Forbidden City tickets for foreigners: the 2026 booking playbook

The Palace Museum is the hardest ticket in China to get. Tickets drop 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time and can vanish in minutes. Here is exactly how the system works — and your backup plan when it doesn’t.

The official channel — and its quirks

Tickets are sold through the Palace Museum’s official WeChat mini program (故宫博物院). There is no reliable English-language official site, no walk-up ticket window for same-day entry, and no third-party reseller with official allocation. Set an alarm for 19:58 Beijing time, seven days before your visit, with your passport details already copied and ready to paste.

Book with your passport — precisely

Foreign visitors book using passport details, and this is where most failures happen: the name must match your passport character-for-character, including middle names and order. A booking under “Mike Smith” will not match a passport reading “Michael John Smith”. Bring the same physical passport to the entrance — photos or copies are not accepted.

Closed on Mondays

The Palace Museum is normally closed on Mondays (except Chinese public holidays). If Beijing is your first stop and you land on a Sunday, don’t schedule the Forbidden City for day two — check the holiday calendar first.

1. Hunt for cancellations

Cancelled tickets trickle back into the system, most often in the evenings. Refresh the mini program between 20:00–23:00 Beijing time in the days before your visit.

2. Try afternoon slots and off-peak days

Morning slots go first. Afternoon entries and Tuesday–Thursday dates outside Chinese holidays are noticeably easier to get.

3. Let us watch the release for you — from $5

Send us your date and passport details. We monitor the 20:00 release, grab cancellations, and confirm your booking — so you don’t spend your vacation refreshing a mini program.

When are Forbidden City tickets released?

7 days in advance at 20:00 Beijing time, via the Palace Museum’s official WeChat mini program. Peak-season dates can sell out within minutes.

Can foreigners book with a passport?

Yes. The name must match the passport exactly, including middle names. You show the same passport at the entrance.

What if tickets are sold out?

Check for evening cancellations, try afternoon slots, or use a licensed local agency that monitors releases for you — WUDAI offers this from $5.

Is it closed on Mondays?

Yes, normally closed Mondays except Chinese public holidays.

Forbidden City + Great Wall on an 18-hour layover?

Tight but doable with a private car: morning Forbidden City slot (booked 7 days ahead), afternoon at Mutianyu. Keep 2.5+ hours of airport buffer.

Make a day of it in Beijing

Pair the Forbidden City with Jingshan Park, hutongs, or the Great Wall on a private day tour with an English-speaking guide.