Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour: Tickets, Times & Transport Tips

Written and updated by Ruqin
Last updated: January 01, 2026

Beijing summers can feel intense by late afternoon, which is exactly why I love the Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour. As the sun fades and the wall lights begin to glow, the atmosphere becomes calmer, cooler, and surprisingly peaceful compared with the daytime crowds.

If you’re planning a Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour, this guide will help you with tickets, opening times, transport, and practical evening tips. I’ll also share the small details that first-time visitors often miss, so your night visit feels smooth and memorable from start to finish.

1. Mutianyu Night Tour Timetable Information

One thing I always tell travelers is this: don’t arrive too late for the Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour. Even though the evening session officially runs until 9 pm, the mountain area becomes much quieter after sunset, and transport options back to Beijing start thinning out later in the evening.

The night tour is usually available during July and August, when Beijing’s daytime heat can feel exhausting. By early evening, however, the temperature becomes much more comfortable, and the illuminated wall creates a completely different atmosphere from the daytime visit.

Here are the current evening operating hours for the Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour:

Night Tour Opening Hours: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Last Entry Time: 8:30 pm
Ticket Office Closing Time: 8:00 pm

From experience, I recommend arriving at Mutianyu around 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. This timing lets you avoid the strongest afternoon heat while still catching the beautiful transition from daylight to sunset and then to the illuminated night wall.

If you arrive too close to 8 pm, the visit can feel rushed, especially if you plan to use the cable car or spend time taking photos along the wall. The mountain paths also become darker later in the evening, so comfortable walking shoes and a fully charged phone are both worth having with you.

2. Accessible Towers for Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour

One surprise for many first-time visitors is that not every section of the wall stays open at night. The Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour only opens a limited stretch of the wall for safety and lighting reasons, but honestly, it’s more than enough for a memorable evening experience.

During the night tour, you can usually explore watchtowers 10 through 15. This section is one of the most scenic and comfortable parts of Mutianyu, with relatively broad pathways, restored stone steps, and beautiful illuminated views stretching across the mountains.

I personally think this is the ideal section for an evening walk. The lighting creates a soft golden glow along the ancient bricks, and the atmosphere feels far calmer than the busy daytime crowds. As you move between the towers, you’ll notice how quiet the mountains become after sunset, especially farther away from the main entrance area.

Tower 14 is often the most popular viewpoint during the night session because it offers wide panoramic views of the illuminated wall winding across the ridges. If you enjoy photography, this is usually the best area to pause for photos before the sky turns completely dark.

That said, don’t underestimate the walking. Even this restored section still includes uneven stone steps and some steeper climbs between towers. Comfortable shoes matter much more than people expect, especially at night when visibility becomes lower on certain stair sections.

If you prefer a slower pace, I recommend simply walking between towers 10 and 13 and spending more time enjoying the atmosphere rather than trying to rush through the entire open section. The beauty of the Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour is not covering distance — it’s experiencing the wall in a quieter, more reflective way.

3. What to See and Do During the Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour

The Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour is not just about walking the wall after dark. What makes the experience special is the atmosphere — cooler air, softer lighting, and a slower pace that feels completely different from the daytime crowds.

If you arrive before sunset, you’ll have a chance to watch the mountains gradually change color as the evening light fades. On clear days, the sunset over the Great Wall can be surprisingly beautiful, especially around towers 12 to 14 where the views open across the ridges.

As darkness falls, towers 10 through 15 become illuminated. The lighting is elegant rather than overly bright, giving the wall a calm, almost cinematic feeling. This is usually the best time for photos, especially during early twilight when the sky still holds some color.

During summer night sessions, the scenic area sometimes hosts small cultural activities including Han-style clothing displays, dance performances, and evening entertainment near the entrance plaza. These activities vary by date and weather, but they add a lively local atmosphere to the visit.

Families traveling with children may also find occasional educational programs designed for kids aged 6–12. These often combine simple Great Wall history with fun astronomy or stargazing themes.

After your walk, you can stop for a light meal or snacks near the scenic area. The Great Wall Hotel restaurant and Yisong Lou Restaurant are convenient places to rest before returning to Beijing. I usually recommend keeping dinner simple here and focusing on enjoying the peaceful mountain evening atmosphere.

4. Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour Tickets and Booking Tips

One thing many travelers don’t realize at first is that the Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour uses a separate ticket system from the daytime visit. The evening ticket already includes cable car access, which actually makes the experience much easier since climbing the mountain in the dark is not ideal for most visitors.

Currently, there are two main ticket options for the night tour:

Night Tour Ticket One — 200 RMB
Includes entrance admission plus unlimited cable car rides during the evening session.
Night Tour Ticket Two — 298 RMB
Includes entrance admission, unlimited cable car rides, and dinner at the Great Wall Hotel.
Children under 1.2 meters enter free.

It’s also important to know that the night tour tickets do not include the toboggan slide or chairlift attractions available during daytime operations.

Personally, I think the standard 200 RMB ticket is enough for most travelers unless you specifically want the convenience of having dinner included before returning to Beijing.

How to Book Mutianyu Night Tour Tickets

During July and August, evening tickets can sell out surprisingly quickly on weekends and holidays, especially when the weather is pleasant. I strongly recommend booking in advance instead of waiting until arrival.

You can usually buy tickets:

Directly onsite at the Mutianyu ticket office
Through the official WeChat account: “Mutianyu Great Wall”
Via the official Mutianyu Great Wall website

For foreign visitors, booking through your hotel, local tour service, or a trusted online travel platform can sometimes feel easier than navigating the Chinese booking systems yourself.

One practical tip: summer mountain weather can change quickly. In cases of heavy rain, storms, or strong winds, the Mutianyu administration may cancel the night tour for safety reasons. When this happens, official notices are normally released in advance.

5. How to Get to the Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour

Transportation is usually the part travelers worry about most when planning the Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour. Since the evening session ends after dark, I generally recommend choosing transportation that feels simple and reliable rather than trying to piece together multiple public bus connections late at night.

If you prefer the easiest experience, a private night tour with an English-speaking guide and private car is the most comfortable option. This works especially well for families, first-time visitors, or travelers unfamiliar with Beijing transport apps.

For budget travelers, several seasonal tourist shuttle buses operate during the night tour period:

Qianmen Night Tour Bus
Departs at 3:00 pm from the Qianmen Tourism Special Line Center and returns around 9:00 pm.
MUBUS Night Tour Bus
Departs at 3:30 pm from the Swiss Apartment area near Starbucks and returns around 8:30 pm. This is one of the more foreigner-friendly options for independent travelers.
Golden Horse Tourism Bus
Departs at 4:30 pm from Shaoyaoju Subway Station Exit E and returns around 9:00 pm.

One thing I’ve learned in China: transport schedules can change more easily than many visitors expect. Before your trip, always confirm departure times and booking details directly with the bus operator, especially during bad weather or peak summer weekends.

The Mutianyu Great Wall Night Tour offers a side of the Great Wall that many travelers never experience — cooler air, quieter paths, and beautifully illuminated watchtowers stretching across the mountains after sunset.

With a little planning, the evening visit can feel far more relaxed than a daytime trip. Book your tickets early, confirm your transport in advance, and give yourself enough time to enjoy the changing light on the wall instead of rushing through it.

About the Author

Ruqin is the founder of Ruqintravel.com and has spent more than four decades working in China’s travel industry. Drawing on hands-on experience in cities like Beijing and Hangzhou, he personally researches and updates each guide to help international travelers navigate China with confidence.