Ten People or the Date Moves, and Your Passport Details Must Match

A guided walk through the Forbidden City, the largest ensemble of ancient wooden buildings in the world according to UNESCO, and the seat from which 24 emperors governed China for nearly five centuries.

The standard tour meets at Jinyuhutong station, subway line 8, exit C. After a briefing outside, the guide takes you in through the courtyards to the pavilions where the imperial ceremonies were held, and explains what the building is saying: the yellow roof tiles reserved for the emperor, the gilded lion guardians, the carved dragons. The Royal Treasury Museum is included.

When the guided part ends you can stay inside as long as you like.

That version leaves at 8:30 am and runs 3.5 to 4 hours. A second one starts at 11:30 am, lasts 4 to 4.5 hours, and meets somewhere else: at Lao She's Teahouse, because it takes in Tian'anmen Square before the palace. That means the gate where Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic in 1949, the Monument to the People's Heroes at the centre of 40.5 hectares, the National Museum of China, the Great Hall of the People and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.

Five things to know before booking. The tour needs at least 10 participants; if that number is not reached on your date, another is offered. Tickets to the Forbidden City are limited, so book early. If you book more than a week ahead, Beijing time, the operator buys the tickets online; book later and you queue with the guide, with no priority. Your passport details must be entered exactly, because the tickets are issued against them and a mismatch means no entry. And on the day there is a short form to complete before going in, which the guide helps with.