Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden: Hours, Tickets and Tips (2026)
Last updated: October 2026 · Written by the Seoul Travel Tips team, based in Seoul
Changdeokgung is the palace many Seoul residents call their favorite. Built in the early 1400s as a secondary palace, it became the main royal residence for about 250 years after Gyeongbokgung was burned during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s. Instead of a grand, symmetrical layout, its halls follow the natural slopes of the land — one reason it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Behind it lies the Secret Garden (Huwon), a wooded royal garden of ponds and pavilions that can only be seen on a guided tour.
Quick Facts
| Closed | Every Monday |
| Admission | Palace ₩3,000. Secret Garden tour about ₩5,000 extra. Free palace entry in hanbok |
| Hours | Feb–May and Sep–Oct 9:00–18:00 · Jun–Aug 9:00–18:30 · Nov–Jan 9:00–17:30 |
| Last entry | 1 hour before closing |
| Subway | Anguk Station, Line 3, Exit 3 (about 5 minutes on foot) |
| Time needed | 1.5 hours for the palace; 2.5–3 hours with the Secret Garden |
Hours change for holidays and special events. Check the official palace website before your visit.
Booking the Secret Garden
The Secret Garden is the highlight, but you can’t wander in on your own — entry is by timed guided tour only, with limited places.
- Book online in advance on the official palace reservation site, especially for spring and autumn weekends. A small number of tickets are usually sold on-site on the day.
- Tours run in several languages, including English, at set times. Choose a time and arrive at the garden entrance a few minutes early.
- The tour lasts about 90 minutes and involves walking on paths with gentle slopes.
- Your Secret Garden ticket is separate from the palace ticket; you need both.
In autumn, when the maples around Buyongji Pond turn red and gold, tours sell out quickly — book as soon as your dates are fixed.
What to See in the Palace
- Donhwamun Gate — the main gate, built in 1412, the oldest surviving palace gate in Seoul.
- Geumcheongyo Bridge — a stone bridge from 1411, one of the oldest in the city.
- Injeongjeon Hall — the throne hall used for coronations and receiving foreign envoys. Inside you can glimpse early electric lights and Western-style curtains installed in the last years of the dynasty.
- Seonjeongjeon — the king’s office, the only palace building in Seoul still roofed with blue glazed tiles.
- Huijeongdang and Daejojeon — the king’s and queen’s quarters, with a mix of traditional and early-20th-century interiors.
- Nakseonjae — a simple, unpainted residential complex used by the last members of the royal family until 1989.
Inside the Secret Garden
- Buyongji Pond and Juhamnu Pavilion — the most famous view: a square pond, a small pavilion standing on two pillars in the water, and the two-story library pavilion above.
- Aeryeonji Pond — a quieter lotus pond with its own pavilion.
- Yeongyeongdang — a residence built to look like a scholar’s house, unpainted and modest.
- Ongnyucheon — a stream at the back of the garden where kings once floated wine cups along a carved rock channel while composing poems.
Best Time to Visit
- Autumn (late October to mid-November) — the best season, with the garden at peak color.
- Spring (April) — fresh green leaves and blossoms.
- Summer — shady and cooler inside the garden than in most palaces.
- Moonlight tours — Changdeokgung runs limited evening tours in spring and autumn. They need advance booking and sell out almost immediately.
Changdeokgung or Gyeongbokgung?
| Changdeokgung | Gyeongbokgung | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Natural, intimate, follows the landscape | Grand, open, symmetrical |
| Highlight | Secret Garden | Guard ceremony, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion |
| Closed | Monday | Tuesday |
| Crowds | Fewer | More |
You can see both in one day: they are a 20-minute walk apart through Bukchon Hanok Village.
A Historic Seoul Day
| Time | Stop |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Gyeongbokgung Palace (10:00 guard ceremony) |
| 11:30 | Walk through Bukchon Hanok Village |
| 12:30 | Lunch near Anguk or in Insadong |
| 14:00 | Changdeokgung Palace + Secret Garden tour |
| 17:00 | Tea and crafts in Insadong, or dinner in Ikseon-dong |
On a Monday (Changdeokgung closed) or a Tuesday (Gyeongbokgung closed), swap in Jongmyo Shrine or Deoksugung Palace.
Getting There
Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3 — walk east about 5 minutes to Donhwamun Gate. Jongno 3-ga Station (Lines 1, 3, 5) is about 10 minutes south. → Seoul Subway Route Finder
Practical Tips
- Check the day: closed Mondays.
- Book the Secret Garden before your trip if it matters to you.
- Wear comfortable shoes — the garden paths have slopes and steps.
- Hanbok: free palace entry; check whether the Secret Garden tour also needs a ticket when you book.
- Bring water in summer and arrive early for photos.
Related Guides
→ Jongno and Insadong · Bukchon Hanok Village · 3-day itinerary
Hours, fees and tour schedules can change. We check this page regularly, but please confirm with the official Changdeokgung website before your visit.
A Local’s Note
Among the palaces you can visit in Jongno, if you’re looking for one that’s good to explore with young children, I recommend Changdeokgung. It has a royal playroom experience booth, and it also feels a bit more quiet and relaxed than the other palaces. Changdeokgung is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built to make good use of the natural landscape, which is why it’s personally my favorite palace.
Some parts of the grounds here are paved with stone, so it can be hard to drag or carry heavy bags. I recommend wearing comfortable clothes and sneakers.