Forbidden City Guided Group Tour with Entry Tickets|Multi‑Departs
Recommended by 98% of travelers
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Beijing, China
- 2 to 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the stories behind Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City during a small-group walking tour in Beijing. Explore all the key sites including the Imperial Garden, and discover fun facts about the Ming and Qing dynasties from your guide. Alternatively, explore Jingshan Park, where you can enjoy panoramic views of Beijing's cityscape, including an unparalleled view of the Forbidden City, instead of Tiananmen Square.
- Use a prebooked ticket to access the Forbidden City
- Hear stories relating to the Ming and Qing dynasties
- Visit the Meridian Gate, Imperial Garden, and more
- A small group means more attention from your guide
What's Included
- Group tour includes a professional guide
- Fobiddden city entrance fee
- If you choose the Tian'anmen Square option entry ticket is included
- If you choose the Coal Hill Park option then entry ticket is included
- If you choose 2 Hour Forbidden City Tour, you will only visit Forbidden City
- Hotel pick up and drop-off
- Gratuites
- If you choose option: Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City, you will not visit Coal Hill Park
- If you choose Forbidden City and Coal Hill Park option, you will not visit Tian'anmen Square
- Meals
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
- China, Bei Jing Shi, Xi Cheng Qu, 景山景山西街44号南门 邮政编码: 100006
Tour will end at the north gate of the Forbidden city
Itinerary
Make your own way to the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, Lao She Tea House, or Donghuamen to meet your guide and small group and head to the entrance of the Forbidden City.
Enter with your prebooked ticket in hand. Make your way to a quiet seating area, and learn about the palace and the Ming and Qing dynasties from your guide. Many say that a visit to the Forbidden City is more about the stories than the sightseeing, and your guide will tell all the tales to make your visit complete.
Check out the Meridian Gate, halls of harmony, heavenly purity, earthly tranquility, and unity; and the tree-lined pathways of the Imperial Garden as well as many other significant sights. Read the Itinerary for a full list of attractions that are seen on the tour.
Continue to Tiananmen Square, in the geographical heart of the city. Once of the world’s largest central squares, Tiananmen Square covers a vast amount of open space. Stand amid the history as your guide explains its past and points out its significant buildings.
Otherwise, head to Jinshan Park and walk up to the summit of Jinshan Hill and enjoy sweeping views over the Forbidden City and Beijing.
Enter with your prebooked ticket in hand. Make your way to a quiet seating area, and learn about the palace and the Ming and Qing dynasties from your guide. Many say that a visit to the Forbidden City is more about the stories than the sightseeing, and your guide will tell all the tales to make your visit complete.
Check out the Meridian Gate, halls of harmony, heavenly purity, earthly tranquility, and unity; and the tree-lined pathways of the Imperial Garden as well as many other significant sights. Read the Itinerary for a full list of attractions that are seen on the tour.
Continue to Tiananmen Square, in the geographical heart of the city. Once of the world’s largest central squares, Tiananmen Square covers a vast amount of open space. Stand amid the history as your guide explains its past and points out its significant buildings.
Otherwise, head to Jinshan Park and walk up to the summit of Jinshan Hill and enjoy sweeping views over the Forbidden City and Beijing.
Beijing (Pass By)
1
Tiananmen Square
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
The Palace Museum
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian)
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian)
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Palace of Heavenly Purity
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
6
Jingshan Park
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Your passport name and number are required at time of booking (for all participants)
- Please don't forget to bring your passport, you may be refused entry without it.
- 0-3 Years old infant is free, children have to purchase tickets as well
- Tian'anmen Square might close without advance notice due to government activity, if this happens you will skip the Square
- Tour departs punctually. Please arrive 10 minutes early. Once the tour left, you are unable to join the tour, and this tour is not refundable.
- Chinese citizens, including customers from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, need to reserve the tickets for the Palace Museum 7 days in advance. Once the tickets for the Palace Museum are sold out, it will be impossible to participate in this itinerary. In addition, according to the regulations of the Palace Museum, Chinese citizens can only choose to reserve tickets with their ID cards. Therefore, when making a reservation, it is necessary to submit the Chinese name and ID card number, and on the day of the tour, the submitted ID document must be presented to join the tour group.
- In case of peak travel seasons and when all the tickets reserved online for the scenic area are sold out, tourists are required to go to the ticket office of the scenic area by themselves under the guidance of the tour guide to handle the purchase of paper tickets on-site. Please be informed.
