For each sight on your list, ask four questions: is a reservation needed, what ID does it accept, is there a fixed time slot, and what happens if you cannot go. Answer these from the official channel, because rules differ between sights and change.
It is stressful to hear that a famous place is “fully booked” after you have flown in. A short check at home takes that worry away.
What are the four questions?
Write the answers next to each sight in your plan.
- Reservation: is walk-up entry allowed, or must you book ahead?
- Identity: does the system take a foreign passport, and must the booking name match?
- Time slot: is there a fixed entry window, and how early does it open?
- Changes: can you refund or move it, and are there penalties for missing it?
Then look up the official channel. Reports on blogs may be old, so confirm the date of anything you read.
What does a strict system look like?
The Forbidden City shows the most careful kind. Every visitor needs a real-name advance reservation, and same-day walk-up entry is not available[1]. Tickets open for reservation at 20:00, seven days before the visit[2].
International visitors can book with a passport and must bring the original passport used for the booking[3]. The site is closed on Mondays except national holidays[4].
Book only through the official Palace Museum mini-program, as no third parties are authorised to sell tickets[5]. Refunds are free before 24:00 the day before the visit, and not at all once checked[6].
What about a booking window that opens earlier?
Other sights open their calendar sooner. Mutianyu on the Great Wall requires real-name booking with an ID card, permanent resident card or passport, limited to one ticket per document per day[7]. Tickets can be reserved up to 15 days in advance[8].
Jiuzhaigou follows the same idea. Tickets are booked online in advance under real names, with no ticket window at the scenic spot, per the park administration as reported in secondary sources[9]. Confirm on the official channel before you rely on it.
Do some sights still sell at the gate?
Yes, and some need only your passport. At the Terracotta Army museum, passports or ID cards are needed to buy tickets and enter[10]. Carry your original passport on any sightseeing day, not a copy.
For cave sites such as Mogao, reports conflict on whether foreign passport holders can complete online booking[11]. In that case ask an agency or the official reservation centre for the current method, and allow extra days.
How should this shape your route?
Place booked-slot sights where a delay will not hurt. Do not put one on the morning after a long train. Leave a buffer, using the advice in how to plan rest days.
If your photography depends on a fixed hour, such as a first-entry slot, treat that slot as the anchor and build the day around it.
What should you do next?
List your sights, answer the four questions and set a booking date for each. The attractions topic page gathers sight guides, and the booking topic page covers train and flight timing.
Before you finalise the order of cities, read how to read train and flight times so your ticket day and your travel day do not collide.