Forbidden City In Depth Small Group Guided Tour with Tickets

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. 1. Donghua Gate – Moat Path – Meridian Gate Gather at Donghua Gate. Walk along the quiet outer moat (Tongzi river) path beside the Forbidden City ancient city wall to reach Meridian Gate. This riverside route avoids crowded main entrances and offers a panoramic view of the Forbidden City's grand outer wall scenery. Finish ticket checking and entry procedures at Meridian Gate.

   9 minAdmission included

2. 2. Forbidden City Furniture Gallery (Exclusive Stop) Enter the Forbidden City and first visit the Palace Furniture Gallery, a rarely visited hidden boutique spot missed by most regular tour routes. The gallery collects a large number of well-preserved royal hardwood furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including imperial beds, official desks, screen decorations and ceremonial furniture. It fully presents the exquisite craftsmanship, royal aesthetics and luxurious daily life of ancient Chinese imperial families.

   30 minAdmission included

3. 3. Three Main Halls (Outer Court) Pass through Taihe Gate and visit the three core landmark halls of the Forbidden City outer court: ● Taihe Hall (Hall of Supreme Harmony) ● Zhonghe Hall (Hall of Central Harmony) ● Baohe Hall (Hall of Preserving Harmony) Appreciate the highest-standard ancient imperial architecture, solemn ritual layout and centuries-old royal historical heritage.

   1 hAdmission included

4. 4. Treasure Gallery & Nine-Dragon Wall Exit from Jingyun Gate and head to the famous Palace Museum Treasure Gallery. Walk along the iconic Nine-Dragon Wall, one of China's most famous traditional glazed wall art masterpieces, enjoying precious royal jewels, gold wares and imperial collections.

   30 minAdmission included

5. The attractions continues from the Nine Dragon Wall 5. Qianlong Garden Continue to Qianlong Garden, a private imperial garden built for Emperor Qianlong's retirement. 6. Pavilion of Cheerful Melodies The largest ancient opera stage in the Forbidden City, built in the Qianlong period. It was the royal theatre for imperial festivals and grand performances, featuring exquisite ancient architectural design and elegant royal artistic style. 7. Hall of Joyful Longevity A noble imperial hall in the Ningshou Palace area, once the resting palace for retired emperors. It houses precious royal treasures, including the famous Giant Jade of Dayu Flood Control, showing supreme royal craftsmanship. 8. Imperial Concubine Zhen’s Well + East Corridor Path (YIN YANG Alley ) An ancient well with profound historical stories, located in the quiet backyard of the Forbidden City. It witnesses the old palace history and romantic imperial tales, a famous cultural spot full of historical charm.

   1.3 hAdmission included

6. Why choose ZANBUS Forbidden City （Palace Museum）Tour Most regular tours only visit the central axis, covering merely the Outer Court and Inner Court for quick sightseeing. Our in-depth journey is totally different. Apart from the Treasure Gallery and exclusive Palace Furniture Gallery, we specially explore Ningshou Palace, Yangxin Hall, Eastern Palaces and Zhenfei Well. We discover the hidden royal living areas with professional interpretation, bringing you a genuine, slow and all-round immersive Forbidden City experience.

   1 minAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 18 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Beijing

• Its from-price is 78% below the median of the 3624 experiences we list in Beijing.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 347 of 3624.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Beijing

Beijing, China's capital for centuries, holds imperial palaces, sacred temples and stretches of the Great Wall within reach of its modern boulevards.

At the city's heart, the Forbidden City spreads behind vermilion walls, a labyrinth of halls and courtyards that housed the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tiananmen Square lies to its south, and the hill of Jingshan Park to its north gives the finest view over its golden roofs. The Temple of Heaven, set in a park where locals practise tai chi and dance, is a masterpiece of imperial design.

Top-ranked sights in Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang).

See all 3624 experiences in Beijing