There are different portions of the Great Wall of China you can travel to. I never really thought about that before I visited, but of course that makes sense since the Great Wall extends 13,170 miles long. I’ve been told that if you book a tour, the section you should go to is Mutianyu. 

Instead, I decided to travel to Badaling from Beijing by train. I stayed for three days, which is way too long, because there is nothing there but a hostel, the wall, and a safari -which I would go to because of this blog post. I spent the extra time walking the Great Wall for two days (which is just like endlessly walking up and down stairs) and eating snacks from a convenience store.

There are a bevy of ways to spend your money as a tourist, whether it be on souvenirs, an animal sideshow, or a rickety toboggan sled ride. 

I’m happy to say I went, because it was incredible to actually see it in-person. Does a person need to spend more than a few hours at the Great Wall? Probably not.