8 Reasons to Visit the Great Wall of China at Least Once in Your Lifetime

If you're visiting China for less than 72 hours, you can get a free transit visa upon landing. Rather than pay the usual expensive fee to visit for a longer time, you can take advantage of this transit visa if you have a layover in Beijing or another city in China. It's the perfect amount of time to get outside the city to visit the Great Wall.

If you're not afraid of heights, you can take a beautiful tram ride to the top to start your Great Wall journey. The tiny seat takes you up the mountain over trees below for a great view of the landscape and greenery.

To avoid a million people in your photos, get to the wall as early as possible. Our driver got us there at about 9 a.m. and that was perfect for being some of the few who were willing to wake up early to visit. And what's better than having an ancient monument like this all to yourselves?

It doesn't matter what time of the year that you visit because it'll be lovely no matter what. In the Autumn, the Fall foliage is out and takes over the entire mountain in hues of red and orange. In the Winter, you might see the place dusted with snow. Spring and Summer is the best time to get a view of the wall under the sun with clear blue skies.

Did you know that the Mutianyu section of the wall has a toboggan slide you can take to get down the mountain? It's literally a thrill ride. You control the cart yourself and there are workers along the long track to make sure you're doing alright as you race down the hill to end your Great Wall journey.