Gyeongbokgung Palace Guide: Tickets, Hanbok Free Entry, Guard Ceremony and Closing Days

Short answer: Gyeongbokgung Palace costs 3,000 won for adults aged 19 to 64, and entry is free if you are 18 or under, 65 or over, or wearing a full hanbok (top and bottom). The palace is closed on Tuesdays. It opens at 09:00 and closes at 17:00 to 18:30 depending on the month, with last entry one hour before closing. The free Royal Guard Changing Ceremony runs at 10:00 and 14:00, and free English guided tours start at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:30. Take Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung Station (Exit 5) for the shortest walk.

Basis date: checked against the official Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (Korea Heritage Service) pages, the Korea Heritage Agency guard ceremony page, VISITKOREA and the Seoul Metropolitan Government on 15 October 2026. Hours, prices, tour times and special openings change, so confirm on the official pages before you go.

Gyeongbokgung at a glance

1. Tickets and who gets in free

An adult ticket (age 19 to 64 for foreign visitors) is 3,000 won, or 2,400 won each for groups of 10 or more. Buy it at the palace ticket office; a normal daytime visit needs no booking.

Foreign visitors get in free if they are 18 or under, 65 or over, or wearing hanbok. Bring your passport if you claim free entry by age; the official fee page says proof is required.

A note on “Culture Day”: the English page lists free entry on the last Wednesday of the month, but the Korean fee page says Culture Day does not apply to Gyeongbokgung. The official pages disagree, so do not count on a free Wednesday.

Special free periods: the palace sometimes opens free for holidays and festivals. An official notice says entry is free during the Korea Grand Festival, 29 October to 15 November 2026 (Tuesdays still closed), with guided tours shortened by 30 minutes. This is a one-time event, not a rule.

2. Opening hours by season and closing days

Gyeongbokgung is closed every Tuesday. When a public holiday or substitute holiday falls on a Tuesday, the palace stays open and closes on the next day instead. If Tuesday is your only free day, try Deoksugung or Changgyeonggung, which close on Mondays instead.

Short-term changes happen: for example, the stone terrace in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall is closed to visitors from 2 September to 31 October 2026. Check the official notice board before you go.

3. Hanbok free entry: what counts

The official hanbok guideline says both traditional and modern hanbok qualify, but you must wear both a top (jeogori) and a bottom (skirt or trousers). Here is what that means in practice:

• Wear the full outfit. A hanbok coat (durumagi) alone does not count.
• Keep the top on at all times, with all ribbons (goreum) and buttons tied or fastened.
• T-shirt style hanbok tops are not accepted.
• Skirts and trousers must cover your legs.
• Half outfits do not count: a hanbok top with jeans, or a hanbok skirt with a T-shirt, means you pay the normal ticket.
• Staff can refuse entry to people who are dressed inappropriately or who misbehave.

Tips before you rent a hanbok

• Ask the rental shop to confirm the outfit meets the palace guideline (full top and bottom, legs covered).
• Check the return time. Rentals are usually timed, and the palace closes as early as 17:00 in winter.
• Bring comfortable shoes. The palace grounds are large and partly gravel.
• Plan for the weather. Rented hanbok can be hot in summer and thin in winter. See our Seoul weather and what to wear guide.
• Be respectful in photos. Read our Korea travel etiquette guide before you visit.

4. Royal Guard Changing Ceremony times

The ceremony is run by the Korea Heritage Agency and recreates how Joseon-era gate guards changed shifts. It is free to watch and takes place around Gwanghwamun Gate (the main south gate) and the Heungnyemun Gate area. The official program lists:

VISITKOREA lists it Wednesday to Monday, matching the palace’s open days, and notes it may be cancelled in rain. Official tips: do not touch or talk to the guards in photos, do not walk through the line, and watch your step on the raised path at Gwanghwamun.

5. Free English guided tours

Free English tours run at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:30 every open day (Wednesday to Monday). They start in front of the Gyeongbokgung Information Center, just inside Heungnyemun Gate, and last about one hour to one and a half hours. Groups of fewer than 10 people can simply join; groups of 10 or more must book in advance (up to 30 people). Tours start on time and run in rain; do not film or record without the guide’s permission. Other languages listed: Japanese (10:00, 14:30), Chinese (10:30, 15:00), Spanish (Fri, Sat) and French (Wed, Thu).

6. Royal Palace Pass (four palaces + Jongmyo)

The Royal Palace Pass covers Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine, one entry each. It does not include the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung, which needs its own ticket. The Korean fee page lists the pass at 6,000 won, sold at the ticket offices of the four palaces and Jongmyo, and refundable only at the palace where you bought it (not after any part is used). On validity, the Korean fee page says six months, while the English Gyeongbokgung page says three months, so confirm at the ticket office.

7. Night opening and evening programs: how booking works

Gyeongbokgung night opening is a seasonal event, not a daily option. In autumn 2026 it ran from 2 September to 2 October, 19:00–21:30 (last entry 20:30), closed Mondays and Tuesdays, with tickets at 3,000 won. How booking worked in 2026, as a guide for future seasons:

• Online tickets were sold through NOL Ticket (formerly Interpark) up to the day before, with a limit of 4 tickets per account.
• A small number of on-site tickets (300 per day) were reserved for foreign visitors only, maximum 2 per person, with a passport.
• People wearing hanbok, children 6 and under, and seniors 65 and over got in free without booking, but had to show ID.
• The notice warned that some portal sites show wrong information; trust only the palace website.

There is also a separate ticketed evening program, the Starlight Tour (Byeolbit Yahaeng). The official events calendar lists it from 2 September to 24 October 2026, with 21 to 24 October reserved for foreign visitors. Dates for the next season are announced on the official site; book through the palace’s online reservation page.

