Your Guide to Night Tours of the Great Wall – Light Shows & All!

By Yinmai O'Connor, May 7, 2025

During the summer months, hitting up the Great Wall during the day can be a grueling experience—a sweaty hike through mobs of tourists, with limited shade to seek a respite in.

Luckily, the Badaling and Juyongguan sections of the Wall have launched their nighttime tours, allowing visitors to experience the historic landmark in a completely different fashion.

Image via Visitbeijing

Aside from the cooler temperatures, the Wall is lit up like an LED dragon shimmering through the mountains, with special markets and performances bringing the Ming Dynasty to life.

With everything from EDM dance parties to handmade crafts, the night tours of the Great Wall bring a new vitality to an age-old tourist destination.

Badaling Great Wall Night Tour

Image via Beijing.gov

During the Badaling Night Great Wall Tour, you can explore a 500-meter pedestrian street full of tasty treats, souvenir stalls, and performers, as well as visit the Badaling section of the Wall.

The tour covers a stunningly lit area from North Tower Four to South Tower Three, which is packed with interactive light projections, immersive performances, and breathtaking views.

There are plenty of dancers, acrobats, and actors that you can roleplay with as if you were a visiting merchant during the Ming Dynasty. They also reenact elaborate scenes from the past, including a 24-soldier gate locking ceremony.

Image via VisitBeijing

A highlight we are particularly curious about is the Beacon EDM Party at the Friendship Forest Square at the foot of Badaling—on Fridays and Saturdays, you can ignite the night with electronic beats mixed with Chinese traditional music and dance at the base of the glowing wall.

Beacon EDM Party. Image via VisitBeijing

Of course, no tour is complete without indulging in delicious food, and the ‘Great Wall Night Food Street’ will be full of mouth-watering snacks – from cultural desserts to international cuisines.

Dates & Times:

The night tour at Badaling runs until October 7 and goes from 6.30-10pm every day, with the last entrance at 9pm.

The Wall is lit up from 7-10pm, and the immersive performances take place between 7pm and 9pm.

Tickets & Entry:

From Sunday to Thursday, single entry tickets are RMB198. On Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays, single entry tickets are RMB298.

Any day of the week, you can tack on an extra RMB100 to add a cable car ride up the mountain – sorry, you still have to walk back down as the cable car only takes you one way and ceases operation at 7.30pm.

There is also a great bonus for families—children under 1.2m get free entry (not including the cable car).

Performer at Badaling Night Tour. Image via Beijing.gov

You can buy your tickets on-site or through the ‘长城内外’ mini program, but there currently isn’t an English language version. Alternatively, reputable third-party websites, such as Viator, offer a seamless ticket-purchasing experience.

When you arrive, simply show your passport and the QR code from your order. You can enter the Badaling Great Wall Pedestrian Street Entrance or at the South Line Ticket Hall if you are taking the cable car.

Juyongguan Great Wall Night Tour

Image via Beijing.gov

Although it’s not quite as exciting as the Badaling Night Tour, the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall is a cheaper and less crowded option for travelers.

It still offers a magnificent night view of the pass, with dance shows, martial arts, acrobatics, and other traditional performing arts on the North Gate Tower.

Performers at the North Gate. Image via Beijing.gov

Visitors can walk along the lit-up fortification from Juyongguan North Gate Tower to East Tower Two.

Dates & Times:

The Juyongguan Night Tour only operates on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays, from 5.30-9pm. The Wall is lit up from 7-9pm, with performances taking place during the same period.

The tour will be available until October 7.

Image via Beijing.gov