Seoul's Five Royal Palaces in One Page: Closed Days, Hours, Tickets, Guard Ceremonies
Seoul has five Joseon-era royal palaces within a few subway stops of each other, and the single most common mistake visitors make is showing up on the one day a palace is closed. Four of them (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung) are run by the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Korea Heritage Service; the fifth, Gyeonghuigung, is run by the Seoul Museum of History and is free.
Everything below comes from the official palace websites as of 23 August 2026. Hours and fees do change (a public hearing on palace admission fees was pinned on the official notice board when we checked), so treat the official site as the final word on the day you go.
Quick comparison table
| Palace | Closed | Hours (last entry) | Adult fee | Nearest subway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung | Tuesday | Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec 09:00–17:00 (16:00) Mar–May, Sep–Oct 09:00–18:00 (17:00) Jun–Aug 09:00–18:30 (17:30) | 3,000 won | Line 3 Gyeongbokgung Stn Exit 5 (2 min) |
| Changdeokgung | Monday | Feb–May, Sep–Oct 09:00–18:00 (17:00) Jun–Aug 09:00–18:30 (17:30) Nov–Jan 09:00–17:30 (16:30) | 3,000 won (+5,000 for Secret Garden) | Line 3 Anguk Stn Exit 3 (5 min) |
| Changgyeonggung | Monday | Year-round 09:00–21:00 (20:00) | 1,000 won | Line 4 Hyehwa Stn Exit 4 (about 12 min) |
| Deoksugung | Monday | Year-round 09:00–21:00 (20:00) | 1,000 won | Line 1/2 City Hall Stn Exit 2 (2 min) |
| Gyeonghuigung | Monday, 1 Jan | 09:00–18:00 (17:30) | Free | Line 5 Gwanghwamun Stn Exit 7 or Seodaemun Stn Exit 4 (via Seoul Museum of History) |
If a regular closed day falls on a public holiday, the palace opens that day and closes on the next non-holiday instead. Korean and foreign visitors pay the same prices.
Who gets in free
- Anyone wearing hanbok. This is written into the official fee rules for the four Heritage Service palaces and applies at the gate. The official fee page does not publish a detailed dress-code definition, so if you are renting, ask the rental shop what is accepted.
- Foreign visitors aged 18 and under, and everyone 65 and over. (Korean nationals are free up to age 24.) Bring a passport or ID if you are near the cut-off.
- Last Wednesday of every month ("Culture Day"): the four Heritage Service palaces are free. Changdeokgung's Secret Garden is excluded.
- Gyeonghuigung is free every day.
The integrated palace ticket (6,000 won)
The Royal Palace Integrated Ticket costs 6,000 won and is valid for 6 months from purchase. It covers one entry each to Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine. Since 20 May 2024 it no longer includes Changdeokgung's Secret Garden (the old 10,000-won, 3-month version did). You buy it at the ticket booth of any of the four palaces or Jongmyo. Refunds are only possible at the booth where you bought it, and not once any part has been used.
The math: the four palaces separately cost 3,000 + 3,000 + 1,000 + 1,000 = 8,000 won, so the ticket saves 2,000 won even before Jongmyo. It is not worth buying if you are in hanbok or qualify for free entry.
Changdeokgung's Secret Garden
The Huwon (Secret Garden) is run separately from the palace (5,000 won on top of the 3,000-won palace ticket), sold online in advance or on site on a first-come basis. It deserves its own planning, so see /guide/changdeokgung-secret-garden for booking steps and tour languages.
Night visits: which palaces, and when
- Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung are the easy ones: both are open until 21:00 every day they operate (last entry 20:00), all year, on the regular ticket. No special event is needed.
- Gyeongbokgung runs ticketed night-viewing seasons in spring and autumn. The autumn 2026 season announced on the official notice board (18 Aug 2026) runs 2 September – 2 October 2026, 19:00–21:30 (last entry 20:30), closed Mondays and Tuesdays, with online first-come sales from 26 August 10:00. Press coverage of the announcement says a daily quota of 300 tickets is set aside for foreign visitors with on-site sales at the Gwanghwamun ticket office (2 per person). The fee was not stated in the notice summary we saw; check the notice itself. This season's notice came out about a week before sales opened; for future seasons, check the notice board for a title with the year and 상반기 (first half) or 하반기 (second half).
- Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour is a separate guided evening program (30,000 won, lottery-based ticketing). The autumn 2026 run is 10 September – 17 October, Thursday to Sunday, with designated foreign-visitor sessions on four Sundays sold through a separate platform. Details are on the Korea Heritage Agency event page linked in the sources.
- Gyeonghuigung has no regular night opening.
Guard-changing ceremonies (free, no ticket)
- Gyeongbokgung: Royal Guard Changing Ceremony at 10:00 and 14:00 (about 20 minutes) at the Gwanghwamun / Heungnyemun area, plus a shorter Gwanghwamun sentry ceremony at 11:00 and 13:00 (about 10 minutes) and a public guard drill at 09:35 and 13:35 (about 15 minutes). The official program page notes the schedule can change for road conditions or demonstrations; on palace closed days (Tuesday) check the notice board. It is also suspended during extreme heat: the palace posted a suspension notice during a heat-wave warning on 5 August 2026, so check the notice board in midsummer.
- Deoksugung: Royal Guard Changing Ceremony at 11:00 and 14:00 in front of Daehanmun Gate, every day except Monday. It can be cancelled for weather. Because Daehanmun faces the street, you can watch without entering the palace.
A workable one-day route
Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung sit in a row along Yulgok-ro, with Bukchon between the first two; Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung are connected by an internal gate. Deoksugung is across from City Hall, and Gyeonghuigung is a short walk west of Gwanghwamun. A common pattern is Gyeongbokgung in the morning (catch the 10:00 ceremony), Changdeokgung after lunch, then Deoksugung or Changgyeonggung in the evening when they stay open late. Remember the closed days do not line up: on a Monday only Gyeongbokgung is open; on a Tuesday, the other four.
For getting between them, see /guide/getting-around. For what to wear in each season, see /guide/seasons-and-packing.
FAQ
Q. Which Seoul palace is open on Monday?
Only Gyeongbokgung. Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung all close on Mondays. Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays instead. If the closed day is a public holiday, the palace opens and closes on the next regular day.
Q. Is palace entry really free if I wear hanbok?
Yes. Wearing hanbok is listed as a free-admission category in the official fee rules for Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung. The official page does not publish a detailed dress definition, so ask your rental shop.
Q. Does the integrated ticket include the Secret Garden?
No. Since 20 May 2024 the 6,000-won, 6-month integrated ticket covers the four palaces and Jongmyo but excludes Changdeokgung's Secret Garden, which needs its own 5,000-won timed ticket.
Q. Do foreigners pay more than Koreans?
No, fees are the same. Foreign visitors 18 and under and everyone 65 and over are free.
Q. Can I visit a palace at night without a special ticket?
Yes, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung are open until 21:00 (last entry 20:00) year-round on the normal ticket. Gyeongbokgung's night viewing is a ticketed seasonal event announced on the official notice board.
Q. What time is the guard-changing ceremony?
Gyeongbokgung: 10:00 and 14:00 (the palace itself is closed Tuesdays; check the notice board). Deoksugung: 11:00 and 14:00 at Daehanmun Gate (not Mondays). Both are free and can be cancelled for extreme weather.
Sources
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center – Opening hours and closed days (관람시간) — checked 2026-08-23
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center – Admission fees, free-entry rules, integrated ticket (관람요금) — checked 2026-08-23
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center – Notice: integrated ticket change from 20 May 2024 — checked 2026-08-23
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center – Notice board (2026 H2 Gyeongbokgung night viewing, heat-wave ceremony suspension) — checked 2026-08-23
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center – Directions: Gyeongbokgung — checked 2026-08-23
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center – Directions: Changdeokgung — checked 2026-08-23
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center – Directions: Changgyeonggung — checked 2026-08-23
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center – Directions: Deoksugung — checked 2026-08-23
- Seoul Museum of History – Gyeonghuigung visitor information — checked 2026-08-23
- Seoul Museum of History – Subway directions — checked 2026-08-23
- Korea Heritage Agency – Gyeongbokgung Royal Guard Changing Ceremony program — checked 2026-08-23
- Seoul Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (Deoksugung) – Schedule — checked 2026-08-23
- Korea Heritage Agency – 2026 Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour (second half) ticketing notice — checked 2026-08-23
- Herald Economy – 2026 H2 Gyeongbokgung night viewing: daily quota and foreign-visitor sales — checked 2026-08-23
Written and maintained by OPDADA · Last checked 2026-08-23 · Spotted an error? Let us know. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, prices and schedules change — confirm with the official source before you act.