To visit the Forbidden City in 2026, you must book a timed ticket online in advance using your passport. There are no same-day tickets at the gate, and the daily cap is 40,000 people, so slots vanish fast.
Tickets open exactly seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time on the official Palace Museum website. Miss that window in peak season and you may not get in at all.
That single rule trips up more first-time visitors than anything else. People fly to Beijing, walk up to the great red Meridian Gate, and get turned away because they assumed they could buy a ticket on the spot like at a museum back home.
This guide fixes that. You will learn exactly how to book, what to pay, which entrance to use, and how to walk the palace so you see the throne rooms, the treasure vaults, and the imperial garden without backtracking. The Forbidden City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden buildings on Earth, with roughly 9,000 rooms. Come prepared and it rewards you. Come unprepared and you stand outside the wall.
Key Takeaways
- Book online 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time; passport required, no gate sales.
- Tickets cost 60 RMB in peak season (Apr 1–Oct 31) and 40 RMB off-season (Nov 1–Mar 31).
- Closed every Monday except public holidays; morning slot enters before 12:00, afternoon after 12:00.
- Enter at Meridian Gate (south) and exit at the Gate of Divine Prowess (north) — one-way only.
- Add the Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery for 10 RMB each; budget 3–4 hours minimum.
How to book Forbidden City tickets (the part everyone gets wrong)
The Palace Museum sells no walk-up tickets. Every visitor books ahead through the official system, and every ticket is tied to a real passport number. This is the single most important thing to understand.
Tickets are released seven days in advance at 20:00 (8 PM) Beijing time. So if you want to go on July 20, you book on July 13 at 20:00. Set an alarm. In summer and over Chinese holidays, the 40,000 daily slots can sell out within minutes.
Book only through the official Palace Museum website (dpm.org.cn) or its official WeChat Mini Program. Foreign visitors can register with just a passport number and an email address, pick a date and time slot, and pay with Alipay, WeChat Pay, or a Chinese bank card.
You can reserve for up to five people in one order — just enter each person’s passport details. One passport equals one ticket per day.
Sarah, a teacher from Manchester, tried to book at 8:05 PM on a Saturday in May and found her date grey and gone. She rebooked the moment the next day opened at 20:00 sharp and got in. Timing beats luck here.
A few practical warnings. Ignore any site or agent charging inflated "guaranteed entry" fees — the Palace Museum has no authorized third-party ticket sellers, and scam sites are common. If your preferred date is sold out, check back around midday: cancelled reservations sometimes free up. And book each traveler’s real passport exactly as printed, because a single typo in a passport number can block that person at the scanner.
If you cannot get Alipay or WeChat Pay working before you arrive, our guide to paying in China as a foreigner walks through linking a foreign card so checkout does not fail at the last step.
Forbidden City tickets: prices, hours, and what to add
Entry is cheap by world-museum standards. The base ticket covers the main palace complex along the central axis. Two special galleries cost a little extra and are worth it.
| Item | Peak (Apr 1–Oct 31) | Off-season (Nov 1–Mar 31) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult general admission | 60 RMB | 40 RMB |
| Treasure Gallery (add-on) | +10 RMB | +10 RMB |
| Clock Gallery (add-on) | +10 RMB | +10 RMB |
| Opening hours | 08:30–17:00 | 08:30–16:30 |
| Last entry | 16:10 | 15:40 |
The Palace Museum is closed every Monday except on public holidays. When a holiday falls on a Monday, it opens that day and closes the following Tuesday instead. Always double-check before you book a Monday.
The Treasure Gallery, in the northeast corner, holds imperial jade, gold, and jewels, plus the Nine Dragon Screen. The Clock Gallery shows an astonishing collection of ornate mechanical clocks gifted to Qing emperors. Both need their own timed ticket alongside your main one, so add them at booking.
Children under a certain height and seniors often qualify for reduced or free entry, but bring passports for everyone in your group so staff can verify ages at the gate.
Timed slots: morning or afternoon, and why it matters
In 2026 you must choose a morning or afternoon slot when you book, and the rule is enforced at the gate.
Morning-slot tickets let you enter from opening until 12:00 — no entry after noon. Afternoon-slot tickets let you enter from around 11:00 until closing. You cannot show up early on an afternoon ticket, and you cannot sneak in late on a morning one.
Pick morning if you want cooler air, softer light for photos, and thinner crowds at the throne halls. Pick afternoon if you are combining the palace with a slow Beijing lunch first.
Once inside, there is no time limit — the slot only governs your entry, not how long you stay. Marco, a photographer from Milan, chose the 08:30 morning slot, reached the Hall of Supreme Harmony before the tour groups, and had the vast stone courtyard nearly to himself for ten quiet minutes.
