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Embark on this guided walking tour of Beijing's Forbidden City. 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 will have a private transfer service during the tour from hotel pick up to Hutong Lunch or dinner, and hotel drop off.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Private or small groups available
Highlighted reviews from other travelers
It was amazing. The tour guide Jimmy was excellent. We enjoyed listening to historical facts about the Emperors. We learned also something new. Thank you Jimmy !!! We do recommend this tour for everyone.
Mike was absolutely brilliant today! He gave us a lot of information about the places we were seeing. Going there and visiting on our own would have been a wrong decision. The places are beautiful and Mike made them come to life. 100% recommneded
Select participants and date
Itinerary
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)
Arrive back at:
Qianmen Residential District
Main stop
For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.
Highlights
- 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
Full description
Tour have few options including group tours and private guided tours.
Meeting point:
Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City Group Tour:
Duration : 4 Hours
Start time: 10:00AM
Meet in front of Beijing Urban Planning Center
Forbidden City and Coal Hill Park Tour (Without Tian'anmen Square)
Duration : 4 Hours
Start time: 8:00 AM and 13:00
Meet in front of Donghuamen
Private Tour to Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City
Start Time : Various
Meet in your Beijing downtown hotel's lobby.
Itinerary for Tours including Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City (Please note in peak season, enter Tian'anmen Square may have long lines)
After meet, 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.
When make booking you also can choose the option to including an authentic Chinese lunch in Hutong allays after the visit to the Forbidden City.
For 6 Hour Forbidden City Private Tour, you will explore two museums inside the Forbidden City: the Hall of Treasure and the Hall of Clocks, or choose to climb up to the Coal Hill Park, from this vantage point to enjoy a panoramic and unobstructed view of the Forbidden City.
Itinerary for Group Tour without Tian'anmen Square.
After explore the major buildings inside the Forbidden City, move on to the Coal Hill Park. Learn about the history of the park and find the spot where the last emperor in the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen hanged himself. Climb up to the summit of the park and enjoy panoramic views of Beijing's cityscape, including an unparalleled view of the Forbidden City.
Meeting point:
Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City Group Tour:
Duration : 4 Hours
Start time: 10:00AM
Meet in front of Beijing Urban Planning Center
Forbidden City and Coal Hill Park Tour (Without Tian'anmen Square)
Duration : 4 Hours
Start time: 8:00 AM and 13:00
Meet in front of Donghuamen
Private Tour to Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City
Start Time : Various
Meet in your Beijing downtown hotel's lobby.
Itinerary for Tours including Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City (Please note in peak season, enter Tian'anmen Square may have long lines)
After meet, 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.
When make booking you also can choose the option to including an authentic Chinese lunch in Hutong allays after the visit to the Forbidden City.
For 6 Hour Forbidden City Private Tour, you will explore two museums inside the Forbidden City: the Hall of Treasure and the Hall of Clocks, or choose to climb up to the Coal Hill Park, from this vantage point to enjoy a panoramic and unobstructed view of the Forbidden City.
Itinerary for Group Tour without Tian'anmen Square.
After explore the major buildings inside the Forbidden City, move on to the Coal Hill Park. Learn about the history of the park and find the spot where the last emperor in the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen hanged himself. Climb up to the summit of the park and enjoy panoramic views of Beijing's cityscape, including an unparalleled view of the Forbidden City.
Includes
- Guide
- Entry to the Forbidden City
- Entry to the Coal Hill Park and Museums inside the Forbidden City (if option selected)
- Hotel pickup (private option only)
- Transportation fee to Tian'anmen Square
- Hotel drop-off
- Tips
- Additional entry fees
Not suitable for
- Children under 5 years
- Wheelchair users
- People with altitude sickness
- People over 70 years
Meeting point
Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.
Important information
What to bring
- Passport
- Comfortable shoes
Not allowed
- Pets
- Weapons or sharp objects
- Oversize luggage
- Luggage or large bags
- Drones
- Pets (assistance dogs allowed)
- Selfie sticks
- Tripods
- Walking frames
- Sprays or Aerosols
- Feeding animals
- Scooter
- Firework
- Making fire
Know before you go
- 1: Your passport will be required during the tour. You may be refused entry to the Forbidden City without one
- 2: Tours will run rain or shine (unless the Forbidden City is closed by the officials for safety reasons)
- 3: Tour departs punctually. Please arrive 10 minutes early. Once the tour left, you are unable to join the tour, and this tour is not refundable.
- 4: 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
- 5: Tian'anmen Square might close without advance notice due to government activity, if this happens you will skip the Tian'anmen Square. Since the Square is free of charge, there is no refund if it is closed.
- 6: This tour is not recommended for travelers with physical/visual impairments or mobility restrictions due to varied terrain (underground passages, stairs) and the length of the tour. Please note that this tour covers 4 hours of walking.
