so much for your reply. One last question if you don’t mind, what month did you visit? I’m planning a trip in June/July so was wondering of the weather during that time of the year.
@@tuyetle5764 you’re welcome, happy we are able to share some useful tips. We travelled during September and the general weather was cooling, but do note that when you are the walls, there are no shelters (except for the intermittent towers) for you to hide from the sun. Coupled with a hike/stairs, this can fast become quite strenuous so do plan for a cap, lots of water and some snacks.
@@tzew thank you so much
@@tuyetle5764 Hello there! We're glad to know that you found our vlog informative! 😄 As you can tell from his detailed replies, Mr. P is the "master planner" of our trips. 😆
Based off my previous trips to China, June & July are pretty warm and humid months. Walking/exploring the Great Wall can be quite strenuous physically, and you will also likely be spending long hours outdoors w/o shelter, so sun protection is highly recommended.
Another important thing to note - Beijing (and the other cities in China) school holidays start in first week of July, so you may encounter a serious influx crowds at the more popular sections of the wall e.g. Mutianyu/Badaling. This will make hiking/exploring the wall uncomfortable and quite chaotic.
PS: I vlogged about our experiences visiting Yunnan (4 part series) during their summer school holidays, and you can tell from the crowds...it was no joke 🤪.
ua-cam.com/video/PSay0k46SDI/v-deo.htmlsi=QPy-wqS0kl-s2u2W
Great video; thank you! I got to visit Mutianyu last November. Most of it was a very easy hike, though the climb to Watchtower 20 was a bit more taxing. The views were worth the effort, though!
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog & welcome to the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! 😊 Yes, Mutianyu's terrain is generally kind & there are so many activities/transport options if one doesn't wish to hike 😛. Did you manage to visit Jinshanling? If you like less crowds & raw, vast green rolling mountains...this section would take your breath away!! 😍
Thanks for the entertaining and informative video! Does the map (@ 16 minutes) indicate the slope (i.e. 10 to 14 is uphill and 6 to 4 is downhill)?
@lisalau836 hello there, thanks for watching our vlog, happy to hear that it was entertaining for you. The arrows on the map indicated our walking route for mty.
I would categorise it this way. The climb up tower 10 was steep, 10 to 14 tower was steep and the terrain flattened out after the cable car station. Walking back to 10 was a downhill before it flattened out to tower 6. From tower 6 it’s another steep descent before a steep ascent towards tower 1
Hope this helps! 🙂
@@tzew That's very helpful, thank you!
I'll be travelling with an older family member and want to minimise the more strenuous walking/climbing. Is the walk from the ticket station to shuttle bus, and then from shuttle bus setdown to the cable car station, on fairly flat ground? All up would it be a 15 min walk?
Which option do you think would be better once we've caught the cable car up to tower 14:
(a) Walk to tower 6 and then catch the chairlift down.
(b) Wander around the flat area and then catch the cable car back down?
@@lisalau836 I see. From entrance ticket counter to shuttle bus--> 10-15mins walk on flat ground through shops. Shuttle bus will eventually drop you off at a carpark area where visitors have to walk a gradient up slope upwards either towards the cable car or towards the stairs hiking point (like we did).
If minimising walking/climbing is the intention, then it is best that you take the shuttle bus/ cable car and option B would be the less tiring and faster option.
Option A, while mostly descent, would still be quite an adventurous stretch. 20:13 is a good pov of how steep the descent from tower 14 to 10 will be. That said, walking down the steps imo, gave us a deeper appreciation of how massive the wall really is and how challenging it must have been for builders/soldiers alike to build/man this wall.
Do note that the chairlift descending point is near to the Toboggan ride (the chairlift brings up all the toboggans). But after all the walking down from Tower 14, you would likely be very tired so even that extra stretch may feel very painful on the knees. Bring along sufficient water for hydration and go at your own pace👍
Hope this helps, we would be happy to hear more on your experience post trip 🙂
@@tzew You're a legend, thank you for the detailed answer. We will definitely do option B. It is an engineering marvel, we can't wait to see it! I will report back and let you know how we go. Thanks again for your help!
@@lisalau836 You're most welcome and have a great/safe trip! ✈
Hi Jelly! Thanks for sharing your experience. Had a great laugh during the cough/sneezing part hahaha. Regarding the hotel by the Jinshanling entrance, do you remember the name of it? And how close was it to the entrance? Hoping to stay there !
