Gyeongbokgung Palace
The great royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and the changing of the guard twice a day.
Duration
2 hrs – 3 hrs
Best time
At opening
Open
Closed Tuesday
Entry price
3000 KRW
The palace was founded in 1395, destroyed in the Japanese invasion of 1592, left in ruins for two and a half centuries, then rebuilt in 1867 with over three hundred buildings. The Japanese occupation demolished nearly all of it from 1911; the restoration under way since 1990 has returned about a quarter.
The changing of the guard takes place twice a day in front of Gwanghwamun gate, in uniforms reconstructed from court records. Entry is free for anyone wearing hanbok, and hire shops line the palace.
Getting there
Subway line 3, Gyeongbokgung station, exit 5: it comes out inside the grounds. Or line 5, Gwanghwamun station, exit 2.
What the price covers
adult entry; free under 19, over 65, and in full hanbok.
What to bring
- Covering clothes
Rules on site
Closed on Tuesday, unlike the city's other palaces: that is the commonest mistake. Hiring a hanbok makes entry free and pays for itself at the first palace.
Checked on 29 August 2026 at Royal Palaces of Korea — entrance fees
Other places in Seoul
- Bukchon Hanok VillageSix hundred lived-in traditional houses, between the two royal palaces.
- Gwangjang MarketThe country's oldest covered market, its mung bean pancakes and its beef tartare.
N Seoul TowerThe Namsan mountain tower, and the city through three hundred and sixty degrees.
- Demilitarised ZoneThe most closed border in the world, fifty kilometres from the capital.