In this guide
💡 The Short Version: General adult admission is ₩3,000 on the Korea Heritage Service royal palace portal (visitors under 19 and over 65 enter free), bought on arrival at automated ticket kiosks. Anyone wearing full traditional Hanbok costume enters free under official heritage admission guidelines and walks straight past the ticket queues. The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony takes place at 10:00 and 14:00 daily (except Tuesdays) outside Gwanghwamun Gate and is free to watch without entering the palace. Gyeongbokgung is closed on Tuesdays; visit Changdeokgung Palace on Tuesdays instead. Or book a guided tour: the Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace Half Day Tourad starts from ₩56,000 on GetYourGuide. Or book ahead: renting traditional attire through the Hanbok rental at Gyeongbokgung on Klookad{rel=“sponsored nofollow noopener”} secures your fitting time in advance and gives you free entry through the palace gates.
Gyeongbokgung Palace ticket prices
Tickets are sold at the ticket concourse between Gwanghwamun Gate and Heungnyemun Gate. Staffed ticket booths and multilingual automated ticket vending machines accept KRW cash banknotes and international credit cards.
| Ticket category | Age eligibility | Admission price | Purchasing requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Adult | Ages 19 to 64 | ₩3,000 | Buy at ticket booths, automated kiosks, or enter with Discover Seoul Pass |
| Under 19 | Ages 18 and under | Free | Proof of age (passport) presented at the ticket counter |
| Seniors | Ages 65 and above | Free | Present passport at staffed ticket booth to collect complimentary entry slip |
| Hanbok Wearers | Any age / nationality | Free | Walk directly to the ticket barrier in traditional dress without collecting a ticket |
| Integrated Palace Ticket | Ages 19 and above | ₩10,000 | Covers Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine; the Changdeokgung Huwon garden tour is paid separately; valid for 3 months |
Tours and guided palace walks
The official ticket without a guide is cheaper than any of these. They make sense when official dates sell out, or when you want an expert to decode Joseon dynasty court politics, royal architecture, and Confucian ceremonial layouts.
Seoul City Highlights Palace Tour and Optional Hanbok
From ₩87,283 · 4.9 stars from 1,100 reviews · 4 hours · guided royal palace walk
Seoul: Half-Day City Highlights & Palace Tour with Hanbokad: An English-speaking licensed guide walks you through Gwanghwamun Gate into Geunjeongjeon Throne Hall, explaining royal Joseon court ceremonies and architectural hierarchies. An option includes traditional Hanbok rental with fitting assistance before entering.
Seoul Hanbok Rental with Gyeongbokgung Palace Entry
From ₩10,000 · 4.6 stars from 1,030 reviews · 1 hour - 1 day · traditional costume hire
Seoul: Hanbok Rental with Gyeongbokgung Palace Entryad: Pick up traditional Korean attire near Anguk or Gyeongbokgung stations, with hair styling and accessories included. Wearing complete Hanbok waives the official palace admission fee at all municipal Joseon gates.
Seoul: Full-Day Essential City Tour with Palace & Temple
From ₩80,464 · 4.9 stars from 910 reviews · 8 - 8.5 hours · hotel pickup & lunch
Seoul: Highlights of Seoul Full-Day Tourad: Combines Gyeongbokgung Palace with Jogyesa Temple, the Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae), Insadong, and traditional food markets. Includes air-conditioned coach travel, an English-speaking guide, and a sit-down Korean lunch.
Seoul: Gyeongbok Palace & N Seoul Tower with Cable Car
From ₩35,459 · 4.8 stars from 1,027 reviews · 4 - 8 hours · coach transport & observatory
Seoul Highlights: Gyeongbok Palace, Insadong & N Seoul Towerad: Pairs morning history at Gyeongbokgung Palace with an afternoon ascent of Mount Namsan via the Namsan Cable Car, with entry to the N Seoul Tower observatory deck included.
Official ticket or tour: the prices side by side
Independent entry versus guided historical tours.
| Option | Official admission | Tour cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official palace admission | ₩3,000 (free wearing Hanbok) | — | Palace grounds, Geunjeongjeon, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Folk Museum |
| Hanbok rental package | Free entry wearing Hanbok | From ₩10,000 | Traditional Joseon dress hire (2–4 hrs) plus free palace entry |
| Palace highlights guided tour | Included in tour | From ₩87,283 | Live English commentary on Joseon history, architecture, and politics |
| Full-day city highlights tour | Included in tour | From ₩80,464 | Gyeongbokgung, Jogyesa Temple, Insadong, transport, lunch |
Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (Sumunjang)
The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony recreates the ceremonial changing of the guard protocol conducted during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). The guards wear traditional silk robes in red, blue, and yellow, carry ceremonial weapons and royal flags, and march to the sound of traditional gongs (ching) and drums (buk).
| Ceremony event | Daily performance times | Duration | Location | Admission cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Guard Changing Ceremony | 10:00 and 14:00 | 20 minutes | Gwanghwamun Gate outer plaza | Free (no ticket required) |
| Gwanghwamun Guard Duty Performance | 11:00 and 13:00 | 10 minutes | Gwanghwamun Gate outer threshold | Free (guards stand at guard posts for photos) |
| Sumungun Military Drill (Training) | 10:35 and 14:35 | 15 minutes | Hyeopsaengmun Gate (inside palace grounds) | Included in palace admission |
[!NOTE] The ceremonies are cancelled on Tuesdays (when the palace is closed) and during severe weather conditions, including torrential rain, severe air quality warnings, or extreme sub-zero conditions.
