Forbidden City (Palace Museum) Beijing – 2025 Ticket Prices, Opening Hours & Essential Visitor Info

Plan your 2025 Beijing trip with live ticket prices, exact opening hours, and key facts about the Forbidden City—no fluff, just the details travelers search for.

Forbidden City (Palace Museum) – At-a-Glance Visitor Information 2025

1. Ticket Prices  

• 1 Apr – 31 Oct 2025: CNY 60 (April–October high season)  

• 1 Nov – 31 Mar 2026: CNY 40 (low season)  

• Children ≤ 1.2 m: Free (ID may be checked)  

• Seniors ≥ 60: Half-price on production of passport  

Tickets are date-specific and must be booked online at least one day in advance via the official site (https://gugong.ktmtech.cn) 

2. Opening Hours  

• 8:30 – 17:00 (last entry 16:00) 1 Apr – 31 Oct  

• 8:30 – 16:30 (last entry 15:30) 1 Nov – 31 Mar  

• Closed every Monday except public-holiday Mondays.

3. Location & Transport  

Address: 4 Jingshan Front Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100009, China  

Nearest subway: Line 1 – Tiananmen East (Exit A) or Line 8 – Jinyu Hutong (Exit B)  

Airport links: PEK (Capital) – Airport Express + Line 2 + Line 1 (≈ 60 min); PKX (Daxing) – Daxing Express + Line 4 + Line 1 (≈ 75 min).

4. Site Introduction 

The Forbidden City, built 1406-1420, is the world’s largest wooden palace complex and China’s imperial heart for 492 years. Inside its 720,000 m² red walls are 9,999 rooms, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and over 1.8 million artifacts covering Ming & Qing dynasties (1368-1912) . UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

5. Security & Bag Policy  

• Real-name entry with passport required.  

• No liquids > 500 ml; knives, lighters confiscated.  

• Left-luggage counter at Meridian Gate (South Gate) CNY 5-10 per bag.

6. Audio Guide & Wi-Fi  

• Audio guides in 40+ languages: CNY 40 (rental at Meridian Gate).  

• Free Wi-Fi: “PalaceMuseum-WiFi” (passport login).

7. Nearby Attractions within 1 km  

• Jingshan Park (10-min walk, CNY 2) – panoramic view of the palace  

• Beihai Park (15-min walk, CNY 10)  

• Wangfujing pedestrian street (20-min walk) – snacks & souvenirs.

8. Quick Contact  

Hotline (English): +86 10 8500 7421 (08:00-17:00 Beijing time)  

Official English site: https://www.dpm.org.cn/en

Last updated: 16 July 2025