Forbidden City: tickets, hours and how to visit
980 buildings, 72 hectares. Enter south, exit north, three to four hours. Passport booking, closed Mondays.
Forbidden City at a glance
980 buildings, 72 hectares. Enter south, exit north, three to four hours. Passport booking, closed Mondays. Plan on 3–4 hours at an easy pace here, plus half an hour either side for entry, security and parking.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tickets | CNY 60 (Apr–Oct) / CNY 40 (Nov–Mar). Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery cost CNY 10 each and are worth the extra. |
| Opening hours | 08:30–17:00 (Apr–Oct), 08:30–16:30 (Nov–Mar). Closed Mondays except public holidays. Last entry 60 minutes before closing. |
| Time needed | 3–4 hours at an easy pace; half a day if you add Jingshan Park for the view back. |
| City | Beijing, China |
What to see
Three things carry this sight. If you are short on time, do them in this order.
- Hall of Supreme Harmonythe largest timber hall in China, on the central axis
- Treasure Galleryimperial gold and jade, small extra ticket, rarely crowded
- Imperial Gardenthe north end, where you exit towards Jingshan
Tickets and booking
How the ticket works, and what foreigners usually get wrong.
Before you buy
- Price. CNY 60 (Apr–Oct) / CNY 40 (Nov–Mar). Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery cost CNY 10 each and are worth the extra.
- Booking. Tickets are released seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time and sell out within minutes in spring and autumn. Booking needs a passport number, one per visitor, and the passport must be carried on the day — a photo on your phone is not accepted.
- Payment. Most Chinese sights take WeChat Pay or Alipay only. Cash works at staffed windows but not at self-service machines; a licensed guide can pay on your behalf and settle with you at the end of the day.
Getting there and when to go
Metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East, then walk north through the gate. Cars cannot stop at the south gate; the usual drop-off is East Chang’an Avenue, a 10-minute walk.
08:30–17:00 (Apr–Oct), 08:30–16:30 (Nov–Mar). Closed Mondays except public holidays. Last entry 60 minutes before closing.. The first hour after opening is the quietest — tour groups arrive around 09:30. Late afternoon gives better light but the main viewpoints start clearing people out, so shoot early if that is your priority.
Public transport reaches Forbidden City, but connections and waiting times add up. With luggage, older travellers, or two sights in one day, a car and driver removes the guesswork.
The one thing that goes wrong
Beijing local note
- Tickets are released seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time and sell out within minutes in spring and autumn. Booking needs a passport number, one per visitor, and the passport must be carried on the day — a photo on your phone is not accepted.
Pairing Forbidden City with
These are usually on the same day or the same trip.
Forbidden City: questions travellers ask
Can I buy a ticket at the gate?
Which gate do I enter and leave by?
Is a guide worth it inside?
How booking works — three steps, itinerary before price
No deposit to get a plan, and nothing is locked in before you agree.
Send the brief
Dates, party size, how you arrive and what you want to see around Forbidden City.
Get a route and a price
We order the stops by location and traffic, then quote per car per day with fuel, tolls and the driver included.
Confirm and travel
Only after you accept the route and the price do we assign the car and guide.