Geunjeongjeon Throne Hall standing above its tiered flagstone courtyard. Photo: Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hanbok free admission and rental guide
Since 2013, the Cultural Heritage Administration has offered free admission to all royal palaces for visitors dressed in full traditional Korean Hanbok. This initiative is open to both domestic visitors and international tourists.
- Costume requirements: To claim free admission, visitors must wear two-piece traditional Hanbok:
- Women: Top jacket (jeogori) and traditional wrap skirt (chima).
- Men: Top jacket (jeogori) and traditional trousers (baji).
- The garments must be fastened properly. Modern modified Hanbok (gaeryang hanbok) is permitted provided it reflects traditional top-and-bottom form. Wearing an open Hanbok vest over modern street clothes or denim jeans will result in rejection at the ticket gate.
- Where to rent: Dozens of Hanbok rental shophouses operate along the lanes surrounding Gyeongbokgung Station (Subway Line 3, Exits 2, 3, and 4) and Anguk Station (Line 3, Exit 1).
- Rental costs:
- Standard traditional Hanbok: ₩15,000 to ₩20,000 for 2 hours (₩20,000 to ₩25,000 for 4 hours).
- Premium or royal court silk Hanbok (Theme Hanbok): ₩25,000 to ₩35,000 for 2 to 4 hours.
- Rentals typically include basic hairstyling with traditional braided hair ribbons (daenggi), hair pins, and a coordinating silk coin handbag. Lockers are provided to store street clothes and shoes.
- Online booking: Rental agencies like Hanboknam or In Korea Hanbok can be reserved online through Klook or KKday to secure rental packages.
Operating hours and seasonal schedule
Gyeongbokgung’s grounds span 40 hectares, requiring roughly 90 to 120 minutes to explore.
| Season | Opening time | Last entry | Gates close |
|---|---|---|---|
| March to May | 09:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 |
| June to August | 09:00 | 17:30 | 18:30 |
| September to October | 09:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 |
| November to February | 09:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 |
- Closed day: Closed every Tuesday. If a national public holiday occurs on a Tuesday, the palace remains open and closes on the following Wednesday instead.
- Night viewings (Yagan Gwanram): Special evening openings run during spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October), when the throne hall and water pavilions are floodlit from 19:00 to 21:30. A strict quota of tickets is released; foreign visitors wearing Hanbok or presenting passports can often purchase designated walk-up quota tickets at the ticket booths.
Key sights within the palace grounds
- Gwanghwamun Gate: The southern gateway facing Gwanghwamun Square. The central arch was reserved solely for the Joseon king.
- Geunjeongjeon (Throne Hall): National Treasure No. 223. The largest wooden pavilion in Gyeongbokgung, where kings presided over coronation rituals, foreign diplomatic receptions, and morning court councils. The stone courtyard features stone markers (Pumgyeseok) dictating where officials knelt according to rank.
- Gyeonghoeru Pavilion: National Treasure No. 224. A two-storey banquet pavilion raised on 48 stone pillars over a rectangular lotus pond, backed by Mount Inwangsan. It is depicted on the reverse of the South Korean ₩10,000 banknote.
- Hyangwonjeong Pavilion: A two-storey hexagonal wooden pavilion situated on an islet in the northern pond, connected by the wooden Chwihyanggyo bridge.
- National Folk Museum of Korea: Located on the eastern perimeter of the palace grounds. Admission is free with your palace ticket (or entered directly from the eastern gate). It showcases agricultural life, traditional rituals, and Joseon domestic culture.
- National Palace Museum of Korea: Situated directly inside the southwest precinct near Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 5. Features free entry and houses over 40,000 royal Joseon artefacts, astronomical clocks, royal palanquins, and royal seals.
How to get to Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Subway: Take Seoul Metro Line 3 (Orange Line) to Gyeongbokgung Station and leave via Exit 5. The underground passage connects directly to the outer palace courtyard adjacent to the National Palace Museum. Alternatively, take Subway Line 5 (Purple Line) to Gwanghwamun Station (Exit 2) and walk 5 minutes north across Gwanghwamun Square.
- From Myeongdong: Take Subway Line 4 north from Myeongdong to Chungmuro (1 stop), transfer to Line 3, and travel north to Gyeongbokgung Station (total journey 15 minutes).
- Onward sightseeing: From the eastern gate of Gyeongbokgung, cross the street into the traditional lanes of Samcheong-dong and walk into Bukchon Hanok Village, or walk 15 minutes east to explore Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden.
Common questions
How much is admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace?
Adult admission is ₩3,000. Visitors under 19 and over 65 enter free, as does anyone wearing full traditional Korean Hanbok.
What time is the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony at Gyeongbokgung?
The full Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (Sumunjang) takes place twice daily at 10:00 and 14:00 outside Gwanghwamun Gate and lasts 20 minutes. The Gwanghwamun Guard Duty performance takes place at 11:00 and 13:00. Both ceremonies are free to view without buying a palace ticket.
Which day is Gyeongbokgung Palace closed?
Gyeongbokgung Palace is closed every Tuesday. If a national public holiday falls on a Tuesday, the palace remains open on Tuesday and closes on the subsequent Wednesday instead.
Do I need to book Gyeongbokgung Palace tickets in advance?
No advance reservation is necessary for general daytime admission. You can buy tickets on arrival at the automated ticket machines or staffed ticket booths near Heungnyemun Gate. If wearing a full Hanbok costume, you walk straight through the ticket check gates without collecting a physical ticket.
What are the rules for free Hanbok entry at Gyeongbokgung?
To qualify for free admission, visitors must wear traditional Hanbok comprising both top (jeogori) and bottom (chima skirt for women, baji trousers for men). Modern fused Hanbok is accepted if it adheres to traditional two-piece shapes. T-shirts worn over or beneath unfastened Hanbok do not qualify.
