How to buy Summer Palace tickets as a foreigner
There are two routes. Online, you buy on 畅游公园 (Visiting Beijing Parks), the official ticketing platform of the Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks. That needs a Chinese mobile phone number. Without one, you go to the comprehensive service window at a park gate with a valid ID document, and staff place the order for you. Both routes are described in the park authority's own answer on the Beijing government English FAQ (dated 2025-07-22).
Which website or app is the official Summer Palace ticket site?
The official platform is 畅游公园, in English "Visiting Beijing Parks". You can reach it in four ways:
- the WeChat official account 畅游公园;
- the website www.bjgyol.com.cn, which opens in Chinese; click "Language" at the upper right to switch to English;
- the 畅游公园 mini program inside WeChat;
- the WeChat official account 颐和园 (Summer Palace), which the platform lists as an officially designated platform for time-slot tickets.
On third-party sellers, the park authority's answer reads: “We have not authorized any third-party ticket-purchasing platform to sell tickets.” It gave that answer to a reader who had asked about outside sellers. The page doesn't say what happens at the gate if you show a ticket bought elsewhere.
A Beijing Daily news report dated 2025-12-02 says the official ticket channels of 74 municipal scenic areas, the Summer Palace among them, joined the 京通 (Jingtong) WeChat mini program, with an English version.
Can I buy with my passport? What if I have no Chinese phone number or WeChat?
Your passport is accepted. The Beijing government's English guide says foreign visitors can purchase tickets with passports or permanent residence permits. The phone number is the hard part.
- First-time buyers of a Beijing municipal park ticket must finish real-name verification. The FAQ says foreign mobile phone numbers cannot be used for it, and tells you to get a Chinese mobile number at a telecom operator's service outlet in China.
- The platform's help centre describes registration as a mobile number, an SMS code and a password. One phone number binds to one account.
- The FAQ also says the WeChat route needs the Chinese mainland version of WeChat.
The 12345 hotline FAQ and the platform's account help page describe no way to register without a Chinese mobile number. The route for you is the window. Go to the comprehensive service window in the gate area of the park with a valid ID document. You can pay with cash (CNY), BEIJING PASS, or a bank card such as VISA or MasterCard using foreign currencies. The 12345 hotline FAQ and the Summer Palace ticketing page don't say which of the six gates has a window, or when windows stop selling.
Payment online
The platform's help centre lists two online payment methods: Alipay and WeChat Pay. It does not mention other methods.
How to buy Summer Palace tickets online, step by step
These steps follow the Beijing government's English guide, which carries no date on the page. The platform may have changed since, so treat the screens as a rough map.
- Open the platform (website, WeChat account or mini program) and switch the language to English.
- Find the Summer Palace, read the "Kind reminder" and tap "Start".
- Choose the visit date, time period and number of visitors, then enter each visitor's details.
- Submit the order and pay.
- Open "My Ticket" to see your e-ticket and its QR code.
Limits to know: a full-price order covers at most 5 people and a half-price order at most 3. Enter one person per ID document. Each ID can buy one Summer Palace admission ticket or combined ticket per day. As shown on the official platform in October 2026, sales and refunds run daily from 06:00 to 23:20. That is the online platform, not the gate window. Customer service is 400-693-8899, 8:30 to 17:30.
How much are Summer Palace tickets in 2026?
These are the figures on the Beijing government's English Park Tours page, in CNY per person. The page shows no date, so confirm the amount on the booking screen. Peak season is April 1 to October 31; off season is November 1 to March 31.
| Ticket | Peak season | Off season |
|---|---|---|
| Admission ticket | CNY 30 | CNY 20 |
| Combined ticket | CNY 60 | CNY 50 |
| Garden of Virtue and Harmony | CNY 5 | |
| Palace Museum | CNY 20 | |
| Tower of Buddhist Incense (佛香阁) | CNY 10 | |
| Suzhou Street | CNY 10 | |
The page says the combined ticket includes the Summer Palace ticket and the tickets for scenic spots in the Summer Palace. It gives one price for each separate site, with no season split. That page calls the tower "Tower of the Fragrance of Buddha". The ticketing page lists a discount ticket at CNY 15 in peak season and CNY 10 off season, against full-price CNY 30 and CNY 20.
Free entry for foreign visitors
- Children aged 6 (inclusive) or younger, or 1.2 m (inclusive) or shorter.
- Foreign visitors aged 60 and over, with their own passport.
- Holders of a foreigner's permanent residence ID card aged 60 and over, with a valid document.
Half-price tickets
The platform lists half price for minors over 6 up to 18 (inclusive) and for full-time students at undergraduate level or below, with a student card or other valid proof. It also names holders of a foreigner's permanent residence ID card in those groups, and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan youth visitors with a travel permit or student card. The platform's page doesn't say whether a student card from abroad is accepted. Half-price buyers bring their own valid or discount document in the original, plus the QR code.
Do I have to book Summer Palace tickets in advance?
Three official statements, side by side:
- The 12345 FAQ (2025-07-22): “No reservation is required for visiting the municipal parks of Beijing.”
- The platform sells time-slot e-tickets 1-7 days ahead. The ticket is valid on the visit day only. The Beijing government's ticketing page says the same about booking 1-7 days ahead on the park's WeChat account.
- The gate window sells tickets: “Go to the comprehensive service window in the park gate area to purchase tickets.”
