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4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City
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4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City

By Discover Beijing Tours
Recommended by 98% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
Get the most out of your Beijing vacation with this personalized private Beijing walking tour of the Forbidden City. Eliminate the need to study a map, and rely on your guide to take care of the navigating. Explore Tiananmen Square, and avoid waiting in ticket lines at the Forbidden City, as entrance fees are included. A perk of the tour is that the itinerary can be tailored to your preferences.
from
$74.00
per adult (price varies by group size)
from
$74.00
per adult (price varies by group size)
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-90
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Chinese, English, Spanish
Highlights
  • Avoid long ticket lines at the Forbidden City—entry is included
  • A private tour ensures having your guide’s undivided attention
  • Choose the start time of the tour to suit your schedule
  • Learn about Beijing’s history through guide commentary
  • Professional guide
  • Private tour
  • Hotel pickup only(but not including the transportation fee to Tian'anmen Square)
  • Entrance fee
  • Entry/Admission - Forbidden City-The Palace Museum
  • Entry/Admission - Hall of Union
  • Entry/Admission - Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian)
  • Entry/Admission - Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian)
  • Entry/Admission - The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum
What's not included
  • Transportation to the Forbidden City
  • Hotel drop-off
  • Gratuities
  • Additional entrance fee to the museums
Departure details
  • Traveler pickup is offered.
  • Your tour guide will pick you up from your Beijing city hotel - within the 4th ring road, if your hotel outside of the city, you can travel to Bejing Urban Planning Center to meet your tour guide
  • Hotel pickup is offered. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points.
Return details
  • Returns to original departure point
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 11301P27
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
  • Passport name, number is required at time of booking for all participants
  • The Forbidden City in winter closes at 4:30pm (1st of Nov - 31st of March), in summer at 5:00pm (1st of April -31st of Oct), please arrange your start time accordingly
  • Please Note: When making a booking, please provide the tour operator with your desired pick up time at "special requirement", your tour operator will also contact you just in case
  • The visit to Tiananmen Square is not guaranteed, it might be closed due to the government events.
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Which attractions will I visit with 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City?
During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City on Tripadvisor
How much is 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City?
4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City price starts from $74.00. Discover and book 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City on Tripadvisor
What is the 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City cancellation policy?
4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City on Tripadvisor
Which company provides 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City?
4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City is hosted by Discover Beijing Tours. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Discover Beijing Tours on Tripadvisor. Discover and book 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City on Tripadvisor
If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 11301P27
Itinerary
  • You'll get picked up
    See departure details
  • 1
    Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang)
    Stop: 30 minutes
    See details
    Pass by
    National Museum Of China
    Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
  • 2
    Forbidden City-The Palace Museum
    Stop: 2 hours - Admission included
    See details
    Pass by
    Meridian Gate (Wu Men)
  • 3
    Hall of Union
    Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • 4
    Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian)
    Stop: 10 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • 5
    Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian)
    Stop: 10 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • 6
    The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum
    Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • You'll return to the starting point
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About the operator

Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.

By: Discover Beijing Tours
1,327
neivamario
neivamario
00
Worth every penny
I absolutely recommend this tour. I had a last-minute trip to Beijing and booked the tour after reading the comment…
G282C
G282C
00
A full day of amazing sites and a great host
This was a great trip and Lucy was a fantastic guide. First of all, Lucy called the hotel the day prior to ensure w…
Sacurus
Sacurus
00
5/5 stars, highly recommended for an authentic and relaxing Great Wall and Summer Palace experience
I was in Beijing a day early ahead of a business trip and decided it was finally time to see the Great Wall after m…
lloraqueenie
lloraqueenie
00
Best day ever at The Great Wall!
We had an exceptional day trip at The Geat Wall and Summer Palace! The private tour was well organized! Our tour …
Virak S
Virak S
00
Anson is THE BEST guide
Autumn is the best time of year to be outside in Beijing so I decided to check out the Summer Palace and Temple of …
FellowTraveler777811
FellowTraveler777811
00
Beijing
Beijing is a beautiful city. Full of life and character. City was clean and people were friendly. Do not take pi…
Jet695113
Jet695113
00
Exceptional.
This tour was exceptional. Qing was very knowledgeable and funny. We enjoyed listening to her a lot, as she did not…
Sanchotrip
Sanchotrip
00
A nice city escape!
I live in Beijing. I booked this private tour to escape the city for a few hours and it was just what I expected. Q…
JuhaJarv
JuhaJarv
00
Nice trip
Very nicely organized trip to Great wall. Everything went smoothly with guide Jason and driver had nice quality VW.
pattycake_adventures
pattycake_adventures
00
Perfect day on the wall!
Wow! What an amazing day we had with Qing, who took us to the wall and the summer palace. She told us awesome stori…
Wildfire6924
Wildfire6924
00
Great Wall and Summer Palace Tour
Qing & her team were very easy to work with- Qing was our tour guide, translator, photographer, & provided transpor…
P650QKtonyh
P650QKtonyh
00
Amazing tour guide!
This was the very first tour I’ve been a part of. Our guide Qing was amazing! She talked about the history and gave…
bentz_dc
bentz_dc
00
Awesome Tour!!
Great location for foreigners to see The Great Wall and Summer Palace! Our guide, Qing, did a great job giving us t…
lim_benson
lim_benson
00
Good Tour with Linda!
Fluent in English (and Chinese of course) and energetic, it was great to have Linda as our day tour guide. She made…
dimarieee
dimarieee
00
The BEST Day !!!
This day is one I will never forget. We went on the fourth of July... the HOTTEST day. Lucy took us to a private …
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
176 reviews
Excellent
169
Very good
5
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
BuckeyeChef
New York City, NY239 contributions
Highlight of my trip to Beijing
Jan 2020 • Solo
My tour guide Lucy showed up at my hotel early and prepared. We embarked on a perfect day of serious walking and historic adventure.

