Here's the guide you asked for on Instagram 👋
Changing of the Guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace · Photo: Ethan Doyle White (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Hours
- 9 AM–6 PM Mar–May & Sep–Oct · 9 AM–6:30 PM Jun–Aug · 9 AM–5 PM Nov–Feb (last entry 1 hour before)
- Closed
- Tuesdays (open if Tuesday is a public holiday)
- Tickets
- ₩3,000 adults (foreigners 19–64). Free: 18 and under, 65 and over, anyone in hanbok
- Subway
- Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), exit 5
Seoul's biggest palace is closed on Tuesdays, costs ₩3,000 and is free if you wear hanbok. Opening hours by month, the guard changing ceremony, free English tours and how to get there.
Opening hours and tickets
- MAR–MAY9 AM–6 PM, last entry 5 PM
Same in September and October.
- JUN–AUG9 AM–6:30 PM, last entry 5:30 PM
- NOV–FEB9 AM–5 PM, last entry 4 PM
- TUESDAYClosed every Tuesday
If a Tuesday is a public or substitute holiday, the palace opens and closes on the next non-holiday day instead.
- TICKET₩3,000 for adults
Foreign visitors aged 19–64 pay the adult price; groups of 10 or more pay ₩2,400 each. Foreign visitors 18 and under or 65 and over get in free.
- HANBOKFree entry in hanbok
The palace lists anyone wearing hanbok as free. Many hanbok rental shops are near the palace and Gyeongbokgung Station (our tip).
- PASSFour palaces + Jongmyo for ₩6,000
The integrated palace ticket covers Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine, one visit each, within 6 months of purchase. It doesn't include Changdeokgung's Secret Garden. Buy it at any of their ticket offices.
Guard ceremony and free tours
- 10 AM · 2 PMRoyal guard changing ceremony
About 20 minutes, in front of Heungnyemun, the gate just inside Gwanghwamun. It isn't held on Tuesdays and can be cancelled in bad weather. Arrive 10–15 minutes early for a spot at the front (our tip).
수문장 교대의식Google Maps - 11 · 1:30 · 3:30Free English guided tour
Every day except Tuesday, 1 to 1.5 hours. Meet in front of the information office inside Heungnyemun. No booking for groups under 10; groups of 10 or more must phone the office 1 week to 1 day ahead.
How to get there
- LINE 3Gyeongbokgung Station, exit 5
About a 5-minute walk to the palace grounds.
경복궁역 5번 출구Google Maps - LINE 5Gwanghwamun Station, exit 2
About a 10-minute walk through Gwanghwamun Square to the main gate.
광화문역 2번 출구Google Maps - ADDRESS161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu
Show this to a taxi driver.
서울 종로구 사직로 161 경복궁Google Maps
Say it in Korean (show this screen)
- SAYOne adult ticket, please.
eo-reun han jang ju-se-yo
어른 한 장 주세요 - SAYWhat time is the English tour?
yeong-eo hae-seol myeot si-ye-yo?
영어 해설 몇 시예요?
Local tips
- Our tip: go for the 10 AM guard ceremony, then join the 11 AM English tour; both start at Heungnyemun.
- Our tip: on a Tuesday, visit Changdeokgung or Deoksugung instead (check their closing days first).
- Hours, fees and ceremony times can change, and parts of the palace sometimes close for repairs. Check the palace's official site before you go.
FAQ
Is Gyeongbokgung Palace open on Tuesday?
No. It closes every Tuesday, unless that Tuesday is a public holiday.
How much is Gyeongbokgung Palace?
₩3,000 for adults (foreigners aged 19–64). Entry is free if you wear hanbok, and for foreign visitors 18 and under or 65 and over.
What time is the changing of the guard at Gyeongbokgung?
10 AM and 2 PM, about 20 minutes each, in front of Heungnyemun gate. Not on Tuesdays.
Is there a free English tour of Gyeongbokgung?
Yes, at 11 AM, 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM every day except Tuesday, starting in front of the information office inside Heungnyemun. Groups under 10 don't need to book.
Sources: Korea Heritage Service, Royal Palaces: Gyeongbokgung opening hours and closed days · Korea Heritage Service, Royal Palaces: admission fees, free entry and the integrated palace ticket · Korea Heritage Service, Royal Palaces: Gyeongbokgung guided tours · Korea Heritage Service, Royal Palaces: Gyeongbokgung (address, notices) · Kukmin Ilbo: Gyeongbokgung guard ceremony resumes, held all year except Tuesdays (May 2020) · Hani Seoul: Gyeongbokgung guard changing ceremony guide (10 AM, 2 PM) · K-Trip Tips: Gyeongbokgung guard changing ceremony · A Fun Couple: Gyeongbokgung guide (subway exits) · Mileasia: Hongdae to Gyeongbokgung Palace by subway (2026)