The clocks do not match
Most popular sights in China are reserved in advance, in the name on your passport. A ticket at the gate is no longer the normal way in. The booking clocks do not match. The Forbidden City opens seven days ahead, at 20:00. The Potala Palace opens about ten days ahead, at midnight, and the summer window can start fifteen days ahead. The Yungang Grottoes use a 15-day window. The Shaanxi History Museum opens only five days ahead, at 17:00. Those bookings also have to fall on a day the site is open, and they have to leave room for a train or a Yangtze sailing.
Chinese names in quotation marks are the words to type into WeChat. Search will not find them from the English name alone.
The times and prices below come from official notices checked in October 2026. Use them to plan a 2027 trip, then confirm the current rule before you travel. On an East Marvel itinerary, we submit these reservations in the official window once your dates are fixed. We do not leave the Forbidden City until the night before you fly.
Three rules
The name on the ticket must match the passport, letter for letter. A missing middle name can stop you at the gate. Bring the passport. A photo on your phone is not enough.
Many museums are closed on Monday. The Forbidden City is closed every Monday unless that Monday is a public holiday. The Potala Palace is closed on Monday except on a public holiday. In 2026 it stayed open on Mondays from 1 July through 15 September, then returned to Monday closures on 21 September. Treat that summer opening as a one-season notice, and check 2027 before you book a Monday.
During the 1–5 May holiday and the 1–7 October holiday, book the best-known sights in the hour the tickets are released. For other dates, lock the tightest tickets two to four weeks ahead.
How far ahead
15 days ahead. Yungang Grottoes, Datong. The count does not include the visit day. Peak ¥120, off-season ¥100.
10 days ahead, or 15 in summer. Potala Palace, Lhasa. Released at 0:00, again at 8:30. Returned tickets at 16:00. Peak ¥200 or ¥100.
7 days ahead, at 20:00. Forbidden City, Beijing. Peak ¥60, off-season ¥40.
7 days ahead, at 18:00. Changbai Mountain. ¥105 a slope, plus a ¥85 bus.
7 days ahead, at 18:00. Nanjing Museum. The count does not include the visit day. Free.
7 days ahead, including today. Suzhou Museum. The system is open 8:00–23:00. Free, and closed on Monday.
About 7 days ahead. Terracotta Army, ¥120. Mount Tai uses the same window.
A named date. Shanghai Disney. About ¥475–799. Buy it on the official calendar.
1, 5–7, or 7–14 days ahead. Mount Lu, released at 8:00. One day off-peak, five to seven in season, seven to fourteen on a holiday week. ¥160, valid 7 days.
5 days ahead. Shaanxi History Museum, Xi'an. The main hall at 17:00, the Qin-Han hall at 17:30. Free. The daily cap is on the notice.
1 day ahead, or 3 on a public holiday. Mount Huangshan. Price on the official notice.
3 days ahead, plus 8:00 on the day. Shanxi Museum, Taiyuan. The count does not include the visit day. Released at 20:00. Free.
1–7 days ahead, at 12:00. Tiananmen Square. Free.
1–7 days ahead, at 8:00 and 17:00. Nanjing Massacre Memorial. Free.
As early as the calendar allows. Mogao Caves, Dunhuang. The English menu is Ticket Booking.
As early as you can in peak season. Chengdu Panda Base. Morning sessions go first.
Beijing
The Forbidden City does not sell same-day tickets. Palace entry and the exhibitions open seven days ahead, at 20:00. The only official channel is the WeChat mini program “故宫博物院”. A passport is accepted, as is a Chinese permanent residence card held by a foreigner. You enter through the Meridian Gate and scan the document. From 1 April through 31 October the palace ticket is ¥60. From 1 November through 31 March it is ¥40. The Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery are ¥10 each. You enter in the morning or afternoon session you booked. The palace is closed on Monday unless that Monday is a public holiday.
