Panoramic Tour of Forbidden City

At the pre-agreed time, your private guide will greet you at the lobby of your own booked hotel, and then accompany you travel via public transport to Tiananmen Square, the heart of Beijing. Subway Line 1 is usually our top choice, as it offers not only the fastest access to Tiananmen Square but also a chance to glimpse local life. Experiencing the crowded morning rush hour gives you a vivid sense of such a populous country. However, your experienced guide will select the most suitable transport - which may be the subway or bus - based on your hotel's location and your personal preferences.

► Know Before You Go:
1. Tickets to the Forbidden City are released 7 days in advance and would be sold out easily within an hour, so please book this private Forbidden City tour at least 8 days before. Also, plan this trip not on Mondays as the Forbidden City is closed.
2. It is recommended that you carry only necessities like passport and bottled water into Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, which enables you to speed through the security checks. Drones, selfie sticks, and flammable items like sprays are prohibited.
3. It’s better to wear a pair of comfortable shoes as you have to walk a lot in the Forbidden City.

Upon arrival, let’s take a short walk on the large Tiananmen Square and admire those neatly distributed and harmoniously integrated iconic buildings standing here. With your guide, delve into how it transformed from a royal forbidden zone with numerous government offices and security forces over 600 years ago, to a dilapidated site overgrown with weeds and full of potholes after the collapse of China’s last feudal dynasty in 1911, and then to a modern, national venue that can accommodate 1 million people for grand gatherings today. 

Head north and we’ll reach the magnificent Tiananmen Tower, also known as the Gate of Heavenly Peace, a glorious symbol of Beijing and even the entire country. Composed of a red-walled platform and a golden-tiled tower, it will be the first typical traditional Chinese palatial building you witness today. Your guide will help you find a good camera position to leave your exclusive Beijing memory.

After passing through it, prepare to marvel at the Forbidden City, the world’s largest and best-preserved ancient wooden palace complex certified by UNESCO, where 24 emperors have successively lived for 491 years since 1420 AD. It is axially symmetrical, with some 70 or so splendid palaces and halls, within which there are a total of 9999 rooms! Now, let’s enter from the south Meridian Gate and commence an in-depth cultural immersion in this imperial palace.Upon entry, you’ll first be greeted by the five white marble bridges that arch over the Inner Golden Water River. This artificial waterway, although an artistic sight in itself, was dug not just for landscape design, but also for essential functions like fire prevention and flood control. Proceed forward to be amazed by the massive Outer Court, which is centered around the three major halls - Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Central Harmony, and Hall of Preserved Harmony. It was the place where the emperor held major ceremonies such as his birthday, enthronement, and wedding, as well as handled the formal state affairs. In the core Hall of Supreme Harmony, the largest and highest-grade structure in the Forbidden City, you’ll see the largest, most elaborate and luxurious golden dragon throne, the gilded dragon screen behind it, and the six golden phoebe dragon pillars on both sides, all exuding the overwhelming royal air.

► If time permits, we won’t let you miss the two side halls of the Outer Court, the Hall of Literary Glory, used for the emperor to study traditional culture, and the Hall of Martial Valor served as a publishing and printing house. Nowadays, you could see some exhibitions of ancient calligraphy, paintings, and ceramics there.What makes our in-depth tour unique is an access to special wing palaces and hidden gems that other travel agencies overlook. Follow your guide to turn west to check out the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, built for the empress dowager and other widows of previous emperor to live out their lives. But it is said that only one empress dowager once resided here, as the supernatural cases like the strange musical sounds played at night, the shadows of maids and eunuchs reflected on the walls, and the faces of the dead seen in the dry wells, occurred successively after her death and scared the later ones from approaching the palace. Today, it has become the Sculpture Gallery, offering you a feast for the eyes on various copper Buddha statues, portrait bricks, stone carvings, and pottery figurines. 

Further north, continue to explore the Inner Court, designed for the imperial families’ residence and for the emperors to deal with daily affairs, featuring the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union, and Palace of Earthly Tranquility in the middle. When visiting the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the residence of the emperors, your guide will reveal a surprising detail: the palace has 9 rooms across 2 floors, containing a total of 27 beds. No one would know exactly which bed the emperor would sleep on, so that his safety could be ensured. Next, let’s take a closer look at the Western Six Palaces and the Eastern Six Palaces on the two wings respectively, which were inhabited by all royal women, with the Palace of Gathered Elegance once being the home of Empress Dowager Cixi (1835 - 1908 AD), whom you are most likely to know. Then, the guide will show you around the scenic Imperial Garden, the back garden for the emperor and his concubines to relax and have fun. 

