No trip to Beijing is complete without spending at least half a day inside the Forbidden City. The complex served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors over nearly 500 years, and the scale of the place becomes clear only once you are walking its courtyards. Plan for two to three hours minimum. Arrive early — the gates open at 8:30 a.m. — and enter through the southern Meridian Gate. The central axis takes you through the three Great Halls, then the inner court where the emperor and his family lived. The Hall of Clocks and the Treasure Gallery are worth the small extra admission. The audio guide is well produced and tells the stories the signage skips. One practical tip: tickets must now be booked online in advance, and they sell out during peak season. Foreign visitors need their passport at the gate for the verification check. The crowds thin noticeably after 2 p.m., so if you are not a morning person, the afternoon visit is a reasonable alternative.