Beijing City Public Buses

Taking buses in Beijing is quite inexpensive but less comfortable than a taxi or the subway. You’ll have to go through changing buses several times when trying to get to a scenic spot by city bus. Besides, they are always really crowded, and prepare for that! Watch out the pickpocket!

Currently, there are over 800 bus routes in operation in Beijing, numbered 1-998, getting almost anywhere around the city’s urban and suburbs. City public buses run from 5:30 till 23:00 daily. 

• Buses numbered 1 to 100 are running within the 3rd Ring Road;
• Bus numbered 101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,111,112,114,115,118 and 124 are the trolleys, and most of them run within the 2nd Ring Road; 
• Bus numbered 201-215 are night routs, only in operation after 23:00;
• Numbered 300-810 offer bus routes from downtown area to suburban Beijing;
• Numbered 900-998 run long distances, such as from the downtown to the Badaling and Mutianyu Great Wall

How to get to Badaling Great Wall by City Public Bus?

The cheapest way to get to Badaling is to use the local bus service. It costs RMB5 but takes 2 hours to get there. Bus No. 919 – near the Deshengmen gate tower & the Jishuitan subway. At this stop there are also express luxury buses that take one hour & cost RMB 12.

The first bus leaves at 6.30am and they run regularly until 6pm. The returning buses run between midday & 5pm. See details about how to get to get to Badaling Great Wall on your own. 

Which Public Buses you should Take for Sightseeing?

If you are travelling Beijing on budget and independently, we suggest you take the following 5 public bus lines, which were operated since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Beijing Sightseeing Double Decker Bus Line 1 runs through the Beijing south Railway Station, Qianmen, Tiananmen Square, Jingshan Park, Peking University's Red Building, Forbidden City, Shichahai, Siheyuan, Hutong, Gulou, Deshengmen, and Yonghe Lamasery.
Ticket: 3 RMB
Running time: about 54 minutes

Beijing Sightseeing Double Decker Bus Line 2 runs through the Paralympic Village, BIMC (Beijing International Media Center), Bird Nest, Water Cube, Chinese Nationalities Park, Olympic Sports Center, Yonghe Lamasery, and North Guanting.
Ticket: 3 RMB.
Running time: about 61 minutes

Beijing Sightseeing Double Decker Bus Line 3 and 4 run through the Hangtian Bridge, Baita Temple, Shichahai, Yonghe Lamasery, Ditan Park, and Olympic Center;
Ticket: 3 RMB

Take the Beijing Sightseeing Double Decker Bus Line 5 can get to the Capital Museum, Tiananmen Square, and New CCTV Tower, mainly running along the Chang’an Street.
Ticket: 3RMB
Sightseeing Line 5 is the only trolley bus.