Forbidden City Opening Hours, Tickets and Entrance Gates

Published 16 September 2026 · Last verified 16 September 2026 · 8 min read

Fact-checked by the AllTrips editorial team against official Palace Museum visitor information. Prices and access rules checked September 2026; confirm current notices before travelling.

The Forbidden City is not a place to leave until the end of a Beijing sightseeing day. The Palace Museum has a last-entry cutoff a full hour before its published closing time, and its visitor entrance is not wherever your map happens to place the palace label. Get those two details right before choosing a ticket or arranging transport.

The quick answer

• Enter from the south: Meridian Gate, also called Wu Men (午门), is the visitor entrance.
• Leave north or east: Shenwu Men (神武门) or Donghua Men (东华门) are exits.
• Book ahead: no same-day ticket sales; bring the original physical passport used for the reservation.
• Do not aim for last entry: 16:00 in April–October, 15:30 in November–March.
• Check Mondays: normally closed, with national-holiday exceptions and specific holiday notices.

Forbidden City opening hours and last entry

These are different deadlines: last entry is when admission stops, while closing is when the visit ends. A 17:00 closing time does not mean you can turn up at 16:45. Follow the admission period on your reservation as well as the museum’s overall schedule.

Your reservation may also specify a morning or afternoon admission period. The official booking system currently requires morning-session ticket holders to check in by 12:00, while afternoon-session ticket checking begins at 11:00. Follow the time shown on your final reservation because admission arrangements can be adjusted.

The museum normally closes on Mondays, except for certain statutory or national-holiday Mondays announced by the Palace Museum. The official visitor page also identifies Chinese New Year’s Eve as an exception and warns of temporary closures. Check the actual calendar rather than relying only on a weekday rule.

The Palace Museum currently limits daily attendance to 40,000 visitors. Tickets can therefore sell out even though the palace complex itself is extremely large, particularly around Chinese holidays and summer.

Why the closing time matters

The Palace Museum operates as a daytime museum and does not publish one definitive reason for its daily closing schedule. For visitors, the important distinction is between the final admission time and the time by which the museum closes.

The published winter day ends half an hour earlier than the summer day, and the schedule can feel surprisingly early when you are used to monuments with late openings. Claims about ghost stories, a particular nightly ritual or a specific conservation task causing the early closure should not be treated as visitor facts. Plan around the timetable, not an entertaining explanation from a reel.

Our planning advice: reserve a morning visit if you want time for the main palace spaces and an additional gallery. A last-entry arrival leaves only one hour before closure, not a relaxed afternoon.

Which Forbidden City gate should you use?

Go to Meridian Gate (Wu Men), on the south side. Do not navigate only to “Palace Museum”: a pin near the northern address can leave you at the exit. Save the entrance name in Chinese as well as English and check the approach before setting out.

Shenwu Men, the Gate of Divine Prowess, is the northern exit facing Jingshan. Donghua Men, the East Prosperity Gate, is another exit. Neither is a shortcut into the museum. Once inside, follow staff instructions and current signs; individual halls or passages may be closed.

Tiananmen is not the museum entrance

Tiananmen, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, lies south of Meridian Gate. Tiananmen Square, the gate area and the Palace Museum are distinct places with their own access arrangements. Do not assume a museum booking automatically settles every square-access requirement: check current official reservation rules and any applicable exemptions.

Security checkpoints and controlled approaches can add time. Allow a generous buffer before your booked admission period, and do not depend on an unofficial park shortcut or a taxi dropping you directly at the ticket checkpoint. Do not ask a driver simply for “the Forbidden City,” because vehicles cannot normally deliver visitors directly to the Meridian Gate checkpoint. Follow the approach instructions attached to your reservation and allow substantial time for pedestrian security checks.

Forbidden City tickets: official prices and booking

Tickets are released at 20:00 Beijing time, seven days before the visit. Use the official booking website or Palace Museum WeChat mini-program. The museum says it does not sell same-day tickets, so arriving at the gate hoping to buy one is not a sound backup plan.

Bookings are real-name reservations. International visitors should enter their passport details accurately and bring the original physical passport used for the reservation. Check current concession eligibility directly rather than assuming overseas student or age discounts. Some exhibitions need their own reservation.

If your plans change, cancel through the original booking channel before the applicable deadline. Repeated late cancellations or no-shows can temporarily restrict future bookings, so do not hold tickets you will not use.

Book through the official Palace Museum ticket website. For ticketing questions, the museum lists bookingticket@dpm.org.cn.

Would a guided visit be useful?

A guide can help explain the palace’s ceremonial spaces, but buying a tour is not permission to bypass admission rules. The Palace Museum does not authorise third parties to act as standalone ticket agents. Legitimate guided tours may still arrange admission using the traveller’s real passport details, but the booking must correspond to the visitor and should be independently confirmed before the visit. Use official channels for standalone admission, and scrutinise any commercial package before paying.

Planning a visit without racing the closing clock

Allow roughly three to four hours as a planning estimate for a first visit, longer if you want detailed gallery stops. This is not an admission entitlement or an official minimum. The museum’s own visitor page offers two-hour, half-day and one-day trails; choose one that fits your reservation and interests.

Prioritise the main ceremonial halls and the inner palace before adding paid galleries. Check which displays are open that day instead of promising yourself every room. The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks are optional additions, not inclusions in the basic admission price.

Accessibility, weather and what to carry

Expect extensive outdoor areas, hard paving and thresholds. Travellers with limited mobility should consult the museum’s accessibility and service map before choosing a route, rather than assuming every hall has the same access. Confirm assistance arrangements directly when needed.

Carry your passport, reservation details, water and weather-appropriate clothing. Summer courtyards can be exposed to sun; winter visits can feel cold despite clear skies. Check current luggage and prohibited-item rules before bringing bulky bags, and leave spare time for security checks.

After the northern exit

Jingshan Park is north of the museum and offers the classic overview of the palace roofs. It is a separate visit with its own admission and opening rules, and the viewpoint involves a climb. Treat it as an optional extra, not a reason to rush through the palace or a way back inside.

Planning another Beijing sightseeing day? Our Great Wall sections guide compares Mutianyu, Badaling, Jinshanling and the alternatives. Keep the palace and an outlying Great Wall section on separate days if you want an unhurried visit.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Arriving at the northern exit because a map pin uses the museum’s address.
• Reading “closes at 17:00” as permission to enter any time before then.
• Trying to buy a same-day ticket at the gate.
• Bringing a passport photo instead of the original booking document.
• Assuming a tour purchase guarantees a museum reservation or extra-gallery access.
• Planning Monday without checking the official holiday calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources and editorial checks

• Palace Museum: opening hours, prices, service map and visitor trails
• Palace Museum: booking instructions and ticket inspection rules
• Palace Museum: visitor guidelines and gates
• Official Palace Museum booking portal

Reviewed 16 September 2026. Temporary closures, exhibition access and security arrangements can change. Official notices and your reservation instructions take precedence; we update this guide when verified visitor rules change.