Hotels near Forbidden City, Beijing

From entrance to exit, it is only a one-way street, so you can't exactly go out from the way you come in. They do have souvenir shops inside with average price. It is a long walk from entrance to exit with lots of seating area. From the exit, the nearest metro station will be at least 1,5km away. I think it's best for you to invest in Sightseeing bus for that day for convenience.

Best to find a english guide to bring you in. It will be faster too. And inside all the infrastructures are almost the same. The guide can provide good history on whats all the different houses are for...

You really need to reserve tickets online in advance. The official website to do this is of course only in Chinese; you need to use online travel service sites (ctrip or similar) if you are the average western tourist; it works just by giving them online your passport nr and pay by creditcard. Do not expect a confirmation reference number or anything like that: they apparently "register" your passport nr in the entrance ticketing system and you just go with the crowd to arrive to the gate and then show your passport to the guards. Surprisingly - considering the colossal crowds - it does work. There ARE possibly some tickets left for onsite purchase that you COULD buy at the ticketing counter on the day in the morning but A. you need to FIND that counter. Again, colossal crowds and immense spaces with practically zero information signalled in English... and B. they may run out in a few minutes after opening. (by the time you make your way through to the ticket counters those few tickets would be swapped up by the better informed/ faster local tourists)

I highly suggest to book the visit in advance. The place is really crowded and tickets go sold out really fast. It's tricky because you cannot book it on the official website more than 10 days in advance and it always sold out 2 days before. Also you need some specific information such as Chinese phone number (you might use the hotel one) and to book in on a computer not on a phone. I would suggest buying the ticket in experiences websites, you will probably pay a little bit more but you can ensure the entrance.

In summer when we visited it was extremely busy and hot. The automatic tour guide machines don’t work so well. Perhaps better experienced with a tour guide who can get you ahead of the crowds and explain everything

Amazing place! Book online, and check the treasures and the clocks exhibitions. They're worth the extra time. If you want to explore this place thoroughly or without a hurry, prepare to spend 4 hours +. To book online by yourself you need a Chinese phone number, your passport number and a computer. The online booking system does not work with mobiles or tablets. If you can, avoid the weekend due to the number of visitors. If it's sunny, use sunblock. Bring an empty backpack in case you want to buy special items from the shops inside the palace. Most of them are by the North exit. Save some energy at the end if you want to go to the park in the north of the palace, to see some panoramic views of the city and the palace.