Tour Overview

This free tour itinerary allows you to explore the Forbidden City at your own pace, focusing on its core scenic spots and imperial culture, with no tight schedules. The ticket includes the main areas along the central axis, excluding the Treasure Gallery.

Start your tour from the Meridian Gate (the main entrance). Walk through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, then visit the Hall of Supreme Harmony—the largest and most magnificent hall in the Forbidden City, once used for imperial ceremonies. Next, stop at the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, where emperors handled daily affairs and held imperial examinations.

Continue along the central axis to the Inner Court, including the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union, and Palace of Earthly Tranquility—where emperors and empresses lived. Explore the elegant courtyards and corridors around, admiring the exquisite ancient architecture, stone carvings, and imperial gardens.

The tour ends at the Imperial Garden, a peaceful place with ancient trees and beautiful rockeries, before exiting through the Gate of Divine Prowess.

What's Included

Meeting Point