Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options
Traveler rating
4.9/5
Based on 532 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options worth booking?
Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options is a 3-hour experience in Beijing, China, from $35 per person. It scores 87 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Exceptional”, based on a 4.9/5 rating across 532 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 87 / 100
- Rating
- 4.9/5 (532)
- Duration
- 3 hours
- From
- $35 per person
This ultimate Forbidden City small group tour will take you to see 18 palaces. It will provide you a deeper understanding of what the Forbidden City looks like and the culture behind it in 4 hours. The Forbidden City now limits daily ticket sales. With this tour, no worries about tickets.
What you get
About this experience
This ultimate Forbidden City small group tour will take you to see 18 palaces. It will provide you a deeper understanding of what the Forbidden City looks like and the culture behind it in 4 hours. The Forbidden City now limits daily ticket sales. With this tour, no worries about tickets.
What's included
Included
- Forbidden City entrance ticket
- Hotel pickup(if you choose the hotel pickup option)
- Professional historian guide
- Local taxes
Not included
- Gratuities
- Hotel drop-off
- Food and drinks
What you'll see and do
Tiananmen Square
You can either join the tour at the designated meeting point or enjoy morning pickup from your Beijing hotel lobby. Take a comfortable tour vehicle with your guide to Tiananmen Square first. As the world’s largest urban public square, it sits right on Beijing’s central axis. The iconic Tiananmen Gate stands on its northern edge, directly facing the Forbidden City. Surrounding the square are landmark buildings: the Great Hall of the People to the west and the National Museum of China to the east. At the centre rises the Monument to the People’s Heroes. This symbolic site carries profound modern Chinese history, offering wonderful photo opportunities. Important reminder: Tiananmen Square sees massive visitor volumes during China’s summer vacation (July & August), May Day Holiday and National Day Holiday (1st–7th October. Please prepare yourself for lengthy waiting times in security queues. Note: Valid passport/ID is required to pass security checks for entry.
Pass by without stopping
The Palace Museum
Then you will walk to the Forbidden City, one of Beijing’s top landmarks. Also known as the Palace Museum, it houses roughly 10,000 rooms. For over 500 years, it served as the residence of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Your professional guide will share its profound history. The tour covers a total of 18 palaces; please refer to the itinerary for full details. Please be aware the tour finishes inside the Forbidden City. Return transfer back to your hotel is at your own arrangement.
120 minutes here · Admission included
Gate of Great Harmony (Taihe Men)
Passby
5 minutes here · Admission included
Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian)
Passby
5 minutes here · Admission included
Meridian Gate (Wu Men)
Passby
5 minutes here · Admission included
Gate of Heavenly Purity
Passby
5 minutes here · Admission included
Palace of Earthly Tranquility
Passby
5 minutes here · Admission included
Palace of Heavenly Purity
Passby
5 minutes here · Admission included
The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum
Passby
5 minutes here · Admission included
Gate of Divine Prowess
pass by
Pass by without stopping
Hall of Union
Passby
5 minutes here · Admission included
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Beijing
By taxi: 35 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District, Beijing 中国北京市东城区东长安街35号 By Metro: Line 1 / 8 → Wangfujing Station Exit: C (Southwest) Walk 3 minutes west.
Meeting point
Beijing
Address: No. 16 Donghuamen Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 木棉花酒店，北京东华门大街16号 You can take taxi to Kapok hotel or take subway Line 8 to Jinyuhutong station and go out from Exit C , and walk to the right side to Kapok hotel for around 8 minutes.
Hotel pickup
Pickup is available for selected locations. Pickup begins about 5 minutes before departure.
Ends at
The tour will be ended at the North Gate of the Forbidden City.
Options you can book
Tiananmen SQ + Forbidden City
Group tour : Group tour covers the Tiananmen Square + Forbidden City. Entry tickets are included. Meeting point: Grand Hotel Beijing (北京贵宾楼饭店） Address: No.35 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China By subway: Take Metro Line 1 or Line 8 to Wangfujing Station, exit via Exit A/B/C for easy access. Please arrive at least 5 mins early. Duration: 3 hours Note: Bookings from foreign tourists are accepted within 7 days. You need to queue up and collect tickets with real names on site.
Forbidden City Tour Only
Group Tour : This is a group tour covering only the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is not included. Meet at the meeting point: Meeting piont：Kapok hotel Add: No. 16 Donghuamen Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 木棉花酒店北京东华门大街16号 Duration: 3 hours Note: Bookings from foreign tourists are accepted within 7 days. You need to queue up and collect tickets with real names on site.
Private tour+Hotel pickup
Private tour option: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City. Hotel pickup, professional guide and entrance tickets are all included. Duration: 4 hours Pickup included
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 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Lily's Tour Company
Know before you go
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Passport name, number is required at time of booking for all participants, Please make sure to carry the same valid ID document throughout your trip, otherwise you may be denied entry to the scenic spots.
- Please note that Chinese nationals including visitors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan must book tickets 7 days in advance for the Forbidden City. We cannot accept any bookings made within 7 days of the visit date.
- Forbidden City tickets require real-name reservation 168 hours (7 days) in advance and often sell out quickly. We highly recommend you book your tour as early as possible. Otherwise, international visitors may need to queue at the entrance to purchase tickets on site.
