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4-Hour Skip-the-Line Small Group Discovery Forbidden City Tour with Hotel Pickup

36 reviews

4-Hour Skip-the-Line Small Group Discovery Forbidden City Tour with Hotel Pickup

from USD $75.90

This ultimate Forbidden City tour will take you see 18 palaces including The Antiquarium of The Palace Museum (Treasures Museum). It will provide you a deeper understanding of what Forbidden City looks like and what the culture are behind it in 4 hours. The Forbidden City now is limited the ticket sold everyday. With this tour, no worries about the ticket, and skip the line!

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE: As members of ABTA and ATAS we are 100% financially bonded. You can book your day trip with us in absolute confidence, no matter where in the world you are.

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, we are currently not taking new bookings for day tours.

In Brief

Location:

Beijing, China

Country:

China

Duration:

4 hours

Operates:

Daily

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Forbidden City-The Palace Museum, No.4 Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100009 China

Start your day's exploration of the Forbidden City in the morning with pickup from the lobby of your Beijing hotel. Board a comfortable tour vehicle with your guide and group and head out for the Forbidden City, one of Beijing's top attractions. Upon arrival, bypass the long lines and whisk directly inside with your pre-booked entrance ticket. Begin your exploration of the world's largest imperial complex, also one of the best-preserved sites in the world. Also called the Palace Museum, this attraction boasts approximately 10,000 rooms in total, where 24 emperors lived for over a span of 500 years from the Ming to the Qing dynasty. Learn about the detailed, eclectic history of the site from your guide, an expert in Chinese culture, during your tour. Please see the Itinerary section for a full list of the 18 different palaces visited during the tour. Your tour ends in the Forbidden City; you are responsible for your own transportation back to your hotel. Please Note: all traveler names and passport number required required. You MUST provide your above info upon booking, in case the tickets are sold out. You MUST have your passport with you for attending this tour.

Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Meridian Gate (Wu Men), The Entrance Gates Of Gugong, Beijing 100006 China

visit

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Gate of Great Harmony (Taihe Men), Inside The Palace of Museum, Beijing China

Visiting

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian), Inside The Palace Museum, Beijing China

Visiting

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Palace of Heavenly Purity, Inside The Palace of Museum, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China

visit

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Gate of Heavenly Purity, Inside The Palace of Museum, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China

Visit

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Inside The Palace of Museum, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China

visit

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Hall of Union, Inside The Palace of Museum, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China

visit

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: The Antiquarium of The Palace Museum, Inside The Palace of Museum, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China

Visiting

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: The Nine Dragon Screen of The Palace Museum, Inside The Palace of Museum, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China

Visiting

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum, Inside The Palace of Museum, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China

Visiting

Duration: 30 minutes

Pass By: Gate of Divine Prowess, Inside The Palace of Museum, Dongcheng District Inside The Palace of Museum, Beijing 100006 China

pass by

Inclusions

Local taxes
Professional historian guide
Hotel pickup
Forbidden City entrance ticket
Entry/Admission - Forbidden City-The Palace Museum
Entry/Admission - Meridian Gate (Wu Men)
Entry/Admission - Gate of Great Harmony (Taihe Men)
Entry/Admission - Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian)
Entry/Admission - Palace of Heavenly Purity
Entry/Admission - Gate of Heavenly Purity
Entry/Admission - Palace of Earthly Tranquility
Entry/Admission - Hall of Union
Entry/Admission - The Antiquarium of The Palace Museum
Entry/Admission - The Nine Dragon Screen of The Palace Museum
Entry/Admission - The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum

Exclusions

Gratuities
Hotel drop-off
Food and drinks

Departure Point

Traveler pickup is offered

Additional Information

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Infant and children must be accompanied by adult
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
All traveler names and passport number required required. You MUST provide your above info upon booking, in case the ticket sold out. You MUST have your passport with you for attending this tour.
Wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 2 travelers

Booking Information

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Cancellation Terms

This trip is fully refundable up to 96 hours prior to the commencement of your trip.

Booking Terms and Conditions

When you book this trip, you need to read and accept the terms and conditions for booking our day trips in excursions.

Hotel Pickup

When you book, we will ask you to select a hotel to be picked up from. Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you a confirmation voucher with full contact information (phone number, email address) for our local operator in case you need to update or change your hotel pick-up details.

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about hotel pickup:

What if my hotel is not listed?
That's okay. When you book you can select an hotel from our list and make your way there on the day of departure; or you can contact our local operator directly to make alternate pick-up arrangements.

What if I have not yet booked a hotel?
Once your hotel arrangements are finalised, you can contact our local operator directly with your hotel details.

