Overview
The Palace Museum (Forbidden City) sells no tickets on the day. Every visitor needs a real-name reservation made in advance, foreigners book with their passport number, and the museum limits daily visitors to 40,000. Tickets for each date go on sale at 8:00 p.m. Beijing time, seven days before the visit.
Missed the window? Book a guided visit with entry included
Licensed operators hold their own allocation of tickets. A guided visit is the realistic way in when the official release is gone — and you skip the queue.
Exact tour we link to:Forbidden City Guided Tour
This tour runs with at least 10 participants. Check the conditions on the booking page before you pay.
See guided visits & pricesBooking partner: Civitatis. Free cancellation on most tours.
Admission is CNY 60 from April to October and CNY 40 from November to March, and the museum is closed on Mondays except national holidays. Entry runs from 8:30 to 16:00 and the museum closes at 17:00. The official booking site says the museum has authorized no third party to sell tickets and asks individual visitors to book through its official WeChat mini-program; travel agencies have a separate channel on the same site. If the release for your date is gone, a guided tour that includes admission is the practical fallback.
At a glance
| Do you need a permit or reservation? | Real-name advance reservation |
|---|---|
| Cost | CN¥60 |
| How to get it | Book through the museum’s official “故宫博物院” (Palace Museum) WeChat mini-program, where the booking site ticket.dpm.org.cn sends individual visitors; sales for a date open at 8:00 p.m. seven days before. |
| When it opens | Hard to get · 20:00 CST · D−7 |
| All-inclusive alternative | Forbidden City Guided Tour |
| Official rules | intl.dpm.org.cn Online booking — ticket.dpm.org.cn (20:00, seven days ahead) New visiting guidelines — Beijing Municipal Government |
How the permit works
- 1Book through the museum’s official “故宫博物院” (Palace Museum) WeChat mini-program, where the booking site ticket.dpm.org.cn sends individual visitors; sales for a date open at 8:00 p.m. seven days before.
- 2Enter each visitor’s passport number — one real-name reservation per person.
- 3Add the Treasure Gallery or Clock Gallery if you want them; they are ticketed separately.
- 4On the day, enter through the Meridian Gate (south gate) with the same passport you booked with.
Required documents
- The original passport used for the booking (a photo or copy is not accepted)
- Booking confirmation
- Separate reservations for every person in the group
Insider tips
- Convert 8:00 p.m. Beijing time to your time zone and be online a few minutes early.
- Avoid Chinese Golden Week (early October) and the Spring Festival if you can — those are the peak release days.
- The visit is one-way, south to north: plan to exit at the Gate of Divine Prowess, near Jingshan Park.
Sold-out alternatives
If your dates are gone, these get you a comparable experience.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Forbidden City tickets on the day?
No. The Palace Museum does not sell tickets on the day of the visit; every visitor needs an advance real-name reservation.
When are Forbidden City tickets released?
Sales for each date start at 8:00 p.m. Beijing time, seven days before the visit, through the museum’s official WeChat mini-program.
Is there a daily limit?
Yes. The museum limits the number of visitors to 40,000 per day.
How much does the Forbidden City cost?
CNY 60 from 1 April to 31 October and CNY 40 from 1 November to 31 March. The Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery have separate tickets.
What do foreign visitors need?
A passport number to book, and the same original passport at the entrance. Each person needs their own reservation.
Is the Forbidden City open on Mondays?
Generally no. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, and on Mondays that fall on national holidays.