How to book Forbidden City tickets with a passport
There is no same-day sale and no walk-up window: every visitor needs a real-name reservation booked online in advance. Adult admission is 60 yuan from 1 April to 31 October and 40 yuan from 1 November to 31 March, and the ticket is tied to the passport you show at the gate.
How to book, step by step
- Check the date. The Palace Museum is closed on Mondays, except statutory holidays. In peak season (1 April–31 October) it opens at 8:30 and closes at 17:00, with last entry at 16:00.
- Use the official channel. Foreign visitors register and book with a passport number at the English version of the museum's own site, intl.dpm.org.cn. The WeChat mini-program (故宫博物院) is the equivalent channel for holders of Chinese ID. No WeChat account is needed to book a passport ticket.
- Be online at 20:00 Beijing time, exactly seven days before your visit. Bookings open then, per the museum's ticket rules. The release is not one instant — tickets go out in batches over the following period, so a page that reads "sold out" at 20:05 is worth refreshing. Cancelled tickets are not returned to the pool.
- Add the galleries while you are there. The Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery are 10 yuan each and are booked at the same time.
- Book one ticket per passport per day. The name and number must match the document exactly.
- Bring the original passport used for the booking to the Meridian Gate, the south gate, and use the manual ticket-checking channel. Photocopies and phone photos are not accepted.
- Cancel properly if plans change. Free cancellation runs until 24:00 on the day before your visit. Refunds after that, or a no-show, count against you: three missed appointments in 180 days bars you from booking for 60 days.
The museum states it has not authorised any third-party institution or individual as a ticket agent, so a reseller's ticket is a risk you take on their behalf. English-language help is available on 400-950-1925, 08:00–20:00 Beijing time, daily.
What you pay
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, 1 Apr–31 Oct | 60 yuan |
| Adult, 1 Nov–31 Mar | 40 yuan |
| Ages 7–18 and full-time undergraduates | 20 yuan |
| Ages 60 and over | Half price |
| Children aged 6 and under | Free |
| Treasure Gallery or Clock Gallery | 10 yuan each |
Every discounted and free ticket still needs a real-name reservation — free entry does not mean walking in.
Capacity and timing
The daily quota is 40,000 visitors, and the museum raised it by about 25 percent during the summer 2024 peak and applies the same measure at other holiday peaks. Peak dates are gone quickly, so know your second-choice date before you sit down to book.
Entry opens at 8:30. Staying within walking distance of the Meridian Gate or Donghuamen removes a metro transfer and a queue before security.
Book hotels, flights & trains across China — all in one place
Rates across Dongcheng climb hard in April, May and October, so compare the main booking sites before you tie your hotel dates to a ticket slot.
Last checked: 2026-09-27
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