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Beijing Forbidden City Ticket Booking (Optional: guide service)
4.5
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Beijing Forbidden City Ticket Booking (Optional: guide service)

By Lily's Beijing Tour Guide & Car Service
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The Forbidden City is a massive, 15th-century palace complex that once served as the royal residence of 24 Chinese emperors. It’s also one of Beijing’s top attractions, with the crowds to match. Enter directly into the UNESCO World Heritage-listed compound with these pre-booked admission tickets to start exploring the former seat of Chinese power at your own pace. Upgrade to add a tour guide or entry to the Treasure Gallery.

Ages 0-99, max of 10 per group
Duration: 3–4 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket

Highlights
  • Pre-booked direct entry to the Forbidden City; explore five centuries of Chinese history
  • Beat the crowds: No need to wait to purchase a ticket
  • Wander the 178-acre palace grounds at your own pace
  • Upgrade to include a tour guide or entry to the Treasure Gallery

  • Admission ticket
  • Entry/Admission - Forbidden City-The Palace Museum
  • Entry/Admission - Meridian Gate (Wu Men)
  • Entry/Admission - Hall of Middle Harmony (Zhonghe Dian)
  • Entry/Admission - Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian)
  • Entry/Admission - Gate of Heavenly Purity
  • Entry/Admission - Palace of Earthly Tranquility
  • Entry/Admission - The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum
What's not included
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

The rush to purchase an entrance ticket for the Forbidden City can take precious time away from your visit. With pre-booked admission, use your passport to access the site from the main entrance, near the Meridian Gate. You’ll enter directly into the sprawling palace complex and start exploring right away. With these pre-booked tickets, you’ll beat the crowds at the entrance and enjoy plenty of space to admire the magnificent royal pagodas. Visit the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which contains the imperial throne, and the emperor’s private garden, where you'll find a peaceful Daoist temple. During the Ming Dynasty, only the emperor had access to the entire palace complex. Now, you can wander at your leisure through the 178-acre grounds. Walk through five centuries of Chinese history and get a firsthand look at the sight’s intricate architecture, which adhered to the traditional practice of feng shui.  Upgrade to add a tour guide, who can talk you through the site's rich and complex history, or tickets to the Antiquarium of the Palace Museum (Treasure Gallery), home to precious relics that survived the revolution.

  • Wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 26448P67

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Please note: Passport name and number is required at time of booking for “all participants” upon booking
  • Passport is required for all travelers on the day of travel for direct entry. (not for Chinese tourist)
  • Please ensure all travelers' passport number and full name (must match your passport) is provided and accurate upon booking. Otherwise, you won't be able to access to the attraction
  • The ticket is only valid on the day you book to travel
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • If children's height over 1.2 meters (3'9"), please purchase Youth Ticket upon booking (under 1.2 meters is free to join) Please ensure you follow this restriction upon booking. Don't be risky as Forbidden City will not let your kids in for free if the height is over 1.2 meters.
  • This is only pre-booking service, if we get the ticket then the comfirmation letter will received 7 days in advance.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travellers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 26448P67