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 531 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
8 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Knowledge and storytelling
6 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Organization
5 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Photo opportunities
2 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Pace and timing
2 mentionsSeveral reviewers comment on how the schedule is paced.
Traveler reviews
531 verified traveler reviews for Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
A wonderful experience!
A great experience with a truly expert guide. I highly recommend as the tour was able to help navigate seamlessly getting from hotel to the Palace museum (Forbidden City) and was a wealth of knowledge helping to understand the rich history. They also know the best picture spots!
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so pleased you enjoyed your seamless tour from your hotel to the Palace Museum with our expert guide. Our guide will be thrilled to know they helped you understand the rich history and showed you the best photo spots. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to Beijing soon! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
via Viator
Time Well Spent
The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are difficult to visit without a guide. Lily's Tour was immensely helpful. You get in easily, and then hear all the history behind the sights explained to you, in proficient and high-skilled English. I recommend it highly. It's also a shopping-free tour. None of your time is lost on a mandatory shopping side-trip.
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We fully agree that exploring the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square is much easier with a professional guide. We’re delighted our tour helped you skip hassle and enjoy vivid historical explanations in fluent English. It’s our pleasure to offer this shopping-free tour, so you can spend all your time focusing on the wonderful landmarks rather than mandatory shopping stops. Thank you for your strong recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to Beijing! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
via Tripadvisor
Informative and fun!
A great tour, very detailed and informative. Our guide was organized and able to help us navigate crowds. He even walked us to a restaurant after the tour so we could get lunch.
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed this informative tour and appreciated how our guide helped you navigate the crowds. It’s wonderful that he went the extra mile to walk you to a restaurant for lunch. We will pass your warm compliments to our guide. Looking forward to welcoming you back for another memorable trip in Beijing soon! Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
via Viator
Spent half of the tour in queues
The Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City tour is a Beijing must do. We opted for the 4 hour tour in order to get an in-depth experience. Our guide Edward was great and spoke good English, albeit spending less time on the phone and engaging with the customers when queuing would have been even greater. We had a 10 am departure from our hotel, which is probably the worst time of the day to start this tour. We spent an hour and 45 minutes queuing to get into Tiananmen Square, which was a major bummer. If you want to avoid this type of queue, leave early or skip the square (the square as such is not all that great to see unless you want to visit the museum or Mao’s mausoleum) entirely and do the Forbidden City with Jingshan park, the latter offering great views of the city as such.
Response from the operator: Dear Reviewer, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We truly appreciate your honest comments about the Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City experience. However, we would like to kindly point out that **we do not have any tour guide named Edward within our team**. This suggests this review may have been posted against the wrong product listing. Could you please help relocate this review to the correct tour link corresponding to your actual booking? This will help other travellers get accurate information, and also allow us to properly look into your experience. We value every guest’s opinion and hope to hear back from you. Best regards, Lily
via Tripadvisor
Very good experience
Bruce was very nice and competent. The tour was well organized and interesting. Would recommend. Thank you!
Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for your kind review! We are happy to hear Bruce was friendly and competent, delivering a well‑organized and interesting tour for you. We will pass your sincere thanks and compliments to Bruce. Thank you for your recommendation. Wish you pleasant travels and we hope to welcome you back to Beijing. Best regards, Lily's Beijing Tours Team
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 3 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
- $35 to $178
- Hotel pickup
- Available for selected locations
- Booked in 30 days
- 186
- Verdict
- Exceptional
Who runs this experience
Operated by Lily's Tour Company, who run 74 experiences we rank across 2 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 55.3 and 2 in the 90+ Club.
See everything Lily's Tour Company runsWhy this scores 87
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Beijing.
How much does Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options cost?
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Prices start at $35 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options take?
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Plan for about 3 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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 87 out of 100, which we label "Exceptional". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.9/5 across 532 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable most highly reviewed in Beijing, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options?
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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 Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 3-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options?
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Around 186 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 3-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options 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 Temple Heaven, Lama Temple, Summer Palace & Peking Duck Bus Tour, Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall Sightseeing Full-day Group Tours, Mubus: Mutianyu Great Wall Bus Tour with Summer Palace Options. 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.
What is included in Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options?
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Included: Forbidden City entrance ticket; Hotel pickup(if you choose the hotel pickup option); Professional historian guide; and Local taxes. Not included: Gratuities; Hotel drop-off; and Food and drinks. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered, or you can meet at the start point instead from 1895 listed pickup locations in and around Beijing. Be ready about 5 minutes before the start time.
What languages is Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options offered in?
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It runs in English. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
Is Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options wheelchair or stroller accessible?
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The operator notes: Wheelchair accessible; and All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options if the weather is bad?
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It generally runs rain or shine, so dress for the forecast in Beijing. Standard cancellation terms apply: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
What do travelers say about Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options?
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Across 532 reviews averaging 4.9 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, knowledge and storytelling, organization. Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works. One thing to know: Several reviewers comment on how the schedule is paced.
What booking options are available for Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City Tour with Private/Group Options?
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There are 3 options to choose from, including Tiananmen SQ + Forbidden City, Forbidden City Tour Only, Private tour+Hotel pickup. Prices and start times differ by option, so compare them on the booking screen.
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