Forbidden City tours: what to check before booking

A Forbidden City tour is only worth paying for if it actually gets you inside the palace. Here is when a tour makes sense, and what to check before you book one.

Tour or official ticket?

	Ticket on the official website	Tour with entry included
Price	60 CNY from April 1 to October 31 and 40 CNY from November 1 to March 31	Higher: you also pay for the guide and the booking
Booking	7 days before the visit date, around 20:00 Beijing time	The tour company books entry for you
Explanations	None (bring a guidebook)	A guide explains what you see
When it makes sense	You can book at release time	Tickets are gone, or you want context

Official tickets can sell out quickly on popular dates, so don’t count on buying at the gate: booking in advance is the only reliable way to get in. A tour with entry included is a backup, as long as the company confirms your entry before the day.

What to check before you book a Forbidden City tour

1. Entry is included. The listing should say clearly that the Forbidden City entrance ticket is included. Make sure the tour does not only cover the outside of the palace or Tiananmen Square.
2. Passport details in advance. Entry is booked in each visitor’s name, so the tour company will ask for your passport details. You need an email address (to receive a verification code), and for each visitor: name, country/region and passport number. Up to 5 visitors per booking. Enter them exactly as printed.
3. The same passport on the day. Bring the same physical passport you used to book: the name and number must match. Your passport is scanned at the Meridian Gate; there is no paper ticket.
4. Group size. Small groups and private tours make it easier to hear the guide in the busy courtyards. Check the maximum group size.
5. Meeting point and gate. Visitors enter through the Meridian Gate (Wumen) on the south side, the only ticketed entrance. Cars cannot stop at the Meridian Gate, so expect a 10–15 minute walk, so check exactly where the guide meets you.
6. Where the tour ends. You leave through the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen) on the north side, on the opposite side from the entrance.
7. Cancellation policy. Read the tour’s own cancellation terms: they are set by the tour provider, not the palace.
8. Not on a Monday. The palace is closed on Mondays, except Mondays that are public holidays.

Group tour or private tour?

• Group tour: cheaper, fixed start time, the guide sets the pace.
• Private tour: you choose the pace and the start time, and it is easier to ask questions; it costs more.

Either way, plan about 3–4 hours inside the palace. Some tours add other stops, such as Jingshan Park, just north of the Forbidden City, gives a view over the palace roofs: check the itinerary in the listing.

Forbidden City tours with entry included

These tours are offered by our booking partners. Compare what is included, the group size and the cancellation terms before you book. You can also compare other Beijing tours.

Before you book, see what 1,734 travellers report about Forbidden City tours: what went well, and what to check.

Prefer to go on your own?

Our Forbidden City tickets guide explains booking step by step, and the release time calculator tells you when tickets for your date go on sale in your time zone.