Tiananmen Square can be booked one to seven days ahead. New slots are released at 12:00 each day. You cannot book on the day of the visit. Search WeChat for “天安门广场预约参观”. A passport is accepted, and entry is free. For the flag raising, set an alarm for 12:00 seven days before the ceremony. A booking for the Tiananmen rostrum or the Great Hall of the People sometimes includes the square. Read the page before you book the square as well.
The Great Wall does not use this seven-day clock. The rule depends on the section. On a private Beijing day, we choose the section when the itinerary is set, then book that ticket. The 4-day private Beijing tour uses Mutianyu. It does not have to be booked in the same minute as the Forbidden City.
The northeast
Shenyang Imperial Palace uses timed tickets in your name. Carry the original document you used to book. The palace has not published one rule of the form “book N days ahead.” In summer and on holidays, book as early as the calendar allows. Use sypm.org.cn, or search WeChat for “沈阳故宫博物院”. A passport is accepted. The palace does not authorize third-party sellers.
Liaoning Provincial Museum currently admits visitors without a reservation. Passport holders use a separate lane. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:30. It is closed on Monday, and entry is free. Check the official account before you go. This rule has changed before.
Changbai Mountain is booked seven days ahead, in named time slots. On 26 June 2026 the window changed from 15 days to seven. New dates are released at 18:00. When a date sells out, returns go back through a waitlist as they come in, not as a second sale at a fixed hour. The gate ticket is ¥105 on each slope. Book the north, west, and south slopes separately. The park bus, ¥85, is required on the slope you book. The ride to the crater lake on the north slope is another ¥80. The south slope is open only from June through October, and it has a daily cap. The gate has almost no tickets left for sale. Ignore anyone who offers a guaranteed ticket. Search WeChat for “长白山” or “长白山一机游”.
Shanxi
From 15 April 2026, the Yungang Grottoes in Datong can be booked 15 days ahead, not counting the day of the visit. The previous window was seven days. Every visitor books, including people who qualify for free entry. Children aged six and under, or under 1.2 meters, are the exception: they are free and do not need a booking if an adult is with them. The adult ticket is ¥120 from 1 April through 31 October, and ¥100 from 1 November through 31 March. It is checked by time slot. Search WeChat for “云冈石窟文旅” or “云冈研究院”. An emergency window at the site is limited to 3,000 tickets a day, and it stops if the site is full. If Datong is on your route, this 15-day window is the earliest deadline the rest of the trip has to work around.
Wutai Mountain uses reservations in peak season. If you are driving in, book about five days ahead. The ticket is ¥135. Search WeChat for “五台山游客服务中心”.
Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan is free. Tickets are limited, timed, and issued in your name. You can book from 20:00 three days before the visit, not counting the day itself, or at 8:00 on the day if places remain. From 1 September 2026 the museum stopped accepting an entry QR code. You show the original passport for the session you booked.
Dunhuang and Lhasa
The Mogao Caves belong on a Silk Road route, not on the same day as Xi'an. On the WeChat account “莫高窟参观预约网”, open 预约购票 and choose the English “Ticket Booking” menu. Travel agencies use mgk.org.cn. Arrive at the digital visitor center at least 30 minutes before your session.
The Potala Palace does not sell same-day tickets. Book about 10 days ahead. In the summer peak the calendar can open 15 days ahead. Tickets are released at 0:00, again at 8:30. Returned tickets are pooled at 16:00. Search WeChat for “布达拉宫票务预订系统” or “布达拉宫官方”. No other seller is authorized. From 1 May through 31 October, Route 1 is ¥200 and Route 2 is ¥100, the palace opens at 9:00, and entry stops at 15:40. From 1 November through 30 April the palace opens at 9:30 and entry stops at 15:20. Read the notice for the winter ticket price. The visit is one way. The palace is closed on Monday, except on a public holiday. The 2026 summer exception, 1 July through 15 September, was a one-season notice.