@trizzinc thanks for watching our vlog, the hotel is called 金山岭长城大酒店 and a quick check on their hotel policy shows that they are able to allow foreigners to stay (some domestic hotels do not have license for foreigners), so you should be able to book a room through ctrip. Good luck for your marathon on the Great Wall ! 💪
@@tzew Perfect! Thanks for the detailed answer! Safe travels!
Hello!! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the video & found it useful 🥰. Mr. P is the main planner for our trips, so he would know the locations best 🤭. All the best for the marathon - it sounds like it's gonna be an amazing trip for you! 💪🏻
What days of the week is the bus to Jinshanling available? Every day or just Saturday and Sunday? 😀
The public buses to Jinshanling doesn't run on weekdays, so an alternative if you wish to visit on weekdays is to book a day trip via an agent, or hire your own private transport & driver to bring you there. In that way, you're also not restricted by the timing you need to return back to the bus station to catch the bus back to the city!
We took the public bus from 东直门外巴士站 to visit JSL. It’s good to reach at least 20mins earlier as the bus leaves punctually. Our bus tickets cost 50rmb one way and payable in cash only.
The public buses only operate on weekends from 8am and return at 4pm. Also note that there was a sign stating that the bus runs from May-Nov, but this didn’t affect us since we were there in Sep. You can refer to @2:05 to @4:33 of this video to see how the buses look like.
First of all many many thanks for the detailed tour of both sections❤. Will really help us plan accordingly.
We will be travelling in a couple of months and I can see that you loved JSL better but what would you recommend to first timers like us?
@harishpj2922 thanks for watching our vlog, we are happy to hear that our sharing is useful for your planning.
Before this trip, I told Jelly that each wall has its unique features, but the long meandering wall that most of us imagine would be best represented by JSL. Given its location, there were also less crowds which allowed us to better enjoy the landscape in its entirety. Of course the flipside was that there were little food choices, and lesser time on the wall for day trips.
MTY on comparison had more modernised infrastructure (in terms of cable car, food options, shuttle bus, general signs). It also has the toboggan option which I enjoyed. There were definitely more crowds since it was nearer to Beijing.
We also went to the Shan Hai Guan/ Lao Long Tou, which is the first Pass from the East and where the Great Wall ends in the sea. It was definitely interesting too.
Depending on your preferences, Ba Da Ling / Mu Tian Yu are generally for first timers to get a taste of the wall with more modernised comforts. If you have the time and don't mind a longer hike, we would say definitely try JSL or Sima Tai. We chose to take a direct express bus to each wall section, but you could also consider picking a private tour and it would likely make the travelling bit easier.
Jelly was a first timer, so I'd let her share more of her thoughts. Meanwhile, have a good trip!
Hello!! Thanks for leaving us a comment! Here's my veryyyy lengthy reply...😊
Like what Mr. P pointed out, we actually visited 3 sections of the Great Wall. The 3rd section - Old Dragon's Head 🐲- is featured in another vlog, and that wall section is cool 😎 because we get to see the where wall & sea meet! Winds are also super strong at this wall section (hold onto your hats/caps!), since it's by the seaside, and there are sandy beaches and places to chill/dine by the beach. You can bring food along for a picnic even. The wall section is relatively easy to walk, and very well-maintained.
MTY was wayyy too crowded for my liking (i get overstimulated by noise 😐) but i must admit that it's a easier walk - for someone with general fitness. If you don't like walking, there are also a variety of other transport options up/down the wall. I saw most tourists were super excited by the toboggan 😂.
JSL presented me with a raw & natural beauty which i really appreciated. Some wall segments weren't fully restored, some were extremely steep & rocky. There were plenty of steps, and you could take time to walk, explore, climb & take in the sights, sounds and crisp clean air - but you must like hiking, and don't mind breaking into a sweat. Drawback was that food options are limited. Of course, you can always purchase a cup noodle/drinks at one of the makeshift stalls housed in a couple of "general towers" to take a break. We chose to bring along packed food & drinks instead 😀. Amenities are limited too. Mr. P HATED the cable car ride down, and so i wouldn't recommend it for people with fear of heights/suffer from vertigo.
Ultimately, i think you may have to consider a multitude of factors - 1) how much time do you have to explore great wall? 2) how keen are you to hike, and also your physical fitness? 3) will you be taking public/tourist buses, or hiring a private transport? 4) do you prefer a more commercialized experience, or something more authentic?
