Forbidden City tickets: how booking actually works (and when a tour is worth it)
The booking window: what actually happens
The Palace Museum opens bookings exactly seven days ahead at approximately 8:00 PM Beijing time (UTC+8). You book in person — the passport number you use at booking must match the passport you carry. One booking per passport per day, real name required. The official channels are the Palace Museum website (dpm.org.cn) and the official WeChat Mini Program (search "故宫博物院" or "Palace Museum"). Both have English interfaces, though imperfect. The site is often slow at release time due to simultaneous demand.
Peak dates (national holidays, summer weekends, cherry blossom season) clear in minutes. April–May is worst. A typical winter weekday often does not sell out at all. The 80,000-visitor cap is a hard ceiling; once hit, no more tickets are issued that day.
Mondays are closed except on national holidays. Plan around that — three-day visits should avoid a Monday in the middle.
Gate prices: the baseline
Admission is ¥60 during high season (April–October) and ¥40 low season (November–March), paid at the gate in yuan. That is the entire official cost of getting in — under ten US dollars either way. Two optional add-ons, each bookable at the same time as main entry: the Treasure Gallery (¥10) and the Clock Gallery (¥10).
On the guided tours here, that admission is included in the tour price rather than charged separately — so the tour price is not a fee stacked on top of the gate price. What the money buys you above admission is the booking being handled, a guide in a language you read, and someone who knows the one-way route.
When a ticket-included tour is the better answer
If you are arriving from abroad and you don’t read Mandarin, the booking window is a real barrier. You land, you want to visit, but 7 days have not passed yet and the booking has not opened. Or it opens at 8:00 PM Beijing time, you are eating dinner, you miss it, and the next morning everything is sold out until 7 days later. A ticket-included tour solves this: the tour operator books on the opening day and you are covered. For first-timers and group travellers, that alone is usually worth the difference. Read the full tour comparison.
You also get a guide in your language and someone who knows the one-way route, which matters more here than at most sites because the signage is bilingual but very thin. See which tours have English guides and why language matters.
When to skip the tour and book direct
If you speak Mandarin or you are confident navigating in English with signs and no running commentary, just book the ¥60 entry ticket yourself through dpm.org.cn or WeChat. If you are traveling with others and only one person needs to book (one passport), even better. The entry ticket on GetYourGuide ($5, no guide) is for confident independent visitors: it costs about what admission costs, and the product is exactly what it says — entry, no hand-holding.
Booking through a reseller: GetYourGuide or Klook
If you are not booking direct, there are two resellers worth checking, and they carry different inventory. GetYourGuide is the Berlin-based platform behind the seven tours listed on this site. Klook is the Hong Kong-based one, and it is deepest across Asia, so it is on home ground in Beijing. Prices below come live from Klook:
The three routes compared in full — official site, GetYourGuide and Klook, including what each one actually costs you and who each suits.
Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery
Two small museums inside the palace grounds, each ¥10, each bookable at the same time as main admission. Neither is required. The Clock Gallery shows imperial timepieces; the Treasure Gallery shows ceramics, jade, and calligraphy. Both take 30–60 minutes depending on your pace. Add them if you have the time and the interest; skip if you want to focus on the buildings and courtyards.
When the palace is open
High season (April–October): 8:30–17:00, last entry 16:00, last ticket check roughly 15:40. Low season (November–March): 8:30–16:30, last entry 15:30. Closed Mondays except on national holidays. See the full hours guide if you are timing a visit.
What to bring
Bring the physical passport. It is scanned at entry and it is what the booking is tied to. Electronic copies will not work.
Can’t make these dates?
Browse more available Forbidden City tours and find one that fits your schedule — all with instant confirmation and free cancellation.
Need a guide? See the tour options or the English-language guide comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What if I cannot book at 8:00 PM on the release day?
Peak dates (April–May, summer weekends) sell out within minutes. A ticket-included tour avoids this entirely — the tour operator books on the opening day and you are covered. See which tours include tickets. On a typical winter weekday, tickets often stay available for several days after release.
Can I book more than one entry for multiple people in one transaction?
No. One booking per passport per day, real name required. If four people arrive, four people need to book separately. A tour operator handles one booking and provides one group guide.
I didn’t realize I needed a passport number to book. What now?
You must supply the exact passport number at booking, and it must match the passport you carry at entry. If you made a mistake, contact the Palace Museum directly through dpm.org.cn. A tour operator can also handle the booking with your passport details.
What if it sells out before I can book?
Book a ticket-included tour instead. The tour operator books on the opening day. See the tour comparison for your options, or the price ladder if budget is tight.
Do I need to bring the email confirmation to the gate?
No. Bring the physical passport. It is scanned at entry and matched to the booking. A digital copy is not enough.