Forbidden City Tickets: How to Book Before They Sell Out

The Forbidden City is China's single most in-demand sight, and its tickets are famously hard to get. They release exactly 7 days in advance at 8pm Beijing time and routinely sell out within minutes.

How to book

• Book through the official Palace Museum website or a trusted platform.
• You'll need your passport number — tickets are tied to it.
• Set an alarm for the release time and be ready to act fast.

What to know

• The museum is closed on Mondays (except some holidays).
• Enter through the Meridian Gate (south); you exit at the north end.
• Allow at least half a day — the complex is enormous.

If it sells out

Don't despair. The surrounding area — Tiananmen, Jingshan Park and the National Museum — is worth a visit on its own, and Jingshan's hilltop offers the best overhead view of the Forbidden City in Beijing.