First of all, it is not just « recomended » to buy tickets in advance, it is MANDATORY: after 40 minutes wait under the sun they ask if we did send an email the day before… you can’t buy ticket unless you send email in advance with your date choice, name and passport number. Same for tiananmen square. Except this issue the place was magnificent. Be prepared, water, sunscreen and glasses because there is not much shade, but it worth it! The place is surreal!

The Forbidden City in Beijing is like something out of a kung fu movie! Huge red buildings, fancy roofs, and this looong courtyard that's like fit for an emperor. I felt like Jackie Chan could pop out any second. But here's the buzzkill – there are sooo many people pushing and shoving to see stuff, and you gotta stick to this path, no shortcuts for wanderers. Still, pretty epic to wander where emperors once did – just bring your zen patience and you're golden.

Depending on what type of travelers you are. If you are looking for take some photos, you need not to spend too much time in this location. Exteriors are pretty much the same. If you interested in the history, then you need more hours to learn and understand the past. For overseas visitors, do avoid holidays period.

The Forbidden City was beautiful and we felt goosebumps when we walked into the area. It's huge and full of history and mystery and can feel it as soon as you lay eyes on it. We were privileged and so grateful we made it here. Just superb and gorgeous 😍

Visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing is like taking a trip back in time. The vastness of the palace is simply overwhelming - it's like walking through a hallowed, palatial and historical wonderland. It's so vast, it can take days to explore all the buildings, gardens and courtyards.

A massive and beautiful place. 100% recommend. We arrived via metro (not on a guided tour). As foreigners you need to show your passports at many places. First as we got off the metro. Info for gaining tickets. Previously you needed to email Emailbookingticket@dpm.org.cn to reserve only tickets ensuring you include full name, Passport number,nationality, date of visit and number of tickets needed. They would then reply back via email to confirm reservation which you take to the ticket booth when you arrive to actually buy your entrance ticket for 40CNy. Now, from an email I have received states you can visit website to reserve a ticket/s. When you pay for your ticket at the booth your passport is your ticket so when you go through just show your passport . The place is massive. It took about 4 hours to walk around (quickly), although could certainly take a whole day. We were glad to purchase tickets at the separate entrance tickets for the treasurey (10cny) and clocks (10 cny). Both were worth it. Overall the place is a massive beautiful place and I thoroughly enjoyed spending 4 hours wandering through

Amazing architecture with a rich history, from the 九钉门 (how only the royal doors will have 9 rows and 9 columns of 'nails') to the different functions of the various 宫殿 (太和殿，中和殿，保和殿，三宫六院) containing a total of 8,707 rooms, covering 150,000 sqm out of the 720,000 sqm premises. We entered through the middle door at 午门, which usually is used only by the Emperor, even the Empress can only enter through here once (on their wedding day, which are not many because usually most are already married before the Prince becomes Emperor). The top 3 scholars (科举的状元, 榜眼，探花) are also exceptions that are allowed to enter through the main door, once in their life when they make it to top 3 of the imperial exams.  I enjoyed the place, it's breathtaking, despite the hazy weather, you can still the beauty of the architecture, the pure presence of the size (imagine how much they had to walk in the past and how they navigated this huge red-walled maze without Maps). The Emperor's throne was alttle underwhelming though, I had expected it to be bigger and more glamourous.  Ended the day exiting through 神武门 after 2 hrs of walking in it. 

Spectacular! I was on a solo business trip so I hired an English speaking guide who explained every aspect of the place so well. Unusually for China there are no street hawkers around every corner trying to rip you off. The buildings and their contents are so well preserved and presented that it’s obvious the Chinese revere their history. There is a quality gift shop where skilled calligraphers will paint your words onto wall scrolls and glass or porcelain items. I had my wife’s name inscribed onto the inside of a tiny perfume bottle. The is also a Chinese tea shop where you can sample teas free of charge, but beware, if you want to purchase teas they can be incredibly expensive. I was almost suckered into paying £300 for some Ginseng Oolong. I bought the smallest pack and still consider I was ripped off at £30!

An absolute stop when in Beijing. The whole place is massive. Post covid, they now restricted the number of people entering the palace. So do pre-book your tickets before hand before heading down. It seems very popular and highly recommended to plan in advance to avoid disappointment.

If you ever find yourself in Forbidden City without a tour, chances are you will only walk blindly and treat it as a photo spot. Take it from me: you will only appreciate the beauty of Forbidden City if you will know the stories behind it. So I highly recommend that you book a tour with Mubus. Our tour guide is Michael and he is 100% VERY INFORMATIVE. We were the only ones in the tour so it felt like a private tour! During the 4-hour tour with him, I acquired a lot of information about ancient Chinese dynasties and emperors. The tour was really interesting because there is really so much that you will learn. Michael is engaging, even holding recitations with us in the middle of the snow. He is really passionate when it comes to ancient Chinese culture. Ultimately, you will feel that Forbidden City is so much more than a tourist destination in Beijing.