The Forbidden City: How to Reserve, What to See, and When to Go
The Palace Museum — the Forbidden City — is the most-clicked attraction on any Beijing itinerary, and also the one most often missed, because it runs on a strict real-name reservation system that behaves differently from almost every other famous site on earth. Here is exactly how it works.
Information current as of October 2026 — always confirm details via official channels before you travel.
The rules that decide your trip
- It is closed every Monday (except national statutory holidays). Build your week around this first — it is the mistake we see most.
- No same-day tickets, ever. Tickets (and the separate Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery tickets) are released 7 days in advance at 20:00 Beijing time through the museum's official channels. Peak days (weekends, holidays, spring and autumn) sell out fast — often within minutes for morning slots.
- Real-name, passport-based. Foreign visitors book with their passport number and enter with the original physical passport. One ticket per passport per day. Photos, copies or a different passport will not pass the checks, which use ID verification (with face-recognition assistance for speed).
- One entrance. You enter through the Meridian Gate (Wumen, the south gate) only, and exit from the north (Shenwumen, Gate of Divine Prowess) or the east (Donghuamen).
- Two sessions. Morning bookings must enter by 12:00; afternoon bookings may enter from 11:00. Your slot is an entry window, not a time limit — once inside, you can stay until closing.
Hours and prices
- Peak season (Apr 1 – Oct 31): 08:30–17:00, last entry 16:00. Entrance ¥60.
- Off-season (Nov 1 – Mar 31): 08:30–16:30, last entry 15:30. Entrance ¥40.
- Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery: ¥10 each, well worth it.
- Daily visitor numbers are capped (tens of thousands); holiday weeks book out furthest in advance.
The two routes that work
The classic 3 hours (first visit, time-pressed):
Meridian Gate → the three great audience halls on the central axis (Taihe, Zhonghe, Baohe) → the inner-court residences (Qianqing, Jiaotai, Kunning) → Imperial Garden → exit north through Shenwumen. Straight down the spine every emperor walked; efficient and unmissable.
The full 5 hours (architecture and objects people):
Do the 3-hour route, then add the eastern route (Clock Gallery and Treasure Gallery in the Hall of Ancestral Worship complex — the mechanical clocks and imperial jewelry are the two most rewarding paid add-ons) or the western route (the residences of consorts, quieter and often emptier). Exit still via the north or east gates.
Timing tricks that matter:
- Enter at 08:30 opening, or after 14:00 — 10:00 to 13:00 is tour-group peak and the Hall of Supreme Harmony courtyard becomes a river of people.
- Exit into Jingshan Park (a small gate fee applies) directly across from Shenwumen: the hilltop pavilion gives you the one panorama of golden roofs photographers keep coming for. Best 60–90 minutes before sunset.
- Don't schedule the Forbidden City on your jet-lagged day one. It deserves your second morning at the earliest.
How CNTAGS fits in
Booking yourself through the official system requires a Chinese app ecosystem, Chinese payment methods and vigilance at 20:00 sharp — or you can have us request the reservation with your passport details (availability confirmed within 24 hours) and pair it with audio guides in 16 languages (the on-site rental options and signage remain overwhelmingly Chinese) or a licensed live guide who meets you at the Meridian Gate.
Practical notes
- Book: 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time, official channels only (ticket.dpm.org.cn / the museum's official mini-program). No scalpers, no "agents" — the museum does not authorize any third party to resell tickets, and illegal bookings risk denied entry.
- Bring: original passport for every traveler including children; comfortable shoes (it's bigger than it looks — 720,000 m²); water (spring/autumn), sun protection in summer.
- Cost: ¥60/¥40 by season + ¥10 + ¥10 for the two galleries.
- Closed: every Monday except statutory holidays; also check official announcements for special closures.
- Getting there: metro to Tiananmen East/West, security check for the square area, then south to the Meridian Gate — budget 30–45 extra minutes for security queues in high season.