Gyeongbokgung Palace Visitor Guide: Hours, Tickets, Free Hanbok Entry and the Guard Ceremony

Gwanghwamun Gate, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, under a clear sky
Gwanghwamun Gate. Photo: *Youngjin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

If you only have time for one palace in Seoul, make it Gyeongbokgung (경복궁). It was founded in 1395, at the start of the Joseon dynasty, and it is the largest of the city's five royal palaces. It is also the easiest to get wrong: people show up on a Tuesday, arrive after the last entry, or pay for a ticket when they were wearing hanbok and could have walked in free.

This guide is a checklist. Go through it before you leave your hotel and your visit will be smooth. All hours and prices below come from the official Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (궁능유적본부) website, checked in November 2026.

At a glance: closed every Tuesday · adults 3,000 won · free in hanbok · last entry one hour before closing · guard ceremony at 10:00 and 14:00

Check 1: Is it open today?

Gyeongbokgung is closed every Tuesday. There is one exception: if a Tuesday is a public holiday, the palace opens, and it closes on the next day that is not a holiday instead. If your trip includes a Tuesday, use that day for somewhere else. Other palaces in Seoul have different closing days, so one of them can often fill a Tuesday.

Check 2: What time do you need to arrive?

Opening hours change with the season. Entry always stops one hour before closing.

  • November to February: 09:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00)
  • March to May, and September to October: 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00)
  • June to August: 09:00–18:30 (last entry 17:30)

The palace is big. A relaxed walk through the main halls takes about two hours, and longer if you stop for photos. In winter, try to be inside by 14:00 so you are not rushing before the 17:00 close.

Check 3: Do you need a ticket?

For most adult visitors, yes, and it is cheap.

  • Adults: 3,000 won. For foreign visitors, "adult" means ages 19 to 64.
  • Groups of 10 or more: 2,400 won per person.
  • Free for foreign visitors aged 18 or under, and 65 or over. Bring your passport in case staff ask for proof of age.
  • Free for anyone wearing hanbok (한복), Korean traditional clothing. More on that below.
  • Combined palace ticket: 6,000 won, covering one visit each to Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine. The official site says it can be used within 6 months.

One thing to know: Korea's heritage agency has said it is reviewing palace admission fees. If you are reading this a while after November 2026, take a quick look at the official price page before you go.

Check 4: Will you wear hanbok?

Wearing hanbok is the most popular way to visit, and it gets you in free. You will see rental shops on the streets around the palace, especially near Gyeongbokgung Station. Prices and rental times differ from shop to shop, so compare a couple before you choose.

  • Rent close to the palace so you don't spend your rental time on the subway.
  • Hanbok skirts are long. Wear comfortable flat shoes; the palace courtyards are uneven stone.
  • In winter, ask whether the shop has a padded vest or coat to go over it. November and December afternoons can be cold.

Check 5: Do you want to see the guard ceremony?

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (수문장 교대의식) recreates the changing of the palace gate guards, with drums, flags and guards in bright Joseon-era uniforms. It is free to watch, and you don't need a palace ticket because it takes place around the gates at the front of the palace.

  • Times: 10:00 and 14:00, about 20 minutes each.
  • Not held on Tuesdays, when the palace is closed.
  • It can be cancelled for extreme weather. In August 2026 it was paused during a severe heat warning, so if the forecast is extreme, don't plan your whole morning around it.

A good plan is to arrive around 09:45, watch the 10:00 ceremony, and then walk in through the gates as it finishes.

Check 6: Know the three buildings you can't miss

Geunjeongjeon, the main throne hall of Gyeongbokgung, behind a wide stone courtyard
Geunjeongjeon Hall. Photo: Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

1. Geunjeongjeon (근정전), the throne hall. This is the big double-roofed hall you see in every photo of the palace. Kings held major state ceremonies here. Look at the stone courtyard in front: the rows of small stone markers show where officials stood, arranged by rank.

Inside Geunjeongjeon, with red pillars, painted ceiling and the royal throne
Inside Geunjeongjeon. Photo: Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

You can't walk inside, but you can look in through the open doors at the throne and the painted ceiling. Go to the front steps for the clearest view.

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion standing on stone pillars over a pond, reflected in the water
Gyeonghoeru Pavilion. Photo: Frank Schulenburg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

2. Gyeonghoeru (경회루), the banquet pavilion. A large pavilion on stone pillars in the middle of a square pond, used for royal banquets and receptions for foreign envoys. On a still day the whole building is reflected in the water. This is the best photo spot in the palace.

3. Gwanghwamun (광화문), the main gate. You will pass through it on the way in, but step back across the road for the full view, with Bugaksan mountain rising behind the palace.

Check 7: How will you get there?

  • Subway Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station (경복궁역): follow the signs for Exit 5, which leads toward the palace.
  • Subway Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station (광화문역): walk north through Gwanghwamun Square to the main gate.

Both stations take a T-money card. If you haven't set one up yet, our T-money guide explains how foreigners pay for the subway and buses in Seoul.

A simple half-day route

  1. 09:45 · Arrive at Gwanghwamun and find a spot for the guard ceremony.
  2. 10:00 · Watch the ceremony (about 20 minutes).
  3. 10:20 · Buy your ticket, or walk straight in if you are in hanbok.
  4. 10:30 · Geunjeongjeon courtyard and the throne hall.
  5. 11:15 · Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and the pond.
  6. 12:00 · Wander the quieter halls behind, then head out for lunch.

Quick answers

  • Which day is it closed? Every Tuesday, unless the Tuesday is a public holiday.
  • Is it really free in hanbok? Yes. Hanbok wearers are on the official free-entry list.
  • Who do I call with questions? The Gyeongbokgung office: 02-3700-3900. Staff may not always speak English, so a translation app helps.

Checked in November 2026 on the official Royal Palaces and Tombs Center website. Hours, prices and events can change.

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