Forbidden City private tour: why your own guide pays off
A Forbidden City private tour solves problems that a walk-in visit leaves to you. Every visitor needs a real-name booking with a passport, one main ticket per document and day, and the slot cannot be moved after purchase. A morning booking must check in by 12:00, an afternoon booking cannot enter before 11:00. The palace is also closed on Mondays except public holidays, so a private guide helps you build the day around a fixed slot.
The route itself runs one way, from the Meridian Gate in the south to the Shenwumen or Donghuamen exits. A private guide can match the walk to your next stop: Jingshan Park lies just north of the exit, and Tiananmen Square sits in front of the entrance.
Prices below are starting prices per person from November 2026. The admission is 40 CNY from November to March and 60 CNY from April to October; the Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery cost 10 CNY each on top.
Private Forbidden City tours
A licensed guide for the palace alone, a longer route with Tiananmen Square, or a full day with the Great Wall.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Forbidden City and Mutianyu Great Wall in one day
English-speaking guide, transfers both ways, entry to both sites and water. Lunch comes with the private option; cable car and toboggan cost extra.
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Forbidden City with a licensed guide
A licensed English-speaking guide and the Palace Museum entry. Hotel pickup comes with the private option only.
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Forbidden City ticket, with or without a guide
Forbidden City ticket and Tiananmen Square reservation by option. A guide comes with the guided options.
Check availability →Private Forbidden City tours
A licensed guide for the palace alone, a longer route with Tiananmen Square, or a full day with the Great Wall.
Palace tour with a licensed guide
The most flexible choice is the Forbidden City tour with an English-speaking licensed guide. The listed length runs from 1 to 8 hours, from a quick walk down the central axis to a long day. The Palace Museum entry is included. With the private option the guide meets you at your hotel, while the other options meet at the Meridian Gate or the Laoshe Teahouse. Coal Hill Park and the inner museums come only with the matching option. The ride to Tiananmen, the way back to the hotel and tips are not included.
It suits first-time visitors who want the halls explained.
Half day with Tiananmen Square
Pick an option that lists a guide, because the ticket-only booking has none.
Full day with the Great Wall at Mutianyu
Eight to ten hours: an English-speaking guide, transfers in both directions, entry to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, and water. A private booking adds lunch. Cable car, chairlift and toboggan cost extra.
Small-group tours: when sharing is the better choice
For a longer day with the old lanes, the six-hour palace and hutong rickshaw tour starts at 93 USD per person, with an English-speaking guide, the palace ticket, the Royal Treasure Museum ticket and a rickshaw ride around Nanluoguxiang. See our Forbidden City tours comparison for more of these.
Private Forbidden City tours: practical questions
How long should I plan?
The palace tour lists 1 to 8 hours, the Tiananmen route 4 to 8 hours and the Great Wall day 8 to 10 hours.
Do I need my passport?
Yes. Entry is tied to a real-name booking and the original passport is carried on the day. Each document gets one main ticket per day.
Which day is the palace closed?
On Mondays, except public holidays. Tuesday to Sunday it opens at 08:30, and in the low season the last main entry is at 15:30.