The Forbidden City , also known as the Palace Museum or Gù Göng, is one of the places in Beijing that you cannot miss. Although it is located in the most touristy area of the capital of China, its bars and restaurants have very reasonable prices to be able to have a drink or eat without major headaches. It will be important that you go through one of them before starting a visit that will be very pleasant for your senses, as it will help you gain strength.
At 8:30 am the doors open and the visit can begin. Although you can go later, we recommend that you go very early because that way you can walk quietly. Avoid rush hour if possible and keep in mind that admission costs 60 yuan (about 6 euros at the current exchange rate).
When you are in the Forbidden City, you will be able to feel what was lived in the Chinese Empire during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Remember that it was built between 1402 and 1420 and today it has more than 980 buildings . Unfortunately, only 20% of these buildings are accessible, a percentage that increases over the years in favor of tourists.
It is possible to rent an audio guide to visit pavilions and palaces. This will cost you 40 yuan (4 euros). Of course, you will have to leave a deposit of 100 yuan (10 euros) until you return the device in the same conditions in which you received it.
Fortunately, the posters are not only written in Chinese, they are also in English . That will allow you to locate yourself relatively easily thanks to the maps . A previous virtual tour can also help you to know what is the most interesting thing to visit. Finally, remember that you can get to the Forbidden City by metro (line 1 towards Tiannanmen West or East) or bus (1, 4, 52 and 728).