# Forbidden City & Great Wall with Kids: The Slow, Doable Version > How to book the Forbidden City on a child's passport, a 3-hour route that doesn't collapse in tears, which Great Wall section to pick, and when to quit. _Category: itinerary · Reading time: 6 min read_ The Forbidden City and the Great Wall are the two Beijing sights nobody wants to skip — and the two least friendly to a family with children: treeless courtyards the size of airfields, one-way walking routes, endless thresholds and steep stone steps. This guide turns both into a child-sized version: a 3-hour palace loop, a half-day Wall, what to skip, and the moment to stop. ## Booking the Forbidden City with children There is no same-day ticket and no ticket window. Everything goes through the official WeChat mini-program "Palace Museum" (故宫博物院). - **Release time** — Tickets open 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time. In peak season and holidays they go in seconds — set an alarm. - **Prices** — Peak (1 Apr–31 Oct) RMB 60; low season (1 Nov–31 Mar) RMB 40. Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery are RMB 10 each — buy them with the main ticket. - **Children** — Under 6, or under 1.2 m, enter free — but the child must still be entered into the real-name booking. Free does not mean unlisted. - **Time slots** — Morning slot must enter before 12:00; afternoon slot after 12:00. Last entry 16:00, closes 17:00. Closed Mondays except public holidays. - **No-shows** — Three cumulative no-shows block you from booking for 60 days. Cancel in advance if plans move. Hotline: 400-950-1925. ## A 3-hour route that actually works The palace is one-way: enter at Meridian Gate (午门), leave at Gate of Divine Prowess (神武门). You cannot double back, so follow this order. - **1. Meridian Gate** — Enter and look back — the gate is the classic symmetrical shot, best in the morning light. - **2. Gate of Supreme Harmony square** — Stand at the bottom of the steps: child small, hall enormous. The best photo of the day, and it takes 30 seconds. - **3. Three Great Halls** — Count the roof beasts on the Hall of Supreme Harmony — the only roof in Beijing with the full ten-animal team, led by the immortal riding a phoenix. - **4. Inner court** — Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union, Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Walk through; don't stop long. - **5. Treasure Gallery (east)** — Small rooms, dense exhibits, strong air-conditioning. This is where children perk up. - **6. Imperial Garden** — Rocks to climb, shaded benches, the last chance for a sit-down before the exit. - **7. Exit + Jingshan** — Out at the north gate; Jingshan Park is directly across the road. Climb to Wanchun Pavilion (RMB 2, about 15 minutes up) for the whole palace roofscape. ## What children actually like inside Big halls exhaust kids. Small shiny rooms wake them up. Spend your energy accordingly. - **Treasure Gallery** — The Jin'ou Yonggu cup — the emperor's once-a-year wishing cup, used only at New Year. The 'Dayu Taming the Floods' jade mountain: one rock, carved for eight years. And the kingfisher-feather phoenix crown. - **Clock Gallery** — Mechanical wonders collected by the Qing court — sailing ships that move, hens that peck grain. Live demonstrations run on the hour; listen for the announcement. - **Roof beasts** — Counting them is the classic palace game. Ten animals plus the leading immortal, and nothing else in Beijing has the full set. - **Nine Dragons Wall** — Right by the Treasure Gallery exit — a glazed-tile screen that photographs beautifully and needs no explanation. - **Imperial Garden** — Rockeries and old trees; the one place with shade and somewhere to sit. - **Palace cats** — Semi-official residents, most often spotted near the Treasure Gallery. A guaranteed morale boost. - **A fact that lands** — There is not one tree on the Hall of Supreme Harmony square — to stop fire spreading, and to leave assassins nowhere to hide. ## Strollers, toilets, water — the logistics The palace was not built for prams. Plan around it. - **Pram vs carrier** — Thresholds everywhere: a pram gets lifted all day. Under 4s are far happier in a hip carrier or backpack. - **Rental** — Third-party services offer on-site pram and wheelchair rental (around RMB 69/item, ticket not included). Availability varies — don't count on it. - **Toilets** — Few and heavily queued in peak season. Go before you enter. - **Food & water** — Bring a