Beijing

The Forbidden City

The Ming and Qing imperial palace, at the centre of Beijing

By EvanFacts reviewed 4 October 2026

Book it with usUSD 7 per person per sight, plus the ticket at face value.

Why it's worth the trip

Pass through the towering Meridian Gate and the space opens into a vast square, golden roofs beyond, and the crowd falls quiet. For nearly five hundred years, twenty-four emperors lived behind these walls and ordinary people never got in. Now you can walk their route, one gate and one hall at a time.

Heading north, the courtyards keep opening out until the great square before the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the whole court once lined up by rank. Then you pass into the family's own quarters: smaller courtyards, trees and gardens, and the feeling changes from throne room to home. It is far too big to see in one visit, and you don't need to.

Beyond the main route, choose one side; trying to see both wears most people out before they reach the garden. Go east for treasure, from the jewels and jade of the Treasure Gallery to a hall of old clocks, most from England and some made in China. Each gallery has its own ticket. Go west for the small courtyards of the empresses and consorts. Cixi lived in one, the Palace of Gathered Elegance, as a young consort and gave birth to the future Tongzhi Emperor there. Decades later she moved back to celebrate her fiftieth birthday, and the bronze dragons and deer in the courtyard were cast for the occasion. Her rooms are still set out as they were then.

Don't miss

The Hall of Supreme Harmony
The largest hall in the palace, where emperors were enthroned and married. Look up at a corner of the roof: a little procession of ten guardian beasts, more than on any other building in China, and the last of them has a monkey's face and wings.
The Treasure Gallery and the Nine Dragon Screen
On the quieter east side are the courts the Qianlong Emperor rebuilt for his retirement and then never moved into. Nine glazed dragons writhe across the wall at the gate, and inside stands a jade mountain over two metres tall, the largest jade carving in the palace. The gallery has its own ticket, so decide before you book.
The Imperial Garden
Just before the north exit, centuries-old cypresses twist around rockeries and a pavilion on a little hill. After two hours of open stone courtyards, it is the first real shade under big trees.

Fitting it in

Time to give it: Three hours inside covers the main route through the middle and one side. Allow extra time before that for security at the gate.
When to go: Take a morning slot and be in the queue before the gates open, so you reach the great halls ahead of the crowd; inside, it is busiest from about ten until early afternoon. Spring and autumn are the comfortable seasons; in July and August the stone courtyards are hot and almost shadeless.
Pair it with: Leave by the north gate and cross the road to Jingshan Park. If you still have the legs, climb to the top: the golden roofs of the whole palace spread out below you, everything you just walked through in one look. Tiananmen Square lies at the south end and has its own security check, so add it before your entry time only if the morning has room.
Who can skip it: Repeat visitors with no interest in the collections. If three hours on stone paving is too much for someone in your group, don't drop it. The museum has its own two-hour route. And if your date is fully booked, go up Jingshan instead; in forty minutes it shows you the shape of the whole palace.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Forbidden City worth visiting?

Yes, and on a first trip to Beijing it is the sight to put first. For nearly five hundred years 24 emperors lived here and ordinary people could not get in. Now you walk their route gate by gate, from the great squares to the family's own garden. You don't need to see it all: three hours for the main route and one side is plenty.

How long do you need at the Forbidden City?

Plan on three hours inside for the main route through the middle and one side, plus time before that for security at the gate. If someone in your group tires easily, the museum's own two-hour route covers the essentials. If you still have the legs afterwards, climbing Jingshan for the view over the roofs takes about forty minutes more.

Do I need to book Forbidden City tickets in advance?

Yes. No tickets are sold on the day, and each visitor books in their own name with the passport they will bring to the gate. Summer and holiday dates sell out fast, so be ready the moment tickets for your date are released. The rules change from time to time, and we can check them for your date and book for you.

What is the best time to visit the Forbidden City?

A weekday morning in spring or autumn, roughly April to May and September to October. Be in the queue before the gates open so you reach the great halls ahead of the crowd; inside, it is busiest from about ten until early afternoon. Avoid the May Day holiday and the first week of October, and expect hot, shadeless courtyards in July and August.

Why is it called the Forbidden City?

Because for nearly five centuries ordinary people were forbidden to enter. Its Chinese name, Zijincheng, means the Purple Forbidden City. Purple stood for the Pole Star, where the emperor of heaven was believed to live, and this was the home of his son on earth. Since 1925 it has been the Palace Museum, the name you will see on tickets and signs.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and ShenyangThe Palace Museum: VisitThe Palace Museum: 储秀宫 (Palace of Gathered Elegance)The Palace Museum: 钟表馆 (Clock Gallery)Beijing government: Palace Museum

Booking at a glance

From our attraction-booking rules.

Full guide

Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
When tickets open
7 days ahead at 20:00 China time; no same-day tickets
Passport accepted
Yes
Real name
Yes
Confirmed when you enquire: ticket price
We submit each reservation on the museum's own official channel in the visitor's own passport name. We do not resell tickets or add a mark-up, and any ticket price we collect is paid to the museum at face value. The museum's real-name and cancellation rules apply. You can also book it yourself with our travel article.
Checked 22 Aug 2026
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Tiananmen Square
Real name
Yes
Confirmed when you enquire: when tickets open, passport use, ticket price
Covers the open square only, not Tiananmen Rostrum or the Palace Museum. Security and temporary controls still apply.
Checked 22 Aug 2026
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