- Since this is a small - group itinerary, your punctual arrival at the meeting point is essential for a seamless travel experience. Tiananmen Square and the Palace Museum have strict regulations and procedures. If you are late, it may unfortunately prevent you from joining the tour and entering the Palace Museum. Due to the unique nature of the itinerary arrangements, in the event that lateness causes you to miss the tour, we regret that we will not be able to process a refund. We highly recommend that you communicate with your hotel in advance to accurately confirm the travel time from the hotel to the meeting point and make sufficient preparations. This way, you can embark on your journey with ease and enjoy every moment of it.
- In Peak season, the security checks at Tiananmen Square are particularly stringent. If the waiting time exceeds one hour, we recommend considering a bus ride that passes by the square. Given the sweltering heat, waiting in line for an extended period increases the risk of heat - related illnesses. Additionally, spending too much time at the square could detract from your experience at the iconic Forbidden City, which is a highlight of our tour. We will only proceed with this alternative if the majority of the group is in agreement. Please keep this in mind as we plan our visit.
- This tour is not recommended for travelers with physical/visual impairments or mobility restrictions due to varied terrain (underground passages, stairs) and the length of the tour. Please note that this tour covers 4 hours of walking.
- This tour is not recommended for travelers with physical/visual impairments or mobility restrictions due to varied terrain (underground passages, stairs) and the length of the tour. Please note that this tour covers 4 hours of walking.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 2,019 reviews
Acacia_B, May 2026
Our tour guide Mumu was friendly, engaging and funny. We had a great time! Would definitely recommend if you have time and want to learn the history of the forbidden city.
Natalia_C, May 2026
Great tour guide, amazing experience 🥳
The tour was quite tiring but awesome, definitely worth it 💕
Wojciech_B, May 2026
Learned a lot, Mike is a very good guide. We unfortunately were not able to enter Tianmen square due to long queues but it was outisde organizer's control.
Kazimierz_B, May 2026
So amazing! Very efficient tour. Mina was a great tour guide. We got through the lines quickly and learnt so much history!
Exsus_O, May 2026
Jimmy was amazing! Very knowledgeable about the Forbidden city and also got us through the queues really quick as well. Highly recommend 10/10.
Ivana_H, May 2026
Padma was our tourguide and she was absolutely amazing with a big smile! She knew her way around the Forbidden city and was super knowledgable about the history. She helped us through the security checks and kept making sure we were having a great time! At the end of the tour she gave us tips on what to see in Beijing. We enjoyed her tour and would deffinitely go again next time :)
Lisa_N, Apr 2026
We couldn’t get tickets to Tiananmen Square and the forbidden city. We couldn’t book tickets for the day ourselves and decided to do a tour instead. We were told that visiting these places could take the entire day and hours could be spent waiting in line but our guide, Li Yanmin, expertly guided us through the area while also telling us facts and history. One word to describe her was EFFICIENT. We didn’t realize just how big the area was and felt like we covered a good amount of ground in just 4 hours. We so appreciated her guidance and highly recommend this tour
April_T, Apr 2026
Mike was our tour guide and he was excellent. He was very informative, took care of the group, and allowed us to take breaks when necessary.
He had so many fun facts and lots of great information. Thanks Mike!
Darshika_S, Apr 2026
Vivian is very knowledgeable and made sure we all stayed together. She even offered to take pics for us. Taking away one star as I feel it was a lot of walking in 4 hours. Could have built in some rest time as we were all very tired and when given an option to sit for 10 mins or see some buildings most preferred to take a break.
Tatiana_C, Apr 2026
When in many reviews I read that it’s hectic to get to the FC during the weekend I was sceptical, as I was not willing to spend half of the day in the line. Our guide Andy got us in express line skipping everything. Very informative and interesting tour. One thing to remember to bring some snacks especially if you are taking a tour during the lunch time.
Julie_S, Apr 2026
A great tour of Tianamen Sq and Forbidden City. Our guide Vivian was brilliant - incredibly knowledgeable about the history and the buildings and delivered all the information in a precise yet entertaining manner. It was our last afternoon in Beijing so didn’t want a tour that lasted too long and this was perfect, in 3 hours we felt we had learned so much - although it would have been possible to stay longer if we had the time. Would highly recommend Vivian and this tour.
Alexander_S, Apr 2026
Our guide Vivian was great. She was very informative and able to answer all of our questions and helped us with group photos
Joseph_G, Apr 2026
Andy was a very good knowledgeable tour guide and had excellent English. He explained our day process well. Only reason for not getting 5 stars was because my wife thought he spent too much much time talking about the concubines.