From
HK$79.53
per adult
Select date and travellers

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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • emmalZ798BR
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant tour, Amazing guide, Fantastic day!
    We only had one day to see Beijing and this trip encompassed so much. Our guide, Linda, was really lovely and made the whole day smooth and a real joy to experience. The Great Wall was amazing, views are stunning and we opted for the chair lift/taboggan ride which was so much fun! We then went to the Summer Palace which was stunning and Linda entertained us with stories from its history. This was an amazing tour with a wonderful guide and I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to explore what Beijing has to offer.
    Written 12 November 2024
  • Gary H
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great time at the forbidden city and learned a lot of history from the tour
    We enjoyed the tour of forbidden city and learned a lot of history from Summer. She was also helpful to answer our questions related to other dynasty periods. The views were great and we took a lot pictures. We highly recommend Lily’s tour company.
    Written 11 November 2024
  • kentkwu
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great day in Beijing
    We had a great day with Maggie and Gary! Maggie was very knowledgeable and personable. Overall the itinerary was great and flowed very smoothly. Highly recommend and would happily do this again.
    Written 11 November 2024
  • frequentflyer1512018
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wow!!! Amazing tour
    We had such a great time on this tour. Maggie was an incredible tour guide, she was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We had such a great time learning about China from her. And Gary was a great driver! Thank you!!!
    Written 11 November 2024
  • 136nathaliao
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful China
    Our day was incredible. Lucy is amazing, she is very courteous , calm, knowledgeable about China history, I strongly recommend. The driver, Gary is excellent driver.It was an unforgettable trip day.
    Written 10 November 2024
  • Haranibar
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome visit to the Great Wall and Summer Palace
    It was a great experience from the beginning to the end, you do not have to worry about anything. They pick you up at the hotel and take you to the Summer Palace and the Great Wall all tickets and a buffet lunch are included. Maggie our guide was superb; friendly and professional; she made our visit unforgettable. We are more than happy and would recommend this excursion to everyone.
    Written 10 November 2024
  • retnow371
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    GOOD TOUR GUIDE
    It was amazing trip with Summer. She ia wonderful. I get information detail about Forbidden City. Next time when I visit China. I will use her services again. Very recommended for you too. She helps me to find popular Hutong and give direction the way back to hotel... I am really appreciated her services.
    Written 10 November 2024
  • H1949BUjoh
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant adventure and sights!
    A fantastic experience and we took so many photos. Amazing day out sunshine in November made this extra special. Maggie our guide for the day is super and so informative! Highly recommended.
    Written 9 November 2024
  • Cameron A
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent tour, Summer great!
    The whole tour was brilliant. Summer was an excellent tour guide. She took us through the Meridian Gate and up the central axis of the Forbidden City, taking time to explain everything as we went. Plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
    Written 9 November 2024
  • R8437SZjorgeh
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beijing lights
    Great experience! Beijing lights are amazing. Ling ling guided us through very interesting places and explained everything. Nice person and lots of pictures. We recommend her.
    Written 9 November 2024
  • ryog262
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great guide great tour
    Sophia gave us an amazing tour today with well prepared information. This was my 2nd time to visit the forbidden city and the first time for my friend. Both of us were impressed by Sophia's super professional tour guide.
    Written 9 November 2024
  • 279kenjin
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great tour with a lot of leaning
    Angela was great guide. She kindly explain about a lot of things and answer my questions in detail. I enjoyed a lot because of her.
    Written 8 November 2024
  • Passport03717282243
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice tour!
    Very informative and entertaining tour through the forbidden city, learned a lot about the history! Would recommend, Angela was a good guide.
    Written 8 November 2024
  • mrsluah
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Forbidden City tour
    Our tour guide Lucy was a great guide, friendly and very knowledgeable. She spoke excellent English and Chinese. Highly recommended this tour for anyone visiting the Forbidden City.
    Written 8 November 2024
  • 808dagnijas
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent
    Sofia was excellent, very informative tour about Forbidden city. I booked the tour two days ago and it was easy to buy the tickets.Thank you
    Written 8 November 2024
See all 2,447 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles195 reviews
Excellent
139
Very good
31
Average
9
Poor
4
Terrible
12

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

Tse T
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Couples
The entrance and exit routes of the Forbidden City are extremely poorly arranged, causing tourists to suffer a lot of unnecessary suffering. The nearest Tiananmen East subway station is adjacent to the Tiananmen Rostrum, near the Meridian Gate, the southern entrance to the Forbidden City. However, the signs on the street actually instruct tourists to walk a long distance of more than 1,500 meters before entering from the east gate. It is absolutely painful to have to walk such a long distance before starting the tour.

