How to Get to Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

Forbidden City is to the north of Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing city. How to get to Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square? The most convenient way is taking subway line 1 to Tiananmen West or East, or line 2 to Qianmen and walk north to reach them. There are also many city buses taking you there. Below are the detailed information.

Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City Location Map

 

Take Subway Line 1 and get off at Tiananmen West or Tiananmen East Station. Both the stations are between the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. You can get off from either of them. Tiananmen West Station is nearer, but the queues for security check there would be longer. If you get off at Tiananmen West Station, you can get out from Exit B; and if Tiananmen East Station, Exit A.

Take Subway Line 2 and get off at Qianmen Station, then come out from Exit A, the Tian'anmen Square is just in front of you. Walk north to get to Forbidden City.
 

How to get to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City by bus? The buses to Forbidden City include Sightseeing Bus 1, Sightseeing Bus 2,  us 1, 2, 52, 82, 120, Night line 1. Take these buses to get off at Tiananmen East Stop. Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City are on the western side.
 

→ Take Airport Express from Capital Airport for 2 stops and get off at Dongzhimen Station.
→ Walk eastward to transfer to Subway Line 2 for another 6 stops, then get off at Qianmen Station.
 

→ Take Airport Express for 1 stop to Sanyuanqiao Station.
→ Transfer to Subway Line 10 for 6 stops to get off at Guomao Station.
→ Transfer again to Subway Line 1, take 5 stops and get off at Tiananmen East Station.
 

Take the airport shuttle bus Beijing West Railway Station line to East Qianmen, and then walk northwestward for about 328 yards to Tian'anmen Square.
 

→ Take the Daxing Airport Express Line to Caoqiao
→ Transfer to Line 10 to Jiaomenxi
→ Take Line 4 to Xuanwumen
→ Transfer to Line 2 and get off at Qianmen Station.
 

→ Take the airport shuttle bus Beijing Railway Station Line to Chongwenmen
→ Walk south for 109 yards and then turn left, walk for another 109 yards to Yangshikou Bus Stop
→ Take Bus No. 8 to East Qianmen
→ Walk westward for 328 yards to the square.
 

 

→ Take Subway Line 9 from Beijing West Railway Station for one stop to Military Museum Station.
→ Transfer to Subway Line 1 and get off at Tiananmen West Station, 5 stops.
 

Take the bus No.142 from North Square of Beijing West Railway Station, and get off at Qianmen after 6 stops. Walk northward for about 1.5km (0.9 miles) to the Forbidden City.
 

 

→ Take Subway Line 4 from Beijing South Railway Station, and get off at Xidan Station after 4 stops.
→ Transfer to Subway Line 1 for 1 stop to Tiananmen West Station.
 

→ Take Subway Line 4 for 3 stops to Xuanwumen Station.
→ Transfer to Subway Line 2 to Qianmen Station, 2 stops.
→ Walk north, you can see the Tiananmen Square; keep walking northward, you will find Forbidden City soon.
 

Take city bus 20 at North Square of Beijing South Railway Station, after 9 stops, get off at Qianmen Stop.
 

You can take a taxi to Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square on the underground floor of Beijing South Railway Station, where the taxi stand lies.

Read more: How to Get from Beijing South Railway Station to Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square 

 

→ After getting out from Beijing Railway Station, take Subway Line 2 for two stops to get off at Qianmen Station.
→ Walk northward to find Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City.
 

→ Come out from Beijing Railway Station, keep walking north and turn west when you get to Inner Jianguomen Street, there is a bus stop on the north side of the street.
→ Take the bus 1 or 52 for 3 stops to get off at Tiananmen East Stop.
 

 Futher Reading：
Are there Toilets in the Forbidden City? 

Imperial Icehouse: Currently a restaurant in the Forbidden City