What if I live locally, am staying with friends or relatives, and/or don't require pick-up?
Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you complete details and directions to the tour/activity departure point.

Scoring an average traveller rating of 5 out of 5 based on the last 24 recent reviews

“

Very knowledgeable private tour guide with good command of English and wealth of knowkedge of Chinese history.”

Walter Y • Submitted 19 Nov 2018

“

We had the pleasure of undertaking this tour with a wonderful guide, Linda. There was only my wife and I on the tour and Linda made sure that she kept us away from the masses that enter this magnificent site. Lindas English is excellent and her knowledge of the history of the Forbidden City is first class. The pace that she went at is to be complemented. On the day we visited the F.C. the weather was very very humid. She made sure that we rested at the right time and she gave us plenty of time to stop to buy water and even to look around the gift shops that are dotted around the F.C. She didnt rush anything and she made sure we got the most out of the tour If you are visiting Beijing this tour is a must. Linda many thanks for such a memorable tour, it was a pleasure to be in your company for over five hours. You come highly recommended”

Susan M • Submitted 23 Jul 2018

“

Great experience that was brought to life by Lisa. We arrived in Beijing during rush hour in the morning and got to our hotel as our driver arrived to pick us up. Lisa and the rest of the tour waited a few minutes for us so we all got started at same time. I would not try to see the forbidden city alone, you will miss all the great history that only someone like Lisa is able to give and also have the perks of not having to worry about tickets or standing in long lines or any other tourist traps. Lisa made for an amazing time then gave us some local tips of where to go after the tour to fit our needs. Job well done.”

steffen s • Submitted 20 May 2018

“

LIsa, Lillys sister was great. She arrived on time to pick us up at the hotel and the tour was great!!!!! . We didnt make any line at the entrance and she was really knowledgeable and profesional on her tour . Good humor and good English ... loved the tour .”

Alexandra C • Submitted 02 Apr 2018

“

Lisa was absolutely amazing!! Very knowledgeable, personable, spoke great English and was easy to understand. She went at our pace and exceeded our expectations. I absolutely recommend taking this tour with Lisa!”

Rachael D • Submitted 12 Mar 2018

“

Lilly is a very good guide. Her English is easy to understand. Totally recommend.”

Pedro L • Submitted 03 Feb 2018

“

Our guide was most helpful and went the extra mile to insure that we had a wonderful experience. We had some mobility problems and he handled these difficulties in an exemplary fashion. This tour is very informative and interesting. We highly recommend it.”

Susan W • Submitted 21 Jan 2018

“

Excellent tour”

dessymed • Submitted 07 Jan 2018

“

I only had 2 free days on my first trip to Beijing. The Forbidden City was a must see, so a great tour guide was essential. A 5-Hour Skip the Line Ultimate Discovery sounded like just what I was looking for and it was. Our guide met me at my hotel and we two others for the ride to the gate. Lily wisked us past the lines and into the outer palace. Everywhere we went she explained the history and pointed out important details. Her knowledge of its 600 years of history was amazing. She took us places we would never have found on our own, showed us things we'd never have noticed, and shared secrets of the City and its residents we never would have imagined. This is the best way to see the Forbidden City. And I can't imagine anyone better to be our guide than Lily.”

John R • Submitted 11 Nov 2017

“

My girlfriend and I were the only ones to be part of the group tour, which can max out at 10. Our guide was friendly young Susan, who picked us up from hotel in the Shichahai neighborhood. We took a taxi from there to the south of Tiananmen Square and she paid for the fare. It was not surprising to hear from her that during her studies, there was no mention of the 1989 student rebellion at the Square. She only come to learn from being asked by the tourists. From there, we walked north and Susan was articulate about describing all the key buildings along the way. Since it was a small group and we typically walk fast, we ended up finishing the tour in about 4 hours, which was fine by us. We were there on Oct 25th, a clear but very windy and cold day. There were still tons of people rushing around the key structures for photo opps, but i was told this time of year, it was nothing compared to the summer months.”

Michael C • Submitted 04 Nov 2017

“

It was an amazing 5 hours tour in the Forbidden city. The Guide was very nice and she has an extensive knowledge about the Chinese culture. Higly recommended.”

Beatrix K • Submitted 16 Oct 2017

“

This was an amazing experience and one that will last a lifetime.Our guide Lisa was terrific and so knowledgeable making the trip so interesting for us.The size of our group4 was even better as she was able to give us so much more”

Pamela R • Submitted 13 Oct 2017

“

Amazing guide who was extremely knowledgable about Chinese history and in particular the Ming and Ching dynasties. A guided tour is really the only way to get into the amazing Forbidden City during China's 'Golden Week' as all 80,000 available daily tickets were sold out!”

