The guide › Seoul › Palaces & Bukchon
Seoul · The historic north
The heart of the Joseon capital: five palaces, a royal shrine and an entire district of traditional houses, all within walking distance. It is the one day not to miss, and the one that takes the most planning.
Updated 7 October 2026
The palaces do not share the same closing day, and that is what catches most visitors out: Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo Shrine close on Tuesdays; Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung on Mondays. Ticket offices close an hour before the site.
Entry is cheap: about ₩3,000 for Gyeongbokgung or Changdeokgung, ₩1,000 for the others. A ₩6,000 combination ticket covers the four main palaces and Jongmyo. And if you are wearing a hanbok, it is free.
Bukchon is a real residential neighbourhood. Since 2025, the most photographed area has been open to visitors only from 10 am to 5 pm, with fines for those who ignore it: come within that window, keep your voice down, and do not photograph inside courtyards.
The largest of the palaces, rebuilt after being razed during the Japanese occupation. Do not stop at the throne hall: Gyeonghoeru Pavilion on its pond and the Hyangwonjeong garden at the back are the loveliest spots. Changing of the guard at 10 am and 2 pm in front of Gwanghwamun Gate.
A UNESCO site, more intimate than Gyeongbokgung and following the terrain rather than flattening it. The Secret Garden (Huwon) can only be visited on a guided tour, for about ₩5,000 extra: book online a few days ahead, English slots go fast.
Several hundred traditional houses on a hillside between the two palaces. The best-known lane is Bukchon-ro 11-gil; the neighbouring streets are almost as pretty and ten times quieter.
The street of antique dealers, galleries and teahouses. Step into the Ssamziegil courtyard for contemporary crafts, and push open the door of a traditional teahouse in the side lanes.
Where the spirit tablets of the Joseon kings and queens are kept. Sober, vast, silent — the opposite of the colourful palaces. Guided tours on weekdays, free access on Saturdays.
A pocket of 1920s hanok turned into cafés and restaurants. Very fashionable, so packed at weekends; on a weekday at 11 am it is a pleasure.
The village west of Gyeongbokgung, less restored than Bukchon and more lived-in. At Tongin Market you build your own lunch tray stall by stall using old-style coins.
The great esplanade in front of the palace, with the statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Beneath the Sejong statue, a free exhibition tells the story of the Korean alphabet.
Arrive before the groups, head straight to the back of the palace, then come back to the entrance for the 10 am changing of the guard. Allow two hours.
Tongin Market or one of the area's samgyetang (ginseng chicken) restaurants.
Walk up through Samcheong-dong and its galleries, cross the hanok village, come back down towards Anguk. An hour and a half at an easy pace.
Visit the palace, then your booked slot for the Secret Garden. Allow two hours.
A teahouse, then dinner in the lanes of Ikseon-dong.
Shops cluster around Gyeongbokgung station and in Bukchon. Expect about ₩15,000 to ₩30,000 for two to four hours, hairstyling included in some packages.
Each palace runs English tours at fixed times, included in the ticket. Times are posted at the entrance.
In spring and autumn, Gyeongbokgung and Changgyeonggung open on certain evenings. Tickets are booked online and sell out in minutes.
Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential compound behind Gyeongbokgung, has been closed to the public since 1 August 2025: the presidential office moved back in at the end of 2025. You can now only see it from outside, from the plaza in front of the gate; the Sarangchae exhibition centre opposite remains open and free.