#2026 The latest Palace Museum tour guide (personal test practical version) As a royal palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and a world cultural heritage, the Forbidden City is a landmark that must clock in Beijing. Combined with the latest opening rules and measured experience in 2026, organize this nanny-level strategy to help you avoid the pit and play through the Forbidden City 👇 ##1. A must-see before the trip: Tickets & Open Rules (step on the pit and run directly for nothing) ###1. Ticket reservation (the most crucial!) - ** Reservation Channel **: The only official entrance is the "Palace Museum" WeChat Mini Program, no on-site ticket sales, no third-party robbery, scalper tickets are all scams - ** Ticket release time **: Tickets will be released on time at 20:00 7 days before the visit (for example, go on August 18, grab at 20:00 on August 11), and the tickets in peak season (summer vacation/weekend) are empty in seconds. It is recommended to fill in the ID information of all visitors in advance, and enter the page at 19:55 to squat - ** fare **: - High season (4.1-10) big ticket 60 yuan/person, low season (11.1- 3.31 the following year) 40 yuan/person - Treasure Hall and Watch Hall are 10 yuan/person each. It is strongly recommended to tick directly when booking large tickets. There is no separate ticket window on site. - Free admission for Chinese citizens under the age of 18, but reservations must be made in advance - ** Cancellation rules **: Refund before 20:00 on the day of visit will be recorded as 1 cancellation, 3 times in 180 days, no appointment can be made within 60 days, and if you can't go, you must return it in advance. - ** Special channel **: During 7.14-8 2026, research/institutional teams with minors accounting for more than 85% can send emails 1-6 days in advance to take the fast track, not applicable to ordinary family individual passengers ###2. Opening hours & closing days | Hours | Opening Hours | Closed | Closed | |------|----------|----------|--------| | Peak season (4.1-10) | 08:30-17:00 | 16:00 | Every Monday (except statutory holidays) | | Low season (11.1 - 3.31 the following year) | 08:30-16:30 | 15:30 | Every Monday (except statutory holidays) | ⚠️ Note: After 16:00, the gate gate is directly closed, and it is not possible to enter for 1 minute in the evening. It is recommended to set a 15:30 admission reminder; Treasure Hall, Clock Museum 16:10 stop entering the museum, don't card the last time to go. ###3. Transportation & Admission - Only entrance: ** Meridian Gate (South Gate) **, can only enter from here, the exit is Shenwu Gate (North Gate) or Donghua Gate, one-way tour cannot be reversed - Transportation advice: do not drive (it is extremely difficult to park around), take Metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East/West Station, and walk to Meridian Gate; if you want to avoid the security check of Tiananmen Square, you can walk from Donghua Gate along the Tuzi River to Meridian Gate, which is faster with fewer people - Required: ID card (brush card to enter the park), soft-soled sneakers (at least 20,000 steps throughout the process), drinking water (high prices in the park), sun hat/umbrella (sun exposure in peak season) - Prohibited: tripods, selfie sticks, lighters, flammable and explosive items ##2. 3 classic tour routes (selected by time) The Forbidden City is huge, don't walk around blindly, choose the route according to your time: ###1.2-3 hours Express Attendance Line (suitable for time constraints/special forces) ** Route **: Meridian Gate → Nei Jinshui Bridge → Taihe Gate → Taihe Hall → Zhonghe Hall → Baohe Hall → Qianqing Gate → Qianqing Palace → Jiaotai Hall → Kunning Palace → Imperial Garden → Shenwu Gate Exit ✅ highlights: walk through the core axis of the Forbidden City at one time, watch the core ceremonies, governance, and living palaces of the royal family, and clock in all "visit here" must arrive. ###2.5-6 hours essence staggered peak line (first time coming/preferred for the elderly and children) ** Route **: Meridian Gate → Wenhua Hall (Calligraphy and Painting Museum, visit first with few people) → Taihe Gate Square → Three Great Hall (Taihe/Zhonghe/Baohe) → Qianqing Gate facing east → Clock Museum (catch 11:00 mechanical demonstration) → Treasure Hall (including Jiulongbi, Ningshou Palace) → East Sixth Palace (Yanxi Palace, Jingren Palace) → Return to the central axis and back Three Palaces (Qianqing Palace/Jiaotai Palace/Kunning Palace) → Imperial Garden → Shenwu Gate Exit ✅ highlights: In the morning, first visit the east exhibition hall to avoid the flow of people in the three halls where tour groups gather, and watch the two ace special museums at one time. ###3.6-8 hours in-depth full view line (recommended by history/heritage enthusiasts) ** Route **: Meridian Gate → Wuying Hall (Ceramic Hall) → Taihe Gate, Three Great Hall → Qianqingmen East: Clock Hall, Treasure