Take bus 877 from Deshengmen (德胜门) — you do not need a tour; it runs straight to the Badaling car park in about 70–90 minutes for around ¥12.

Buses leave from the bus yard on the north side of Deshengmen (subway Line 2, exit B), roughly 06:00–12:30, every 15–30 minutes.

Pay the driver in cash or scan the QR code on board. The last return bus from Badaling leaves around 16:30–17:00, so plan the climb around that.

Alternative: the S2 suburban train from Beijing North / Qinghe to Badaling station takes about 1 hour and costs about ¥7 — in peak season seats are reserved, so book on the 12306 app first.

Both options drop you within a 10–15 minute walk of the ticket gate; cable car and the north-line steps start from the same car park.