Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch
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September 2026
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Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
4.9/5
Based on 16 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch worth booking?
Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch is a 6-hour experience in Beijing, China, from $70 per person. It scores 68 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 4.9/5 rating across 16 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 68 / 100
- Rating
- 4.9/5 (16)
- Duration
- 6 hours
- From
- $70 per person
The Forbidden City is listed as the number one must-see in Beijing, which served as the residence of Chinese Ming and Qing emperors for almost 500 years. Go beyond the typical attractions within the City on this comprehe
What you get
About this experience
The Forbidden City is listed as the number one must-see in Beijing, which served as the residence of Chinese Ming and Qing emperors for almost 500 years. Go beyond the typical attractions within the City on this comprehensive 6-hour guided tour, which includes access to the Clock Room,Treasure House, living and working places of emperors. In this tour, you will actually get inside some of the buildings in the Forbidden City. Lunch will served in the former Imperial Icehouse inside Forbidden City.
What's included
Included
- Experienced and friendly English-speaking guide
- All tickets of the Forbidden City
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch with soft drinks/beer
What you'll see and do
The Palace Museum
Meet your guide at selected time and start to explore the largest Imperial Palace in the world thoroughly. During this tour, you will also have a very unique lunch experience at one of the Imperial Ice Houses of the Emperor. Those are some of the important places you will see:
300 minutes here · Admission included
Turret of The Palace Museum
Part of the defensive construction of the Forbidden city at each corner of the Wall. You will get inside one of them if the Wall is open.
Pass by without stopping
Meridian Gate (Wu Men)
South gate and main entrance to the Forbidden City. The emperor used to believe the Meridian Line went right through it.
Pass by without stopping
Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian)
The the most important building in the Forbidden City and the largest wooden structure in the world, where the Emperor used to work and hold important ceremonies.
Pass by without stopping
Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian)
Used for banquets and later for imperial examinations. The exam was under the supervision of the emperor, which tested candidates’ understanding of classical and Confucian literature. Then they were either assigned to the provinces or selected to work in the central government ministries.
Pass by without stopping
Inner Court
It was the place where the emperor used to handle daily affairs and the living quarter for the emperor, empress and imperial concubines.
Pass by without stopping
Palace of Heavenly Purity
The largest building in the Inner Court, the residence of the Emperor.
Pass by without stopping
The Antiquarium of The Palace Museum
Also known as Treasure Hall, it is actually made of several buildings which were built for the abdicated Emperor Qianlong. Now they are exhibition rooms with several theme halls and the largest imperial theatre in the Forbidden City.
30 minutes here · Admission included
The Nine Dragon Screen of The Palace Museum
Just nearby the entrance of Treasure Hall, it is one of the three Nine Dargon Screens in China, the other two are in Beihai Park and Datong respectively. The nine dragons engraved on the screen are different in color and posture. No matter where you start to count the nine dragons, from left or right, the first one and fifth one and ninth one would be a yellow color dragon which represents the supreme power of the emperor.
Pass by without stopping
The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum
Rectangular in shape, containing more than 20 different types of buildings, pavilions, terraces, towers and rockeries. Also, there are four pavilions in the garden, symbolizing the four seasons in a year.
Pass by without stopping
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Group size
- Up to 9 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Wikibeijing
Know before you go
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Passport name, number, is required at time of booking for all participants, for buying tickets in advance
- Please book this tour several days in advance
- We would try to get tickets in advance, if failed, we could also buy your tickets on spot
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 16 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
10 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Food and drink
8 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Knowledge and storytelling
5 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Photo opportunities
2 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Organization
2 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Small groups
2 mentionsThe group size is repeatedly described as intimate rather than packed.
