Forbidden City Heritage Walk Tour

What to Expect
Small group (maximum 6 persons in a group)
Hotel pick up and drop off
Deeply explore Forbidden City with professional guide service
Less money, but better experience
Lunch included

Tour Details


Schedule: Daily except Monday and national holidays
In the morning, the guide picks you up from your hotel at about 08:00 am (pick-up time depends on the message or phone call by the guide the day before the tour day).

Then transfer to Forbidden City, which is the largest imperial Palace in the world. Forbidden City is the home for 24 emperors in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing(1644-1911) Dynasties. It was first built in 1406 and finished in 1420. In 1987, the Forbidden City was listed as World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO. The Forbidden City is also a treasure trove of movable cultural relics; it is the seat of the National Palace Museum.


Forbidden City

Upon arriving at Forbidden City, you will meet your Forbidden City presenter at the East Flower Gate. He or she will offer you a brief introduction.

Then stroll along the Forbidden City Moat and the red outer wall to reach the Meridian Gate, which is the main entrance of the Forbidden City in Beijing, is located in the north-south axis of the Forbidden City. It is famous as a place to penalize offending officials in the Qing Dynasty.


The Meridian Gate

Then move to visit the Hall of Literary Glory. It is the exhibition hall for porcelain at present. The presenter will introduce the procedure for making golden bricks, porcelains, pillars on an ipad. After that, keep walking forward to the Hall of Literary Profundity to view the Royal Library.


The Hall of Supreme Harmony

We will walk back to the Central Axis. You will find a large square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It is known as the Hall of Golden Chime, is one of the ‘three main palaces’ in Beijing Forbidden City, and it is China's existing largest wood structure palace. The guide’s presentation will answer your question, such as where is the throne of the emperors? How did the emperor have an audience with high-ranking officials? What is the significance of the sundial, bronze turtle statue, stork statue, ect.

Then visit the Hall of Complete Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony. They are respectively functioned as the place for the emperor to change costume before grand ceremonies and the venue for the annual imperial exam.


Tourists at The Hall of Supreme Harmony

Walk along the white marble balustrade and descend from the main palaces to the clock and treasure exhibition halls as well as Nine Dragon Screen.

Keep going into the 2nd yard, you will find the Studion of Unimpeded Sound, where the Emperor and Empress watched Peking Opera. The guide will brief you about Peking Opera by showing on ipad.


The Treasure Exhibition Hall

The next stop is the Palace of Prolonging Happiness to see the remins of the most ingenious building in the Forbidden City, which is the Crystal Palace. Then we are back to the Central Axis Way, where the Hall of Heavenly Purity and the Hall of Earthly Tranquility are waiting for us. The Hall of Heavenly Purity is used to be the audience hall for high ranking officials and the Hall of Earthly Tranquility is the venue for emperors’ wedding ceremony.

Walk along the side of the Western Chamber after leaving the Inner Palace Courtyard behind the Hall of Earthly Tranquility, we will arrive at the next stop--- the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where you can see the screen that was between the throne of “the little emperor” and his moth “the Dragon Lady”. This is the place where the renowned historical events known as “Power Behind the Screen” took place.


Forbidden City

After that, we move to the Palace of Eternal Spring, which was the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi, who was the most influential political figure in the late Qing Dynasty. The last stop of the Forbidden City trip is the Imperial Garden and the trip is finished by exiting by the North Gate of Forbidden City.

You will have a lunch at Alley Coffee at 13:30-14:30, which is near the Forbidden City. You will have chance to ask any questions about the Forbidden City, the history, even Beijing, whatever you are interested in during the lunch time.


Tiananmen Square

What after the lunch is to visit the Tiananmen Square at about 14:30-15:30, which is the largest urban square in the world. You will have free time to take pictures and walk around the square and listen to the background information of the square from your guide.

Move to Jingshan Park, located just next to the North Gate of Forbidden City. It is said the top of Mt. Jingshan is the best place to have a panoramic view of the Forbidden City. The view is really beautiful at the sunset time. Jingshan Park is just on the Central Axis of Beijing and has many historical buildings symmetrically on both sides.

After Jingshan Park, you will be transferred back to your hotel.


Panoramic view of Forbidden City from Jingshan Park

Service Ends