For the people who have the great wall of china bucket-list, and the following would be effected after the covid 19 end:
Step-by-Step Guide on How to See one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China (MuTianYu section) on a Layover!
Who will could plan the short layover in Beijing with visa-free
Beijing Transit Without Visa, TWOV, the people from 53 countries or areas are eligible to do the short stopover at the Beijing PEK Airport with visa-free for 144 hours.
The Eligible 53 nationalities include 24 Schengen Countries in Europe:
24 Schengen countries in Europe:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovak, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
15 other European countries:
Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco and the Republic of Belarus.
6 American countries:
The United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.
2 Oceanian countries:
Australia and New Zealand.
6 Asian countries:
Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
Highlight the Conditions:
- Travelers must come from the 53 countries
- Travelers must have valid passports.
- Travelers must have confirmed tickets to a third country or regions (Hong Kong and Macau).
- Travelers are allowed to arrive and exit at the following six points in the three places: Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.
Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing West Railway Station in the capital, Tianjin Binhai International Airport, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in Tianjin, Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport, Qinhuangdao seaport in Hebei province.
When is the 144-hours layover start?
The length of 144 hours stopover is calculated from 0:00 am on the next day of entry.
How long is the great wall of china layover short trip?
* You need at least 10 hours to do the great wall of china trip, including departing the custom and return back for your next flying.
* General speaking, you will need around 2 hours, sometime 3 hours, to pass the custom and to meet with our car driver at the appointement place. will need 1.5 hours to the great wall of china, ( Mutianyu section which is 66km from the airport , This area has a scenic cable car to the top making it easier to access and a super fun looking toboggan rail down. Once up the mountain, it is generally flat so the hiking isn’t too strenuous which is ideal for the hotter summer months. The result of all this is a much more family-friendly vibe), will need 3 hours to visit the great wall of china, will need 1.5 hours to back ariport ahead of 2 hours of your next flying.
* If you have only 8 hours, you will have only 1 hour to visit the great wall of china, including ride the shuttle bus, cable car, walking on the wall, and back along the same way. it will be very tight.
How much will you cost to visit the great wall of china in the stopover
Just for reference:
the car rental with driver: around $120-$200
the tickets of great wall of china: $30 (180yuan per person)
meal and drink, souvenir: $50-$100
hotels around the PEK airport: $50-$150
* (important: The cost of the tour includes the driver to pick you up and take you back in a lovely air conditioned car.)
How to realize the great wall of china layover short trip at beijing pek airport?
- Make sure you qualify for the visa-free transit policy
- Booking the flying ticket
- contact with us to book the driver and get the pickup time and place information
- When passing the custom, looking for the special lanes for 144-hours visa-free transit, filling up the entry registration card and get your 144- hours free visa stay permit, after getting the permit, you will get a stamp on your passport.
- If you have checked luggages, You can leave one checked luggage free of charge at the left luggage office by showing the 144-hours free visa transit stamp.
- For saving time, please preperpare the RMB cash, some foods and drink. ( or get the RMB from airport ATM)
- Based on past experience, There are often queues at customs, therefore you should try your best to queue in the front
- Make sure you will pass the custom before 15:00, otherwise the great wall of china will be stop ticket when you arrive at there after 16:30
- If you land on very early morning, We could do this by applying for the pass and ticket to the park in advance.
Is there a chance you will miss your onward flight?
If you could do according to the arragement, if no accident, would be no problem. The most Possible accident is the traffic jam. that is why you need at least 10 hours stopover.
Does the driver speak in english in Beijing layover? How to solve the communication barrier?
Most the drivers could not speak in english, some could speak smoothly, some could speak many key words, anyway, almost all the drivers could use a pretty cool translation app to communicate. This is a common thing in China so there’s no need to worry about a communication barrier.
PEK or PKX: How to choose the airport to Beijing?
The key element is PEK is near to MuTianYu Great Wall of China than PKX, therefore you should choose the PEK airport other than the PKX if you hope to visit the great wall of china.
If you get off from TianJin Cruise Port, and will exit from Beijing PEK airport, how to and how long do you need if visiting the great wall of china?
Our driver could pick you up at the port and send you back, the very important is to plan the enough time, 2 hours to beijing and back, 2 hours to the great wall of china from beijing, and if you could live at hotel for one night in Beijing, it would be more easy.
Reminder: Not all the travellers who are eligible the TWOV could be permitted to enter
* “Chinese border officials have the right to refuse entry without warning or explanation” – that is now the official warning to travellers hoping to visit the People’s Republic on a visa-free waiver.
* The updated Foreign Office advice follows hundreds of cases in which traveller have been turned away even though they complied with all the conditions for a 144-hour transit-without-visa permit.
Other FAQ:
what to do during an eight-hour layover in Beijing airport?
answer: you could visit great wall of china, or forbidden city or summer palace
How Do I Visit China Without A Visa?
Do I need a visa for Beijing layover?
How to get a China transit visa for your layover?
answer: apply for the 144hours Visa-free transit at the PEK airport after landing
What To Do In Beijing On A Layover?
answer: if you have more than one day layover in beijing, you could visit almost the main attractions, such as the great wall, forbidden city, jingshan park, summer palace, temple of heaven, lama temple, olympic park, .......
Can you leave Beijing airport layover?
answer: you could if you are qualify the 144 hours Visa-free transit policy.
How do you get from Beijing airport to the Great Wall of China?
answer: rental a car with driver, the driver will pick you up at airport and send you back the airport on time.
which airline would be good for the layover?
AirChina, based on our guests serviced in past several years, Air China often offer an absolute bargain deal, Along with the discount, there is often a 10 or 12 hour layover in Beijing.
some related titles:
6-Day Beijing PEK Airport Transit Without Visa, TWOV
TWOV and Immigration at Beijing Capital Airport
Transit Visa Exemptions in China: 24-Hour, 72-Hour, and 144
Using TWOV in Beijing
China 144 Hour Visa Free Transit: Cities, Requirements, Application & Tips 2021