Themes · The homes of kings
Five palaces in Seoul, a royal shrine, travelling palaces in the provinces, and the remains of the capitals of the ancient kingdoms. Here is which are worth visiting, in what order, and what sets them apart.
Updated 7 October 2026
Almost everything you visit dates from the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), whose capital was Seoul. The palaces were largely destroyed during the Japanese invasions of the late sixteenth century, then again under the occupation in the twentieth: what you see is the fruit of patient restoration, still under way.
A Korean palace does not try to impress by height. These are wooden halls set on stone terraces, arranged around a succession of courtyards, with the mountain as a backdrop. You look at them as much for their relationship to the landscape as for their buildings.
| Palace | Why go | Closed | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung | The largest, the most solemn | Tuesday | ₩3,000 |
| Changdeokgung | The most harmonious, with its Secret Garden | Monday | ₩3,000, garden ₩5,000 extra |
| Changgyeonggung | The quietest, superb in the evening | Monday | ₩1,000 |
| Deoksugung | The most central, a mix of styles | Monday | ₩1,000 |
| Gyeonghuigung | The most discreet, almost deserted | Monday | Free |
| Jongmyo | The shrine of the royal ancestors | Tuesday | ₩1,000 |
The dynasty's main palace, founded in 1395. The throne hall, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion on its pond, the Hyangwonjeong garden, and two free museums within the grounds. Changing of the guard at 10 am and 2 pm. If you see only one, make it this one.
The kings' favourite, where they lived far longer than at Gyeongbokgung. The layout follows the hillside instead of imposing itself on it; that is what earned its UNESCO listing. The Secret Garden at the back is visited by reservation with a guide.
Adjoining Changdeokgung, built for queens and dowagers. A great glasshouse of 1909, a pond, few people. Open in the evening for much of the year.
The last palace to be lived in, where Emperor Gojong proclaimed the Korean Empire. Traditional halls and neoclassical stone buildings side by side; one houses an art museum. Changing of the guard at the gate.
The western palace, almost entirely razed then partly rebuilt. Not spectacular, but you will often be alone.
The spirit tablets of the Joseon kings and queens are kept in the longest wooden building in the country. An ancestral rite with court music is still held here every May. UNESCO-listed.
The residence of the regent Heungseon, father of King Gojong. An aristocratic house more than a palace, free and peaceful.
At the entrance to Gyeongbokgung: seals, costumes, furniture and the court's motor cars. Free, and the best introduction before your visit.
Forty tombs of the Joseon dynasty are UNESCO-listed. The most accessible: Seolleung in Gangnam, and the Donggureung cluster in Guri. King Sejong's is in Yeoju.
In Suwon, the largest of the travelling palaces, where King Jeongjo stayed when he came to honour his father's tomb. Martial-arts demonstrations in season.
The fallback palace built inside the mountain fortress, where King Injo withstood the siege of 1636.
In Jeonju, cradle of the royal family: the shrine holding the portrait of the dynasty's founder, in a bamboo park.
In Gyeongju, the palace of the Silla crown prince and its pleasure pond, a thousand years older than Seoul's palaces. See it lit up.
Also in Gyeongju, the site of the Silla royal palace, under excavation. What you mostly see are earthen ramparts and a stone ice store.
In Gongju, the fortress-palace of Baekje's second capital, overlooking the river. UNESCO-listed.
Baekje's last capital. The Gwanbuk-ri archaeological site and, nearby, a full-scale reconstruction of the royal palace in a cultural park.
In Iksan, a Baekje royal palace of which the layout and a stone pagoda survive. UNESCO-listed; combine with the neighbouring Mireuksa temple site.
The site of the palace where the Goryeo court took refuge during the Mongol invasions.
Gyeongbokgung in the morning, Bukchon at midday, Changdeokgung and its Secret Garden in the afternoon. It is the classic programme, and the right one.
Add Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo, which are neighbours, then Deoksugung late in the day for the changing of the guard and the path along the stone wall.
For ₩6,000, a single ticket covers Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo, against ₩9,000 bought separately. It is valid for six months, one entry per site, and is sold at the ticket offices of the palaces and Jongmyo. Changdeokgung's Secret Garden is not included.
Free for anyone wearing a hanbok, on the last Wednesday of the month, during the major holidays, and all year for young children and over-65s.
Each palace runs free tours in English at fixed times. Times are posted at the entrance.
Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo close on Tuesdays, all the others on Mondays. It is the one thing to remember before building your programme.
In spring and autumn, Gyeongbokgung opens on certain evenings by reservation; Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung close late for much of the year.
The plum and cherry trees of Changdeokgung in late March, the maples of the Secret Garden in early November, snow on Gyeongbokgung in January.
English slots open for booking a few days ahead and go fast. A few tickets are sold on site that same morning.
The Blue House, 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. Palace admission fees, unchanged since 2005, are due to rise on 1 January 2027; the new prices are expected in November 2026.
Prices and closing days as checked in autumn 2026. Check the day's hours on the heritage administration's website before your visit.