The Forbidden City

Forbidden City is not open on Mondays. It's really easy to do these tours DIY, using subways, which are very convenient and easy to use. One of the big negatives of your tour is the visit to the Chinese Herbal Institute. It's basically a shopping stop where they try to sell you very over-priced herbal "medicine". It's basically a total waste of time.

The forbidden city is open every day. It is 60RMB during summer 40RMB during winter advised to book a ticket in advance. There are additional areas that are 10-20 RMB extra and well worth it.

The summer palace is also open every day. It is 60RMB during summer 50RMB during winter no need to book in advance.

The two are very far apart, easily done by subway but it will take an hour. Both are very large, a good days worth. I would not try to see them both in the same day or you will end up rushing around and missing a lot.

The Chinese herbal institute is a hyped tout where they try and sell you overpriced smelly herbs

I feel like $65 is a LOT for this excursion.

You are paying for the transportation and the guide(if any) and not having to think.

Can anyone give me an idea of how easy/expensive it would be to try to visit the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace on your own?

Very easy.

$10 each for entrance fees. $1-2 dollars transporation. $2 extra if you want to do the additional parts of the forbidden city.

No, the Forbidden City is NOT open on Mondays in December. So if your Beijing tour is scheduled such that the only open time to see the FC is a Monday, that tour has sorely screwed up, and you should bring this to their attention immediately and if they say tough luck, reconsider that tour. To be in Beijing for a few days and not see the FC would be a real bummer.

I would suggest that you not take this $65 optional offering. Likely it's set up to waste half the day at that Herbal Institute which will be a thinly-veiled effort to get you to spend money. Much as I like the Summer Palace, I don't think December is the greatest of times to visit, so not seeing that on this trip might be less of a tragedy. Even in good season, I wouldn't put the FC and the SP on the same day--that's just bad planning. So that leaves just the FC and lunch, both of which are easily done on your own....as long as the FC isn't on a Monday.

I'm actually wondering what this tour is going to be doing for you in Beijing....most tours do the FC as an included, not an optional.

I would have assumed that the FC would have been included, but oh well. The only thing really included in Beijing is the Great Wall. This is quick trip that goes to many different cities, so there's not a tonne of time in each destination. Thank you for your advice!

Thank you! I was not interested in the Chinese medicine aspect anyways, so it's good to know it really is a waste of time.

Thank you so much for the information! This is very helpful :)

rpbourne, are you sure the Forbidden City is open everyday? Including Mondays?

Forbidden City poses challenges for a first-time visitor. I remember my first visit when I felt compelled to 'do it all'. FC is a big complex that can certainly consume most of a day. My recent visits have been far more relaxed, with my approach that 'I don't have to do it all because I will be coming back'. The most recent visit in 2016 encountered abnormally large/dense crowds where it was impossible to move forward. Unfazed, I made what progress I could, and rested in some shady places.

Speaking of crowds, the mausoleum of Chairman Mao is adjacent to FC, so that may be another option, rather than travelling across-town for the Summer Palace. Please don't misunderstand, as I feel the Summer Palace is also a 'must do', just not on the same day. We encountered 'artists from the provinces' scam at SP, with overpriced paintings being pushed onto tourists who were seeking rest and relaxation but, I guess that can happen to the unwary in most places.

For those seeking to 'tick off another experience from the bucket list', FC may be overwhelming. For most others, take the experience for what it is and, if it takes a day, it takes a day.

Indeed, the FC Museum (Gugong) is closed on Mondays, a policy that started in June of this year.

Also note that ticket sales are limited to 80,000 per day, half available online, half for walk-up purchase. I wouldn't expect ticket availability to be an issue in December but I do not claim to track its sales. Go early to increase your chances of getting in would be a good idea.

If I were you and the FC is rescheduled for another day, find out whether or not the Herbal Institute is the last place to visit. If it is, tell you guide you'll stay behind at the FC or SP for extra DIY exploring and that you will find your own way back to the hotel (be sure you have the hotel's business card and address). Sure, you pay more for doing the side tour but you gain something in having an English guide and especially the convenience of arranged transportation. You're already paying a premium for the 10 day tour--what's another $65?