Beijing, China / Tickets & visiting
Forbidden City
tickets & visitor guide
Plan your Palace Museum visit: understand the ticket options, reserve with your passport and arrive at the right entrance.
- Standard adult ticket
- CNY 40–60Seasonal official tariff
- Reserve ahead
- 7 days aheadCheck your date online
- Suggested time
- Half a dayOur planning recommendation
- Bring with you
- Original passportSame document as your booking
01 / Choose your visit
Ticket options, explained
Standard adult admission in CNY. Gallery supplements are extra. Check the official booking flow for concessions, free admission eligibility and exhibition reservations. These are published tariffs checked on 11 November 2026, not live availability.
Low season admission
CNY 40/ adult
Standard admission.
Optional extras charged separately.
High season admission
CNY 60/ adult
Standard admission.
Optional extras charged separately.
Optional extras
Treasure Gallery
Separate admission to the Treasure Gallery area.
Gallery of Clocks
Separate admission to the Gallery of Clocks area.
Concessions and free admission may require supporting documents and a reservation. Check eligibility for every traveler before paying.
02 / Reserve with confidence
How to book your tickets
Reservations open at 20:00 Beijing time, seven days before the visit date.
- 01
Choose a date within the booking window
Open the official English booking site and sign in using an email verification code. Select your visit date and session.
- 02
Enter each visitor’s details
Use the passport details for every traveler. Review spelling and document numbers carefully before confirming.
- 03
Choose galleries and confirm
Review optional galleries, exhibitions and the final total. Complete the available payment steps and check that your reservation is confirmed.
- 04
Save the confirmation for your visit
Keep the booking details accessible offline. Bring the original passport used for the reservation to the Meridian Gate’s manual ticket-checking channel.
The museum does not sell same-day tickets and says it has not authorized third parties to act as ticket agents. Use the museum’s official booking channel for admission; independently sold tours have their own terms.
03 / Arrive at the right gate
Entrance & arrival
Meridian Gate · south entrance
午门 · Wumen
Enter through Meridian Gate. Visits run south to north; the north gate is an exit, not an alternative entrance.
On the map
Getting to the entrance
For a museum-only visit, the museum directs visitors along the east or west moat roads to Meridian Gate. If combining the visit with Tiananmen Square, check the square’s separate reservation and security requirements.
After your visit
Leave through the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen) to the north or East Glorious Gate (Donghuamen) to the east.
04 / Time your visit
Opening hours
| Season | Hours | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Low season1 Nov – 31 Mar | 08:30–16:30 | 15:30 |
| High season1 Apr – 31 Oct | 08:30–17:00 | 16:00 |
All times are Beijing time (UTC+8). Your reserved session may have an earlier check-in deadline.
Usually closed Mondays; holiday exceptions and temporary closures apply. Check the museum’s notices before choosing a date.
05 / Make the most of your day
A little planning goes a long way
Give the palace room in your day
Our planning suggestion: keep half a day free, with extra time before entry for walking and security. Avoid putting a tightly timed departure immediately after your visit.
Decide what matters to you
Choose between a focused palace walk and a longer museum visit before adding galleries. Leave room for breaks instead of treating every courtyard as a checklist.
Plan around your exit
Arrange your next stop from the exit you intend to use. Save the entrance name in Chinese so it is easy to show a driver or ask for directions.
Accessibility & facilities
Check the museum’s service map for accessible facilities, toilets and visitor services. If step-free access is essential, confirm your route and any assistance directly with the museum before reserving.
06 / Before you go
Your ticket questions, answered
Can foreign visitors book Forbidden City tickets online?
Yes. Beijing’s official visitor guidance directs foreign visitors to the museum’s English website to reserve using a passport. Bring the original passport and use the manual ticket-checking channel at Meridian Gate.
When do reservations open?
The published release time is 20:00 Beijing time, seven days before the visit date. A place is not guaranteed; check the official booking system for your date.
Are the extra galleries included?
No. Standard adult admission is CNY 40 in low season or CNY 60 in high season. The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks each cost an additional CNY 10 at the published standard tariff.
What if tickets are sold out?
Check other dates on the official site and keep your Beijing itinerary flexible. Do not assume a tour listing or a pending request guarantees admission.
Can I change or cancel my reservation?
Read the terms shown with your booking before paying. Manage cancellations through the original booking channel; deadlines and missed-visit rules apply. Do not assume you can change a confirmed date or visitor.
Is a Tiananmen Square visit included?
Treat the square and the museum as separate visits. Check the square’s access requirements if you plan to pass through it, and follow the museum’s current approach instructions for Meridian Gate.
Sources & last review
Checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent guide by ChinaTravelChina. The attraction’s own booking terms and notices take precedence.
- Palace Museum: visiting information (opens a new tab)Standard prices, seasonal hours, closure notices and service map.
- Palace Museum: English booking portal (opens a new tab)Booking window, visitor details, payment flow and cancellation terms.
- Palace Museum: reservation and entry rules (opens a new tab)Official booking policy, entrance, exits and approach routes (Chinese).
- Beijing government: passport booking guidance (opens a new tab)Foreign visitor reservations and original-document checks.
Photo: Ponytailor / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display; the adapted image uses the same license.
