From 29 October to 15 November 2026 the four Seoul palaces, Jongmyo and the royal tombs are free, except the Changdeokgung Secret Garden special tour and closing days. The Royal Palace Pass does not cover the Secret Garden. Outside those dates, Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung cost ₩3,000 for an adult, and hanbok gets you in free today. The Pass is ₩6,000 on most official pages and ₩10,000 on one, so ask at the window. We read the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center notice of 30 September 2026 and its fee page on 12 October 2026.
The five places at a glance
Source: the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center English and Korean pages, read 11 Oct 2026. Hours are for September to October.
| Place | Adult fee | Closed on | Hours (Sep to Oct) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung | ₩3,000 | Tuesday | 09:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:00 |
| Changdeokgung | ₩3,000, Secret Garden extra | Monday | 09:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:00 |
| Changgyeonggung | ₩1,000 | Monday | 09:00 to 21:00, last entry 20:00 |
| Deoksugung | ₩1,000 | Monday | 09:00 to 21:00, last entry 20:00 |
| Jongmyo | ₩1,000 | Tuesday | Timed or free-entry days, see the official page |
Hours: In November and December, Gyeongbokgung is open 09:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:00. Changdeokgung is open 09:00 to 17:30 from November to January (Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, 11 Oct 2026)
Note: If a public holiday falls on a closing day, the palace opens and closes the following day instead. Monday 5 October 2026, a substitute holiday, was open, and the notice says Tuesday 6 October was fully closed
Free days, and the 29 October to 15 November window
Hours: 29 Oct to 15 Nov 2026: free entry to the four palaces, Jongmyo and the Joseon royal tombs during the Korea Grand Festival. Excluded: the Changdeokgung Secret Garden special tour and closing days (Royal Palaces and Tombs Center notice, 30 Sep 2026)
Note: Free entry on Wednesdays: the "Culture Day" is moving from the last Wednesday of the month to every Wednesday. The royal tombs began on 27 May 2026, Deoksugung on 5 August, and Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo on 7 October. Gyeongbokgung is to follow later, so we read the last-Wednesday rule as still standing there (notice of 28 May 2026)
Note: Two closures to plan around: Gyeongbokgung's Geunjeongjeon terrace is closed to visitors from 2 September to 31 October 2026, and Changgyeonggung's evening opening pauses from 10 to 15 November 2026 (palace notices, titles read 11 Oct 2026)
The hanbok rule
Wearing hanbok gets you into the palaces free. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center publishes the rule, and it counts foreigners as well as Koreans.
Note: Counts: a hanbok jacket with a fold-over collar, with a skirt or trousers in the hanbok style. Everyday hanbok counts. Does not count: a T-shirt-style jacket, a one-piece dress without a jacket, a long coat alone, jeans with only a jacket, or a hanbok skirt with a T-shirt (official guideline, read 11 Oct 2026)
Note: The headquarters told a lawmaker's office it would review the free hanbok entry in October 2026 and improve visitor services in January. No decision is public (SBS Biz, 8 Oct 2026)
The Secret Garden is not free in hanbok. The official Korean fee page lists only children aged 6 and under and some Korean groups as free there.
The Royal Palace Pass: pages disagree
The pass is one ticket for the four palaces and Jongmyo. You can use it once at each place. It does not cover the Secret Garden. It is sold at the ticket offices of the four palaces and Jongmyo.
| Detail | Page | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Korean fee page | ₩6,000 |
| Price | Changdeokgung English tab | ₩6,000 |
| Price | Deoksugung English tab | ₩10,000 |
| Valid for | Korean fee page and Changdeokgung English tab | 6 months from purchase |
| Valid for | Gyeongbokgung and Changgyeonggung English tabs | Within three months. No price given |
| Refund | Korean fee page | Only at the palace where you bought it, and not if any part is torn off |
We cannot tell which page is current. Our earlier note on 9 October 2026 reached the same conclusion. Ask the ticket window for the price and the validity before you pay.
The Changdeokgung Secret Garden
Price: Adult ₩5,000 on top of the ₩3,000 palace ticket. Age 65 and over ₩5,000 with no palace charge. Age 7 to 18 ₩2,500 with no palace charge (Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, English page)
Booking: Online booking opens at 10:00, six days before your visit, and runs until the day before, first come first served (Korean booking page). Each entry time holds 100 people, 50 online and 50 sold at the office on the day, which start at 09:00 (English and Korean pages)
Hours: English tours at 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30 from March to November. From December to February the 15:30 tour does not run. Closed Mondays
Note: Late arrival means no entry and no refund. You can only go in at the time on your ticket. The tour is optional. The Korean page says the April to May and October to November slots sell out very fast
The booking page links to an outside ticket site, ticket.uforus.co.kr. We opened the official page but did not complete a booking, so we do not know how the English screens work.
Free tours
Hours: Gyeongbokgung, English: 11:00, 13:30 and 15:30 from Wednesday to Monday, starting in front of the information center inside Heungnyemun Gate. They last 1 to 1.5 hours. Groups of 10 or more must reserve. Individuals just turn up
Hours: Changdeokgung palace buildings, English: 10:15 and 13:15 all year. Self-guided visits are also allowed
Will fees go up in 2027?
| Source | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Korea Herald | 9 Sep 2026 | The Korea Heritage Service will announce new fee guidelines in November, effective 1 January 2027 |
| SBS Biz | 8 Oct 2026 | The plan is on hold. The agency lists preparation, announcement and start date as "undecided". It gave no amount |
| Royal Palaces and Tombs Center fee page | 11 Oct 2026 | Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung ₩3,000. Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo ₩1,000 |
We use the newer report. Fees today are the ones on the official page.
What is checked here and what is not
Checked on 11 October 2026: the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center English and Korean pages for fees, hours, tours, the hanbok guideline and the booking rules, and its notices of 28 May and 30 September 2026. We also read the Korea Herald report of 9 September 2026 and the SBS Biz report of 8 October 2026.
Not checked: which price the ticket window charges for the Royal Palace Pass, whether Wednesday free entry applies to foreigners at each palace, the outside ticket site's English screens, Jongmyo's tour times, the Gyeongbokgung notice for October and November, and the current line at any gate. We did not buy a ticket or complete a booking.
Re-checked on 12 October 2026: the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center's Korean notice list, where the notice of 30 September 2026 shows the free dates as an image, and its English fee page for Changdeokgung. The English notice board had only two older posts.
