Embark on this guided walking tour of Beijing's Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Discover the stories and people behind the Forbidden City's historic courtyards, palaces, pavilions, and gardens.
About this activity
- Free cancellation
- Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
- Reserve now & pay later
- Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
- Duration 4 - 6 hours
- Check availability to see starting times.
- Live tour guide
- English
- Pickup optional
- Your tour guide will meet you in the lobby of your Beijing Downtown hotel and will be holding your name sign on it. You can then either take a taxi or subway (at your own cost) together during the tour.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Private group
Experience
Starting/pickup location
Depends on the selected option
Tiananmen Square
Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing, Walk (1 hour)
Forbidden City
Guided tour, Sightseeing, Walk (3 hours)
Finish at:
Qianmen Residential District
For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.
- Let our tour guide bring you back to the Ming and Qing dynasties
- Listen to live English commentary along the way and ask your guide questions
- Enter Tian'anmen Square via travel agency passage which will save your time
- Choose a small group tour or private tour which includes hotel pickup
- Admire the architecture of the Forbidden city and visit the Imperial Garden
Meet in front of Beijing Urban Planning Center(or your Beijing downtown hotel's lobby if you choose the private tour), follow your tour guide to enter Tian'anmen Square from the travel agency passage which save you some time. Once get on the Tian'anmen Square, your tour guide will introduce the buildings around you, including the The Great Hall of the People, The National Museum of China, The Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, The Monument to the People's Heroes. Learn how the building was brought to life. Hear about the history events that took place here over time. Walk through the square and enter through the Tian'anmen gate, then enter the Forbidden City from the Meridian Gate. The Forbidden City is the largest and the best-preserved imperial palace complex in the world. You will visit the most important buildings along the middle axis of the palace, then visit two courtyards in the west chamber, be immersed in their history explained by your licensed and passionate guide. Lastly, you will visit the Imperial Garden and your tour will ends here, you can choose to explore more of the Forbidden City on your own, or your tour guide will advise where to catch a taxi to your next destination.
- Professional guide
- Entry to the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square
- Hotel pickup (private option only)
- Transportation fee to Tian'anmen Square
- Hotel drop-off
- Tips
- Additional entry fees
Select participants and date
Participants
Date
Please look for "Discover Beijing Tours" in front of Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall. You can reach here by taxi, here is the Chinese name for the museum, 请带我去北京城市规划馆前门东大街20号, you also can reach here by subway line 2 at Qianmen Station, exit E2, then walking 400 meters. Please note: do not reach the other part of the Tian'anmen square, everyone need a reservation to get on the Square, so if you take subway make sure get off at Qianmen Station, not the Tian'anmen East or West.
Open in Google Maps ⟶What to bring
- Passport
- Comfortable shoes
Not allowed
- Luggage or large bags
- Tripods
- Drones
Know before you go
- Your passport will be required during the tour. You may be refused entry to the Forbidden City without one
- Tours will run rain or shine (unless the Forbidden City is closed by the officials for safety reasons)
- There are mandatory security checks at all entry points to the sites. The wait time for the security check can be high during peak times/seasons and is separate from the ticket line
- Tian'anmen Square might close without advance notice due to government activity, if this happens you will walk around the Square