Current visitor details
Hours, admission, booking and passport guidance below come from the Place record shared by city, itinerary and booking pages. Unverified or stale high-risk claims are not shown as facts.
Booking
Advance real-name online booking is required via the Meridian Gate (午门, south) as the ONLY entrance; exit via Shenwu (north) or Donghua (east) Gate. Bring the same identity document used for booking.
Plan ahead: At least 3-7 days ahead in peak season; same-day tickets are not available
On site: No on-site ticket sales; all tickets must be booked online in advance.
Channels: Official Palace Museum WeChat mini-program · Official international booking site (intl.dpm.org.cn)
Foreign passport
Non-mainland visitors book and enter with a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong/Macao residents, Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan residents, Residence Permit for Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan residents, Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, or passport. Present the original document at the Meridian Gate.
Opening and last entry
Tuesday-Sunday 08:30-17:00 from April through October, last entry 16:00; 08:30-16:30 from November through March, last entry 15:30. Normally closed Monday except statutory holidays.
Admission
Adult admission is RMB 60 from April through October and RMB 40 from November through March; the Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery are RMB 10 each.
Who this visit suits
This page is for every first-time visitor to Beijing, anyone planning an imperial China history day, and photographers chasing the golden roofscape. The complex demands time; if you only have a few hours you can rush the central axis but will miss much of what makes it special. Skip it only if you have been multiple times already or have severe mobility limitations that make extensive walking over stone thresholds impossible.
A route that makes sense
The only entrance is the Meridian Gate at the south. After crossing the Golden Water Bridges, you enter the Outer Court:
- Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian). The tallest and most important building, raised on a three-tier marble terrace carved with dragon spouts. This was where enthronements and major state events took place. Climb the terrace to examine the dragon-ramp carving between staircases.
- Hall of Central Harmony and Hall of Preserving Harmony. The two smaller halls north were for rehearsal and banqueting.
- Inner Court. Beyond the Gate of Heavenly Purity, the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union, and Palace of Earthly Tranquility mirror the Outer Court’s three-hall layout at residential scale.
- Treasure Gallery (northeast, paid add-on). Detour through the Nine Dragon Screen into the Treasure Gallery, which holds gold, jade, and pearl artifacts and is far less crowded than the central axis. The Clock Gallery is nearby.
- Imperial Garden. Ancient cypresses and rockeries at the northern end provide a final quiet moment.
- Exit through Shenwu Gate (north). Cross Jingshan Front Street into Jingshan Park; the view from Wanchun Pavilion on the hilltop is the definitive photograph of the golden roofscape.
What to notice
The architecture encodes imperial cosmology at every level. Yellow-glazed roof tiles (the emperor’s color) cover almost every building; the Crown Prince’s eastern palace alone uses green tiles for growth. Roof-ridge figurines marching along each hall indicate rank: the Hall of Supreme Harmony has ten, the maximum, while lesser halls have fewer. The dougong bracket sets supporting the eaves are assembled without nails and flex during earthquakes. The central axis is paved with multiple layers of brick and stone to prevent tunneling.
Inside the halls, look for thrones, couplets, and ceiling caissons (sunken dragon panels), many featuring a coiled dragon holding a pearl. In the Treasure Gallery, do not miss the jade ruyi scepters, imperial gold pagodas, and phoenix crowns.
Accessibility, fitness and conditions
The Forbidden City is large and physically demanding. The central axis is mostly flat stone with raised thresholds at every gate; side galleries and courtyards have steps and uneven surfaces. Wheelchair access is possible along the main axis but challenging in the wings; ramps and elevators exist at certain points but are not universal. Visitors with limited mobility should stick to the central route and allow extra time.
Crowds peak on weekends, Chinese school holidays (July-August, Spring Festival), and national holidays. Weekday mornings in late March-early April or late September-early November are quietest. Summer brings intense heat with little shade; bring water, a hat, and sunscreen. Winter visits are cold but nearly crowd-free, and snow on golden tiles is spectacular.
How to combine it with nearby places
The Forbidden City anchors Beijing’s Central Axis and pairs naturally with several neighbors:
- Jingshan Park (immediately north across the street) for the panoramic view, 30-45 minutes.
- Tiananmen Square sits directly south; walking south through Tiananmen Gate and Duanmen connects the two. Note that the Square and the Gate Tower are separate bookings.
- Temple of Heaven sits roughly four kilometers south and works as a second stop if you have energy.
- Lama Temple is best saved for another day.
A classic central-axis day: Tiananmen Square (flag ceremony optional) → Meridian Gate entry → Forbidden City (3-4 hours) → Jingshan Park (30 minutes) → Shichahai for a late-afternoon stroll.