You really need all four hours to visit the palace and it’s grounds. And Lucy really knows her history so you will learn a ton. I would highly recommend her.

Bring your walking shoes and if you are not fit, consider a different outing or ask for an abbreviated version but you will miss a lot. The details of dynastic history are crucial to understanding the palace and its layout.

I was starving after the first three hours somwe used the last hour to eat dumplings nearby. Was a perfect way to ring in the New Year in China. Note to self: don’t go to China during the New Year celebration because most things are closed. For a real Chinese party to to Chinatown in New York because it’s amazing!!!! The Chinese in China take a whole week off during this time and you don’t get the real pulse of the city. But I will be back!!!!
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mercedes R
1 contribution
Best idea
Dec 2022 • Solo
I booked this private tour with the excellent Lucy. It was amazing, she has a lot of knowledge, and she is not the typical guide rushing you. I had enough time to take pictures and to enjoy the visit. The experience was as good as I booked the tour to the Great Wall (Jinshaling) for the following day. This was the best idea; I was alone on the Great Wall. We could hike as far as we wanted, and at the same time, she told me lots of details about Chinese history. I am not going to forget this tour. I have travelled a lot around the world, and this was one of the best experiences in my life. So if you want to have a great time, definitely, you must book a tour with Lucy!!! Thanks!!!!
Written December 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Latoya J
Houston, TX, United States8 contributions
5 stars! Book as soon as possible!
May 2021 • Family
My daughter and I had the pleasure of having Qing as our tour guide. We had a great experience. Qing was very knowledgeable and added funny commentary to engage my 9 year old daughter, whom is not interested in History (yet)! We learned a lot about Chinese history and culture, with the added benefit of being allowed to take ample time to take a multitude of pictures. Qing has hosted this tour for many years, so she provided us with tips to take the most flattering shots in this historical venue. I would definitely recommend Qing when taking this tour. We will remember this experience forever.
Written May 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
taycolld
Ayr, UK37 contributions
Fantastic tour of the Forbidden City
We had a fantastic tour with Qing to the Forbidden City. She was excellent with her communication beforehand and advised us on all the documentation we need. And met us at the entrance and helped us through the various security checks.

From there we explored Tiannamen Square where Qing explained the stories behind all of the various buildings that surround the square as well as the monuments within the square. She happily took photos for us.

We then entered the Forbidden Palace where Qing made the process extremely easy and stress free for us. We walked for around 2 hours through the various courtyards. The site is absolutely spectacular and full of intrigue and history and you would expect, the scale of it is quite unbelievable really.

Overall we had an excellent 4 hours in and around the palace and Qing was brilliant throughout as a guide, full of knowledge and enthusiasm throughout. She also helped us found an excellent duck restaurant nearby! Overall we were all really happy with the tour!
Written April 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
noahkotler
4 contributions
Private tour of forbidden city
Jan 2020 • Friends
The forbidden city and tiananmen are a must-see when visiting Beijing. Jimmy was a great tour guide and pre-purchased the tickets to enter the forbidden city so we did not need to stand in line. He speaks perfect English too.
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Teresa
1 contribution
Best tour guide in Beijing!!
Dec 2019 • Friends
We had a great time on our tour with Jimmy. He knew every historical fact about Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City. We learned so much more than we would have if we had just gone by ourselves. His English was excellent and was just an all around great guy to spend the afternoon with!! He is a very interesting person himself and it was so interesting to hear about his life growing up in China. I would definitely recommend this tour and Jimmy for your guide. Thank you Jimmy!
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Shawn
4 contributions
Forbidden City Tour
Apr 2021
My wife & I had the opportunity to spend the day with Susan for a tour of the Forbidden City & the Temple of Heaven. Susan picked us up from our hotel, arranged tickets in advance for everything, & helped us navigate the day. We would have been lost without her! It was obvious that Susan was knowledgeable & really cared about our experience. We would absolutely recommend Susan & Discover Beijing Tours.
Written April 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
diana marie
New York21 contributions
JIMMY! The best!
Jul 2019
This tour was AMAZING. Although it was a rainy day, Jimmy brought sunshine. He was very knowledgable, purchased our tickets, and taught us SO much. He even protected us from other tourists trying to take our pictures. He was wonderful to spend the day with and it was a great day!
Written May 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jonathan
2 contributions
Walking Tour Forbidden City
Nov 2019 • Friends
Fascinating tour - we were met by Jimmy at our hotel and guided on a personal tour round T.Square and The Forbidden City. He was full of information and in clear English helped to tell the story from the first to the last emperor. We were taken on routes that were away from the big, rushing crowds and learnt so much more from having Jimmy explain it all. Strongly recommend you do this tour- pointless just rushing up through the middle of the City on your own - Jimmy explained why, when and how the story unfolded. Brilliant. Thanks.
Written November 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mike H
Kalamazoo, United States4 contributions
Amazing tour with Hellen
Oct 2019
10/23/19 - We had an incredible tour with Hellen! She was very engaging and extremely knowledgeable about the square and Forbidden City. Her knowledge was so impressive that we spent 4 hours with her, but we wanted to spend another 4. Her English was great and we got to cut all the long lines by being with her. I will ask for her specifically in the future.
Written October 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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2023 4-Hour Private Beijing Walking Tour of the Forbidden City