Temple of Heaven tickets: park vs combo ticket

The Temple of Heaven has two tickets, and choosing the wrong one is the classic way to end up outside its most famous building. Below: which ticket to buy, what each one costs, how to buy with your passport, and the other mistakes to avoid.

Park ticket or combination ticket?

The Temple of Heaven sells two tickets, and the difference matters:

	Park ticket	Combination ticket
Price	15 CNY from April to October and 10 CNY from November to March	34 CNY from April to October and 28 CNY from November to March
Gardens and walkways	Yes	Yes
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound Altar	No	Yes

Our advice: buy the combination ticket. The buildings most people come to see, starting with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, are only open to combination-ticket holders. The park ticket is fine if you only want a walk or to watch the morning exercisers.

Discounts: foreign visitors aged 60 and over get free entry to the park and the three main sites with their passport, and full-time students pay half price with proof of student status. Bring the document that proves it.

How do you buy Temple of Heaven tickets?

1. Decide whether to book ahead. Booking ahead is optional: tickets are real-name and can be booked 1 to 7 days ahead. Online booking is on the official Visiting Beijing Parks platform (畅游公园, bjgyol.com.cn, also in WeChat): switch the language to English and choose "Passport" as the ID type.
2. No Chinese phone number? Without a Chinese phone number, go to the ticket service window at the entrance with your original passport; tickets there depend on remaining capacity.
3. Choose the combination ticket, unless you only want the gardens.
4. On the day: keep the passport you booked with on you during the visit.
5. Plans changed? Unused tickets can be refunded within 7 days of the visit date, on the platform you booked with.

Prefer to have it all arranged? A guided tour that includes entry takes care of the tickets: see Beijing tours.

What are the Temple of Heaven opening hours?

The park and the buildings inside it keep different hours:

	Hours
Park	6:00–22:00, last entry 21:00 (from November to March the park opens at 6:30)
Inner sites (the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound Altar)	8:00–18:00 from April to October (last entry 17:30) and 8:00–17:00 from November to March (last entry 16:30)
Mondays	The inner sites usually close on Mondays (except public holidays), while the park stays open

Plan 2–3 hours for a visit, and make sure you reach the inner sites before their last entry.

Schematic plan, north at the top, not to scale. Only positions confirmed by our sources are shown.

1. 1Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
2. 2Imperial Vault of Heaven, inside the Echo Wall
3. 3Circular Mound Altar
4. 4East Gate (Metro Line 5, Tiantandongmen)
5. 5West Gate (Metro Line 8, Tianqiao)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, chiculture.org.hk, english.beijing.gov.cn

Which gate should you use, and how do you get there?

• Best gate: the East Gate (Metro Line 5, Tiantandongmen station).
• Other option: the West Gate (Metro Line 8, Tianqiao station).

Tip: go early for the morning life

Early in the morning, locals come to the park to do tai chi, exercise and play games; you are welcome to watch, respectfully. The park opens long before the inner sites, so you can watch the park wake up, then head to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests when the sites open.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Buying the park-only ticket. It does not get you into the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound Altar. Buy the combination ticket.
• Arriving after the inner sites’ last entry. The park stays open late, but the buildings close much earlier: 8:00–18:00 from April to October (last entry 17:30) and 8:00–17:00 from November to March (last entry 16:30).
• Visiting on a Monday. The inner sites usually close on Mondays (except public holidays), while the park stays open.
• Going to the wrong gate. Head for the East Gate (Metro Line 5, Tiantandongmen station), and check which gate your taxi or tour is going to.
• Leaving your passport at the hotel. Keep the passport you booked with on you during the visit.

Planning the visit? Read Temple of Heaven: tickets and the best time to go, and see how it fits into 3 days in Beijing.

Temple of Heaven tours

If you want a guide to explain the ceremonies and architecture, or to combine the Temple of Heaven with other sights in one day, a tour is the easiest option. Compare more Beijing tours.

Before you buy a ticket or a tour, read what 791 travellers report about the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace, including the problems with resold tickets.