Beijing · FORBIDDEN CITY TOURS

Forbidden City Tickets and Tours: The 15 Best Ways In

75 tours  ·  from $6

Entry is a named reservation released about a week ahead, tied to the passport you book with, and the palace closes on Mondays. These 15 cover the ticket-booking services, the guided walks and the whole-axis mornings, with prices and how far ahead each needs booking.

Beijing: Forbidden City Tour(Group/Private)-Tickets Included - Meeting points and start times
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Beijing: Forbidden City Tour(Group/Private)-Tickets Included

1.Forbidden City Tour(Group/Private)-Tickets Included

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 7,974 reviews · 3 - 8 hours · from $4Our pick

Choose a 3 to 8 hour group or private visit with guides such as Mina, Miko, Maria, or Jay. See Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then add Coal Hill Park, palace museums, or a hutong lunch. Tickets are arranged, but strict security and long queues require careful timing.

“Our guide Susan spoke perfect English and had a fantastic knowledge of Chinese history. It was exactly why we booked private tour. There is no way we could navigate through tiananmen square so quick by ourselves. Lots of different queues in different places. Susan was absolutely incredible.”

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Beijing: T-Square & Forbidden City Group or Private Tour - Crossing Tiananmen Square Under Tight Security
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Beijing: T-Square & Forbidden City Group or Private Tour

2.T-Square & Forbidden City Group or Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 4,446 reviews · 3 - 8 hours · from $17

Walk across Tiananmen Square and through the Forbidden City with a guide such as Tony, Michael, Gary, or Song, depending on availability. Choose a 3-hour Forbidden City visit, a 4-hour square and palace tour, or extend your day to the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Great Wall, or a dumpling class.

“I had an amazing experience visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing. The tour was absolutely fantastic, and a big part of that was thanks to Song, our guide. He is truly passionate about the Forbidden City, and you can really feel how much he loves its history and culture. I highly recommend this tour, especially with Song as your guide!”

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All-Inclusive Tour: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall - Entering the Forbidden City through the imperial gates
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All-Inclusive Tour: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall

3.All-Inclusive Tour: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,873 reviews · from $128Top rated

Spend 9 to 11 hours with a private guide such as Lucy, Wendy, Bobo, or Jerry, visiting Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Mutianyu Great Wall. Hotel pickup, lunch, admission, bottled water, transport, and a cable car or chairlift and toboggan option are included.

“Bobo cao was an amazing guide, she made everything fun for us, she made the experience one to always remember Thanks so much to her for making my day fulfilled”

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4-Hour Small Group Tour to Forbidden City with Entry Tickets - Meeting up and getting through security
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4-Hour Small Group Tour to Forbidden City with Entry Tickets

4.4-Hour Small Group Tour to Forbidden City with Entry Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,863 reviews · from $15

Meet your guide in central Beijing for a 3 to 4-hour small-group walk through the Forbidden City. Hear Ming and Qing stories from guides such as Jimmy, Maria, Miko, and Sophie, then choose Tiananmen Square or Jingshan Park. Bring your actual passport and expect strict security checks.

“It's helpful to get smaller queues as a group and nice to be told the history as we go through the main buildings of such a huge place. Very well organised, well done, Maria.”

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Beijing Full Day Tours: Tiananmen Sq, Forbidden City, Great Wall - Starting at 7:00 am with hotel pickup
Beijing Great Wall Tours, Forbidden City Tours, Full-Day, Tiananmen Square Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Beijing Full Day Tours: Tiananmen Sq, Forbidden City, Great Wall

5.Beijing Full Day Tours: Tiananmen Sq, Forbidden City, Great Wall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,634 reviews · from $99

Start with 7:00 am hotel pickup inside Beijing’s Third Ring Road, then visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Mutianyu Great Wall. A guide such as Helen or Rocky may lead the group. The $99 price includes tickets, lunch, water, transport, and cable car or chairlift access.

“If you are fortunate enough to have Rocky as your guide, you will have a great day. Rocky is kind, thoughtful, very organized, flexible and all the usual attributes you expect of a top class guide. He even took photos and provides them for everyone. A first rate experience.”

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Beijing: Tianmen Square, Forbidden City & Royal Museum Tours - Meeting at the Bank of China Donganmen Branch
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Beijing: Tianmen Square, Forbidden City & Royal Museum Tours

6.Tianmen Square, Forbidden City & Royal Museum Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,288 reviews · from $4

Meet near the Bank of China Donganmen Branch for a guided visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Choose English or Spanish, a small group of 15 to 20, ticket-only entry, or a private tour with flexible timing and optional Royal Treasures Museum access.

“We had a great time with our tour guide Linda! The tour was very interesting 👍”

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Beijing Forbidden City Ticket Booking (Optional: guide service) - Crossing into the Inner Court
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Beijing Forbidden City Ticket Booking (Optional: guide service)

7.Beijing Forbidden City Ticket Booking (Optional: guide service)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,263 reviews · from $9

Reserve your Forbidden City admission for a morning or afternoon visit, then enter with your passport and explore the main halls, palace courts, and Imperial Garden. Add a guide such as Bobo, Summer, Marco, or Maggie, or upgrade to include the Treasure Gallery.

“Marco was a fantastic guide, he was funny, thorough, knowledgeable and super friendly. My friends and I had a wonderful visit with him!”

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Beijing: Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square Waking Tour - Crossing into the Forbidden City
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Beijing: Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square Waking Tour

8.Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square Waking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,002 reviews · 8 hours · from $2Best value

You’ll visit Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City, and, on selected options, the Temple of Heaven with a shared English-speaking guide such as Huang or Alice. Expect identity checks, long walks, palace courtyards, imperial stories, and ticket planning. Choose carefully, since duration and inclusions vary by option.

