1-Day Beijing Walking: The Forbidden City and Jingshan Hill

This is the Forbidden City walked properly, in one direction, from the Meridian Gate to the Gate of Divine Prowess, with the courtyards in the order the emperors used them. The palace was built between 1406 and 1420 and served 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing over nearly five centuries; about 980 buildings survive across 72 hectares, and the axis from the Hall of Supreme Harmony to the imperial garden is roughly two kilometres on its own. The guide keeps to a route that avoids the worst of the tour-group traffic and stops where the architecture carries the argument: the three great halls of state, the smaller residential courts behind them, and the garden at the north end. The day ends with the fifteen-minute climb up Jingshan Hill, the 45.7-metre mound of earth dug out of the palace moat, for the view back over the roofs you have just walked under.

• Walk the central axis of the Forbidden City from the Meridian Gate to the Gate of Divine Prowess, following the order in which the Ming and Qing courts actually used the courtyards.
• Read the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the largest timber hall in China at 35 metres high, as a piece of political theatre rather than a building.
• Cross into the residential courts behind the three great halls, where the emperor, the empresses and the concubines lived in a hierarchy of courtyards that the plan makes visible.
• See the Nine Dragon Screen and the Palace of Tranquil Longevity in the eastern section, the part most day visitors skip because the clock is against them.
• Climb Jingshan Hill, 45.7 metres and made from the earth excavated for the palace moat, for the classic view south over 980 golden roofs.
• Stand where the Chongzhen emperor, the last Ming ruler, hanged himself on the hill in 1644 as Li Zicheng's army entered the city.
• Walk out through the north gate into the hutong grid, with the option of ending at a courtyard restaurant rather than a hotel.

• Meals as listed in the itinerary, with dietary requirements and allergies arranged in advance
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with licensed driver throughout, plus airport or station transfers on arrival and departure
• Professional English-speaking guide throughout the programme
• All entrance fees to the sites named in the itinerary, including the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park, with shuttle buses and cable cars merged into the ticket price where the site requires them
• Travel insurance at 30 CNY per person per day
• Luggage handling where group size requires it
• Bottled water, tour headsets where group size requires them, and local handling services
• All government taxes and service charges as itemised in the quotation

• International air tickets to and from China, and any domestic flights or high-speed rail fares not listed in the itinerary
• China visa fees, invitation letters and any documentation costs
• Meals and drinks not listed in the itinerary, including all alcoholic beverages
• Optional evening performances, additional excursions and any activity not named in the itinerary
• Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping and personal items
• Gratuities for guides and drivers (entirely at your discretion)
• Anything not expressly listed under “What is included”
• Costs arising from events beyond our control, such as flight delays, weather, or changes to opening hours or site access

Frequently asked questions

How far do we actually walk?

About eight kilometres over the day, almost all of it flat stone paving inside the palace, plus the fifteen-minute climb up Jingshan at the end. There are benches throughout the palace and the guide sets the pace to the slowest walker in the group.

Do I need to book Forbidden City tickets in advance?

Yes, and we do it for you. The Palace Museum sells a fixed daily allocation that is released seven days ahead and sells out in the peak months, and admissions are tied to passport numbers, so we need the full names and passport numbers of everyone travelling at least ten days before the date.

Is the site closed on any day?

The Palace Museum is closed on Mondays except for Chinese public holidays, and Jingshan Park stays open. If your date falls on a Monday we reverse the day and put the park and the hutong walk in the morning with a different afternoon.

Can this be done with children or in a wheelchair?

Both, with different routes. The central axis is step-free and wide enough for a wheelchair, though the side halls and Jingshan have steps, so a wheelchair route stays on the axis and skips the hill. Children from about eight years old manage the distance comfortably if the day starts early.