Traveler reviews
16 verified traveler reviews for Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Lovely sightseeing tour
The Forbidden City is a must-see tourist attraction, and this tour allows you to get to know the place more properly, as it lasts longer than others. The lunch restaurant is very good and has varied options. The guide, Maria, was incredible. She took me to the best spots in the Forbidden City, away from the crowds, and told me many interesting facts and curiosities. Additionally, she gave me several interesting tips. She not only accompanied me but also had all the patience in the world to wait for me while I got my makeup done and prepared to take photos in Ming Dynasty clothing. At the end of the tour, she suggested I go to the Temple of Heaven, which is an incredible place and allowed me to spend less time in the outfit than if I had rented it at the entrance to the Forbidden City, since the clothing is a bit hot. Furthermore, she recommended a nice market for shopping and accompanied me to reliable silk and pearl shops with fair prices. I highly recommend this company and the guide, Maria.
Response from the operator: Great to know you have a wonderful time with us, thanks and good luck!
via Tripadvisor
In-depth tour of the Forbidden City
Very in-depth visit to many areas of the forbidden city. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and provided local insights to not only our tour of the Forbidden City, but the local area around our hotel. He showed us local stores we were interested in and a hot pot restaurant we went to for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed. A great tour and sharing of Chinese history.
Response from the operator: Thank you James for the valuable review on our service.
via Viator
Great tour !
An amazing experience! Our guide Selina was simply perfect, she came tu pick us at our hotel and we spent a lovely day discovering all the forbidden city! The chance to have lunch inside the forbidden city was a one in a lifetime opportunity, we had special noodles very tasty ! Our guide also helped us to reach temple of heaven and to buy tickets after our tour !
Response from the operator: Thank you for the valuable review and we will contiune to offer top-notch service to future customers.
via Viator
In-depth Forbidden City tour with Royal Icehouse Lunch
We booked this tour through the Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities web site because we didn’t realize that the ticket to the Forbidden City is at least a week or even 10 days in advance. Our initial booking wasn’t successful, however our tour guide, Bruce Li, was very helpful and kept trying to book our tickets a day before we left Beijing. Thanks to Bruce’s effort and numerous email communications we finally were able to visit the Forbidden City which is one of my spouse’s must-see places while we were in Beijing. Overall, we were satisfied with the arrangement of our tour. I understand that it is not possible to see all the attractions available inside the Forbidden City in a few hours, this tour however did provide a basic impression of this marvelous historical palace. Bruce explained quite detailed about all the attractions we had visited. Luckily it was a hot day during our visit; we basically walked through the Forbidden City in about 4 hours and that’s a lot of walking. Although this tour is a bit pricy however if someone has never been in China before and does not speak Chinese, a guided tour by a professional tour guide like Bruce is still worth it.
Response from the operator: Thank you for the review. Great to know you are satisfied with our service. We will continue to offer excellent service to each of our future customers.
via Tripadvisor
Super Informative with Excellent Guide!
We took the above tour with Angie today. As soon as we booked, communication was thorough, clear and easy to understand. Angie was prompt, and gave us a few tips before we left the Hotel, including to make sure we had appropriate clothing and our passports. Angie took us on the scenic route from our Hotel, to make sure we had seen a few of the city’s most important areas. Angie’s knowledge is extremely comprehensive and is not limited to the subject of the tour itself. Lunch on the tour was a little underwhelming for our Australian tastes, but it was nice to sit down and have a refresher all the same. Afterward, Angie went above and beyond, helping us arrange additional transport for our transfer to the Airport and has even offered to help us “Like an old friend” if we need her help in the future. We would definitely recommend her as a guide!! Thank you Angie!!
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 6 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Price range
- $70 to $344
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 6
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Why this scores 68
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Beijing.
How much does Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch cost?
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Prices start at $70 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Beijing usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch take?
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Plan for about 6 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Beijing is not rushed.
Is Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 68 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.9/5 across 16 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Beijing, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 6-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch?
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Around 6 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Beijing can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Beijing and add a light layer if any part of the 6-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Private In-depth Forbidden City Tour with Imperial Icehouse Lunch start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Beijing within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Beijing?
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On Outty we rank every Beijing experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Mubus: Mutianyu Great Wall Bus Tour with Summer Palace Options, Beijing: Top 6 Highlights All Inclusive 2-Day Private Tour, Private Mutianyu Great Wall Trip With English-Speaking Driver. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Beijing?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Beijing?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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