Royal Guard Changing Ceremony
- 10:00 · 14:00 · 20 min each
Gyeongbokgung Palace
경복궁
Today
- From 2 September to 31 October 2026 you cannot go up onto the Geunjeongjeon terrace (the wide platform in front of the hall).
- From 29 October to 15 November 2026 the palace is open free of charge (still closed on Tuesdays). Guided tours are 30 minutes shorter during this period.
- Special tours inside Gyeonghoeru Pavilion run until 30 October 2026 on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:00 and 14:00. Advance online booking is required, and commentary is in Korean only.
Why go
The first and foremost palace Joseon built after moving its capital to Hanyang. Walk from Heungnyemun Gate past Geunjeongjeon Hall to Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and you see the heart of the Joseon court in one go. Foreign visitors also get in free when they wear hanbok.
11.1%The second most-named “best place visited” among travellers on their first trip to Korea — 2025 International Visitor Survey, respondents on their 1st visit
Admission
₩3,000Adults — foreign visitors aged 19–64 (Korean nationals aged 25–64)
Groups of 10+ ₩2,400
Ways in free
- Free in hanbok — you need both a jeogori top and a bottom (a skirt or trousers). The same applies to foreigners.
- Free for foreign visitors aged 18 and under
- Free for foreign visitors aged 65 and over
Combined ticket ₩6,000· The 4 palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung) + Jongmyo Shrine, excluding the Changdeokgung Secret Garden (Huwon) · valid for 6 months from the date of purchase
Buy at the gate — no booking needed.
Experiences
Highlights
History
Gyeongbokgung Palace (景福宮, Gyeongbokgung) was built in 1395 (the 4th year of King Taejo), after Joseon was founded in 1392. It was the dynasty’s foremost palace, its main royal seat. The buildings were set with Baegaksan (Bugaksan) behind them, and the Street of the Six Ministries stretched out in front of Gwanghwamun, the main gate. Jeong Do-jeon took the name 景福 from a line in the Book of Songs; it is a wish that the new dynasty would enjoy great blessings.
In 1412 King Taejong enlarged the pond and rebuilt Gyeonghoeru Pavilion on a grand scale. King Sejong created Hunminjeongeum, the Korean alphabet, in this palace and proclaimed it in 1446.
The palace burned during the Imjin War in 1592 (the 25th year of King Seonjo) and was not rebuilt for more than 270 years. Work began in 1865 (the 2nd year of King Gojong) and the reconstruction was completed in 1867 (the 4th year of King Gojong). Under Gojong, new buildings such as Geoncheonggung, Taewonjeon and Jibokjae also went up. In 1895 Empress Myeongseong was assassinated at Okhoru in Geoncheonggung, in what is known as the Eulmi Incident, and the following year Gojong moved his residence to the Russian Legation.
After Korea lost its sovereignty in 1910, Gyeongbokgung was deliberately damaged. In 1915 most of its halls were torn down on the pretext of holding the Joseon Industrial Exhibition. In 1926 the Japanese Government-General building was put up in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall, blocking the view of the palace.
Restoration began in earnest in the 1990s. The Government-General building was demolished from 1995 to 1997, and the Heungnyemun Gate area, the sleeping quarters of the king and queen, Geoncheonggung and Taewonjeon, and Gwanghwamun rose again one after another. In 2023 Gyejodang in the Crown Prince’s quarters (Donggung) was restored.
Today Gyeongbokgung holds buildings from two eras side by side. The first are the buildings rebuilt under Gojong that survived the Japanese colonial period. Geunjeongjeon Hall and Gyeonghoeru Pavilion are National Treasures; Sajeongjeon, Sujeongjeon, Jagyeongjeon and Hyangwonjeong are Treasures.
The second are the buildings restored since the 1990s. These include Heungnyemun Gate and Gwanghwamun, the Gangnyeongjeon and Gyotaejeon area where the king and queen lived, Geoncheonggung and Taewonjeon, and Heungbokjeon.
At the front are Geunjeongjeon Hall, where major state events were held, and Sajeongjeon Hall, where the king worked. Behind them come the sleeping quarters of the king and queen and the rear garden where they rested. Many buildings are gone, but the main ones still stand where they were first built, so you can read the layout of a Joseon main palace.
Getting there
- Line 3 Gyeongbokgung Station · Exit 52 min walk
- Line 3 Anguk Station · Exit 16 min walk
- Line 5 Gwanghwamun Station · Exit 26 min walk
서울특별시 종로구 사직로 161
Eat nearby
- Tongin Market
Where next
In these lists
Photos
Gyeongbokgung Palace — Geunjeongjeon Throne Hall
- Best hour
- 09:00–10:30
- Best month
- Apr · Oct
Wide-angle on the throne hall steps with you in hanbok, blue sky overhead.
Tips
- The palace is closed on Tuesdays. If a Tuesday is a public holiday it opens, and closes on the next weekday instead. Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung close on Mondays, so check the day if you plan to combine two palaces.
- Last entry is 1 hour before closing. In winter (November–February) you need to be in by 16:00.
- If you also plan to visit Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine, the ₩6,000 combined palace ticket is the better deal. It is valid for 6 months from the day of purchase and does not cover the Secret Garden (Huwon) at Changdeokgung.
- The National Palace Museum of Korea is free and closes on the last Monday of each month. Its closing day is different from Gyeongbokgung’s.
- The brass-coin lunchbox café at Tongin Market also closes on Tuesdays, so it is not an alternative for the day Gyeongbokgung is closed.
Show details
- Address
- 서울특별시 종로구 사직로 161
- Hours
- Jan–Feb · Nov–Dec 09:00–17:00Mar–May · Sep–Oct 09:00–18:00Jun–Aug 09:00–18:30
- Last entry
- Jan–Feb · Nov–Dec 16:00Mar–May · Sep–Oct 17:00Jun–Aug 17:30
- Closed
- Closed Tue — if Tue is a public holiday it opens and closes the next weekday instead
- Admission
- ₩3,000