Hope this helps! Reach out if you'll like to chat more. 😊
Thanks a bunch to you both once again for your in-depth explanations and thoughtful suggestions.
@@harishpj2922 Hope that you'll have a good and insightful trip! ✨ Drop back in to update us on which wall sections you made it to! I'll be very interested to find out about your experience too. 😊
Hi@@oheyjelly, hope you guys are doing great!!!
We wanted to share our experience of visiting Mutianyu stretch and gotta say it was a breathtaking one. All thanks to your suggestions we were so glad we chose it!!!
We took the cable car to and fro and got to ascend the 'Hero Rock' at the top at the final section and get ourselves a medallion for the same 😂 it was our last day at Beijing but The Wall will forever remain in our memories ❤❤
Thanks again, take care and to more travel & memories 🤩🙌🏻
Is it necessary to buy the bus ticket in advance or can I buy it at the time in bus station?
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog! You can buy tickets at the bus station, from the bus driver! To our knowledge, there's no way to purchase the bus tics online, or in advance 🫤.
@@oheyjelly Thanks for answer me.
Wahh..really helpful.. save & will rewatch again to study!!!❤..
Hello! Thanks for watching our vlog and joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! 🥰 Glad that you found the video helpful towards your trip/itinerary planning! The Great Wall of China (all the different wall sections) is quite a spectacular historical site to visit.😄
Thank you for this video. Great video and advices!
Thanks for watching our video & leaving us such an encouraging comment! ❤️ Glad that you found our sharing useful! We'll be heading to Yunnan in July - can't wait to explore and learn more. ✨
@@oheyjelly Ooo, Can’t wait. That’s on my bucket list too while I’m here in China.
I LOVE THIS VIDEO. GIVE ME MORE!
@alexmelendex5404 hello there, thanks for watching our vlog and joining the oheyjelly channel. More videos coming soon 🙂
A lot of people in china sneeze very loud.
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog & joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam family! Haha yes, i think there still needs to be more 'education' and 'awareness' when it comes to public hygiene and manners. We experience this in many countries, not just in China 😅.
Thxxx for your video great informations !
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlogs & joining the fam! 🤗
hello, thanks for your sharing! I intend to walk from the tower at cable car to the toboggan tower. Is the walk easy, mostly flat or downhill or some sections have steep climb?
Hello! Thanks for watching our vlog and joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! ✨ The walk from cable car tower to toboggan tower is not entirely flat. There's a short segment along the wall which is quite steep (downwards), but definitely doable for most people! The rest of the way is quite a breeze and mostly flat. ☺️ Hope this helps!
Then how to get to jinshanling on weekday on March? Im planning going to Beijing this month, fortunately i watched ur video before
@hendrasugianto2482 hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. Unfortunately, the public buses to jsl doesn’t run on weekdays so an alternative is to look for day trips to these wall sections, which usually covers the to/fro transport and with a guide. Hope you have a good climb on the wall 💪🏼
Hello there! To add onto Mr. P's reply, i guess the easier (but slightly more costly) way is to get a private hire car + tour guide to drive you to the Great Wall sections you wish to explore. 😊 In this way, you're not restricted by the public bus timings and you can explore the Great Wall slowly. 👍🏻
@@oheyjelly thx for reply
Jelly, how long is a reasonable walk on the wall? What do you do when you need to go to the bathroom or drink water?
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog 😍. Just as a guide, I believe we spent about 5 hours exploring/hiking/filming at each wall section - lao long tou, mutianyu, jinshanling. This excludes traveling time e.g. public bus to and fro. We planned our day largely around these bus timings, so that we can catch the bus to Great Wall & bus back to the city.
There are decent bathroom facilities at the visitor centres for all wall sections. I would use the bathroom at the visitor centres before starting our hike, and after our hike to empty my bladder, before returning back onto the bus. I did not need to use the washroom in the 5 hours we were hiking...😛
Water - we brought our own drinks for the hike. Bottled water and some sweet drinks for an energy boost mid-day. If you don't want to bring any drinks, there are some small shops (jinshanling) and restaurants (mutianyu) located at the wall sections where you can purchase them.