Gokce_G, Apr 2026
Thank you Jimmy for the best experience in Beijing. He was kind, supportive and he took us very fast through the queues and we were inside faster than the crowd. He gave us good information and told the stories of the Forbidden City. I definitely recommend him for this experience.
Glaucia_N, Apr 2026
Very good tour with Anson. The Forbidden City is huge and we covered all the main spots. The guide was very knowledgeable and knew all the spots for great pictures
Nile_G, Mar 2026
Vivian was a great guide. She was attentive, made sure people in the group didn’t get lost, and was very knowledgeable and informative. Highly recommended.
raushan_s, Mar 2026
Went with group of 3 friends- a lot of walking if you don’t like exploring through the different temples , the guide text us the day before with with pick up locations, very easy and once got there very organised and informative throughout- guide was Anson( very good guide and 5 stars for him)
Charlotte_B, Mar 2026
Vivian was a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide. It was very impressive how she navigated through the whole forbidden city, stayed positive and did not rest herself even though we were all tired from the walking and heat. She made sure we got some rest and shade where possible. The only downside about this tour is that as the attractions are so popular, you may have to wait over an hour to get in to Tianenmen Square but this is still quicker than trying to get in by yourself as organised tours get a separate entrance). We would definitely recommend this tour.
Joemari_M, Mar 2026
Amazing day at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Huge thanks to Mina Li for the excellent guidance and care - made our trip extra special! 🙌
Martin_K, Mar 2026
We had a great experience with our tour guide David who showed us highlights of the forbidden city while staying away from the crowds.
Guillaume_L, Mar 2026
Enjoyed doing this with a guide, it’s helpful to be guided through gates and security for the square, and interesting in the forbidden city to hear more about each building and history in general. Our guide Moko was very attentive and knowledgeable, definitely recommend him!
Thomas_S, Mar 2026
Very good organization, profunde knowledge, nice experience- our guide was George. Access possible even tickets to forbidden city were sold out.
Graham_R, Mar 2026
I only had a half day in Beijing so i chose this activity.
WE STOOD TWO HOURS IN LINE TO GET INTO TIANAMEN SQUARE, and then we spent 7 minutes in the square. Our guide litterally ran, and thought it was funny.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Guest,Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We truly understand you only had half a day in Beijing and hoped for a smooth and efficient tour.
First, we would like to clarify that Tiananmen Square is not only a scenic spot but also an important political center, so strict security checks are required. As clearly stated in our tour introduction, waiting times for security vary greatly each day and can sometimes be as long as three hours — this is completely beyond our control. At the beginning of the tour, our guide gave everyone the choice to either wait in line or skip the square, and the majority of the group chose to enter the square, which led to the long waiting time.
In addition, our Forbidden City tickets were scheduled for morning entry, which strictly requires visitors to enter before 12:00 noon. Due to the unexpected delay at the square, we had to move quickly to enter the Forbidden City on time, as the entry time rules are set by the site and cannot be adjusted. Our guide’s quick pace was to ensure we could still visit the main attractions within the permitted time, not to rush unnecessarily.
We hope you can understand the official regulations and on-site situations that were beyond our control.
Thank you for your feedback!
Qing
Ali_T, Feb 2026
Maria was a great tour guide for how hectic it is to follow in a group throughout the forbidden city she did a great job keeping us together and checking in on us! Very knowledgeable about the whole area and checking in on us :)
Karena_R, Feb 2026
Do this tour! This tour was great and well organized. Our tour guide was Lucy and she was fantastic! She educated us about the forbidden city but also about Chinese history. She even gave great recommendations for foods. I highly recommend this tour, especially with Lucy! Her English is fantastic and she is lighthearted.
Lauren_D, Feb 2026
Mina was amazing! Knew absolutely everything! Superb! Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to see everything within 4 hours
Aniza_M, Jan 2026
Had a great time with our guide Jimmy. we were lucky that there were only 5 of us. Jimmy makes us feel comfortable in the cold weather and he’s passionate about give us the best experience. learned a lot about tiannamen & the forbidden city. highly recommended
Cooper_T, Jan 2026
Very good experience with a very knowledgeable tour guide, the forbidden city it a great place to visit
Reto_K, Jan 2026
Li Qingshan is a very good guide. He responds to your needs, gives you time, and makes suggestions during the trip
Jackson_T, Jan 2026
Good and expert guide (Maria), with value for money. The pace was very relax and probably due to off peak, the group size is small. Maria was very helpful through the tour and patiently helping us taking photos. Her spoken English was good and clear.
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