Graeme M • Submitted 10 Oct 2017

“

This tour was fabulous! Lisa was our guide and she was a fountain of knowledge. She paced the day perfectly, was able to read us very well and kept the tour interesting and enjoyable. She was close when she needed to be close, and gave us time on our own when we needed it. So much to see - the hours flew by. I highly recommend this tour - you really do skip the line wow and enter from the side, which gives you the opportunity to see the area in a much calmer, quieter fashion.”

Peter B • Submitted 24 Sep 2017

“

Had a fantastic tour with our guide Lisa...who really knew the history of the Forbidden City, all the facts and figures, but she also brought it to life with stories and background colour. She took us to the best spots and some fantastic museums inside the grounds, and made navigating the Forbidden City which is a huge site seem easy. Would highly recommend this tour, and Lisa, who was the best guide we had on our trip.”

Margaret S • Submitted 13 Sep 2017

“

We toured the Forbidden City with Lily of Lilly Tours. She was a knowledgeable guide with a clear command of English - we've had other guides who were knowledgeable but whose English was hard to understand. Lilly sent a driver to pick us up at our hotel. We then joined up with another couple for the tour. Lily got us through the sizable entrance lines with dispatch and constantly spoke to us as we walked the rather large site. Lily constantly pointed out architectural features and gave of historical context. The tour was exactly what we wanted. When the tour was over, Lily explained to each of us what out options were for getting back to our hotels. She walked us to the correct bus and made sure we had the proper tickets and knew where to get off. I definitely would recommend her to anyone in need of guide services.”

Norman W • Submitted 26 Aug 2017

“

Susan was brilliant! We had loads of time to see and do everything we wanted. Susan ran completely on our time and was full of information - plus she spoke fantastic English. This tour was so much better then trying to do it by yourself, we learnt loads! Ask her about The Dragon Lady.”

George H • Submitted 14 Aug 2017

“

Lilly's driver picked us up at the hotel at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Her driver took us to the Forbidden City Gate to meet her. We were lucky enough that we had her all for our us since no other people joined us on this day. She spoke excellent English and offered a wealth of knowledge of the Forbidden City. We avoided the long lines and she kept us at very good pace covering the main sites and taking time to take pictures. We were also interested in taking a Rickshaw tour of the Hutongs and she arranged this for us by calling one of the Rickshaw tour companies. She got on the bus with us and took us to the site to meet our Rickshaw driver and guide. She also recommended a very good dumpling restaurant where the locals eat the best dumplings in the Hutong area. Lily was excellent and made our tour a memorable experience. If you are looking for a great tour of the Forbidden city with excellent value for your money and excellent guide, this is the tour and she is your guide.”

Mario F • Submitted 27 Jun 2017

“

Lily was a great guide- paced the tour well and gave us lots of interesting facts. Lily, car and driver picked us up from our hotel on time.Thank you for a wonderful experience.”

Louise C • Submitted 22 Jun 2017

“

Lily was a great tour guide! She was extremely knowledgeable and patient while we took all of our photos.”

Megan P • Submitted 10 Jun 2017

“

Lilly picked us up at the hotel at the time we request when we booked the tour. Met up with 5 other people and the excellent tour began. She spoke excellent english with a wealth of knowledge of the Forbidden City. All through the tour Lilly kept a very good pace for our group. If you are looking for a great tour of the Forbidden city with excellent value for your money this the tour to take. After the tour was finished she told the other 5 where to get a taxi. Then helped us by getting on the bus and showing us where the locals eat dumpling at Mr.Shi's and they were very tasty. The next day Lilly arranged for a all day8 hour tour of Beijing including a silk factory, Bei Park that has a very nice boat ride that the boat caption sang for the whole ride and stopped for us to take many pictures and then to a street market. We had a great time both days and highly recommend Lilly for tour in the Beijing area you will not reget going on her tours.”

John S • Submitted 29 May 2017

“

The Forbidden City is a huge property. While it was my third trip, our guide showed me some areas that I had not seen, while still hitting all the highlights important for my wife's first trip.”

Stan P • Submitted 16 May 2017

“

The half-day Excursion to a Jing's famous Square was beautiful. A young lady tour guide was very knowledgeable very friendly and a great joy to that. Thank you for an unforgettable experience in Beijing for my son and me during this half-day Adventure through Beijing.”

Herbert M • Submitted 15 May 2017

“

Lily is a very knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide. She gave us a great tour, including lots of colorful anecdotes. We were skeptical that she would really pick us up at our tiny guest house hidden in a remote hutong, but she did!! Showed up right at our door on time. Definitely book this tour”

Christopher S • Submitted 22 Apr 2017