So advance booking is 1-7 days ahead and optional, according to the FAQ. If you have no Chinese number, the window is your route. The 12345 hotline FAQ and the Summer Palace ticketing page don't say whether the window can sell out or covers every time slot. A 2024-06-23 Beijing Daily report says most scenic areas in the city have dropped reservation requirements, but it names mainly museums and does not name the Summer Palace.
Summer Palace opening hours and last entry
The Beijing government's Summer Palace Park Tours and ticketing pages list no weekly closing day for the park itself.
| Area | Peak (Apr 1 to Oct 31) | Off season (Nov 1 to Mar 31) |
|---|---|---|
| Park gate | Open 6:00 to 19:00, last entry 19:00; park closes 20:00 | Open 6:30 to 18:00, last entry 18:00; park closes 19:00 |
| Tower, Garden of Virtue and Harmony, Palace Museum, Suzhou Street | 8:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:30 | 8:30 to 17:00, last entry 16:30 |
| Pavilion of Clearing Skies, Garden of Harmonious Pleasure, Longevity Hall, Studio of Serene Beauty, Hall of Jade Ripples, Navy Academy, Courtyards on Nanhu Island | 8:00 to 18:00 | 8:30 to 17:00 |
Mondays. The two Beijing government pages differ. The Park Tours page says the tower, the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, the Palace Museum and Suzhou Street are closed on Mondays, except statutory holidays. It says the same for Longevity Hall, the Pavilion of Clearing Skies, the Courtyards on Nanhu Island and the Navy Academy, and states no season. The ticketing page says separately charged attractions close on Mondays in the off season, except for important festivals and holidays, with entry Tuesday to Sunday, and is silent on peak-season Mondays. Plan for some inner sites to be shut on a Monday, and check their opening arrangements before you go.
Time slots on your ticket
A time-slot ticket must be checked at a gate within the slot you chose. The platform marks each slot as valid only for check-in before the end time.
| Slots from April 1 | Check in before | Slots from November 1 | Check in before |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00-09:00 | 9:00 | 06:30-09:00 | 9:00 |
| 09:00-12:00 | 12:00 | 09:00-12:00 | 12:00 |
| 12:00-16:00 | 16:00 | 12:00-15:00 | 15:00 |
| 16:00-19:00 | 19:00 | 15:00-18:00 | 18:00 |
What to show at the gate, and which gate to use
Foreign visitors enter by QR code after a successful purchase, and have to show a passport (or a Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan travel permit) or another valid document at entry. For a multi-person order, every person in the order is verified. Chinese ID card holders swipe the card itself, which doesn't apply to you. The platform's Summer Palace visiting rules and the Beijing government's online ticket guide don't mention swapping the e-ticket for a paper ticket.
Tickets are checked at six entrances: East Palace Gate (东宫门), New Palace Gate (新建宫门), North Palace Gate (北宫门), North Ruyi Gate (北如意门), South Ruyi Gate (南如意门) and West Gate (西门). Any of them can check you in, within your slot. The address is No. 19, Xinjiangongmenlu, Haidian District. The Park Tours page gives these metro links:
- East Palace Gate: Xiyuan Station, Metro Line 4.
- North Palace Gate: Beigongmen Station, Metro Line 4.
- West Gate: listed with "Xijiao Metro Line".
Audio guides in 19 languages are collected at the East Palace Gate, North Palace Gate, North Ruyi Gate and New Palace Gate, and returned at the South Ruyi Gate. Guide desks at the East Palace Gate, North Palace Gate and New Palace Gate offer Chinese, English, Russian and other languages. Not allowed in: wheeled devices other than wheelchairs, baby strollers and children's scooter-strollers, plus toy cars, fishing gear, kites and drones. When gates or inner sites start temporary crowd control, follow staff and queue in order.
Can I get a refund on Summer Palace tickets?
- Used tickets cannot be refunded. Combined and site tickets cannot be partly refunded.
- Unused tickets: request the refund yourself up to 11:00 on the visit day (inclusive) and no no-show is recorded. A refund requested after 11:00 counts as one no-show.
- At most one no-show is counted per person per day. After 3 no-shows within 30 consecutive days from the first, you cannot buy tickets for 30 days, starting the day after the third.
- Money returns by the original payment route within 7 working days, with no handling fee. Refund each person in a multi-person order separately.
- Refund on the platform where you bought: a 畅游公园 ticket on 畅游公园, a 颐和园 WeChat ticket on that account. If nothing arrives in 7 working days, call 400-693-8899 (8:30-17:30).
You can get an invoice with a used e-ticket at the check-in counters of the six gates; unused or expired e-tickets cannot be exchanged for invoices.
Does the same booking work for the Temple of Heaven, Beihai and Jingshan?
Yes—the same platform sells e-tickets for nine municipal parks: the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Beihai Park, Jingshan Park, Zhongshan Park, Xiangshan Park, Beijing Zoo, Yuyuantan Park and Taoranting Park. The Beijing government's English guide provides a separate ticket guide for China National Botanical Garden, says Zizhuyuan Park is free with no reservation required, and directs visitors to other parks' own ticketing platforms; the prices, hours and refund rules above apply to the Summer Palace.
Planning more of Beijing? See the Beijing travel guide, and our pages on Forbidden City tickets, Tiananmen Square reservations and Mutianyu Great Wall tickets.
Resale rules and how we can help
The platform says individuals and organisations may not use accounts registered on it for profit, for example buying and selling on behalf of others, raising or lowering prices, or unauthorised bundling or packaging. Such behaviour will be dealt with severely according to law.
We don't sell Summer Palace tickets. We can help you plan the day and tell you how to book. A local guide or a private car for the day is possible; send your dates for a quote.
