Beijing Forbidden City Tickets and Tours

Booking a tour of Beijing's Forbidden City gives you the opportunity to explore one of China's most iconic historical and cultural sites. That's why this is undoubtedly one of the best things to see and do in Beijing. During the visit, you will be able to tour the different sections and courtyards of the imperial palace, while also learning about daily life in the Forbidden City and the rituals, traditions and customs of the ancient Chinese court. It is a tour that will take you directly into past eras of Chinese history.

For a full day you will take this classic tour which includes Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. During the activity you will also enjoy a scenic bus ride, enjoy a traditional Chinese lunch and have your own shopping experience at the silk shop and traditional Chinese medicine centre, so this is definitely one of the best tours in Beijing.

Booking this tour of Beijing's Forbidden City starts with a visit to Tiananmen Square, which spans over 40 hectares and dates back to 1415, before continuing on to the Forbidden City, which was built in 1406 and has since become a Chinese imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Inside you will see a collection of great halls, antiquities and treasures from China's history.

Next, you will visit the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China, one of the best preserved and dating back some 2,000 years. You will be able to walk along the wall and enjoy the most breathtaking panoramic views at altitude. Finally, you can learn all about jade at the Longdi Jade Factory.

Interesting details

• Price: 89 euros.
• Duration: 9 hours.
• Means of transport: by air-conditioned luxury vehicle and on foot.
• Benefits: Round trip transfer to and from your hotel on board an air-conditioned coach with an expert guide. Chinese-style lunch is included. Entrance fees to temples are included, except for the entrance to the Great Wall Cable Car.
• Disadvantages: Gratuities and personal expenses are not included.

Booking the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City and Tiananmen tour you will be accompanied by an expert guide who will take you first to Tiananmen Square, where you will see the National Museum of China**, the Great Wall of the People, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Flagpole.

After the tour of the square, you will pass through the south gate to the Forbidden City, which will impress you with its 250 acres of courtyards, palaces, pavilions and gardens.

Once inside you can also explore the most important buildings within the palace, such as the Hall of Union, Hall of Heavenly Purity and Hall of Earthly Tranquillity. Your tour will end at the Imperial Garden, before exiting the Forbidden City through the North Gate.

Details of interest

• Price: 69 euros.
• Duration: 4 hours.
• Means of transport: On foot.
• Advantages of this option: Professional guide, private tour. The entrance fee to the Forbidden City and all the halls to be visited is included.
• Disadvantages of this option: Transport to the Forbidden City and transfer back to the hotel is not included. Tips and personal expenses are not included.

This tour is an excellent opportunity to see the city lit up at night and is one of the best bike tours in Beijing. Your guide will take you through the narrow streets of the city, but will also tell you interesting facts at each stop along the way. You'll love seeing and photographing the illuminated city skyline as you cycle through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

That's right, in the middle of this night tour you'll have the opportunity to see the Forbidden City, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Inside you'll see the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, so it's a must-see experience that should be on your list of things to see and do in Beijing at night.

Details of interest

• Price: 190 euros.
• Duration: 3 hours.
• Means of transport: by bicycle.
• Advantages of this option: You will be accompanied by a professional guide. Bicycle hire and bottled mineral water are included in the price.
• Disadvantages of this option: Tips and transfer to and from the hotel are not included.

On this tour your guide will pick you up from your hotel or accommodation early in the morning, and you will go directly to the Temple of Heaven. There you will see the residents doing morning exercises and practising Tai Chi, singing and dancing. After exploring the Temple of Heaven, you will continue to Tiananmen Square to see the main gate, Chairman Mao's mausoleum, the Great Hall of the People and the Tiananmen Gate.

Right after that you will visit the Forbidden City which has been open to the public since 1925 as a public museum. After all this sightseeing, you can have a nice lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, after lunch, you will visit the Summer Palace. And to finish the day, you can visit the West Bridge of the Water Cube, one of the best places to take pictures of the main buildings of the Olympic Park, which I also recommend you to visit.

Details of interest

• Price: 177 euros.
• Duration: 8 hours.
• Means of transport: by private car.
• Advantages of this option: Transfer to and from the hotel. A boat trip inside the Summer Palace is included, only between April and October. You will be accompanied by a guide. You will be offered a local lunch and bottled water. Entrance fees to the various sites are included.
• Disadvantages of this option: Gratuities and personal expenses are not included.

During a two-day tour of Beijing, you will see several of the city's main attractions, including the Forbidden City, Jingshan Hill, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace. For the first day of your trip, your guide will pick you up from your hotel to go straight to Tiananmen Square to see the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.

On the same day you will visit the Forbidden City and spend a couple of hours touring the site, seeing the most important elements of the huge imperial palace. At the end of the first day you will also visit the Temple of Heaven, and go to a local restaurant to enjoy the famous Peking duck, just before closing the day on a high note by going to one of the best Kung Fu shows in Beijing.