@@oheyjelly thank very much for your response!!! God Bless !
very helpful video, thank you so much. I hope to go to 金山嶺 now seeing how you did it looks easy
Hello! Thanks for watching our vlog & joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! 😊 Yes, please visit JSL if you have the opportunity to - the scenic views are unique, and the wall infrastructure is quite authentic. Makes for a less-touristy Great Wall experience! 😍
@123tammy hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. Its not an easy hike, unless you take the cable car. It probably look easy because Jelly and I already were already in the "climb Great Wall" mode. That said, JSL was worth it, primarily because of the views. Hope you get to climb JSL someday!
Very Nice video! Thanks! I'm going to great wall in August, I'm undecided if go to mutinyau section o jinshanling section. Have you got any suggestions? Do you think that mutianyu will be very crowded in August? Or maybe the same crowd of your video?
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlogs & joining the @oheyjelly UA-cam fam! 😄 Each wall has its unique features, but the long meandering wall would be best represented by JinShanLing. There were also less crowds which allowed us to better enjoy the landscape in its entirety. There's a raw & natural beauty which i really appreciated. Some wall segments weren't fully restored, extremely steep & rocky. There are plenty of steps, and you could take time to walk, explore, climb & take in the sights, sounds and crisp clean air - but you must like hiking, and don't mind breaking into a sweat. The flipside was that there were little food choices, and lesser time on the wall for day trips.
MuTianYu has more modernised infrastructure (in terms of cable car, food options, shuttle bus, general signs). It's an easier walk for someone with general fitness. If you don't like walking, there are also a variety of other transport options up/down the wall. It also has the toboggan for thrill seekers. There are definitely more crowds since it's nearer to Beijing.
We also went to the Shan Hai Guan/ Lao Long Tou, which is the first Pass from the East and where the Great Wall ends in the sea. It was definitely interesting too.
Ultimately, i think you may have to consider a multitude of factors - 1) how much time do you have to explore great wall? 2) how keen are you to hike, and also your physical fitness? 3) will you be taking public/tourist buses, or hiring a private transport? 4) do you prefer a more commercialized experience, or something more authentic?
PS: I just returned from an early July trip to China and it happens to be their 2-month school vacation break now. It should extend till August and domestic travels are insane. Would advise you to go after August for sure. :)
@@oheyjelly thank you for the tips!! I appreciate them!! 🙏
@@davidebonazzi6734 No worries! I hope that you'll have a good trip to China's Great Wall and enjoy the scenery/hike, regardless of the crowd! :)
Good video. Was it super busy at the Great Wall?
@94vrcommodore Hey Gordon, thanks for dropping by again! 😄 We consciously avoided their National holidays, so I would say it was quite alright in terms of crowd at the Great Wall - sufficient space to walk and no "sandwiching"! We did encounter quite a few domestic tour groups, families, school kids on excursions etc. It was the weekend....so that can't be helped (bus to Jinshanling only runs on Saturday)! 🙃
Have you visited The Great Wall before?
@@oheyjelly hey Jelly. I’ve visited China 5 years ago, but haven’t visited the Great Wall yet. That’s something I love to check out. How long were you 2 in China?
@@94vrcommodorehey Gordon, we were only in China for 6 days this time, so it became sort of a 3-sections-of-the-Great-Wall focus let’s see how it goes trip. Each section had its thing we enjoyed but the wall itself is most definitely worth a visit. Just avoid visiting during their National holidays😅
@@tzew awesome. I know to avoid going to places in China during their holidays, just like when I went to the moat in Xian while it was their public holiday
@@94vrcommodorenice. Was it a human moat? 😂
So there's only 1 bus to and fro at 8am and 4pm? Then what about lunch?
@royleow hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. Yes there is only one bus to JSL operating on Sat/Sun/PH. It’s good to reach at least 20mins earlier as the bus does leave quite punctually. Bus tickets cost 50rmb one way and payable in cash only. Also note that there was a sign stating that the bus runs from May-Nov, but this didn’t affect us since we were there in Sep.
We reached JSL at around 10.30am, bought tix/ shuttle bus to entrance (20mins) and hiked to first tower (35mins). We had a good 3-4 hours (which was enough under the hot sun) on the wall to explore before taking 1 way cable car down.
Lunch wise, JSL is not as commercialized as badaling or mutianyu, and there are no shops at the towers checkpoints. We brought our own lunch box.
Hope this helps. Do like/sub if you found our tips useful, thanks!
@@tzew Thanks for the reply! Will probably be heading to Mutianyu!