Getting there and which gate to use
The route through the palace is one-way. You enter in the south and exit in the north, and you cannot double back, so plan around it.
- Entrance — Meridian Gate (Wumen), south. The only entry gate for ticket holders. Bring the exact passport you booked with; staff scan it here.
- Exit — Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen), north. Exit only. It opens onto Jingshan Park, which has the best free rooftop view back over the golden palace roofs.
The easiest metro approach is Tiananmen East station (Line 1), Exit A. From there it is a 10–15 minute walk north through the Tiananmen archway and Duanmen courtyard to reach the Meridian Gate. Note that Tiananmen Square itself may require a separate free reservation and security check, so leave buffer time.
Because you exit in the north, do not plan to return to a bag or a car parked in the south. If you are moving on to another city afterward, our Beijing trains and metro guide explains how the subway connects to the high-speed rail stations.
A smart route through the palace (3–4 hours)
Give the Forbidden City at least three to four hours. The classic path follows the central axis, then loops through a side gallery before the exit.
- Meridian Gate → Gate of Supreme Harmony — the grand ceremonial entrance courtyard.
- Hall of Supreme Harmony — the largest wooden hall in China and the emperor’s throne room. This is the postcard shot.
- Hall of Central Harmony and Hall of Preserving Harmony — the rest of the Outer Court.
- Gate of Heavenly Purity into the Inner Court — the private living quarters of the emperor and his family.
- Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union, Palace of Earthly Tranquility — the imperial bedchambers.
- Detour east to the Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery if you bought add-ons.
- Imperial Garden — ancient cypress trees and rockeries, a calm finish.
- Gate of Divine Prowess — exit north.
Skip nothing on the central axis, but do not try to open every side hall — there are around 9,000 rooms and you will exhaust yourself. Rent an audio guide near the Meridian Gate or use the official app for English commentary, since many signs are brief. For more palaces, temples, and parks to pair with your visit, browse our Beijing attractions guides.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Forbidden City tickets at the entrance?
No. The Palace Museum sells zero same-day tickets on site. You must book online seven days in advance through the official website or WeChat Mini Program using your passport. Walk-ups with no reservation are turned away at the Meridian Gate, so book before you travel.
Do I need my passport to enter the Forbidden City?
Yes. Bring the exact original passport you used to book. Tickets are digital and tied to your passport number, and staff scan the document at the Meridian Gate. A photocopy or photo will not work, and a mismatched passport means no entry.
How much does a Forbidden City ticket cost in 2026?
General admission is 60 RMB in peak season (April 1–October 31) and 40 RMB off-season (November 1–March 31). The Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery each cost an extra 10 RMB. That is roughly 8 USD for the main palace plus both special galleries.
What time should I book, and how fast do tickets sell out?
Tickets release exactly seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time. With only 40,000 slots a day, summer and holiday dates can sell out within minutes. Be logged in and ready to click the moment your date opens at 8 PM.
How long does a Forbidden City visit take?
Plan for three to four hours to walk the central axis and see the main halls. Add another hour or two for the Treasure and Clock galleries. A thorough, unhurried visit with the side courtyards can fill a full half-day or more.
Is the Forbidden City closed on Mondays?
Yes, it closes every Monday except public holidays. On a holiday Monday it stays open and closes the following Tuesday instead. Check the calendar before booking, because a wasted trip to a closed gate is a common mistake.
Before you go: your quick checklist
Run through this the week before your visit and you will breeze through the gate.
- Book online at 20:00 Beijing time, exactly 7 days ahead — set a phone alarm.
- Use only the official Palace Museum site (dpm.org.cn) or its WeChat Mini Program.
- Have Alipay or WeChat Pay set up before checkout so payment does not fail.
- Carry the exact passport you booked with — every traveler needs their own.
- Choose your slot (morning enters before 12:00, afternoon after) to match your day.
- Arrive at the Meridian Gate (south) via Tiananmen East station, Exit A.
- Add the Treasure and Clock galleries at booking if you want them.
Beijing rewards travelers who plan the connections, not just the sights. Once your palace day is set, the smartest next move is locking in your transport — whether that is a high-speed train to Xi’an, Shanghai, or the Great Wall gateway towns.
Let us handle the tickets so you can focus on the trip. Get a free China train ticket quote here — tell us your dates and cities, and we will sort seats, timings, and English confirmations for you. Planning where to sleep near the palace? Start with our Beijing hotel recommendations.
Sources and further reading: UNESCO World Heritage — Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties; The Palace Museum official site (dpm.org.cn); China Daily — How to buy advance general admission tickets for the Forbidden City.
Featured image: “Forbidden City Panorama 1.jpg” by Tojan76, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
