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
Guests can be dropped off directly at Donghuamen. Follow the city moat on foot for approximately 8 minutes until you reach Meridian Gate (Wumen), the sole official entry and security checkpoint for the Forbidden City. Important: Donghuamen functions only as an exit. Entry to the Forbidden City is NOT permitted at Donghuamen. Please proceed on foot to Meridian Gate for security and ticket verification. What You Need to Know ⚠️ Avoid traveling through Tiananmen Square to reach Meridian Gate A separate real‑name reservation for Tiananmen Square is mandatory and must be booked at least 1 day ahead. Your Forbidden City group tour ticket does NOT include access to Tiananmen Square. For the Forbidden City group tour opiton The meeting Point: Kapok Hotel Donghuamen (Near the Donghuamen‑East Gate of the Forbidden City)
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 6 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 • 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.
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.
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.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
If you have booked stand‑alone tickets only, please proceed to the Meridian Gate security checkpoint on your own and present your passport for entry. If you have selected the Forbidden City group tour option, please arrive on time for the meeting at the entrance of Kapok Hotel Donghuamen. Late arrivals will not be admitted to the Forbidden City.
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(1,503)
A tour guide Jade has high knowledge and ability to tell interesting information I liked a tour very much and would recommend it
Lydia was a Great Guide. She explained everything really well and the tour was a great time
Dear Guest, Thank you for your lovely review! We’re happy to hear Lydia gave you clear explanations and made your tour such an enjoyable experience. We will pass your nice compliments on to Lydia. Hope you enjoy the rest of your travels and we look forward to welcoming you back to Beijing. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Outstanding tour from Lydia. Thorough tour, a lot of great historical info. She navigated a very crowded Forbidden City experience expertly. Highly recommend.
Dear Guest, Thank you for your great review! We’re pleased Lydia delivered such a thorough tour with plenty of fascinating historical information. It’s impressive how skilfully she guided you through the heavily crowded Forbidden City. We will pass all your kind compliments to Lydia. Thank you for your recommendation. Hope you have a wonderful trip ahead and we look forward to seeing you again in Beijing. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
The tour was outstanding, totally bonks. Rita was very knowledgeable and friendly - she made our day.
Dear Guest, Thank you for your awesome review! We are delighted you had an outstanding tour with Rita. It’s lovely to hear her rich knowledge and friendly attitude brightened up your whole day. We will pass your great comments to Rita. Wish you a fantastic rest of your trip and hope to welcome you back to Beijing. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Thank you Linda for the guided tour and your good English and kindness
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your sweet message! We really appreciate you thanking Linda for the guided tour, her good English and warm‑hearted service. We will forward your kind gratitude to Linda. Hope you keep your nice Beijing memories and we look forward to seeing you again. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Fantastic experience, perfect organization; our guide Dan is exceptional, knowledgeable, and helped us fully experience it. I recommend this tour to everyone.
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are thrilled you had a fantastic experience with perfect tour organisation. It’s great to hear that guide Dan is exceptionally well‑prepared and helped you fully immerse yourself in the tour. We will pass all your high praise to Dan. Hope we can welcome you back to Beijing for more amazing trips in the future! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Jade was an amazing tour guide. Super nice and knowledgable. With how big the complex is, she was able to show the best highlights with humor and insight. She is also an expert on where to get the best photos to make the most of your experience! I definitely would recommend getting a tour for the palace, and having Jade as your tour guide is a guaranteed win!
Dear Guest, Thank you for your positive review! We are glad Jade did a wonderful job for your group. It is lovely to hear she showed you the best highlights of the palace complex with great humor, insightful knowledge and perfect photo‑spot tips. We will pass your kind compliments to Jade. We hope to welcome you back for another great tour in Beijing. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Crowded place but VERY fascinating. Huge but you can easily do it in half a day. A must-see!
Dear Guest, Thank you for your feedback! We appreciate your sharing your impression of this crowded yet fascinating site. It’s great to know you could comfortably explore it within half a day and highly recommend the attraction. We hope you enjoyed your overall tour in Beijing, and we would love to welcome you again for more wonderful experiences. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Incredible tour of the Forbidden City but that would not be the same without all the attention and charisma of our guide, the Jade.
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your lovely review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your fantastic tour of the Forbidden City and greatly appreciated Jade’s thoughtful attention and wonderful charisma. It means a lot to us that she helped make your visit such a memorable one. We will be sure to pass your kind compliments directly to Jade. We hope to welcome you back on another tour in the future. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
Renny was an absolutely fantastic, wonderful and excellent guide
Dear Guest, Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We are delighted to know Renny delivered such an outstanding tour experience for you. We will definitely pass your warm compliments to Renny. It brings us great joy when our guides can leave such a positive impression on our guests. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again soon. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