Hall, Nine Dragon Wall, East Six Palaces → Central Axis Back Three Palaces → Qianqingmen West: Nourishing Heart Hall, West Six Palaces (Chuxiu Palace, Yikun Palace) → West Side Cining Palace, Shoukang Palace, Cining Garden (Empress Dowager area, few people and quiet) → Imperial Garden → Ice Cellar Bookstore stamped → Shenwu Gate out ✅ highlights: East and West Six Palaces + Empress Dowager Palace fully covered, you can see the place where Zhen Huan and Cixi lived in the past, and you can also clock in the niche secret realm, suitable for tourists who want to deeply understand the history of the Qing Palace. ##3. Must-see highlights & hidden gameplay ###1. Two special museums (plus 20 yuan worth the ticket price) - ** Watch Hall (Fengxian Hall) **: There are more than 1,500 Chinese and foreign clocks in the collection. The treasure of the town hall is the British copper-plated writer clock, which can write eight Chinese characters of "Eight directions to change, the king of nine lands"; ** There are mechanical clock demonstrations at 11:00 and 14:00 every day **. The sense of the scene when the gears rotate and the dolls move is super shocking. It is recommended to take a seat 10 minutes in advance, and there are volunteers to explain for free. - ** Treasure Hall (Ningshou Palace area) **: More than 400 pieces of Qing Dynasty royal gold and silverware, jewelry, jewelry, gold bells, Diancui Phoenix Crown, and Jade Sendai are all national treasures. Don't forget the Nine Dragon Wall at the door. It is one of the three major nine dragon walls in China, and the carvings are extremely exquisite. ###2. The clock in niche - Yanxi Palace: The "unfinished building" Crystal Palace in the Forbidden City, with a strong contrast between Western-style architecture and red walls and yellow tiles - Cining Palace Garden: A place for Empress Dowager to worship Buddha and relax, with few people and quiet scenery, suitable for taking atmospheric photos - Broken Hong Bridge: There is a "crotch lion" on the bridge, with a cute shape, which is the little lion of the Forbidden City Internet celebrity - Wenyuan Pavilion: A rare black tile and green-edged building in the Forbidden City. Where the "Siku Quanshu" was hidden back then, the window view on the second floor took a picture of the side of the Hall of Supreme Harmony ###3. Camera position & outfit | Camera | Best Time | Shooting Tips | |------|----------|----------| | Hall of Supreme Harmony Square | Open the door at 8:30 and rush straight | Wide angle and low angle, you can take a picture of the empty square | | Dongguzi clip | 2-4 pm | Light and shadow are divided into "Yin and Yang Dao", the perfect match for shooting Hanfu | | Concord Gate Red Wall | After 3:00 pm | Side backlight + tree shadow, the first choice for people with a sense of atmosphere | | Corner Tower outside Shenwu Gate | 30 minutes before sunset | Shoot the reflection of the moat, full of movie feeling | | Jingshan Wanchun Pavilion | After leaving Shenwu Gate | Spend 2 yuan to reach the top, overlooking the panorama of the red wall and golden tiles of the entire Forbidden City, which is the best photo opportunity in the Forbidden City | 💡 wear advice: wear light/plain clothes more out of the film, do not wear red, and red wall contrast. ###4. Food & merchandise - Ice Cellar Restaurant: You can eat a simple meal, you must buy 10 yuan of vertebrate ice cream, and Ice Cellar Bookstore can affix the Forbidden City commemorative seal for free - Kunning East Courtyard: Wanchun Jinfu Afternoon Tea is very popular, you need to make an appointment in advance at the Forbidden City Mini Program at 11:30 - Corner Tower Coffee (outside the door of Shenwu): You can clock in after leaving the palace, thousands of miles of Jiangshan rolls, and the latte of Yangxin Hall has a high value - Recommended merchandise: Royal Cat Blind Box, Spine Beast Series, Ice Cellar Bookstore, Chuxiu Palace can buy, but also set 600 years of commemorative medals ##4. Pit avoidance guide 1. ❌ don't believe the door "fast track" "no appointment", it's all a scam, you can't get in without an appointment 2. ❌ do not need to rent 20 yuan electronic explainer, download the "Palace Museum" APP, free voice guide super detailed 3. ❌ don't wear high heels! The floor tiles of the Forbidden City are uneven, and your feet will be waste if you walk for a day. Be sure to wear comfortable sports shoes. 4. ❌ afternoon, don't just walk around the central axis, stop entering the museum at 16:10, visit the exhibition hall first and then walk the central axis 5. ❌ don't come here on Mondays, except for statutory holidays, the museum is definitely closed on Mondays The Forbidden City is not a tourist attraction. It is recommended to slow down and take a walk. The red walls and yellow tiles and cornice wind chimes hide a sense of 600 years of history. During peak season, you must squat 7 days in advance for tickets. I wish you all a happy time~