Do I need my passport to enter the Forbidden City?

Yes. You book the ticket against your passport number and must show the same passport at the entrance. Bring the physical passport, not a photo. Staff check it against your booking at the Meridian Gate, and there are no on-site or same-day sales.

How far in advance should I book Forbidden City tickets?

Tickets are released about 7 days ahead, typically around 8:00 PM Beijing time, and regularly sell out within minutes, especially in summer and on holidays. Book as soon as your date opens, or use a tour that secures entry for you.

Should I choose the morning or afternoon Forbidden City time slot?

Booking is split into a morning slot (roughly 8:30 AM to noon) and an afternoon slot (roughly 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM), and your QR code only admits you during your chosen window. Pick the morning slot for cooler temperatures and a head start before the largest tour groups arrive. Whichever you choose, allow at least three hours inside, since the palace complex is very large.

Is the Forbidden City worth a guided tour, or can I do it myself?

You can absolutely do it yourself, and many first-timers do. The site is well signposted in English, and renting the official audio guide at the Meridian Gate is enough to follow the main palace axis. A guide earns its cost in two situations: when the official 7-day booking has sold out, since a tour bundles guaranteed entry with passport registration handled for you, or when you want the history and politics explained as you walk. If you book your own ticket on the official site and are happy reading plaques, skip the tour and put the money toward a good lunch.

How long do I need at the Forbidden City, and when should I arrive?

Allow at least three hours, and closer to four if you walk the side palaces or add the Treasure and Clock galleries. The complex runs roughly 960 metres from the Meridian Gate entrance in the south to the Gate of Divine Prowess exit in the north, so it is a long, one-way walk with no re-entry. Arrive for the morning slot near the 8:30 opening to beat the largest tour groups and the midday heat, and enter through the Meridian Gate (Wumen) in the south, since that is the only visitor entrance. Your timed slot only admits you during its window, so do not aim to arrive late in your afternoon slot.

How much are Forbidden City tickets in 2026?

The official general admission price is CNY 60 from April 1 to October 31 and CNY 40 from November 1 to March 31. The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks each cost CNY 10 extra. Discounts and free-entry categories still require a real-name reservation, so confirm eligibility on the Palace Museum official ticket page before booking.

Does the Forbidden City ticket include the Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks?

No. The standard Forbidden City ticket covers the main palace route, while the Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks are separate CNY 10 add-ons. Add them if you have enough time and interest in the collections; skip them if you only have three hours for the main palace.

What email does the Palace Museum list for international ticket reservations?

The Palace Museum official ticket page lists bookingticket [at] dpm.org.cn for international visitor reservations and ticketing questions. Include each visitor's full name, passport number, intended visit date, preferred time slot, ticket type, add-on gallery request if any, and contact information. Send it at least one calendar day before the visit, and earlier is safer.

Is a guided tour a reliable backup for sold-out Forbidden City tickets?

It can be, but only if the tour explicitly includes actual Forbidden City admission and real-name passport registration. Avoid listings that only mention an outside view or a Tiananmen Square walk. Ask the operator what happens if they cannot secure your ticket for the chosen date before you pay.

Forbidden City Tickets: How to Book and Get In

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Forbidden City (Palace Museum): the essentials

Ticket price: CNY 40 off-peak, CNY 60 peak
Opening hours: 8:30-17:00 (Apr-Oct), 8:30-16:30 (Nov-Mar); last entry about one hour before close
Closed: Monday (except public holidays)
Booking window: No same-day or walk-up tickets. Tickets open from 20:00 Beijing time, 7 days before the visit, and often sell out fast.
ID needed: Real-name reservation. Foreign visitors use passport or eligible travel-document details and must bring the original document to scan at the Meridian Gate.

Official booking site

Forbidden City tickets are the one Beijing booking you should lock in before anything else. The verdict: treat 20:00 Beijing time, 7 days before your visit, as the real booking deadline. The Palace Museum says general admission is limited, must be reserved in advance, and is not sold on the day. Foreign visitors can use passport details, and the museum lists bookingticket [at] dpm.org.cn as the official email route for international reservations. If your dates are fixed or already sold out, a guided tour that pre-registers your passport is the reliable backup.

For the full release-night walkthrough, including the official WeChat route, the foreign-visitor email fallback, and what to do if the date is gone, see how to book Forbidden City tickets step by step. If you only need fees, use the Forbidden City ticket price 2026 guide. If your date is unavailable, go straight to Forbidden City tickets sold out: what to do next.

What it costs and when it sells out

General admission is CNY 40 off-peak (1 November to 31 March) and CNY 60 peak (1 April to 31 October), confirmed on the official Palace Museum ticket page. The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks are separate CNY 10 add-ons. See the price page for the full fee table, discount notes, and opening-hour caveats.

Tickets release 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time, and the daily cap is roughly 40,000 visitors. In quiet winter weeks you can often grab a slot a day or two out. During Chinese public holidays, the summer school break, and weekends in spring and autumn, morning windows can disappear within minutes of release. If your travel dates are fixed, treat 20:00 on the seventh day before each candidate date as a hard appointment.

