Traveler Reviews

Beautiful place, but prepare for waiting an hour in the line. Great experience with Trip.com as well. The Forbidden City is hard to explain with words and cannot be captured well enough with photos — it definitely must be felt and experienced.

Visiting the Forbidden City was one of the highlights of our trip to China. From the moment you step through the massive gates, you feel the scale and history of this place. The architecture is incredibly well preserved, with rich colors, intricate details and perfectly aligned courtyards that seem to go on forever. I…

The Forbidden City was, without a doubt, my favorite place in Beijing! The palace is incredibly grand, and it is hard to believe how massive and beautiful it is until you see it in person. I had watched Story of Yanxi Palace three times before coming, so visiting the real palace felt like stepping into the drama — I ke…

The Forbidden City was the last historical landmark I visited in Beijing, and it was truly amazing. The place is incredibly huge — I spent about six hours exploring it. Walking through it felt like stepping back in time and experiencing centuries of Chinese history. I decided to visit wearing traditional Chinese clothi…

An incredible experience! The sheer scale and beauty of the Palace Museum are astonishing. Having a tour guide made all the difference — hearing the history, the stories of the emperors, and the architectural secrets brought the entire Forbidden City to life. Without a guide it is easy to get lost in the sheer size, bu…

Just need to go through a security check. Be smart and pick the lane(s) with less crowd — the rush can be huge at times. Take your time to enjoy the moment at every corner of the palace, don’t rush through just to get it done. The whole visit could take 3–5 hours depending on how much you appreciate the history. Bring…