A Fun and Educational Day Trip to Badaling and the Summer Palace with Kids
About this trip: after a small family meeting, my parents and little one all voted for Beijing, so Beijing became the top choice, and this Badaling and Summer Palace day trip was planned.
Badaling Great Wall is the quintessence of the Great Wall, renowned at home and abroad, world-famous. As a landmark of Beijing, 'He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man' – you must see it when you come to Beijing.
We arranged everything in advance and set off spontaneously.
Beijing’s public transport is very convenient. We took the subway to Beitu Cheng subway station, Exit C, and boarded the bus directly. A guide in a green vest met us there, very friendly, responsible, and attentive. He confirmed our itinerary, gave reminders about precautions, and offered warm tips. We took a comfortable tour bus straight to the foot of the Great Wall. We bought round-trip cable car tickets, took the cable car up to North 7th Tower, and then climbed to North 8th Tower (Hero Slope), free to choose our own climbing pace. With ample time in the scenic area, the fun of the Great Wall is simply the climb. For someone like me who doesn’t like exercise, it was quite tough with steep slopes, but the views were very open. The steepest slope was nearly 90 degrees, quite thrilling. Be sure to watch your safety while climbing! Definitely wear casual or sports clothes and shoes for comfort; otherwise, climbing up will be exhausting. Personally, I didn’t find the Great Wall too hard to climb; the round trip took about 2 hours, maybe longer if you take lots of photos.
After the climb, you can watch a movie and visit the Great Wall Museum. The Dream Great Wall Dome Cinema offers great discounts. When tired, it’s nice to grab a bite at the mountain foot and rest. The food street has plenty of choices~
Next stop: the Summer Palace. As a royal garden museum, how should you explore the Summer Palace?
The Summer Palace – one of China’s four great gardens, formerly named Qingyi Garden, was built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother’s birthday. It is divided into three areas: the living area, political area, and sightseeing area. The highlights are: in the living area, the Hall of Joyful Longevity; in the political area, the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity; and in the sightseeing area, Kunming Lake. So it’s best to center your visit around these three.
'A mountain range viewed horizontally, peaks viewed from the side – near, far, high, low, all offer different views.' Photography enthusiasts are in luck – this is a holy land for taking photos. Built against the mountain, the views are expansive, whether gazing into the distance or admiring the near scenery, each building is a delight. The different architectural details and floral motifs are the most captivating. Every frame is a new scene, each distinct.
But that’s not all. The overall itinerary was great, the driver and guide were excellent, and we learned a lot. Before the end, the guide gave a small car toy to our little one, who was thrilled. I hope this little guide helps with your trip to Beijing.
1. Bring water and snacks to refuel.
2. Wear sports shoes.
3. Drones are forbidden – don’t bring them.
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