From Shanghai to the Great Wall

[Marutsero]

Hey everybody, my name is Marcel and I´m from Slovakia. I am about to go to the Shanghai in a few days and I´d love to visit The Great Wall.
I have already figured out the transfer between Shanghai and Beijing (night train) but I am still not sure about what to do next.
Arrival of the train is around 07:00 a.m in Beijing, so is it possible to catch the bus to get to the Wall, or is it better to stay in Beijing and go in the next morning?

Thanks for every suggestions and recommendations
Marcel

[Bryan]

Hello, Marcel, and welcome!

If you will be arriving at 7 in the morning, then you should easily have time to get where you want to go. If you will be arriving at 7 in the evening then it would probably be a good idea to stay in Beijing, although you could proceed to Huairou or Miyun or to a hotel at the Great Wall location if you know where you're going.

Where do you plan to visit the Great Wall?

[Marutsero]

Hey there thank you for your reply!

It is a night train, so we will be there in the morning at 07:00.
I have´t decided yet. If you mean "When" (sorry if not) It would be sometime between 02.04.-12.04

[Bryan]

Will you just spend one day at the Great Wall? Have you selected what location?

[Marutsero]

Probably only 1 day. Is it possible? I mean by night train from Shanghai then by bus to the Wall, back in the afternoon and catch the train back to Shanghai?

No, we haven´t selected location yet. Do you have any suggestions?
I am hobby photographer, So i would prefer some nice views of The Wall.

[Bryan]

In my opinion, for great photos, Jinshanling is your best choice. But it's at least one hour further driving time from Beijing than the closest spots. Mutianyu would be your second best bet. It's closer to Beijing. Juyongguan, Shuiguan, and Badaling (in that order) offer the shortest driving times but not the best photographic opportunities. You can do these in one day, especially if your return train leaves late in the evening. Of course with only one day you're at the mercy of the weather...

[Marutsero]

Sounds great!
What about transportation from Beijing, and then between these locations?(Jinshanling and Mutianyu)



PS: Arrival is around 7a.m
and train departure time is around 19:00 (7:00p.m)

[Bryan]

You don't need transportation between Mutianyu and Jinshanling. You just need to pick one or the other.

A taxi from Beijing is the easiest and fastest; A bus or a combination of bus and taxi is the least expensive.

For Mutianyu, you can take a bus to Huairou and then a taxi or local bus from there. For Jinshanling, take a bus to Gubeikou and then local transportation from there.