8. How to get there

• Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5: about 2 minutes on foot. This is the easiest option.
• Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 2: about 6 minutes on foot. Good if you want to start at Gwanghwamun Gate and the guard ceremony.
• Line 3, Anguk Station, Exit 1: about 6 minutes on foot. Handy if you come from Bukchon.
• Bus: the official page lists the “Gyeongbokgung” stop for buses including 109, 171, 272, 601, 606 and 710.

There is a paid car park next to the palace, but public transport is much easier. For transfers and exits, see the Seoul Subway Complete Guide.

9. Add the museums: National Palace Museum and National Folk Museum

Two free national museums sit on the palace grounds, so they fit easily into the same day:

• National Palace Museum of Korea (royal Joseon objects): free admission. Open 09:30–17:30 Monday to Friday and Sunday, and until 21:00 on Saturdays and the last Wednesday of the month. It is closed on the last Monday of each month, plus New Year’s Day, Seollal and Chuseok. English guided tours are listed on weekdays between 13:00 and 15:00.
• National Folk Museum of Korea (everyday life in old Korea): free admission, but you need a palace ticket to reach it through the palace grounds. Open 09:00–18:00 from March to October (until 20:00 on Wednesdays) and 09:00–17:00 from November to February. The museum’s Korean page says Permanent Exhibition Hall 1 is closed from 30 September to about 21 December 2026.

A simple order: guard ceremony at 10:00, English tour at 11:00, lunch, then a museum in the afternoon.

10. Walk on to Bukchon or Seochon

Bukchon Hanok Village is east of the palace, between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. It is a real neighborhood where people live. The Seoul Metropolitan Government limits tourist visits in the “Red Zone” around Bukchon-ro 11-gil to 10:00–17:00; visiting as a tourist outside those hours can lead to a 100,000 won fine. Walk quietly and do not enter private homes. If you visit the palace in the morning, Bukchon fits well after lunch, before 17:00.

Seochon is the older neighborhood on the west side of the palace, near Gyeongbokgung Station. It suits an evening walk and a meal after the palace closes; it is also residential, so keep noise down.

Before you go: checklist

• Not a Tuesday? (Or a holiday swap day, if Monday was a holiday.)
• Checked the official notice board for closures, festivals and free days.
• Passport with you if you claim free entry by age.
• Hanbok: full top and bottom, ties fastened, legs covered.
• Arrive by 09:55 for the 10:00 guard ceremony, or plan for 14:00.
• English tour: be at the Information Center inside Heungnyemun Gate before 11:00, 13:30 or 15:30.
• Buying the Royal Palace Pass? Confirm validity and that the Secret Garden is not included.
• Bukchon after the palace? Be out of the Red Zone by 17:00.

FAQ

Is Gyeongbokgung free if I wear a hanbok?

Yes, if you wear a full hanbok, meaning a top and a bottom, worn properly. A hanbok top with jeans, or only a coat, does not count.

What day is Gyeongbokgung closed?

Every Tuesday. If a public holiday falls on a Tuesday, it opens that day and closes the next day instead.

What time is the changing of the guard?

At 10:00 and 14:00, about 20 minutes each, on days the palace is open. It is free, and it may be cancelled in rain.

Can I visit Gyeongbokgung at night?

Only during announced night-opening seasons or ticketed programs such as the Starlight Tour. Check the official notices for the next dates; tickets usually sell online in advance.

Sources

• Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, Gyeongbokgung Admission Information (EN), checked 15 October 2026.
• Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, Free Admission Guidelines for Hanbok Wearers (EN), checked 15 October 2026.
• 궁능유적본부, 관람요금 (KO, fees and Royal Palace Pass), checked 15 October 2026.
• 궁능유적본부, 경복궁 해설안내 (KO, guided tours), checked 15 October 2026.
• 궁능유적본부, 경복궁 오시는 길 (KO, directions), checked 15 October 2026.
• 궁능유적본부, 2026 경복궁 야간관람 안내 (KO, night opening notice), checked 15 October 2026.
• 궁능유적본부, 2026년 10~11월 경복궁·칠궁 관람 운영 안내 (KO), checked 15 October 2026.
• 궁능유적본부, 문화행사 calendar (KO, Starlight Tour), checked 15 October 2026.
• Korea Heritage Agency, Program of the Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (EN), checked 15 October 2026.
• Korea Heritage Agency, Reminders when watching the ceremony (EN), checked 15 October 2026.
• VISITKOREA, Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony, checked 15 October 2026.
• National Palace Museum of Korea, General Information (EN), checked 15 October 2026.
• National Folk Museum of Korea, Visiting (EN), checked 15 October 2026.
• 국립민속박물관, 관람안내 (KO, exhibition hall closure), checked 15 October 2026.
• Seoul Metropolitan Government, Bukchon Special Management Area visiting restrictions, checked 15 October 2026.
• VISITKOREA, Bukchon Hanok Village, checked 15 October 2026.
• Images: AI-generated illustrations created for this article. They show general scenes, not specific current conditions.

Update triggers

• Admission fee, free-entry groups or the hanbok guideline change.
• Opening hours, last entry or the Tuesday closing rule change.
• Guard ceremony or English guided-tour times change, or tours are suspended.
• The Royal Palace Pass price, validity or coverage changes (or the English and Korean pages are aligned).
• Culture Day rules for Gyeongbokgung are clarified.
• Next night-opening or Starlight Tour season is announced.
• National Palace Museum or National Folk Museum hours or closures change.
• Bukchon Red Zone hours or fines change.