Built over a span of 1,100 years, the Great Wall is one of the most awesome sights in the world. It is a paved, elevated highway that snakes across the countryside for more than 3,000 mi/4,830 km. In some places it is wide enough for carts and horsemen to travel along the top. A barrier to persistent invaders from the north, it also served as a dividing line between settled agriculture on the plain and nomadic life in the mountains. It is built of brick and stone and filled with earth—and supposedly the bodies of conscripted laborers who died building it. Much of it is in disrepair, but several sections near Beijing have been reconstructed.
At Badaling, about 50 mi/80 km to the northwest, and at Mutianyu, 90 minutes away by car, visitors can climb a hill or ride a cable car to the top of the wall. (At Mutianyu there's a steep walk from the main gate.) At Juyong Pass, which is closer to the city, you'll find lots of teenagers trying to sprint up the 350-plus steps. Badaling, Mutianyu and Juyong Pass are heavily visited and developed, with gift shops, theaters, snack stands and even amusement-park-style rides. Note: The government has apparently outlawed hiking along sections of the "wild wall" (unrestored sections of the wall around Simatai and elsewhere), although people still do it. Do so at your own risk.
Some hotels will arrange a tour to any of these wall sections, but for a more unstructured visit, take a taxi or a bus. You can easily spend a whole day at the wall: Pack a picnic lunch (take plenty of water) and enjoy the fresh air and vistas. Be aware that temperatures at the Great Wall are almost always cooler than in Beijing, so plan ahead in winter. A visit to the Great Wall may be most rewarding for the physically fit (most sections offer strenuous up-and-down climbs), but just seeing the wall is worth the trip. Admission runs about 50 yuan. Cable car fees at Mutianyu and Simatai are extra.
