Royal Palace · Seoul
Changdeokgung 2026: Garden Booking, Geumhomun Entry and Japanese Tours
Decide whether you want the palace buildings, the Secret Garden, or a separately ticketed evening event. Their admission rules differ; build the rest of your day around the timed booking you actually hold.
Planning your visit
Changdeokgung combines official and residential spaces with the contours of its hillside. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center describes its role as the de facto main palace in the later Joseon period. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997, it is noted for buildings and gardens that fit the natural setting. Notice changes in level and the direction of paths between halls, and plan the Secret Garden around its separate entry conditions and time slots.
Secret Garden: advance booking and same-day tickets
Secret Garden entry uses timed sessions and a separate ticket. Online booking opens at 10:00 six days before the visit; same-day tickets are also sold at the ticket office from 09:00, subject to availability. Enter at the booked time with the guide. Once inside, the official FAQ permits either following the commentary or walking independently within the open area. Standard adult palace admission is 3,000 won and the adult garden ticket is an additional 5,000 won; hanbok free admission to the palace does not include the garden. Choose your garden session first, then leave time for the palace buildings and the uphill garden paths. An ordinary garden ticket does not include a separate night programme.
Royal Palaces · Secret Garden FAQ
Reach the garden gate before your booked time
Use the temporary Geumhomun entrance (금호문), not Donhwamun. Donhwamun is under repair. The palace entrance and garden checkpoint are different places; the official guide allows about 15 minutes from Geumhomun to the garden and recommends arriving an hour early in busy periods. Official temporary entrance notice
- Overseas cards: use the official English booking page. The Korean page lists Korean-issued cards; the English page lists overseas Visa, Mastercard and JCB. Acceptance of an individual card is not guaranteed.
- Finish payment: pay within 24 hours of booking, or by 23:59 that day for a booking made the day before your visit. Unpaid bookings are cancelled automatically. Korea and Japan share the same time zone.
- Prepare your ticket: collect paper tickets at least 15 minutes before entry. Mobile QR tickets appear from 30 minutes before entry; use the booking page → login → reservation check → booking number. Do not rely on the Korean-page notification service for an English-page booking.
The operator states that late arrivals cannot enter the garden or receive a refund. Check cancellation conditions before changing plans. If the booking link fails, return to the official guide or contact the palace at 02-3668-2300. Same-day tickets start at 09:00 but can sell out; keep a palace-only alternative. Official booking list → Secret Garden “관람정보” (visit information)
The official booking list marks regular palace-building admission free on Wednesdays. The separate garden fee and timed booking still apply. Check date-specific notices for free-admission days and special programmes.
Find your session on the English booking screen
Open the official English booking page, choose “Secret Garden tour”, then “Select Date” and “Select Hour”. For Japanese commentary, look for “Japanese”; foreign visitors should check the “Foreigner” ticket category. “SOLD OUT” means unavailable. Selecting a date or session does not complete a booking or payment. If the direct link fails, use “예약하기” on the official booking list and switch to “ENGLISH”.
Use “MY PAGE” to check your reservation and ticket. The English booking instructions do not accept a screenshot or printed reservation confirmation as an admission ticket. Be ready to open the actual mobile ticket, or collect a paper ticket before the collection deadline. Check payment and identity-verification completion in your own booking.
For visitors seeking Japanese commentary
The official Japanese guide lists Wednesday, Friday and Sunday: palace buildings at 11:00, garden at 13:30, lasting about 50 and 70–90 minutes respectively. Free commentary does not waive garden admission. Check the language, available session and temporary changes for your date. Official Japanese visitor information
The garden has slopes and earth paths that may become slippery in rain. If walking is difficult, consider the palace buildings with more breaks. Leave a buffer around your timed entry before a meal or Ikseon-dong walk. For reservation or unexpected-charge problems, use our free travel-help guide.
Autumn events and booking
The autumn 2026 Royal Culture Festival ran October 7–11 at four palaces and Jongmyo Shrine and has ended. The Heejeongdang craft exhibition also ran on those dates; do not plan on seeing it during a regular visit now. Build your visit around a confirmed Secret Garden slot. Moonlight Tour has separate announcements and booking conditions. Actual foliage depends on the weather.
Getting there & tips
| Getting in | From Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3, follow signs to temporary Geumhomun. The official roughly five-minute station-to-palace walk excludes the walk to the garden checkpoint. |
|---|---|
| Secret Garden | Enter with the guide at your ticket's time. Inside, the official FAQ allows joining the commentary or walking independently within the open area. |
| Hanbok | Compare hanbok rental duration, return time and charges for underskirts or accessories. Hanbok meeting the official dress requirements qualifies for free regular palace admission, but rental and separately ticketed programmes are not included. The entrance saving alone does not necessarily cover the rental cost. |
| Opening hours | February–May and September–October: 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00); June–August: 09:00–18:30 (17:30); November–January: 09:00–17:30 (16:30). The Secret Garden has separate timed sessions. |
| Closure | Closed Mondays. If Monday is a Korean public or substitute holiday, the palace opens and closes on the first subsequent non-holiday instead. |
| Palace admission | Regular palace admission: 3,000 won, for Korean nationals aged 25–64 and foreign visitors aged 19–64. Free for Korean nationals aged 24 or under, foreign visitors aged 18 or under, and everyone aged 65 or over. Carry proof of age or eligibility. |
| Garden admission | Secret Garden admission is 5,000 won for ages 19+ (including ages 65+) and 2,500 won for ages 7–18. Palace admission or eligibility for free palace entry is also required. Hanbok does not waive the garden fee. |
Check before you pay
Questions for planning this visit, not allegations against any business.
- Check general admission, special visits and timed programs separately. Do not assume hanbok rental or a guide is included; use the official ticket or reservation channel to verify each option.
- Before renting, confirm return time, extension increments, damage/loss charges and deposit return terms. Obtain a total for the accessories, styling or photos you want and check the item’s condition together at pickup.
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Quick answers
Must I stay with the Secret Garden guide?
Enter with the guide at your ticket's time. Inside, the official FAQ allows joining the commentary or walking independently within the open area.
How do I book and what does hanbok cover?
Online booking opens six days before at 10:00; same-day tickets are sold from 09:00 while available. Standard adult palace admission is 3,000 won, garden 5,000 won extra. Free palace admission for hanbok wearers does not include the garden.
Can I reach the palace entrance at my garden booking time?
No. Allow about 15 minutes from Geumhomun to the garden. Paper tickets must be collected at least 15 minutes before entry; the palace recommends arriving an hour early in busy periods. Late arrivals cannot enter or receive a refund under the published rule.
Can I select Japanese garden commentary on the English booking page?
Choose the date and look for Japanese under Select Hour. SOLD OUT means unavailable. Confirm payment in MY PAGE; use the actual mobile ticket or a paper ticket collected before the deadline, not a screenshot or reservation confirmation.
Sources & data: 궁능유적본부 · 관람시간 · 궁능유적본부 · 관람요금 · 궁능유적본부 · 후원 안내 · Royal Palaces · ticket prices · 국가유산청 · 2026 가을 궁중문화축전 · UNESCO · Changdeokgung Palace Complex · Royal Palaces · history · Royal Palaces · English booking / MY PAGE
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