Forbidden City Tickets: How Foreigners Book (2026)

Quick answer: Book on the Palace Museum's official site, bookingticket.dpm.org.cn, using your passport number. Tickets go on sale at 20:00 Beijing time, seven days before your visit date, and no same-day tickets are sold. Adult entry is ¥60 from April to October and ¥40 from November to March. The museum closes on Mondays except national holidays. Carry the same original passport to the Meridian Gate.

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The rules and prices below come from the Palace Museum visit information page (read on 5 November 2026), the Palace Museum official ticket booking portal, and the 故宫博物院 Visit page (Chinese) (both checked November 2026). For how other major Chinese sights handle passport reservations, see our attraction ticket booking guide.

The rules that matter

Travelers guides also report a limit of one main ticket per passport per visit day.

Price by season and discount rules

Prices are listed on the museum's English visit page (checked 5 November 2026). Use our CNY converter to check other currencies. The two special galleries inside the complex and special exhibitions are sold in the same booking flow as the main ticket, so decide on them before you book to keep your whole itinerary under one order.

Families and older travelers should note how the concession rules are written on the museum's Chinese policy page (checked November 2026):

• Children under 18: Free entry by reservation is stated for Chinese citizens (including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents) and foreigners holding Chinese permanent residence. The policy page does not list a free concession for other foreign children, so expect to buy a paid ticket for a foreign child who does not hold permanent residence.
• Visitors aged 60 and over: The Chinese policy page lists a ¥5 half-price rate for seniors aged 60+ on the Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks tickets. Whether the main entrance ticket carries the same senior discount for foreign visitors is not clear on that page, so budget for the standard adult fare.

Opening hours and hall closures

• 1 April to 31 October: Open 8:30 to 17:00, last main entry at 16:00. The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks stop admitting at 16:10.
• 1 November to 31 March: Open 8:30 to 16:30, last main entry at 15:30. The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks stop admitting at 15:40.

Gallery last-admission times sit only 10 minutes after the main gate's last entry. Because the complex stretches along a long north-south axis, entering near last entry leaves too little time to walk to the inner galleries before they close.

Individual courtyards and halls also close for maintenance while the rest of the palace remains open. According to the Chinese visit page (checked November 2026), Wuying Hall closed from 19 October 2026 for restoration, while Yanxi Palace was closed from 1 September to 31 October for a survey and reopened on 1 November. The museum may also close on irregular days, and rules can change, so check the official announcements for your travel date.

How to book and use your passport at the gate

1. Count back seven days from your visit date. For Thursday 12 November 2026, the booking window opens on Thursday 5 November at 20:00 Beijing time. Convert that release hour to your home time zone and set an alarm, as peak dates around weekends, summer school breaks, and national holidays fill up quickly once the window opens.
2. Sign in a few minutes early. Open bookingticket.dpm.org.cn (which signs users in via an email verification code) or use the Palace Museum WeChat mini-program before 20:00 so you are not waiting on an email code while tickets sell out. Beware of lookalike websites, and never pay anyone who claims they can jump the queue.
3. Select foreign passport as the ID type. Enter each traveler's full name and passport number. Every person in a group must be included, and a typo can stop entry at the turnstile, so double-check every character before paying.
4. Add the galleries or exhibitions if wanted, then pay. The official booking page lists Credit Card, WeChat/Alipay, "Pay with your international bank card", and "Apply for on-site payment". Our guides on Alipay and WeChat cover setup for foreign cards. Save the confirmation screen and any QR code shown.
5. Bring your physical passport to the gate. Your reservation lives on the passport number you typed, not on a paper ticket, and a phone photo or photocopy will not work. If you renew your passport after booking or lose it in China, the new number will not match; see our lost passport guide and contact the museum to ask how to handle an existing booking.

Cancellation, refund, and no-show rules

Before you change plans or try booking a backup date, check the museum's cancellation thresholds on bookingticket.dpm.org.cn (checked November 2026):

• Before the day of your visit: You can request a refund through your original payment channel until 24:00 the day before your visit date.
• On the day of your visit: Cancelling on the visit day before 20:00 is possible, but it counts as one cancellation.
• Limits and 60-day blocks: Each person is limited to no more than one cancellation per day and no more than three counted cancellations within 180 days. After a third cancellation, your passport is blocked from booking tickets for 60 days.
• Refund timing: Approved refunds are returned within 5 working days.

