Short answer
Book on the official international site intl.dpm.org.cn using your passport details, around 7 days ahead — the Palace Museum sells out fastest of any sight in China. Your passport is the ticket: show it at security. If it is sold out, foreigners can buy at the on-site ticket office with a passport, subject to availability.
Book on the official site
Use intl.dpm.org.cn and skip the WeChat mini-app queue. Official domains end with dpm.org.cn — anything else, including forbiddencity-ticket.com and lookalikes, is a reseller charging a markup.
- Slots open roughly 7 days ahead
- 60 CNY in peak season, 40 CNY off-season
- Real-name: enter the passport you will carry
- Closed Mondays outside public holidays
Entry is the passport
There is no paper ticket to collect. Show the passport at security. Arrive about 30 minutes early for the 9–11 AM peak.
When it shows sold out
- Foreigners can buy at the on-site ticket office with a passport, subject to availability
- Check for late releases the evening before
- Avoid third-party resellers — many cannot ticket foreign passports at all
Related guides
More questions answered
Where these matter
Official sources
Policies and booking channels change — check the official channel before you rely on it.