For the second day, you will visit the Mutianyu Great Wall in the morning and in the afternoon you will visit the Imperial Garden or Summer Palace, where, among other things, you will see the famous Kunming Lake. You will also pass by the Olympic Park, just before finishing the tour and heading back to your hotel.

Interesting details

• Price: 380 euros.
• Duration: 2 days.
• Means of transport: private car.
• Advantages of this option: Entrance to the cable car and the Great Wall slide. Local food and lunch. Authorized guide.
• Disadvantages of this option: Hotel accommodation, tips and personal expenses are not included.

During a three-day tour of Beijing's Forbidden City, you will have the opportunity to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the sights you will enjoy are: The Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Beijing Panda House, you will go on a Dragon Boat Cruise at the Summer Palace; and you will take one of the best tours of the Hutongs.

You will also have the opportunity to enjoy an amazing night show such as the acrobatic show, the Peking Opera or a Kungfu show. It is definitely a good plan to do if you visit Beijing for 3 days or more, because it allows you to enjoy your experience in the city to the fullest.

Interesting details

• Price: 445 euros.
• Duration: 3 days.
• Means of transport: private vehicle with all comforts.
• Advantages of this option: One dinner, three lunches and bottled water. Qualified local guide. Transfer to and from the hotel.
• Disadvantages of this option: Tips and personal expenses are not included. Accommodation is also not included.

On this full day tour of Beijing, you will see the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. You'll start your tour by going to Tian'anmen Square to see the imposing buildings surrounding it, including the Heavenly Gate, museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.

After the tour of the square, you will enter the Forbidden City, where you can enjoy a collection of grand halls, antiquities and treasures representing the entire history of China. Later you will go directly to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, which is the quietest section of the wall.

Details of interest

• Price: 160 euros.
• Duration: 8 hours.
• Means of transport: private car.
• Advantages of this option: Professional guide. Transfer to and from the hotel. Bottled water, entrance to all the places to be visited.
• Disadvantages of this option: Tips, lunch and personal expenses are not included.

On this half-day tour, you have the opportunity to walk along the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. In addition, your tour guide will take you to experience the rich culture and history of Beijing without worrying about the crowds. You'll first go to the Forbidden City in the morning, and your guide will tell you about the lives of the 24 emperors who lived in these spaces.

But you'll also have the chance to walk around the entire imperial complex, as you learn about the history and soak up the world's best-preserved culture. The whole experience lasts around four to five hours. Throughout your visit to the palace, you will have the opportunity to see the 18 palaces that make up the complex.

Details of interest

• Price: 65 euros.
• Duration: 4 hours.
• Means of transport: by private car and on foot.
• Advantages of this option: Professional guide. Transfer to and from the hotel. Entrance fees to all the places of interest you will visit during the tour.
• Disadvantages of this option: Tips, food and drinks are not included.

This full day tour will take you from Beijing Capital International Airport to the Great Wall of China. You will be on board of an air-conditioned bus with all the comforts. The section of this monument you will visit will be Mutianyu, which is famous for its beautiful surroundings and its hills covered with forests and fresh mountain air.

For a couple of hours you will tour the wall area which is fully restored. You will also ride the cable car and toboggan run back down. After touring the wall, you will enjoy a Chinese lunch at a nearby restaurant. Right after that you will go to Tiananmen Square to walk around the entire square before going to the Forbidden City to learn about China's almost 600 years of history. At the end of the tour you will be driven back to the airport.

Interesting details

• Price: 190 euros.
• Duration: 8 hours.
• Means of transport: by private car.
• Advantages of this option: Cable car or sledge ticket to the Great Wall. Authentic local lunch. Private guide. Transfer to and from the airport. Entrance to all sites to be visited during the tour.
• Disadvantages of this option: Tips and personal expenses are not included.

During this full day tour, you will visit the Forbidden City and the ruins of the Great Wall in Badaling. In the Forbidden City, your tour guide will show you its less public places, such as the Treasure Gallery and the Palace Clock Museum, where you can discover the imperial riches of the Ming and Qing dynasties. You will see the Nine Dragon Palace Wall, the Heavenly Gate and the Heavenly Palace.

Afterwards you will walk along the ruins of the Great Wall and finish the day enjoying a hearty lunch including traditional lacquered duck. In fact, during the duck tasting you will also learn the culinary secrets of carving and eating duck in the best Beijing style.

Interesting details

• Price: 163 euros.
• Duration: 9.
• Means of transport: by private car.
• Advantages of this option: Professional guide. Transfer to and from the hotel. Lunch is included. Entrance fees to each site you will visit during the tour are also included.
• Disadvantages of this option: Tips are not included.

I recommend taking a guided tour so that you can better understand the history and culture behind the site. Throughout the tour, your professional guide will take you through the different buildings and areas of the Forbidden City. He or she will also explain the importance and meaning behind each place, which is something you may not be able to discover on your own.

You will be able to ask your guide as many questions as you want, to better understand the details and stories surrounding the Forbidden City. Plus, on a guided tour, you'll be able to avoid the queues as tour guides often have priority access.