“Huang was the best guide possible. Amazing person and worth every penny”

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Forbidden City&T-Square Small GroupTours w/ ticket(Eng/Esp Guide) - The Treasure Gallery adds a different side of palace life
Forbidden City Tours, Guided, Tiananmen Square Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Forbidden City&T-Square Small GroupTours w/ ticket(Eng/Esp Guide)

9.Forbidden City&T-Square Small GroupTours w/ ticket(Eng/Esp Guide)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 995 reviews · from $11

Spend about four and a half hours at Tiananmen Square and Beijing’s Forbidden City with a guide such as Vanessa, Linda, Snow, or Icy. Reserved entry, an earpiece, and a group of up to 15 make the enormous palace complex easier to handle. Expect plenty of walking and a strong dose of imperial history.

“Excellent tour. Doing the tour made entry much easier and quicker. Covered both the square and Forbidden very well. Palace. well.Linda the tour guide was great.”

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Beijing: The Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square Entry Ticket - Entering with a passport instead of a paper ticket
Beijing Attraction Tickets, Forbidden City Tours, Tiananmen Square Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Beijing: The Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square Entry Ticket

10.The Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 836 reviews · 40 minutes - 9 hours · from $4

Choose a morning or afternoon entry to Beijing’s Forbidden City, with guided or self-guided options. Your passport serves as the ticket. Some bookings also cover Tiananmen Square, Mutianyu, or hotel transport, while guides such as Anson, Andy, Mina, and Yuly may assist with arrangements.

“Andy is an amazing person. he is very kind and well take care of his clients. super nice man. thanks.”

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Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights - Day one begins at Tiananmen Square
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Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights

11.Beijing 2-Day Tours: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Top Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 688 reviews · from $99

This two-day small-group tour pairs Beijing’s imperial sights with the Mutianyu Great Wall, a hutong rickshaw ride, Lama Temple, and Summer Palace. English-speaking guides such as Helen, Rocky, and Lisa lead groups of about 12, with hotel pickup inside the Third Ring Road and air-conditioned transport.

“On day 1 we had Lucy, she was great, very informative, helpful and flexible. On day 2 we had Kevin who was very informative but totally inflexible: apparently getting 5 minutes to visit a gift shop was impossible etc. His attitude was just Read more”

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Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City with 7 Options - Entering through the Meridian Gate
Beijing Walking Tours, Forbidden City Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City with 7 Options

12.Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City with 7 Options

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 675 reviews · from $75

Spend four to six hours with a private Beijing guide such as Lily, Cindy, Jason, or Moko, visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Choose a walking tour or a longer option with transport, the Temple of Heaven, hutong food, or other city sights.

“Cindy was a phenomenal tour guide. Her English was very good and she was very passionate about the Forbidden city and Beijing history. She was great at letting us know all the best tips to make sure we had a great trip and even guided us in a few other stops in Beijing she thought we would be interested in. She did not rush our tour and we felt we got a good handle on the Forbidden City. She also helped us figure out how to navigate China better as tourists and was very kind in making sure we were doing ok in our travels through China even after our…”

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Beijing Classic Full-Day Tour including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven - The Forbidden City: the essential two-hour visit
Forbidden City Tours, Full-Day, Summer Palace Tours, Temple of Heaven Tours, Tiananmen Square Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Beijing Classic Full-Day Tour including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven

13.Beijing Classic Full-Day Tour including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 610 reviews · from $99

See Beijing’s imperial highlights in about nine hours with hotel pickup, transport, admission tickets, a Chinese lunch and an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Jenny, Mary, Lee and Michael have earned strong praise for clear explanations and good group control. Expect heavy walking, crowds and possible shopping stops.

“Great tour packed with seeing all of the most important spots in Beijing! My tour guide Lee spoke great English and kept the tour fun!”

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Beijing Essential Full-Day Tour including Great Wall at Badaling, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square - Tiananmen Square: a brief look at modern China
Badaling Great Wall Tours, Beijing Great Wall Tours, Forbidden City Tours, Full-Day, Tiananmen Square Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Beijing Essential Full-Day Tour including Great Wall at Badaling, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

14.Beijing Essential Full-Day Tour including Great Wall at Badaling, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 609 reviews · from $99

Cover Beijing’s three headline sights in about nine hours with an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, lunch, and admission tickets. Guides such as Lee, Jenny, Murphy, and Michael Shi have earned praise for clear explanations and personal help. Expect plenty of walking, a jade shopping stop, and limited Great Wall time.

“A nice city highlights tour with a friendly guide. I’d have skipped the tea house stop, as I’m not a fan of ‘commercial proposals’, but everything else was excellent. The Great Wall is absolutely breathtaking and unforgettable!”

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Mini Group Discovery Forbidden City Tour with Hotel Pickup option - Starting the morning with hotel pickup
Forbidden City Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Mini Group Discovery Forbidden City Tour with Hotel Pickup option

15.Mini Group Discovery Forbidden City Tour with Hotel Pickup option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 512 reviews · from $36

Spend about four hours touring the Forbidden City with a small group of up to 15 people. Your guide leads you through imperial halls, the Treasures Museum, Nine Dragon Screen, and Imperial Garden. Hotel pickup is available, though the tour ends at the north gate and does not include hotel drop-off.

“The Forbidden City is very impressive and a guide will help you understand where you are and what you’re seeing in the right context. Lucy was our guide and she was wonderful, very knowledgeable (in a thoughtful and entertaining way), friendly and kind. I highly recommend this tour with her.”

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Beijing, end to end

Pick a stretch of wall, a courtyard or a table.

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On the axis

Forbidden CityTiananmen SquareTemple of HeavenSummer PalaceMing Tombs

Table and stage

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In the lanes

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