Mutianyu

For the Great Wall newbie, Mutianyu (慕田峪, Mùtiányù) is the perfect introduction. Famed for its tightly woven chain of watchtowers and excellent views, it's easy to reach from the city, less crowded than Badaling, and is well set up for families, with a cable car, a chairlift and a toboggan ride. That said, with its gargantuan ticket hall, restaurant strip and irksome shuttle-bus system, Mutianyu is far from a 'wild' hike, and will only serve to whet the appetite of many to seek out more remote and rambling Great Wall adventures.