Choose a palace that suits your interests
The palaces differ in scale, layout and history. Allow two or three hours for a first visit to one of the larger sites, then decide whether you want to explore another.
Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) is the founding palace of the Joseon dynasty and the one to pick if you get one. Its large, formal courtyards and reconstructed ceremonial buildings give it a monumental character. It sits at the head of the city's axis with the mountain behind it, the changing of the guard happens at its gate, and the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum are inside the grounds. ₩3,000. Closed Tuesdays — and when a public holiday falls on a Tuesday it opens and takes the next working day off instead. Last entry is an hour before closing:
| Months | Open | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| January–February, November–December | 09:00–17:00 | 16:00 |
| March–May, September–October | 09:00–18:00 | 17:00 |
| June–August | 09:00–18:30 | 17:30 |
Changdeokgung (창덕궁) is a good choice if you are interested in a palace arranged around wooded hills and gardens. The royal family lived here for most of the dynasty, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it was laid out to follow the hill rather than flatten it, so it curves where Gyeongbokgung squares off. ₩3,000, 20% off for ten or more. Closed Mondays. 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00) February–May and September–October, to 18:30 June–August, to 17:30 November–January.
The garden is a separate booking
People leave Changdeokgung disappointed because they bought a ticket and assumed the garden came with it. Huwon (후원) is entered only on a guided session, 100 people at a time, booked separately — online at 10:00 Korean time six days before your visit, or 50 tickets at the gate from 09:00 on the day — at ₩5,000 on top of the palace ticket, and it sells out fast in April–May and October–November. If the garden is why you are going, book the session first and build the morning around the time you get. “Palace and museum tickets” has the session times by language.
Consider Deoksugung or Changgyeonggung for an evening visit
Deoksugung (덕수궁) and Changgyeonggung (창경궁): ₩1,000 each, open 09:00–21:00 with last entry at 20:00, closed Mondays. Their regular evening hours make them useful options after a day of other sightseeing. Deoksugung is the small one beside City Hall with a stone Western wing no other palace has; Changgyeonggung, next door to Changdeokgung, holds the early-twentieth-century glass Grand Greenhouse (대온실), whose evening opening has been suspended for winter maintenance before — treat an evening greenhouse plan as provisional.
Gyeonghuigung (경희궁) is free, 09:00–18:00, closed Mondays and 1 January, and mostly gone — destroyed under the occupation, with the Seoul Museum of History on part of the grounds. It is a smaller visit that you can combine with the neighbouring museum.
The combination ticket, and the free way in
The integrated ticket (궁궐 통합관람권) is ₩6,000, valid six months, one visit to each of the four palaces and Jongmyo Shrine — ₩3,000 less than five separate tickets, if you really do all five, and it does not include Huwon, so buy a separate garden ticket if you want to visit Huwon. A complete hanbok — a separate wrap-collar top over a skirt or trousers — gets you into all of them free: “Renting hanbok (한복), Korean traditional dress”.
Plan around the closing days
Gyeongbokgung emphasises formal courtyards and grand ceremonial buildings. Changdeokgung’s layout responds more closely to the surrounding terrain. Both involve walking and can reward a longer visit. On a Monday it is Gyeongbokgung by default; on a Tuesday, Changdeokgung — “It is Monday, or it is raining. What is open, and free?”.
