Great Wall and Ming Tombs tour: the Badaling day trip
A Great Wall and Ming Tombs tour joins two sights that lie in different districts. The Badaling wall is in Yanqing district. The Ming Tombs, known as Shisanling, are in Changping district. Many visitors pair them in one long day, with the wall in the morning and a tomb site in the afternoon.
Changling is the tomb of the Yongle emperor, Dingling the tomb of the Wanli emperor, and the Sacred Way is the ceremonial approach. The pairing is not new: Richard and Pat Nixon visited both Badaling and the Ming Tombs on 24 February 1972. Prices below are in Chinese yuan (CNY), as listed in 2026.
Our picks: Badaling and the Ming Tombs
Our take: the private tour combines both with lunch; the Ming Tombs tour covers the tombs in more depth without the wall; the group day is the lower-priced combination.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Private Badaling and Ming Tombs tour
- Private vehicle and hotel pick-up
- English-speaking guide
- Entry and lunch
A private vehicle, an English-speaking guide, entry and lunch; the cable car is extra.
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Ming Tombs private tour: Sacred Way, Dingling and Changling
- Guide
- Private vehicle
- Entry tickets
Six hours with a guide, a private vehicle and entry, covering the tombs only, without the wall.
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Badaling and Ming Tombs day tour with lunch
- Hotel pick-up
- Main entry tickets
- Chinese lunch
Hotel pick-up inside the 4th Ring, an English-speaking guide, the main entry tickets and a Chinese lunch.
Check availability →Great Wall and Ming Tombs tours
Day trips that combine the Great Wall with the Ming Tombs, with live prices and availability.
Ming Tombs ticket prices
Prices vary by season, so use the range when you budget.
| Site | Price in 2026 | High and low season |
|---|---|---|
| Dingling | CNY 40 | CNY 60 in high season, CNY 40 in low season |
| Changling | CNY 30 | CNY 45 in high season, CNY 30 in low season |
| Sacred Way | CNY 20 | CNY 20 to 30 in high season, CNY 15 to 20 in low season |
| Seniors aged 60 and over | Free | Free |
| Children, students | – | Children up to age 6 or 1.20 m free; full-time students from age 6 to 25 half price |
For most visitors, one tomb plus the Sacred Way fits after a morning on the wall. Budget for the higher figure in each row and confirm the price and your discount at the ticket office. Hours are 08:30 to 17:30 in high season and 08:30 to 16:30 in low season, so check the current hours before you go. Bring your passport for any discount, and a student card if you claim the student rate, and confirm at the counter which proof is accepted.
Which tombs you can visit
Open as usual, and open with advance booking.
Changling
The Yongle emperor's tomb is regularly open. The Ling'en Gate stands on the way in, and the site is a good photo stop after snowfall.
Dingling
The Wanli emperor's tomb is regularly open and is the highest-priced of the three in 2026. It also has a museum on site.
The Sacred Way
The Sacred Way, also called Shendao or Shenlu, is the ceremonial approach to the tombs. Stone figures of animals line it, among them an elephant and a camel.
Zhaoling
Zhaoling is regularly open, together with Changling, Dingling and the Sacred Way.
Booked tombs
Kangling, Yongling, Siling and Jingling can be visited with advance booking. Jingling opened to the public on 22 December 2025 and is entered with a guide assigned by the site. Booking runs through the Douyin account Ming Shisanling Jingqu or the WeChat mini program Changping Wenlu Jituan.
Planning the day
Start at the wall. It opens at 06:30 from 1 April to 31 October and at 07:30 from 1 November to 31 March, and the winter closing time is 16:00. The tombs come second, so you reach them with time left.
Allow time for the transfer from Yanqing district to Changping district. Check the route and the transfer time in a map app for your travel day, and agree the price first if you take a taxi. Doing Badaling plus one or two tomb sites already makes a full day. Adding Juyongguan, which has its own ticket, is ambitious, so treat it as a second day or a different choice. See the Juyongguan page.
Tickets for the wall are covered on the ticket page, and the routes to Badaling are on the getting there page. Mutianyu is a different wall section in Huairou and has its own guide on mutianyu.org.
More to plan
Tours, the pass at Juyongguan and what else is nearby.
Great Wall and Ming Tombs tour: frequently asked questions
Can I see the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs in one day?
Yes, as a long day with the wall first and one or two tomb sites afterward. The two are in different districts, so allow time for the transfer. Do not plan Juyongguan on top of that unless you accept a very full day.
How much do the Ming Tombs cost?
In 2026 the price is CNY 40 for Dingling, CNY 30 for Changling and CNY 20 for the Sacred Way. High-season prices are higher, up to CNY 60 for Dingling, so budget for the higher number.
Which tomb should I choose?
Changling and Dingling are the usual choices, and the Sacred Way is the approach. If time is short, pick one tomb and walk part of the Sacred Way.
Are more tombs open than Changling and Dingling?
Yes. Zhaoling is regularly open. Kangling, Yongling, Siling and Jingling can be visited with advance booking. Jingling needs a guide assigned by the site.
Are the Ming Tombs part of the Badaling ticket?
No. The tombs have their own tickets and a different district. The wall ticket covers only the wall.
Is this the official Ming Tombs website?
No. badalinggreatwall.org is an independent travel guide with no connection to the Badaling scenic area, the Ming Tombs, the Beijing municipal government or any tour operator.