The experience of leaving after visiting was even more terrifying. Because tourists must leave the Forbidden City through the Shenwu Gate in the north. There is no convenient transportation to the subway station or other popular attractions. Tourists who are very tired after visiting the Forbidden City for several hours can only choose to squeeze on the slow and crowded bus to continue. Either suffer the consequences, or start a death march from Shenwumen to the Tiananmen East subway station more than 2 kilometers away before truly leaving. There is no other better or more reasonable choice. In the end, we endured great pain and walked from Shenwumen to Tiananmen East Station and rushed to the next attraction. After returning to the hotel that day, we almost collapsed from exhaustion. I have never tried to enter and leave an attraction so difficult and arduous for many years. Moreover, it is the Forbidden City, the most important attraction in Beijing. Such a completely failed arrangement makes it almost impossible for the elderly to freely travel here. We are extremely disappointed and still frightened. Unless the entrance and exit transportation arrangements of the Forbidden City are significantly improved in the future, it will be difficult for us to visit the Forbidden City again.
Google
Written 25 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
您好, 您的评价写错地方了。应该放到故宫官网链接下面。我们只是给游客预定故宫的门票服务。您对交通道路的抱怨,应该放在正确的地方才能引起有关部门的关注。 可是我想说的是,您来的这个地方叫紫禁城,他是600年前的时候建成的,那个时候人们肯定想不到今天会有这么多人会去参观,还能有汽车地铁。国家也不可能为了您的便利,把地铁修到紫禁城底下吧,也可能拆了城墙给您通汽车啊。 谢谢 Lily
Written 26 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Felix
6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
We booked two tickets and only put in one passport. We got reminded that both numbers are needed so we sent them. In the morning they told us everything is fine and we can go on. At the entrance only one of the tickets worked and the other one got cancelled. Passport number that they wrote was "123456789" which is obviously not a passport number. When I asked the company for a refund they told me that the ticket was valid and I did not get my money back for the ticket!!!!
Written 23 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Friend, Thank you taking your valuable time to write the review for us. When you booked the ticket, you missing one passport number. And we sent you the email to ask for another passport number. You replied last minute. When we got the confirmation, we did booked two tickets, one is correct passport number one is not correct, so we cancelled one ticket and rebooked another one ticket with the second passport number you provided last minute. And we sent you the E-ticket by the message. The only reason you can't use it was the second number your provided is not correct. Before you write this review, I suggest you to double check your passport number and the number you gave to us last minute and also you can see the E-ticket information on Tripadvisor dashboard message. We booked the second ticket with the number you provided to us last minute. Kindly remind all our potential customer, please double check the passport number when you book the ticket . The passport number will be your entry ticket. Regards Lily
Written 24 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

beverli r
London, UK97 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
It was fantastic and magical all st once! The place has an ancient energy very unique with a story to tell around each corner. Walls are huge! The most was frozen as temp was minus plus the snow had been cleaned away which created a different feeling totally. Loved the experience and will go back next year to see what we ran out of time to see
Written 20 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

陳冠禎
Linkou, New Taipei2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
When the date was approaching, they did not reconfirm the passport number of each person with us, so two of our family members were unable to enter the National Palace Museum. As a result, our whole family kept checking with the entrance attendant at the entrance, but to no avail, so I filled it out myself. The passport number of a man was wrong. Your travel industry replaced the passport number of a senior ticket with a child ticket. It also made a big mistake in the passport number of one of our women. As a result, only two of us entered the Forbidden City, and only the other family members could. Sitting at the door for a day is really a very poor service quality
Google
Written 19 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
您好, 非常抱歉带给您得不好体验。 感谢您得批评指正,我们将会努力把工作做得更细致。 我们非常理解您不能进故宫得心情。系统显示您一共定了5张门票,1大人门票给的护照号码错误,所以没有进去,老人护照号码填到儿童位置,所以也没有进入。其余3人已经进入参观。我们在您旅游的日期前7天就给您发了确定邮件,并且给您复制了您提供的每个护照信息。您都没有检查一下您填错了信息,这才导致您当日无法进入的。 也想借此机会再次强调一下,当您定这个服务时,一定要填正确的真实的护照信息号码,如果填错数字,顺序,您可能的就不能进故宫博物馆了。我们是根据您填的信息定门票的,您的护照号码就是您的入场券。 如果遇到以上客户情况,请及时打电话,我们也会及时跟博物馆交涉处理的。基本上也能保证能进入。 谢谢 lily
Written 20 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rufio2201
San Francisco, CA9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Solo
Lily was amazing! After I booked a tour, I was notified within a few hours that they could not accommodate my original itinerary. This would've been a frustrating experiencing, but she went above and beyond what I expected. Not only did she provide me with alternative options for my original tour, but she also helped me with additional reservations to other attractions that was never a part of the deal. I found her to be friendly, thoughtful, and very professional. If I ever return to Beijing I'm contacting her tour company first.
Written 3 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Rufio I feel very happy to be able to help you. Your praise will make me full of passion and motivation. We will continue to strive to serve every tourist well. Remind tourists to Beijing to book their itinerary and tickets in advance, otherwise it will be difficult to buy scenic spot tickets on the same day now. Best wishes Lily
Written 6 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Vicky L
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Angela was a great tour guide! Very energetic, patient & a good story-teller. We enjoyed our time with her. Would recommend her services 😊 Also highly suggest you rent a hanfu so you can take good pics inside!
Written 6 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jhon C
Migne-Auxances, France42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Hello everyone,