How to book it yourself

Check the official Palace Museum ticket details page and the ticket-booking link in the facts box above before release day.
Prepare each traveler’s full name, passport number, intended visit date, preferred time slot, ticket type, add-on gallery request, and contact email.
At 20:00 Beijing time, 7 days before your date, try the official booking channel first. Morning slots go first.
If the official online flow is difficult from overseas, send the same details to bookingticket [at] dpm.org.cn; the Palace Museum asks international visitors to email at least one calendar day before the visit.
Bring the same original passport or travel document used for the reservation. It is checked at the Meridian Gate. A photo or digital copy is not enough.

A few things that catch people out: the palace is closed on Mondays except public holidays, there is no same-day or on-site ticket sales window, and if your date is sold out, do not show up hoping for returns.

Getting there

The only visitor entrance is the Meridian Gate (Wumen) on the south side, and first-timers routinely walk to the wrong gate. Take metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East station, leave via Exit C, and walk about 900 metres (10 minutes) north to the Meridian Gate. The north gate (Gate of Divine Prowess) is exit-only, so do not aim for it on arrival.

If you prefer a taxi, open the DiDi app and set the destination to the Meridian Gate or Palace Museum south entrance rather than just “Forbidden City”, which can drop you on the wrong side of a very large complex. Either way, allow time to clear the Tiananmen Square security check on the approach. For the full first day around this sight, see the first-time China itinerary.

When a guided tour is the easier option

If your dates are tight, the official site is sold out, or you would rather not wrestle with a passport-gated checkout in another language, a guided tour bundles the entry ticket with a guide who handles the real-name booking for you. A private Beijing guide can also pace the palace so you see the main axis and the quieter side halls without backtracking. The options below are vetted to include genuine skip-the-queue entry and English-speaking guides.

Guided tours and skip-the-line options

Visitors with a guide walking through a courtyard of the Forbidden City in Beijing on a Klook small group tour

Forbidden City Half-Day Small Group Tour with Pre-Booked Entry

Klook · 4h · 4.7/5 (2840)

Pre-booked entry ticket (passport registration handled)
English-speaking guide
Small group, max 15 people
Tiananmen Square walk-through

From USD 42 Check availability

Private guide leading a small family past the red walls and gates of the Forbidden City on a Viator tour

Skip-the-Line Private Forbidden City Walking Tour

Viator · 4h · 4.8/5 (1320)

Pre-booked entry ticket
Private English-speaking guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Flexible itinerary for your group only

From USD 90 Check availability

Frequently asked questions

Do I need my passport to enter the Forbidden City?: Yes. You book the ticket against your passport number and must show the same passport at the entrance. Bring the physical passport, not a photo. Staff check it against your booking at the Meridian Gate, and there are no on-site or same-day sales.
How far in advance should I book Forbidden City tickets?: Tickets are released about 7 days ahead, typically around 8:00 PM Beijing time, and regularly sell out within minutes, especially in summer and on holidays. Book as soon as your date opens, or use a tour that secures entry for you.
Should I choose the morning or afternoon Forbidden City time slot?: Booking is split into a morning slot (roughly 8:30 AM to noon) and an afternoon slot (roughly 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM), and your QR code only admits you during your chosen window. Pick the morning slot for cooler temperatures and a head start before the largest tour groups arrive. Whichever you choose, allow at least three hours inside, since the palace complex is very large.
Is the Forbidden City worth a guided tour, or can I do it myself?: You can absolutely do it yourself, and many first-timers do. The site is well signposted in English, and renting the official audio guide at the Meridian Gate is enough to follow the main palace axis. A guide earns its cost in two situations: when the official 7-day booking has sold out, since a tour bundles guaranteed entry with passport registration handled for you, or when you want the history and politics explained as you walk. If you book your own ticket on the official site and are happy reading plaques, skip the tour and put the money toward a good lunch.
How long do I need at the Forbidden City, and when should I arrive?: Allow at least three hours, and closer to four if you walk the side palaces or add the Treasure and Clock galleries. The complex runs roughly 960 metres from the Meridian Gate entrance in the south to the Gate of Divine Prowess exit in the north, so it is a long, one-way walk with no re-entry. Arrive for the morning slot near the 8:30 opening to beat the largest tour groups and the midday heat, and enter through the Meridian Gate (Wumen) in the south, since that is the only visitor entrance. Your timed slot only admits you during its window, so do not aim to arrive late in your afternoon slot.
How much are Forbidden City tickets in 2026?: The official general admission price is CNY 60 from April 1 to October 31 and CNY 40 from November 1 to March 31. The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks each cost CNY 10 extra. Discounts and free-entry categories still require a real-name reservation, so confirm eligibility on the Palace Museum official ticket page before booking.
Does the Forbidden City ticket include the Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks?: No. The standard Forbidden City ticket covers the main palace route, while the Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks are separate CNY 10 add-ons. Add them if you have enough time and interest in the collections; skip them if you only have three hours for the main palace.
What email does the Palace Museum list for international ticket reservations?: The Palace Museum official ticket page lists bookingticket [at] dpm.org.cn for international visitor reservations and ticketing questions. Include each visitor's full name, passport number, intended visit date, preferred time slot, ticket type, add-on gallery request if any, and contact information. Send it at least one calendar day before the visit, and earlier is safer.
Is a guided tour a reliable backup for sold-out Forbidden City tickets?: It can be, but only if the tour explicitly includes actual Forbidden City admission and real-name passport registration. Avoid listings that only mention an outside view or a Tiananmen Square walk. Ask the operator what happens if they cannot secure your ticket for the chosen date before you pay.