What to do if tickets are sold out

If your first-choice day shows no availability, work through these options in order:

1. Try at 20:00 sharp for the next day of your trip. If you have several days in Beijing, aim for a midweek slot (Tuesday to Thursday), which is easier than a weekend.
2. Check the official site again before midnight. Visitors can cancel penalty-free until the night-before cutoff, though it is not clear whether cancelled tickets return to the booking pool.
3. Ignore street touts and social-media resellers. A ticket booked under someone else's identity is useless at the gate.
4. Understand the trade-offs of third-party tour operators. On bookingticket.dpm.org.cn (checked November 2026), the museum states that it does not authorize any third-party agent for ticket business. Third-party platforms such as Trip.com or Klook, as well as travel agencies, may sell guided tour bundles or booking assistance that add a service fee on top of the face value. We cannot verify in advance that an operator will secure tickets on a sold-out date. If you use a licensed operator or prefer a third-party platform over booking directly, compare options on Klook and check three details before paying: your exact passport name and number are collected for the order, the date matches your schedule, and the listing explicitly states that the Palace Museum admission ticket is included.
5. Pivot to nearby sights that do not require a Palace Museum ticket. Jingshan Park, directly opposite the palace's north exit, looks out over the Forbidden City roofs. Tiananmen Square to the south uses a separate reservation system at yuyue.tamgw.beijing.gov.cn. For a day with no ticket deadlines at all, follow our Beijing hutong walk.

Visiting tips and routing

• Go early and walk south to north. Security checks and entrance queues can be slow on busy dates. Most visitors enter in the south, walk northward through the central courts and gardens, and exit at the north gate toward Jingshan Park or Beihai. Because the complex is vast and mostly outdoors, wear comfortable shoes and start in the morning.
• Pick a route length before you enter. A brisk walk down the main axis takes about two hours, while a thorough visit including side palaces and the two galleries takes three to four hours or more. The museum's visitor page lists suggested routes for two hours, half a day, and a full day, and audio guides are available on site. Choosing a route early prevents you from spending two hours in the southern courtyards and running out of time before reaching the Imperial Garden in the north.
• Weigh winter against summer. November to March is quieter than the April-to-October peak season, costs ¥20 less on the main ticket, and often offers clear days, though you will face cold wind in the open courtyards.
• Take the subway. Metro Line 1 stops at Tiananmen East and Tiananmen West, putting you within walking distance of the southern approach. Our Beijing subway guide explains how foreign travelers pay for rides.
• Bring water and plan meals outside. Lunch options inside the walls are limited, so most visitors eat after exiting the north gate. Rules on what items you can carry through security can change, so check the museum's notices before you go.

FAQ

How do foreigners buy Forbidden City tickets?

Book online on the Palace Museum's official site, bookingticket.dpm.org.cn, using your passport number and an email verification code, or via the museum's WeChat mini-program. The site accepts international bank cards as well as WeChat and Alipay. No same-day tickets are sold, and your reservation is tied to the physical passport you entered.

How many days ahead do Forbidden City tickets release?

Tickets for the main entrance, galleries, and exhibitions go on sale at 20:00 Beijing time, seven days before the visit date. For a visit on the 12th, sales open on the 5th at 20:00. Dates around weekends and holidays sell out fastest.

How much are Forbidden City tickets?

Main adult entry is ¥60 from 1 April to 31 October and ¥40 from 1 November to 31 March. The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks cost an additional ¥10 each.

Which day is the Forbidden City closed?

The museum closes every Monday, except during national holidays when it stays open. Individual halls may close for restoration and the museum may also close on other days, so check the official website before you go.

Can I buy Forbidden City tickets at the gate?

No. The Palace Museum states on its booking portal that no same-day tickets are sold and all visitors require advance real-name reservations. Book online up to seven days ahead and carry the original passport you used for the reservation to the Meridian Gate.