https://bookingticket.dpm.org.cn
WeChat Pay and the phone number verification required by “Palace Museum” WeChat Mini Program can be a major obstacle for overseas visitors. The Palace Museum is aware of this issue and provides two alternative options. One is to purchase tickets online, and the other is to buy tickets on-site.
The online booking website, bookingticket.dpm.org.cn, allows overseas visitors to purchase tickets using more familiar payment methods, such as credit cards and email verification. Even if you are visiting Palace Museum outside of Chinese public holidays and the summer vacation period, when ticket demand is lower, it is still highly recommended to purchase your tickets in advance.
The second option is to buy tickets on-site at the entrance of the Forbidden City.
If, for any reason, you are unable to purchase Forbidden City tickets in advance, it is strongly recommended that you arrive at the ticket office before 8:00 am to buy tickets on-site. The ticket office officially opens at 8:30 a.m. However, there is usually a long line even before opening time.
In fact, some visitors begin lining up at the ticket office as early as 7:40 a.m. On this particular day, ticket sales actually started at 8:06 a.m. If you are already inside the queueing area by then, you will most likely be able to get a ticket.
There are a total of eight ticket windows operating at the same time. By 8:20 a.m., the entire queueing area was already full of people.
Please take a look at this Google Map. When you arrive at the Forbidden City entrance, you will see this large tree in the square. That is where the ticket office is located.
On-site ticket purchases are mainly available for the following groups of visitors:
- Seniors aged 60 and above
- Teenagers between 14 and 18 years old
- Children aged 6 to 14 must be accompanied by an adult guardian who has already reserved a ticket. One adult may accompany up to three children under the age of 14.
- Overseas visitors, active-duty military personnel, and visitors with disabilities may also purchase tickets on-site. Please remember to bring your passport or other relevant identification documents.
Then, simply walk to the ticket checkpoint. If you are facing the entrance, choose the checkpoint on the right-hand side. That entrance is for individual visitors. Just like taking a train in China, there is no need to show a paper ticket. You only need to scan your passport at the gate and then walk straight through the checkpoint.