bottle and small snacks. Outlets concentrate around the Imperial Garden and along the axis — expensive and slow. - **Not allowed** — Selfie sticks, folding stools, large suitcases, drones. Travel light and you skip the bag queue. - **Shoes** — No heels, no long trailing dresses. This is a 2 km+ walk over stone and thresholds. ## The Great Wall — which section for a family Not all Wall is equal. Pick by age and leg power, not by fame. - **Mutianyu — best all-round** — Cable car up, toboggan down (combined around RMB 140; one-way cable car RMB 100; tickets from RMB 45). Forested, restored, far fewer people than Badaling. - **Badaling — famous and crowded** — Tickets from RMB 40, closest to the city, and the steepest crowds. Steep steps and long queues make it the hardest with small children. - **Shuiguan / Juyongguan — short and close** — Shuiguan from RMB 35 and genuinely quiet; Juyongguan RMB 40. Good if you want a taste without a full expedition. - **Huanghuacheng Lakeside Wall — RMB 58** — Water at the foot of the wall and boat rides. Children love it, but it is a lakeside park, not a serious Wall climb. - **Jinshanling — for photographers** — Peak RMB 65 / low RMB 55, cable car RMB 60 one-way or RMB 100 return. Hiking takes 2.5–3 hours. Not for small children. ## A half-day Wall plan with children The Wall is harder than it looks. Two or three beacon towers is a full achievement, not a failure. - **Start early** — Leave before 8:00. Morning light is better, the air is clearer, and tour buses arrive after 9:00. - **Mutianyu pattern** — Cable car to Tower 14, walk up to 20–23, then toboggan or cable car down. Save the legs for the walk, not the climb. - **Set a turnaround tower** — Agree the tower number before you start. Reaching it and turning back beats a meltdown at the far end. - **Shoes and water** — Steps are steep, uneven and often wet with morning dew. Non-slip shoes, hats, sunscreen, and more water than you think. - **Layers** — Mountain mornings are cold even in June. One thin jacket per person, carried not worn. - **Supplies** — Shops on top are few and expensive. Carry water, bread or chocolate. ## When to quit The most common Beijing family mistake is doing the palace and the Wall on the same day. - **Real limits** — About 3 hours in the Forbidden City, 2–3 hours on the Wall. Past that, everyone stops enjoying it. - **Quit at midday** — Be out by 12:00, back for lunch and a nap, and keep the afternoon light. A museum or a park is plenty. - **Split the two** — Palace one day, Wall the next. They are on opposite sides of the city and both eat half a day. - **The nap rule** — If the child still naps, build the day around it. An overtired child remembers nothing and you remember the crying. ## Related Beijing guides If you found this useful, these cover the next question most visitors ask: - **Itineraries** — /guides/beijing-hiking-wild-wall/ - **Attractions** — /guides/forbidden-city/ - **Transport** — /guides/beijing-airports-pek-pkx/ ## Family checklist for the big two - **7 days ahead, 20:00** — Set the alarm for the Palace Museum ticket release — it really does sell out in seconds. - **Add both side galleries** — Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery, RMB 10 each, booked with the main ticket. They are the kid-friendly half. - **Carrier beats pram** — Endless thresholds make a pram a lifting exercise. - **Mutianyu for the Wall** — Cable car up, toboggan down — the only version of the Wall most children actually enjoy. - **Leave by noon** — Half a day each, on separate days. Don't stack them. ## Where to stay **KOULING Ruiyue Hotel** — 5m from Guogongzhuang Metro Station · 9.6/10 · US$26 View hotel: https://12001.net/hotels/ruiyue/ KOULING Ruiyue sits 5 metres from Guogongzhuang Metro (Line 9 / Fangshan Line), rated 9.6/10, rooms from US$26. Line 9 changes to Line 1 for Tian'anmen East and the Forbidden City, and the free laundry means a full day of palace dust and Wall dirt comes out in one wash. ## Where to stay **KOULING Hotel Beijing Donggaodi** — 7 min walk to Wufutang Metro Station (Line 8) · 9.4/10 · US$19 View hotel: https://12001.net/hotels/donggaodi/ KOULING Donggaodi has free laundry and parking, a 7-minute walk to Wufutang Metro (Line 8), rooms from US$19, rated 9.4/10. Line 8 puts you in the old city fast, and free parking helps if you are driving out to Mutianyu at dawn. --- Source: https://12001.net/guides/forbidden-city-great-wall-kids/ © KOULING Hotels