The short answer on tickets
Forbidden City tickets must be booked online in advance - there are no walk-up tickets. The official channel is gugong.ktmtech.cn (Chinese only); international visitors usually book through their tour operator or hotel concierge. Adult ticket is 60 RMB in peak season (April-October) and 40 RMB in off-season (November-March); under-6s free, ages 6-18 / students half price with ID. Passport is required at entry - the name on the booking must match.
- Drive time from Beijing: n/a
- Typical visit style: Booking takes 5-10 min online
- Difficulty: Easy with English-speaking help; harder solo if Mandarin-only site
- Crowds: Peak season slots sell out within hours of the 8 PM release
- Best for: Anyone planning a Forbidden City day; Families calculating ticket costs; Travellers comparing booking channels
- Less ideal for: Travellers hoping for walk-up access - it does not exist
Forbidden City ticket prices
| Audience | Peak season (Apr-Oct) | Off-season (Nov-Mar) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | 60 RMB | 40 RMB |
| Students (6-18 with ID) | 30 RMB | 20 RMB |
| Under 6 | Free | Free |
| Treasure Gallery (extra) | 10 RMB | 10 RMB |
| Clock Gallery (extra) | 10 RMB | 10 RMB |
| Guided audio (rental) | 40 RMB | 40 RMB |
Where to book
Three channels. (1) Official site gugong.ktmtech.cn - cheapest but Chinese-only and 7 days lead time. (2) Hotel concierge or tour operator (DragonTrail handles booking for guests) - small handling fee. (3) Major OTAs (Trip.com, Klook) - usually 70-100 RMB total including service fee. Avoid in-person ticket scalpers; tickets are now ID-linked and non-transferrable.
- Official site: cheapest, Chinese-only, 7-day window.
- Hotel / tour operator: small handling fee, easier.
- Trip.com / Klook: convenient, 70-100 RMB total.
- Scalpers: invalid - tickets are ID-linked.
Passport requirement at entry
Mandatory and strict. The name on the booking must match the passport you present at the Meridian Gate. Spelling differences (extra space, hyphen) sometimes trigger a manual re-check that delays entry 10-15 minutes. Children's passports also required for ID-linked tickets - bring everyone's passport.
- Booking name must match passport.
- Bring physical passport - copies sometimes rejected.
- Kids' passports required too.
- Names with non-Latin characters: copy-paste the Pinyin exactly as on passport.
Add-ons: Treasure Gallery + Clock Gallery
Two extra galleries inside the FC, each 10 RMB additional. Treasure Gallery (in the northeast, near the Hall of Imperial Supremacy): imperial gold, jade carvings including the famous Qianlong Da Yu Taming Floods jade. Clock Gallery (in the central east): Qing imperial clocks, many European, with daily mechanical demonstrations at 11 AM and 2 PM. Both worth the small fee if you have over 3 hours on site.
- Treasure Gallery: 10 RMB, NE corner.
- Clock Gallery: 10 RMB, central E, demos 11 AM + 2 PM.
- Both add 60-90 min of viewing each.
- Skip if total visit under 3 hours.
What if it sold out?
Peak-season weekends and Chinese holiday tickets sell out within hours of release. Options: (1) Refresh at midnight Beijing time when next-day slots open - cancellations sometimes reappear. (2) Book a guided tour - operators have allocations not on the public site. (3) Reschedule for a weekday morning slot. (4) Shift the visit by one or two days. Last resort: try a different gallery date or accept skipping the FC this trip.
- Refresh at midnight Beijing time for cancellations.
- Guided tours have private allocations.
- Weekday morning slots release more capacity.
- Shift visit date if all else fails.
Common Forbidden City ticket mistakes
Waiting until the day before
Tickets open 7 days ahead at midnight Beijing time. Peak season slots sell out same-day. Book on day 1 of the 7-day window.
Booking under the wrong passport name
Name mismatch can delay entry or refuse it. Copy-paste exactly from passport.
Buying from a scalper
ID-linked tickets are non-transferrable. Scalper tickets fail at the gate.
Forgetting the kids' passports
ID-linked tickets check each ticket-holder's passport, including children.
Forbidden City tickets FAQ
- 60 RMB adult in peak season (April-October); 40 RMB in off-season (November-March). Students 6-18 with ID: half price. Under 6: free.
- Official site gugong.ktmtech.cn (Chinese-only, 7 days ahead), via your hotel or tour operator (small handling fee), or major OTAs like Trip.com / Klook (70-100 RMB total).
- Yes - mandatory at entry. The name on the booking must match the passport you present at the Meridian Gate.
- Midnight Beijing time, 7 days ahead of the visit date. Peak season weekend slots sell out within hours.
- No - there are no walk-up tickets. All tickets are pre-booked and ID-linked.
- 10 RMB additional, opens the northeast Hall of Imperial Supremacy area to view imperial gold, jade and ceremonial objects including the Qianlong Da Yu Taming Floods jade carving.
Book tickets with a guide handling the booking
Our private Forbidden City day includes ticket booking, passport check support, hotel pickup, and an English-speaking guide who paces the central axis.
If you want to see the hours and closure rules before booking, open the opening-hours and Monday-closure pages below.