Best Time to Go to The Forbidden City:

The best tourist season to travel is from late March to early June and from late August to late November. During these periods, choose someday not on the weekdays and holidays to avoid the crowds of people.

How to Get to The Forbidden City:

Visitors are highly recommended to use Beijing Transportation -- bus, subway and taxi. Please note that taxis are not allowed to stop either at the southern gate or northern gate.

By Bus: For the southern gate ( Wu men), take bus No.1, 10, 120, 126, 2, 20, 37, 4, 52, 59, 728, 802, or Te 1, to “Tian’an Men East” (Tian’an men dong). Or take bus No. 1, 10, 22, 37, 4, 5, 52, 728, 802, or Te1, to “Tian’an men West” (Tian’an men xi). For the nothern gate (Shenwu men), take bus No. 101, 103, 109, 111, 124, 810, 685, 814, 846, or Zhuan 1 (a suttle bus traveling between Qianmen and The Palace Museum).

By Subway ( to south gate ): Take Line 1 to Tian’an men East or “Tian’an men West” (Tian’an men xi). Parking: There is no parking outside the two entrance gates of the Palace Museum.

The following public parking lots are located in the vicinity of the Forbidden City: outside the East Prosperity Gate (Donghua men) or in the back street of Jingshan Park. Visitors are encouraged to visit the Museum via public transportation. The Transportation at the North Gate of Forbidden City is a bit chaos.

After their visit of Forbidden City and exit from its north gate, most of the visitors want to continue their day trips to other attractions or destinations in Beijing like Jinshan Park ( just opposite the north gate of Forbiden City), Wangfujing Street, Beijing Zoo, Summer Palace, Fragrance Hill, Temple of Heaven, Badaling Great Wall, Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing South Railway Station…, but some of them are totally bewildered by Jinshan Front Street in front of the north gate of Forbidden City, which is inaccessible and blocked by fences on both sides of the road. And visitors are at a loss on how to take a bus, taxi or subway since there are no buses, no taxis and no subway lines by the north gate of Forbidden City.

Tickets to enter The Forbidden City:

Entrance tickets are 60rmb in the summer and 40rmb in the winter. In July 2011, the ticket office at the north gate (Gate of Divine Might, Shenwu Men) was closed, and visitors can only enter through the south gate (Meridian Gate, Wumen) and leave from the Gate of Divine Might.

Tips:

1.Don’t ever take a Rickshaw at the north gate of Forbidden City unless you feel like getting lost and extorted. So if you visit Forbidden City by getting to a wrong gate (north gate), don’t use a local rickshaw to get back to the south gate, just walk to the right gate (south gate). For the same reason, if you exit from the north gate after visiting Forbidden City, don’t use a rickshaw for your next place.

2.Drinks inside are massively expensive. A small bottle of water in the first courtyard is about 7rmb (as opposed to the usual 2rmb), rising to 15rmb further inside. A not-very-good coffee or milkshake is nearer 35rmb. There used to be a Starbucks inside the Forbidden City, but it was closed by public demand.

3.There’s not that much shade (and what there is tends to be full of school groups) so dress cool and take sunscreen or a parasol. Sensible shoes are also worthwhile as you may be walking for 3-4 hours, and be prepared to marvel at the number of people wandering the cobbled courtyards in 4-inch heels.

Wonderful Beijing Tours including Visit to Forbidden City

Hotels surrounding Forbidden City