@@royleow you’re welcome. If you are up for a steep climb, tower 1-6 at mutianyu will be quite a fun challenge, before that toboggan ride down. Enjoy your visit!
Are there any direct busses from beijing to jinshanling?
@oakleytraveler88 hello thanks for watching our vlog and dropping a comment. Yes there are direct buses to JSL. @oheyjelly and myself took the public bus from 东直门外巴士站 to visit JSL in a day. It’s good to reach at least 20mins earlier as the bus does leave quite punctually. Bus tickets cost 50rmb one way and payable in cash only. Buses only operate on weekends from 8am and return at 4pm. Also note that there was a sign stating that the bus runs from May-Nov, but this didn’t affect us since we were there in Sep. You can refer to @2:05 to @4:33 of this video to see how the buses look like. Through this route, we had about a good 5 hours on the walls of JSL. Alternatively, there are plenty of day tours with minivans, though more expensive. Hope this helps, cheers!
@@tzew Thanks Mr. P for the detailed info! 🤭 As you can tell, he's the main planner for our trips.
Wait, so you need to take a cable car down from tower 6 to take the toboggan? Or did I miss anything? 😅
@fidelchandra hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. To clarify, the toboggan is only at Mutianyu and the entrance point is located near Tower 6. No, you would not have to take any cable car down from Tower 6 to take the toboggan, but there is a chair lift station nearby which visitors could also opt to take down, instead of the toboggan. This chairlift also serves to bring up the toboggan, similar to that of ski lifts.
Hope this helps 🙂
Are you really sure that the bus only drives on saturday? 😭 i wanted to go on monday-thursday
@yvetthernandez6013 hi there, thanks for watching our vlogs. Are you visiting Jin Shan Ling or Mutianyu?
If it is Jin Shan Ling, then yes the bus only leaves at 0730-0800hrs on weekends and public holidays between May - October. If it is Mutianyu, the bus leaves daily at 0830am. Hope this helps, happy travels!
Hello! @yvetthernandez6013 Mr. P the planner of our trips has replied your question down below. If you would like flexibility in terms of transport i.e. you can visit the Great Wall at any time of the week, there's the pricier option of hiring a private taxi/driver too. 😄
Good❤❤❤
Hello there! Thanks for watching our vlog? ✨😄 Have you visited the Great Wall? Which was your favorite section?
It's obvious the sections closer to the city will be crowded more often. It s not like then Rome colliseum or tower of Pisa .
@jacintochua6885, hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. Not sure if I understood your comment correctly but it is actually less obvious than one would think. While theoretically JSL should be quieter given that it is further away from Beijing, who knows if it would be popular with locals / seasoned hikers, especially given that it is a weekend and close to small towns around like Xin Cheng Zi and other walls like Simatai. We thought sharing our experiences would be helpful to others when planning which wall sections to visit. Cheers.
hi what was the price for the entrance to Jinshanling?
Hello there! I believe the ticket prices for JSL entrance varies depending on the time of the year you visit. April to Oct would be around 65yuan, while Dec to Mar will be around 55yuan.
@sparaglione hello there, thanks for watching our vlog. To add on to Jelly's comment, one way bus ticket from beijing costs 50yuan pp. The shuttle one way from the ticket counter to the wall entrance is 10yuan pp and the cable car one way is 40yuan pp (if you buy return there would be a slight discount at 60yuan pp). Hope this helps.
First to comment again!
@Splotchandherminions Thanks for the support leh!
Usual tourist entry is Badaling. Go to gate No.1, not busy and has a saying by Mao etched in a rock.
Hello! Thanks for watching our vlog! We did not manage to visit Badaling this round, but have instead ventured to explore Old Dragon's Head (where the Great Wall ends in the sea), Jin Shan Ling and Mu Tian Yu. 😄Will definitely check out the other Great Wall sections the next time we head into Beijing! 💯
Hi Douglas, thanks for watching our vlog and sharing. One interesting thing with the Great Wall is that even within the commercialized section itself ie badaling, there are still parts of the section that are less crowded. As you rightly pointed out, gate #1 with the Mao saying is one of these spots.
When Jelly told me she wanted to visit the Great Wall, I thought to first accompany her to visit 3 different sections, each with its own individual highlights. Mutianyu was a taste of the wall with crowd/ convenience, jinshanling was the raw/ less crowded section and Lao long tou being the end of the wall.
Hopefully, we get to visit #1 gate mao saying at badaling next time 🇨🇳