A Tibet Travel Permit is a separate document. It does not replace the palace ticket. With a foreign passport, you need that permit and a local guide before you can travel to Lhasa. The 13-day Beijing, Lhasa and Shanghai tour carries both the palace ticket and the permit.
Xi'an
Book the Terracotta Army at bmy.com.cn, or search WeChat for “秦始皇帝陵博物院” or “兵马俑票务在线”. A passport can be used to book, and most gates read it. The ticket is ¥120. Book about seven days ahead, and earlier on holidays. No third party is authorized to sell these tickets.
Shaanxi History Museum releases tickets five days ahead, at 17:00. The Qin-Han hall releases them at 17:30. The main museum is free. The daily cap moves with renovation and holidays. The old full-hall figure was about 12,000, and it has been lower while works were underway. Paid exhibitions are separate. Search WeChat for “陕西历史博物馆”. The account accepts a passport and a foreign mobile number, entered with the country code. If Beijing and Xi'an fall in the same week, set this five-day window against the Forbidden City's seven-day window. The Forbidden City is closed on Monday. From 15 March through 14 November 2026 the Shaanxi History Museum stayed open on Monday. For 2027, read that year's notice before you treat Monday as closed.
Shanghai
A Shanghai Disney ticket is for one named date. You choose that date when you pay, and you enter the passport number. There is no second entry reservation. A standard one-day ticket costs about ¥475–799, depending on the date. On the official channel, a standard full-price ticket can be refunded in full if you apply by 23:59 seven days before the visit, you have not already changed the date, and you did not use an official coupon. From 00:00 six days before until 23:59 the day before, the refund fee is ¥80 a ticket. Nothing is refunded from 00:00 on the visit day. You can change the date twice, up to 48 hours before midnight on the visit day, if places remain. A date change blocks that refund. Early-bird and other discounted tickets follow their own rules and are often non-refundable. An early-bird price has started around ¥425 on some dates, and those tickets are sold further ahead than ten days. Disney takes a full day. It does not fit after a museum morning.
Shanghai Museum East is free, and entry requires a booking in your name. Since 2024 its official mini program has accepted a foreign passport and a foreign mobile number. The screens are in Chinese. A translation app is enough to finish the form.
Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou
Nanjing Museum releases tickets at 18:00, seven days ahead, not counting the day of the visit. Sessions are morning or afternoon. Book with a passport, then show the original at the History Hall window on the day. Entry is free. The museum is closed on Monday. Search WeChat for the Nanjing Museum mini program, or use njmuseum.com.
The Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders is free. Book one to seven days ahead. Tickets are released at 8:00 and again at 17:00. The history exhibition and the separate thematic exhibition are booked apart. On the official account, open 预约. The official site is 19371213.com.cn. Keep the visit quiet, and follow the hall rules.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, on Purple Mountain, is free, but you still need a reservation. On the May and October holidays, tickets can sell out as soon as they are released. Use the Zhongshan Scenic Area mini program.
Suzhou Museum can be booked across a seven-day window that includes today. The system is open from 8:00 to 23:00, and leftover tickets can be booked on the day. Show your passport. Entry is free. The museum is closed on Monday unless that Monday is a public holiday. It sits beside the Humble Administrator's Garden, so the two belong on the same walk. One garden is enough for a day in Suzhou. Search WeChat for “苏州博物馆”, or use szmuseum.com.
An ordinary visit to Zhejiang Museum, at the Zhijiang or Gushan hall, does not need a reservation. You enter with a passport. The museum is closed on Monday, and entry is free. A special exhibition is booked separately. If a show is the reason for your visit, check the account “浙江省博物馆”. West Lake is not ticketed on the Forbidden City system. Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou sit together on the 7-day East China tour. How many days to give them is in East China by the days you have.
Mountains, when the trip has the days
Each of these mountains takes a day. Some also take a night on the mountain. They do not fit as a stop between two cities.
