Beijing Forbidden City Ticket Booking (Optional: guide service)
Description
Get your direct entry Forbidden City admission ticket to explore this impressive attraction during your Beijing trip. Discover the secrets that have been hidden since Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty (1420 to 1912). This city was constructed from 1406 to 1420. The city consists of 980 buildings! Have fun spending the day looking at priceless Chinese artifacts. Please note: • Passport name and number is required at time of booking for “all participants” upon booking • This ticket product offers you direct entry to Forbidden City with your Passport • This is Forbidden City ticket not including Tiananmen Square reservation, you can just take a taxi to East gate or West Gate of Forbidden City and walk to the Main entrace South Gate (Meridian Gate 午门） to enter to Forbidden City directly. No need pass through Tiananmen Square.
Tour Options
Itinerary
After booking with your passport name and number (for all participants), you can access to the Forbidden City directly through the security check and by showing your passport at the main entrance, Meridian Gate. Forbidden City Schedule: • Peak Season: April 1st to October 31st (Tuesday to Sunday) - Last Entry is at 16:00 • Summer Vacation: July to August (Monday to Sunday) - Last Entry is at 16:00 • Slow Season: November 1st to March 31st (Tuesday to Sunday) - Last Entry is at 15:30 Please note: • This is pre booking service, the comfirmation will send 7 days before the tour date. • Passport name and number is required at time of booking for “all participants” upon booking • This ticket product offers you direct entry to Forbidden City with your Passport For Forbidden City group tour: Please meet at Kapok Hotel Donghuamen.
Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Dian) also called 'Hall of Golden Throne', is the grandest hall in the palace and the largest wooden structure in China.
The Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe Dian) is the last main hall in the Outer Court.
The Gate of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing Men) separates the palace into the Outer and Inner Court. Behind the gate is the residential area of the palace.
The two chambers in the east were changed into bridal rooms for the emperor and empress; while the remaining four chambers were used as a place of worship.
Behind the Hall of Earthly Tranquility is the Imperial Garden where the imperial family members recreated themselves.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note: Passport name and number is required at time of booking for “all participants” upon booking
- Passport is required for all travelers on the day of travel for direct entry. (not for Chinese tourist, Chinese tourist must buy the ticket by ID card information)
- Chinese tourists( including Taiwan and Hongkong ) must book over 8 days in advance.
- This is only pre-booking service, if we get the ticket then the comfirmation letter will received 6 days in advance.
- The ticket is only valid on the day you book to travel
- Please note that Chinese nationals including visitors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan must book tickets 7 days in advance for the Forbidden City. We cannot accept any bookings made within 7 days of the visit date.
Reviews(1,469)
We were with Bruce, an excellent guide; everything went well, and we had a great time.
Dear Guest Thank you very much for your lovely feedback! We’re thrilled Bruce was an excellent guide for you and that everything went smoothly on your tour. It makes us so happy to hear you had a fantastic time. We will share all your kind words with Bruce, and we hope to welcome you back to China again someday! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Was a great tour. We were a small group. Summer was a knowledgeable and caring tour guide. I can warmly recommend.
Dear Guest Thank you for your great feedback! We’re glad you loved our small-group tour. It’s wonderful to know Summer is knowledgeable and caring throughout your trip. Thanks for your warm recommendation, wish you a lovely journey ahead! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
The weather was very good we spent a wonderful day in the forbidden city,thanks to our amazing guide Summr,she was very kind patient and friendly,we got to know a lot of chinese history from her,highly recommend this tour to everyone who is visiting beijing!
Dear Guest Thank you for your lovely review! We’re glad you enjoyed a perfect day at the Forbidden City with nice weather. It’s wonderful that Summer was kind, patient and shared plenty of Chinese history with you. Thanks for your warm recommendation to all visitors to Beijing, wish you a pleasant trip! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
It was a very easy and convenient way to get tickets. We didn’t book a guide. Be prepared for large crowds and people poking you with umbrellas.
Dear Guest, Thanks a lot for sharing your real experience and practical reminders! We’re glad the ticket booking process was simple and convenient for you. Thank you for kindly reminding other visitors about the big crowds and occasional minor inconveniences like being jostled by other tourists' umbrellas during peak visiting hours. Hope you still had a nice time touring the attractions. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Had a great tour with Rita! She was very knowledgable about the history of the people and dynasties that lived in this space. I recommend this tour.
Dear Guest Thank you for your nice review! We're glad you enjoyed the tour with Rita and loved her vivid historical explanations. Thanks for your recommendation. Wish you a lovely trip! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Our guide Rita was wonderful. Her English was very good and she provided so many historic facts it really enriched the tour. The day was hot and she guided us to the few shady spots when she was going to be speaking for more than a few minutes. Great job! Would highly recommend!!!! For people reading this if it is a summer day please come prepared. The sun is strong and the majority of the Forbidden City is paved adding to the heat. There are water breaks but sun gear is needed.
Dear Guest Thank you for your detailed review! We're thrilled Rita's fluent English and rich historical insights made your tour rewarding. It's sweet of you to notice she thoughtfully took you to shaded areas on the hot day. Thanks for the useful summer tips too! We highly appreciate your recommendation. Wish you all the best! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
I had a great time seeing the Forbidden City with Rita. I was the only person who showed up for my time slot, so I had a private tour all to myself! She shared lots of interesting stories about the history of the Imperial Palace, the succession of emperors, daily life inside the walls, political intrigue, and more. I feel like I learned a ton, more than I expected. There were a lot of interesting artifacts on display, and even though some spots were quite crowded, people cycled through fast enough that I was able to get a good picture of everything I wanted.
Dear Guest Thank you for your lovely review! We're delighted you enjoyed your private tour of the Forbidden City with Rita. It's great to hear her vivid stories about history and ancient life brought the palace to you. Wish you a wonderful rest of your trip! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Sofia was a great a guide — very knowledgeable and engaging, she really brought the city to life!!!!
Dear Guest Thank you for your lovely comment! We're so glad you had a wonderful experience with Sofia. It's great to hear her vivid explanations made Beijing so appealing. Wish you a fantastic trip! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
I can’t recommend Sophia enough for anyone visiting the Forbidden City. She was incredibly informative and detailed, bringing each hall and courtyard to life with historical context and little-known facts. Honestly, trying to navigate the Forbidden City without a guide would have been overwhelming – there’s very limited information on-site about each location, and you’d miss so much of the story. We were lucky to have a small group – just 6 people total, including my own group of 4. That made the experience feel personal and easygoing. Sophia also provided earpieces, so we could hear every word clearly even when there were crowds around. Communication before the trip was excellent too. She coordinated everything seamlessly – from confirming passport numbers to arranging the meet-up location. Everything went smoothly.
Dear Guest Thank you for your glowing recommendation! Sophia is absolutely delighted that her detailed historical narrations helped bring every hall and courtyard of the Forbidden City vividly to life for your small group. She’s glad the private earpieces allowed you to catch every interesting lesser-known fact amid busy tourist crowds, saving you the trouble of exploring blindly with scarce on-site introductions. We’re also pleased all pre-trip coordination including passport confirmation and meeting point arrangement went seamlessly. Your warm praise means a great deal to us, and we wish you an amazing rest of your Beijing journey! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Quite a lot of walking, possibly better in cooler weather. Sophia very knowledgeable. Small group tour.
Dear Guest Thank you for your honest feedback! Sophia is glad you found her historic explanations informative on this small-group tour. We’ve noted your tip about the substantial walking and cooler visiting weather for future guests. Hope you enjoy the rest of your Beijing trip! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
