Many major Chinese attractions no longer sell tickets at the gate. They use real-name booking tied to your passport, with a window that opens a set number of days ahead, and the popular ones sell out. Here is the list by city: which sights you have to book, how far ahead the window opens, and what to watch for. Use it as a checklist when you plan your trip.
Rules checked October 2026. Booking windows, release times and quotas change, sometimes with little notice. Confirm on the attraction's official channel before you plan around a date. CNTripGuide is not the official ticket seller for any of these sites.
Beijing
| Attraction | Must book? | How far ahead | Good to know |
|---|
| Forbidden City | Yes, no gate sales | 7 days, released 20:00 Beijing time | Sells out daily. Closed Mondays except some national holidays. Full guide |
| National Museum of China | Yes (free) | ~7 days | Free, but you need a timed slot. Walk-ins are turned away |
| Badaling Great Wall | Yes | ~7 days | Official platforms are mostly Chinese and often need a Chinese phone number. Great Wall guide |
| Mutianyu Great Wall | Recommended | A few days ahead | Reserve entry and shuttle, especially for weekends and holidays |
| Temple of Heaven | Optional | 1–7 days online | On-site ticket windows also sell, subject to availability |
| Summer Palace | Optional | Up to ~7 days | Rarely sells out, but booking saves queueing |
| Universal Beijing Resort | Yes | Up to 30 days | Max 5 tickets per order. Original passport at entry |
Xi'an
| Attraction | Must book? | How far ahead | Good to know |
|---|
| Terracotta Warriors (Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Museum) | Yes, mandatory | ~7 days | Bring the same original passport you booked with. Full guide |
| Shaanxi History Museum | Yes (free) | 5 days, released 17:00 | Sells out quickly. The official WeChat system may not accept foreign passports |
Chengdu
| Attraction | Must book? | How far ahead | Good to know |
|---|
| Chengdu Panda Base | Yes, online only | Up to 14 days | No ticket windows on site. Original passport at entry. Full guide |
| Dujiangyan Panda Valley | Yes | Up to 14 days | Daily quota. On-site staff may help if tickets are left |
Shanghai
| Attraction | Must book? | How far ahead | Good to know |
|---|
| Shanghai Disneyland | Yes | Book ~10 days ahead or earlier | Very high demand on weekends and holidays. Prices vary by date |
| Yu Garden | Recommended | Up to ~7 days | Busy at weekends; real-name with passport |
| Oriental Pearl Tower | Recommended | A few days ahead | Original passport needed; photos or copies are not accepted |
| Shanghai Museum East | Permanent galleries: no | Special exhibitions: 7–14 days, released 12:00 | Walk in to the permanent galleries with your original passport. Special exhibitions, Curio-City and the Digital Gallery need a booking |
Hangzhou
| Attraction | Must book? | How far ahead | Good to know |
|---|
| Lingyin Temple | Yes (free) | 1–7 days, released 08:00 | No same-day booking and no on-site registration. The official mini-program is Chinese-only. Original passport and face scan at entry |
Zhangjiajie and Huangshan
| Attraction | Must book? | How far ahead | Good to know |
|---|
| Zhangjiajie National Forest Park | Yes | ~7 days | Sells out in peak season. Ticket valid for 4 consecutive days. Passport checked at the gates |
| Tianmen Mountain | Yes | ~7 days | Can sell out several days ahead from March to November and on holidays |
| Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) | Yes | At least 1 day ahead; window opens up to 7 days ahead at about 09:00 | No same-day sales. If you can't use the mini-program, the South and North Gate service windows can help with your original passport |
Dunhuang and Lhasa
| Attraction | Must book? | How far ahead | Good to know |
|---|
| Mogao Caves, Dunhuang | Yes | Up to 30 days | Peak-season tickets go very fast. There is a designated ticket office for foreign passport holders |
| Potala Palace, Lhasa | Yes | 10–15 days in peak season | No same-day tickets. Foreign visitors must book through a licensed Tibet travel agency with a Tibet Travel Permit |
The golden rules
- Count back from your must-sees. For each one, write down the date its window opens and the release time, and set an alarm.
- Check closure days. The Forbidden City and many museums close on Mondays. Don't plan them for a Monday.
- Use the same passport everywhere. The ticket is tied to the passport number. A renewed passport won't scan, and photos or photocopies aren't accepted.
- Avoid Chinese holidays if you can. During Golden Week (1–7 October) and Spring Festival, quotas sell out in minutes.
- Book trains too. High-speed rail tickets open about 15 days ahead. See our train ticket guide.
Your printable checklist
- List every attraction on your route and mark the ones in the tables above.
- Next to each, write the date the window opens (visit date minus the window) and the release time.
- Check the weekly closure day for each museum and palace.
- Book in order of scarcity: Forbidden City, Shaanxi History Museum, Lingyin Temple, Mogao Caves and Disneyland first.
- Screenshot every confirmation and keep the passport you booked with on you on the day.
Want this done for your exact dates? Paste your itinerary into our AI and it will build the booking calendar for you. Our general guide to booking with a foreign passport explains how the system works.
Don't want to fight Chinese booking apps?
Official booking channels are often Chinese-only and some ask for a Chinese phone number. If you'd rather not deal with them, book via CNTripGuide: official tickets under your passport. No Chinese app needed, and we tell you the result within 12 hours. Start in the travel assistant: tell it your dates and sights, and pay only when the details are confirmed.