Seoul's Royal Palaces and Jongmyo: Hours, Tickets, Closing Days (2026)

• Check the weekday first. The closing day is the main trap (table below).
• Last entry is one hour before closing at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Jongmyo. Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung stop admitting at 20:00.
• Bring ID if you plan to use a discount; free groups must show proof.
• Wear shoes you can walk in. Courtyards are stone and gravel. See etiquette for shoes and quiet-zone habits.

The sign for the ticket office is 매표소maepyosoTicket office. A single ticket is a 관람권gwallamgwonAdmission ticket. The combined ticket is the 통합관람권tonghapgwallamgwonCombined ticket. A closing day is a 휴궁일hyugungilPalace closing day.

If the regular closing day falls on a public holiday, the site opens that day and closes on the next non-holiday instead. For station-to-station directions see the Seoul subway guide.

As of October 2026, the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center lists these adult fees for foreign visitors aged 19 to 64:

The 통합관람권tonghapgwallamgwonCombined ticket costs ₩6,000 and is valid for six months. It covers the four palaces and Jongmyo, but not the Huwon garden. You can buy it at the ticket office of any of them. Refunds are only possible at the palace where you bought it, and not once any one section has been torn off.

It pays off if you visit Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung (₩6,000 together at single prices) plus anything else. For one or two cheap sites, single tickets cost less.

Visitors aged 18 or under and 65 or over are free (foreign nationals), and so are some other groups. Group rates apply from 10 people.

Free entry in hanbok

Wearing 한복hanbokKorean traditional clothes gets you in free at the palaces and Jongmyo. The rule applies to foreign visitors too. Under the official guidelines:

• You need a jacket with a wrap-over collar (jeogori) and trousers or a skirt.
• A jacket over jeans, or hanbok trousers with a T-shirt, does not count.
• A one-piece dress without a jeogori does not count.
• The Huwon garden tour is not free for hanbok wearers.

Be ready to pay if the gate officer decides a set does not qualify.

Free days

• Wednesdays (Culture Day): since the May 2026 notice, free entry is being extended to every Wednesday. Deoksugung has been free since August 5. Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo became free every Wednesday from October 7. Gyeongbokgung is not yet included. The Huwon garden is excluded.
• October 29 to November 15, 2026 (Korea Grand Festival): the palaces and Jongmyo are free, except on closing days and for the Huwon special tour.

경복궁GyeongbokgungGyeongbokgung Palace is the largest and the main palace. Walk straight through the gate to the throne hall, Geunjeongjeon, then to the Gyeonghoeru pavilion on its pond. The walking routes on the official site take 40, 60 or 90 minutes.

Hours: 09:00 to 18:00 in March to May and September to October, 09:00 to 17:00 from November to February, and 09:00 to 18:30 in June to August. Closed Tuesday. The fee is ₩3,000.

As of October 2026, entry to the stone terrace in front of Geunjeongjeon is restricted until October 31.

Royal guard changing ceremony

In front of the main gate, 광화문GwanghwamunGwanghwamun Gate, the changing of the royal guard runs at 10:00 and 14:00, according to Visit Seoul. It may be cancelled in heavy rain or snow. There is no ceremony on Tuesday, because the palace is closed.

Night opening

Gyeongbokgung has a night programme in some seasons, with timed tickets and advance reservation. The latest notices I checked showed no open night session. Look at the Gyeongbokgung page for new dates.

창덕궁ChangdeokgungChangdeokgung Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The halls, such as Injeongjeon, are open for a ₩3,000 ticket. Hours are 09:00 to 18:00 from February to May and September to October, 09:00 to 18:30 in June to August, and 09:00 to 17:30 from November to January. Closed Monday.

The Huwon (Secret Garden) tour

후원huwonRear garden is a royal garden behind the halls. You can only enter on a timed guided tour, and you also need the ₩3,000 hall ticket. The Huwon ticket is ₩5,000.

As of October 2026, the official timetable has these slots, March to October for Korean and March to November for English:

• English: 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30
• Korean: hourly, 10:00 to 16:00
• Japanese: 13:30 on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
• Chinese: 12:30 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

Each tour admits 100 people in a given language, half from online sales and half from the ticket office. Online booking opens at 10:00, six days before your visit, and closes one day before. Ticket-office tickets go on sale at 09:00 on the day, first come, first served. In April, May, October and November the official page warns they sell out very fast. Use the reservation link on the official viewing-fee page. The combined ticket does not cover Huwon.

창경궁ChanggyeonggungChanggyeonggung Palace is next door to Changdeokgung and costs ₩1,000. It is open 09:00 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:00, so it works for an evening visit. In the evening only part of the palace stays open. Visitors are moved to the night zone at 18:00 in spring and autumn, and at 17:30 from November to February. Closed Monday.

From November 10 to 15, 2026 the regular night visits stop for a special programme, "Dongwoldongnak". Daytime visits run 09:00 to 17:30 then.

덕수궁DeoksugungDeoksugung Palace sits beside Seoul City Hall. It is open 09:00 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:00, and costs ₩1,000. Closed Monday. Outer wall repairs run from September 21 to November 19, 2026, so some views may be blocked.

The Seokjojeon hall is visited on a reserved guided tour only. Guard changes take place in front of Daehanmun gate every day but Monday. Visit Seoul lists 11:00, 14:00 and 15:30. VisitKorea lists only 11:00 and 14:00. The ceremony is skipped in rain and in extreme heat or cold. Check on the day.

Gyeonghuigung is the quietest of the five palaces. Visit Seoul lists it as free, open Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 18:00, closed Monday, next to the Seoul Museum of History. These details come from a listing that is several years old, so check before you go.

종묘JongmyoRoyal ancestral shrine honours Joseon kings and queens and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It costs ₩1,000 and is closed on Tuesday. Hours are 09:00 to 18:00 now, and 09:00 to 17:30 from November to January.

Entry depends on the day. On Monday, Thursday and Friday you enter at fixed times with a guide and walk about 50 minutes. On Saturday, Sunday, public holidays and Wednesdays (Culture Day) you can walk in on your own. The timed English tours are at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00. During the Korea Grand Festival the guided English tours are at 10:00 and 14:00, and there are no foreign-language tours on Saturday. Entry is free from October 29 to November 15, and on Wednesdays. The Chuhyang Daeje autumn ritual is on November 7.

Half a day (Wednesday to Sunday): Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 5 at 09:00. Walk to the main gate for the 10:00 ceremony, then explore the palace until about noon.

One day (Wednesday to Sunday): Do the half-day plan, then take Line 3 to Anguk for the 14:30 English Huwon tour. Finish at Changgyeonggung, which stays open until 21:00. On Monday and Tuesday, change the plan: Monday has Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo, Tuesday has Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung.

For seasonal timing see Autumn foliage and Korea in October. For more days in the city, see the Seoul guide and Seoul in 3 days.