Forbidden City Guided Tour

Forbidden City Guided Tour

At the scheduled time, we'll begin this guided tour of the Forbidden City of Beijing. Then, we'll embark on a guided tour of one of the most spectacular palace complexes in China.

Accompanied by your guide, an expert in the history of Beijing and of the palace complex, you'll wander through the immense courtyards giving way to pagodas and pavilions where you'll be able to imagine the ceremonies held here by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties throughout history.

Following a brief introduction, we'll enter this fascinating site, which UNESCO considers the world's largest architectural ensemble of ancient wooden structures. First, we'll walk through the spacious courtyards that lead to the pavilions where the emperor's official ceremonies were held.

Within the walls of the Forbidden City, 24 different emperors ruled China for almost 500 years, and its importance in Chinese history is evident as you explore. Discover the incredible details of the ancient architecture and the philosophical and religious symbolism they represent, from the yellow roof tiles - the color of the emperor - to the imperial roof decorations, gilded lion temple guardians, and exquisitely carved dragons.

We'll also visit the Royal Treasury Museum, of great ornamental value, to marvel at the magnificent craftsmanship of ancient China.

Then, after between 3.5 and 4 hours immersed in the wonder of this great palace complex, we'll bring our guided tour to an end. But if you want to continue soaking up the site's history, feel free to stay within the city walls and continue your exploration!

Important Info

• We need a minimum of 10 people per group to run this tour. If we don't reach that number for your selected date, we'll offer you an alternative date.
• The number of tickets to the Forbidden City is very limited. Therefore, we recommend booking this tour well in advance.
• In case of booking more than one week in advance, keeping in mind Beijing's local time, the supplier will buy the tickets online. If you book less than one week in advance, you will have to queue up with the guide to purchase the tickets. In addition, you will not have skip-the-line access.
• On the day of the activity, you will have to fill in a short form to enter the Forbidden City. The guide will accompany you in the process.
• You must provide your passport details correctly during the booking process, as tickets to the Forbidden City will be issued based on the information you provide. If there are any errors, entry will be denied.