★ Special Treat: Visit Treasure Gallery & Gallery of Timepieces 

To ensure that your comprehensive exploration of the Forbidden City leaves no regrets, we have specially arranged visits to the two most renowned exhibition halls for you. In the Gallery of Timepieces, listen to various extremely exquisite artworks from ancient China and Europe, such as mechanical clocks and pocket watches, whispering to you the vicissitudes and changes of history. Then move to the Treasure Gallery, breathe in the noble air of royalty heartily while appreciating those collected precious cultural relics, including the golden-threaded phoenix crown, ivory and jade carvings, pearls and gemstones, as well as gold and silver vessels.

After a thorough visit that lasts significantly longer than others’ standard tours, let’s exit in the late afternoon via the northernmost Gate of Divine Prowess.

Continue with a short walk north to the Jingshan Park, the commanding height on the central axis of Beijing. Just as the sun sets, spend about 15 minutes climbing to the central viewing platform of the Wanchun Pavilion at the top of Jingshan Hill, and then taste the romance of oriental aesthetics vividly embodied by the Forbidden City. Before your eyes, the afterglow falls on the glazed tiles of thousands of orderly arranged palaces, making the whole look like a golden sea. The water of the moat, reflecting the orange sky, flows like molten gold. Take the chance to record the stunning panoramic view of the Forbidden City with a wide-angle lens and capture some of its architectural details with a telephoto lens.

Thus far, your panoramic private Forbidden City tour is over, and your guide will escort you back to your hotel by public transport. Hope you had a pleasant time with us!

► Lunch Suggestion:
Lunch today is not included. You can pack some simple eats yourself, such as bread, sandwiches, or hamburgers, to replenish your energy anytime during the trip. There are the Imperial Icehouse and the Palace Museum Restaurant available if you want to dine inside the Forbidden City, at both of which the average cost per person is CNY 70 – 100 (USD 10 - 14). But note that you’d better have meals at off-peak hours during the peak season to avoid long queues.

► Inspiration for Your Tour Extension:
If you prefer not to return to your hotel early, you can say farewell to your guide after the tour and explore other nearby attractions by yourself. Take a city walk in South Gong and Drum Lane, one of Beijing’s most typical Hutong areas checkerboarded by old alleys, witness the local life, and have some specialties like the Noodles with Soybean Paste for dinner. For a glamorous nightlife, go on a stroll along the Back Lake Bar Street, where you can enjoy the serene waterscape, the boisterous market scene, and the tasty martinis and live music. Simply ask your guide for transport suggestions before you part ways. Beijing also boasts other celebrated UNESCO marvels, such as the Mutianyu Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace, and if you’re interested, feel free to contact our travel consultant for a tailored Beijing trip to your preference.

► Prefer an independent travel to the Forbidden City? The following essentials are what you need:
● Ticket Price: 
Entrance fee: CNY 60 (Apr.1 - Oct.31); CNY 40 (Nov.1 - Mar.31)
Treasure Gallery inside: CNY 10
Gallery of Clocks inside: CNY 10
* Book e-tickets with passport names at 20:00 seven days in advance on its official website (English version available) or WeChat mini program (no English version). Remember to fill in your exact identity information beforehand to ensure a smoother ticket purchase.

● Opening Hours: 
Apr.1 - Oct.31: 8:30 - 17:00; Nov.1 - Mar.31: 8:30 - 16:30. Stop admission 1 hour before closing time.
* It is closed on every Monday except public holidays.

● How to get to the Forbidden City?
By Subway: Take metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East Station or Tiananmen West Station, get out from Exit B, walk through the Tiananmen Tower, and you’ll reach the Meridian Gate, the only entrance to the Forbidden City.
By city bus: Take bus 1, 2, 52, 82, or 120 to Tiananmen East stop, or Sightseeing Bus Line 1 or 2 to Tiananmen West stop, and then walk northward to the Meridian Gate.