Beijing: Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square Tickets

Palace Museum tickets without the Beijing queue

You get timed-entry tickets to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square access without navigating the Chinese reservation system yourself. Confirmation arrives seven days before your visit, and you enter directly with your passport at the Meridian Gate. The palace is yours to explore at your own pace, or with a guide if you add that option.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Tiananmen Square1h · entry included
2. Meridian Gateentry included

Visit Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City

• Reserve Tiananmen Square entry
• Explore Tiananmen Square landmarks
• Book Forbidden City tickets in advance
• Enter Forbidden City with passport
• Tour the Forbidden City palace complex

The experience

The Meridian Gate fills with tour groups by nine in the morning, but if your ticket is already confirmed through our service, you walk straight through security with your passport. Tiananmen Square sits just outside: free to enter, though it requires a real-name reservation that most overseas visitors find confusing on the official Chinese system. We handle both, which saves the back-and-forth at the entrance.

The Forbidden City itself is 600 years old and held 24 emperors across the Ming and Qing dynasties. It's the largest preserved royal palace complex still standing, and that scale hits you the moment you cross the threshold: courtyards open into courtyards, each one framed by red walls and yellow-tiled roofs that repeat so consistently they start to feel like a pattern you're walking through rather than a place you're visiting. You move at your own pace, which means you can linger on a particular hall or push through to the quieter northern sections where fewer people wander. The ticket confirmation email arrives seven days before your visit, so there's no scrambling at the gate.

Tiananmen Square itself is the world's largest urban central square and the political heart of Beijing. It can hold a million people during state ceremonies. The Monument to the People's Heroes, the National Museum of China, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong all border it, so even if you're only spending an hour there, you're standing in the center of modern Chinese history. The square is free, but the reservation system trips up most foreign travelers, which is why having it pre-arranged makes the whole morning simpler. If you want a guide walking you through the Forbidden City's layout and history, that's available as an upgrade: otherwise, you're free to explore on your own terms, which some people prefer after a long flight.

Bring your actual passport to the Meridian Gate entrance. That's the only document you need once the ticket confirmation arrives. The site is wheelchair accessible, and public transport runs nearby if you're not walking from central Beijing. Book at least eight days in advance: the daily visitor cap fills quickly, and the system won't accept reservations closer than seven days out.

What’s included

• Your booking includes entry tickets to the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) and Tiananmen Square access with real-name reservation handled for you.
• A professional English-speaking tour guide is available as an optional upgrade for the Forbidden City.
• Ticket confirmation arrives seven days before your visit via email, and you enter with your passport at the Meridian Gate.

Options for this experience

4 options

Ticket only for Tiananmen Square15 departure times: the first at 05:00, the last at 19:00Self-guided tour. Security checks in the Tiananmen Square area can sometimes take 1 to 2 hours, so plan your time ahead. Passport required: provide the valid passport's name, number, age and nationality. Scan your passports to enter directly. Note: download the reservation screenshot we send you 3 to 4 days before your tour.

Tiananmen Square plus Forbidden City ticket8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 14:00Self-guided tour. Security checks in the Tiananmen Square area can sometimes take 1 to 2 hours, so plan your time ahead. Passport details required: provide the valid names, numbers, ages and nationalities from the passports. Scan your passports to enter directly. Note: download the reservation screenshot we send you 3 to 4 days before your tour.

SQ+Forbidden City Tour07:40English-speaking tour guide. Meet at the Grand Hotel Beijing (贵宾楼饭店), address 35 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 中国北京市东城区东长安街35号. For foreign guests only: we recommend booking well in advance. During peak travel season, visitors may expect a wait of 1 to 2 hours. Pickup is included.

Tour of the Forbidden City only08:00 and 13:00Guide plus entry ticket: a tour guide who speaks English, plus a ticket. Orders placed within 7 days are only available to tourists holding foreign passports. Duration: tour lasts 3 to 4 hours. This tour does not require Tiananmen Square security screening. Meeting point: in front of the Kapok Hotel (东华门木棉花酒店), address No. 16 Donghuamen Road, Dongcheng District. Note: visitors from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are only accepted for bookings made 8 or more days in advance. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day17 departure times: the first at 05:00, the last at 19:00

AgesAdult (17 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Youth (3 to 16 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Lily's tour service

Is this one for you?Right for international travelers on a Beijing visit who want to skip the Chinese-language reservation system and daily queue at the Meridian Gate. Plan for a full morning or afternoon. The palace is vast, and moving through it at your own pace takes time, which is exactly what makes self-guided exploration worthwhile.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (3 to 16 years); Infant (under 3): free.

Do I need a guide to visit the Forbidden City?

No. Your ticket gives you self-guided access. A professional English-speaking guide is available as an upgrade if you want historical context and layout explanation.

How far in advance do I need to book?

At least 8 days ahead. The system accepts bookings up to 7 days in advance, and tickets sell out daily due to visitor capacity limits.

What do I bring to enter?

Your passport. Once you receive the ticket confirmation email, present it at the Meridian Gate entrance for security clearance.

Is Tiananmen Square included?

Yes, but it requires a separate real-name reservation. Our service handles both the Forbidden City ticket and the Tiananmen Square reservation.

Can I visit in the afternoon instead of morning?

Yes. You choose your entry time when booking: morning or afternoon slots are both available depending on daily capacity.

Is the site wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and specialized infant seats are available if needed.

What if I'm a Chinese citizen or from Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan?

You must book 7 days in advance through the official system. Bookings within 7 days of your visit date are not accepted for mainland Chinese and regional visitors.

When does the Forbidden City open?

At 8:30am. Entry times are staggered based on your timed ticket, so arrive within your assigned window.