How to Get to Badaling Great Wall: by Bus

 Location: Yanqing District of suburban Beijing
 Distance from Downtown: 70 kilometers (43 miles)
 Single Journey Time: 1 - 1.5 hours
 Opening Hours: April to October: 06:30 - 16:30

The most recommended way to Badaling Great Wall is to take bus line 877, which runs on the expressway with the shorter duration and the cheapest ticket. However, if you return after 16:00, when the last Badaling Great Wall bus 877 may have left, you can choose to take bus line 919 to get back to downtown. The cost of taking a taxi to Badaling is high and taxi drivers are generally reluctant to go that far for the possiblity no passenger for the return trip.

Badaling Great Wall Location Map

 Bus line 877 is the most recommended way, which departs from Deshengmen to Badaling directly with no stop.

Route: Deshengmen ⇔ Badaling
 Schedule from Deshengmen: Apr. 1 - Nov. 15: 06:00-12:30; Nov. 16 - Mar. 31: 06:30-12:30
 Schedule from Badaling: Apr. 1 - Nov. 15: 10:30-17:00; Nov. 16 - Mar. 31: 11:00-16:30
 Single Journey Time: 1 - 1.5 hours
 Ticket Fare: CNY12

Where can I take the bus 877? - Bus Station behind Deshengmen Arrow Tower.
1. Take subway line 2 to Jishuitan Subway Station, exit fom B2, and go east for about 500 meters (550 yards).
2. Bus line 5, 27, 55, 380, 409, 625, 635, 872 or 919 are available to reach Deshengmen Bus Stop.

Tips:
1. There are a lot of fake buses 877 near Deshengmen. Please neglect them and go to the parking lots to take the official ones.
2. There are always a lot of people standing in line to wait for the bus 877, and nobody convinces you to board. One can pay by cash or transportation card.
3. If you pay by Transportation Smart Card, you can enjoy 50% off bus fare.
  Route: Qianmen ⇔ Badaling
 Schedule from Qianmen: the end of Flag-Raising Ceremony on the Tiananmen Square at around 5:00-7:30 till 11:00
 Schedule from Badaling: Apr. - Oct.: 9:00 - 17:00; Nov. - Mar. 31: 11:00-16:30
 Single Journey Time: 100 minutes
 Ticket Fare: CNY20
Tip: The buses also run directly to Badaling. When return, one can get off at either Deshengmen or Qianmen.  

How can I go to Qianmen Bus Station
1. Take subway line 2 to Qianmen subway station, exit from C and go south for about 300 meters (330 yards).
2. Bus Station is located to the southwest of Qianmen Arrow Tower in the south of Tiananmen Square. Bus line 2, 5, 8, 20, 22, 48, 59, 66, 67, 82, 93, 120, 599 or 622 run to Qianmen Bus Station.
 Bus 919 does not run on expressway and has many stops on the way. It takes 2 hours and costs CNY 12 to Badaling, which is just an intermediate station. The bus is always crowded, with no seat left. Plus, there are many 919 branch lines which do not pass by Badaling Great Wall. If you are going to take it, please double confirm with the driver before boarding.

 Route: Deshengmen ⇔ Badaling
 Schedule from Deshengmen: 5:45 - 19:00
 Schedule from Badaling: 5:00 - 16:00
 Single Journey Time: 1.5 - 2 hours
 Ticket Fare: CNY12
 Drop-off point: Badaling Station, 1.6 km (1.0 mi) from the entrance.  

After getting off from bus 919, passengers can take free shuttle bus to Badaling Great Wall from the opposite of Badaling Railway Station.
Schedule of free shuttle bus:
From Badaling Railway Station: 06:00 to 16:00
From Badaling Great Wall: 06:15 to 16:15
 Compared with bus, high speed train from Beijing North Railway Station / Qinghe Railway Station to the Badaling Great Wall Railway Station next to the Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area is also a good choice. A single ride just takes about 20- 35 minutes and a second class seat costs CNY 18-29. Tourists can also take S2 train from Huangtudian Railway Station, which is cheap with comfortable ride experience.  

See more
Beijing - Badaling High Speed Train
How to Get to Beijing Great Wall of China by Train - S2 to Badaling
 1. It may not be difficult to take a taxi from downtown Beijing to Badaling. But the taxis are not metered and uauslly cost around CNY600 for a single trip. If taking a taxi, you’d better confirm the price with the driver in advance.
2. It is especially difficult to hire a taxi back to downtown. So there are a lot of unofficial taxis. Be alert to avoid being blackmailed or left halfway.
3. You can book a private car with a driver if there are 3 or 4 people. The car holding up 4 passengers requires CNY700 - 1,000 for a round trip.  

Ming Tombs is a collection of mausoleums of Chinese emperors of Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD). It is 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from Badaling and is suitable for visiting together with Badaling Great Wall. After visiting Badaling, you can take bus 879 to reach Ming Tombs.
 1. Take Airport Express to Dongzhimen and change to subway line 2 to Jishuitan, exit from B2 and then walk about 500 meters (550 yards) to the eastward to Deshengmen to take bus line 877.
2. Take Airport Express to Dongzhimen, and transfer to subway line 13 to Huoying Station, exit from G4, and walk to Huangtudian Railway Station to take S2 train.
3. Take Airport Express to Xizhimen and walk to Beijing North Railway Station. Then take high speed train to Badaling. 
 1. Take bus line Te13 to Deshengmen to take bus line 877.
2. Take subway line 9 to Baishiqiao South Station, and transfer to subway line 6 to Nanluoguxiang Station. Then, change to subway line 8 to Huoying Station, Exit G4. Upon arrival, take S2 train from the nearby Huangtudian Railway Station.
3. Take Subway Line 9 to National Library Station and change to Subway Line 4 to Xizhimen Station. Then walk to Beijing North Railway Station and take a high speed train.
 1. Take subway line 4 to Xuanwumen and change to line 2 to Jishuitan, and then take bus line 877.
2. Take subway line 4 to Xizhimen, and switch to subway line 13 to Huoying Station, Exit from G4. Walk to Huangtudian Railway Station, and take an S2 train.
3. Take Subway Line 4 to Xizhimen Station. Then walk to Beijing North Railway Station and take a high speed train.
 1. Take subway line 2 to Jishuitan to take bus line 877.
2. Take subway line 2 to Guloudajie Station, and change to subway line 8 to Huoying Station, Exit from G4. Then, take an S2 train from the nearby Huangtudian Railway Station.
3. Take Subway Line 2 to Xizhimen Station. Then walk to Beijing North Railway Station and take a high speed train.

 See also

How to Get to the Great Wall of China from Beijing

How to Get to the Great Wall of China from Beijing Airport

How to Get to the Great Wall from Shanghai  

How to Get to the Great Wall from Hong Kong