The Forbidden City was the palace of the Ming and Qing emperors for nearly five centuries. Since 1925 it has been the Palace Museum. It is a walled rectangle of courtyards, gates and halls in the center of Beijing, and most first-time visitors need a full morning to see the main axis and one or two side areas.
Getting in takes more planning than any other sight in the city. Tickets are sold online only, they are tied to your passport, and popular dates go fast. Sort this out before you leave home and the rest is easy.
Booking your ticket
Tickets go on sale at 20:00 Beijing time, seven days before the visit date. Book through the museum’s official website, which has an English version, or through the 故宫博物院 (Palace Museum) WeChat mini program. Some international booking platforms also sell tickets and accept foreign cards; the official site takes Alipay, WeChat Pay or a Chinese bank card. Our paying in China guide covers setting these up.
Each ticket is real-name. Enter your passport number exactly as printed, and each person in your group needs their own entry. You get no paper ticket: your passport is checked at the gate. The museum caps reservations at about 40,000 people a day, and summer weekends and Chinese holidays sell out within minutes of release.
Main admission is ¥60 from April to October and ¥40 from November to March. The Treasure Gallery and the Gallery of Clocks cost ¥10 each and are booked in the same place. Book them at the same time, since they also sell out.
The museum is closed on Mondays, except on public holidays. A 2024 city notice says overseas visitors who cannot book or pay online can ask at the ticket office on the day. Treat that as a fallback and book ahead.
A sensible route
You enter at the Meridian Gate (Wumen) on the south side and leave by the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen) on the north or the East Prosperity Gate (Donghuamen). It is a one-way route with no re-entry.
From the Meridian Gate, walk straight north through the Gate of Supreme Harmony to the three great halls of the outer court: Supreme Harmony, Central Harmony and Preserving Harmony. The Hall of Supreme Harmony sits on a triple marble terrace and is the largest of them. Behind them, the inner court holds the smaller palaces where the imperial family lived.
The main axis gets most of the crowd. Once you reach the inner court, step east or west into the side courtyards, where the halls are smaller and the lanes quieter. The Treasure Gallery is in the northeast corner. The Gallery of Clocks is on the east side of the inner court. The Imperial Garden at the north end is the last stop before the exit.
When to go
Arrive for the 8:30 opening if you can. Tour groups build up through the late morning. Tickets are sold in morning and afternoon slots, so check which you booked.
April, May, September and October bring the most comfortable weather. Summer is hot, and the stone courtyards offer little shade. Winter is cold and dry but quieter, and tickets are cheaper. Avoid the first week of October and the days around May 1, when domestic travel peaks.
Tips
Bring the passport you booked with; a photo or photocopy will not do. Expect a security check before the Meridian Gate, and allow time for the queue.
Wear comfortable shoes. The main axis alone is about a kilometer of stone paving, and most people walk three or four times that.
Carry water and a snack. The courtyards are large and exposed, and a full loop takes most of a morning.
After you exit at the north gate, cross the road to Jingshan Park. The hill gives the best view back over the palace roofs. Admission is ¥2, but foreign visitors must reserve by phone at least a day ahead on (010) 6605 5431, between 9:00 and 16:00. The Hutongs of Beijing around Shichahai are a short taxi ride further north.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