Must see if you are in beijing City.
Allow at least half a day on site so much it is very, very big.

For the plan, you are expected to make an "appointment" at least 2 days before and if available.

A tip, avoid going through online operators to buy entrance tickets, they all take a commission while on site there is a scheme to go home and even without booking, tested and approved at 3, need only your passports and some yuan.

Take the east entrance, Zhendu Gate which gives you access to a very nice park, once in this park, bypass it from the north and the you will arrive at a checkpoint without ticket control that will give you access to the entrance to the palace museum. You will then see on your right, the main entrance of the Palace Museum with security check with porticoes, look in front and slightly to the left and you will find the visitors counter.

Already at this stage you will have full eyes!

When you arrive at the ticket office, pretend to have emailed bookingticket@dpm.org.cn and applied for registration and apply for tickets to enter the palace museum showing your passports.

They don't refuse foreign tourists,
Automatically translated
Written 29 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Frances W
Porto, Portugal1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
It’s not expected. It didn’t specify mention that they were going to reserve the tickets for the customer. No cancellation email was informing us. Even you choose the reserve now and pay later, they still charge you 48 hours ahead of your reservation. But they already knew that they couldn’t reserve the tickets for you before 7 days of your reservation. Totally is not making sense. Confirmation emails were sent before our visit, we though we got the tickets until we found out that we didn’t get them at the entrance. And we needed to call customer service to find out what was going on. And they said they will request the refund. Not recommend it.
Written 24 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear friend, I am really sorry about your bad experience. If you booked our ticket and cann't go in. You can just ask for full refund anytime. But I guess you put this review on the wrong listing. Because we closed out this booking for over than 1 month. We know how hard to book the Forbidden city ticket right now. There are only 30000 tickets available per day. And it could have 10 times domestic tourist trying to order this ticket at the same time. So, we closed out for 2 months. And do the full refund for all of those guest who don't have the ticket. Being able to book tickets to the Forbidden City now is equivalent to winning the lottery. I sincerely hope that the Forbidden City can release more tickets every day according to the expectations of tourists. Regards Lily
Written 25 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ho Tin W
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
Lily's Beijing Tour Guide was very helpful and easy to contact in booking and arranging meet up for the tour.

Our tour guide Daisy brought the Forbidden City to life with her explanations and stories, and it was most helpful and relaxing to be able to follow someone through the maze like Forbidden City and really took the stress out of navigating and finding the right places. Communicating in English was easy and most appreciated. Thank you very much for taking care of us
Written 9 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sue J
st gilles du mene63 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Went to the forbidden city as it seemed like the thing to do in Beijing . I must admit to being underwhelmed. Tianamen square is big but has little of merit despite its size and it’s a long walk from here to the other side of the forbidden city which is much the same from start to finish. I’m sure it’s a truly great set of historical buildings but they didn’t hold my attention. On the other hand - the summer palace was fascinating and if you only have time to see one thing I would give forbidden city a miss and go to summer palace.
Written 16 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Beijing Forbidden City Ticket Booking (Optional: guide service) provided by Lily's Beijing Tour Guide & Car Service

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