Mount Tai, at Tai'an, is booked seven days ahead, by time and by gate, including the Hongmen gate. Search WeChat for “泰山景区” or “泰山旅游游客服务平台”. A passport uses the staffed lane. After the first entry, the ticket is valid for three days. A second entry in those three days still needs a time-and-gate reservation. It is not a second purchase.
The Wuyi Mountain gate ticket is free, but it is still reserved in your name. The sightseeing bus is ¥70 for one day, ¥85 for two, and ¥95 for three. The Nine-Bend Stream raft is a separate ticket, at ¥130.
From 19 January 2026, Mount Lu tickets have been sold only online. The ticket window no longer sells them. The gate ticket is ¥160 and is valid for seven days, with more than one entry to the core area. Book one day ahead off-peak, five to seven days ahead in season, and seven to fourteen days ahead on a holiday week. New tickets are released at 8:00. Search WeChat or Alipay for “一机游庐山”.
Mount Huangshan is booked by time and by the direction you enter. Book at least one day ahead, and at least three days ahead on a public holiday. Enter from the direction printed on the ticket. Reserve the ticket before you reserve a hotel inside the scenic area. If the session is full, you can join a waitlist. Search WeChat for “黄山旅游官方平台”.
Chengdu
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding requires a booking in your name. In peak season, the morning sessions are the first to sell out. Morning is also when the animals are active. Book on the official WeChat account. The price and the release time are whatever that account shows for your date.
The Yangtze is a cabin, not a sight ticket
A Three Gorges cruise is booked as a sailing and a cabin. Downstream is about four days and three nights. Upstream is about five days and four nights. You book it on the ship's calendar, not on the Forbidden City's seven-day clock. You board in one city and leave the ship in the other. The onward flight leaves from the city where the cruise ends. A longer Century itinerary costs more because it has more nights. It is a different product from a four-day cruise between Chongqing and Yichang.
If you book it yourself
Trip.com is the simplest English path. You can register with a foreign mobile number and pay with Visa, Mastercard, or American Express. You enter the passport details during booking. It covers major sights that are already on the platform, including the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Terracotta Army, and Shanghai Disney. Klook can cover a gap. It is not a way around a museum that does not authorize resellers.
The official WeChat mini program is the direct channel. Register WeChat with your foreign number before you fly, then search the Chinese name given above. Most sights accept a passport. More of them now accept a foreign mobile number. Shanghai Museum East is one. Mogao Caves has an English Ticket Booking menu. The other screens are usually in Chinese. Before the trip, link a Visa or Mastercard to WeChat Pay or Alipay.
A few sites also offer an English email. The Forbidden City has listed bookingticket@dpm.org.cn for a booking from seven days ahead until the day before. The Chinese ticket page now points passport holders to the mini program. Use the email only if the Palace's international page still shows it.
Do not buy from anyone who promises a ticket, an inside channel, or a paid place in the queue. The sights in this guide have said they do not authorize those sellers.
What we lock first
Send the passport name as it is printed. We then book the tightest ticket on your route. For Lhasa, that is the Potala Palace and the Tibet Travel Permit. For Dunhuang, it is the Mogao Caves. For Beijing and Xi'an, it is the Forbidden City and the Shaanxi History Museum, both on days they are open. Trains, the cruise, and the slower days in Suzhou or Hangzhou are set around those bookings.
You bring the passport. Every ticket uses the same spelling. Two or three spare days on a long route are there because a peak-season session can sell out. Prices, release times, and closing days change. We check them again before you travel.
What we recommend
These routes already carry the tickets in this guide. The Potala, Mogao, and Forbidden City windows are booked inside the route, not added the night before.
8-Day Classic China Tour: Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai
4-Day Private Guided Beijing Tour (All-Inclusive)
13-Day China & Tibet Tour: Beijing, Lhasa & Shanghai
13-Day Silk Road Adventure: Xi'an, Dunhuang & Kashgar
11-Day China Tour: Beijing, Xi'an & Yangtze Cruise