Changdeokgung and Secret Garden: Tickets and First-Visit Plan

Choose the palace, the garden, or both

Changdeokgung is a good choice if you are interested in the relationship between palace buildings and their landscape. It began in 1405, and became a major royal residence after its reconstruction in 1610. The garden developed north of the buildings, with ponds, pavilions, and spaces associated with royal life. Official palace history

There are two admissions to understand. The ordinary palace visit covers the building area; the Secret Garden, also called Huwon, has separate timed admission. A garden reservation is not a substitute for palace entry. If your priority is architecture and you want a flexible visit, the palace area alone remains a valid choice.

Visit Seoul identifies Injeongjeon Hall and Nakseonjae among the general-visit sights, while the garden adds places such as Buyongji Pond and Buyongjeong Pavilion. Choose the garden because you want that landscape as part of your day, then build the schedule around its entry time.

Understand the ticket cost

For a foreign adult aged 19–64 paying the ordinary individual rate, palace entry is KRW 3,000 and Secret Garden admission is KRW 5,000, making KRW 8,000 for both. Garden concessions differ from ordinary palace concessions. The current KRW 6,000 combined palace pass excludes the Secret Garden. These distinctions come from the official admission table.

Before purchasing a third-party product, identify exactly which of these it includes. A product containing the word “palace” may be a general admission, a guided excursion, or a package with other activities.

Use the official English booking instructions

The palace’s fee page links to the official English reservation website. The steps below follow its published instructions; they are not a report of a completed purchase.

1. Select JOIN, then log in. Your email address becomes your account ID.
2. Choose Secret Garden, a date, and a language session.
3. Select admission types and pay by credit card. Verify the paid booking in MY PAGE.
4. Prepare your admission ticket: mobile ticket or paper ticket collected at the office/kiosk. A printed confirmation alone is insufficient.

Reservations open at 10:00 Korea time, six days before the visit, continuing until the day before. The palace operator confirms this booking window.

Selecting a time is not the same as finishing payment. Keep the paid reservation details available on your phone and leave time to resolve a ticket issue before entering the palace. This guide does not verify acceptance of an individual foreign card.

The English page contains conflicting party limits and payment examples. Follow your current booking screen and reservation conditions for those fields.

If online garden tickets are sold out

The operator offers same-day, first-come ticket sales from 09:00 and warns of fast sellouts in April–May and October–November. On-site sales are an official alternative, with no guarantee of admission. Official garden ticket guidance

Decide how much uncertainty fits your trip. If Huwon is essential, consider another available date or session. If you have only one morning, arrive for on-site sales with a fallback: visit the palace building area if garden admission is unavailable. Do not purchase a general palace ticket expecting it to bypass the garden limit.

Avoid anchoring another non-refundable activity immediately after a hoped-for walk-up garden visit. You will not know which remaining session, if any, you can buy until availability is confirmed.

Arrive for the garden entrance time

The published garden instructions require punctual entry and allow 15 minutes from the main gate to the garden entrance. Add your own buffer for ordinary admission and orientation.

The current instructions permit self-guided viewing after timed entry, with interpreter-led tours also available. Follow staff directions and the open route.

Save 창덕궁 / Changdeokgung Palace, 99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Visit Seoul lists Anguk Station, Line 3, Exit 3 as the approach. Prepare the address with our travel apps guide and plan connections with the subway transfer guide.

Put the visit on an open day

Monday is the regular closure. A public or substitute holiday on that day moves the closure to the first following non-holiday. Ordinary palace hours are 09:00–18:00 in February–May and September–October; 09:00–18:30 in June–August; and 09:00–17:30 in November–January. Last ordinary admission is one hour before closing. Garden sessions follow their own schedule. Official opening rules

For a first trip, choose one palace as the day’s main attraction. Our Gyeongbokgung guide helps compare the alternative, while rainy-day Seoul offers indoor plans if the outdoor garden no longer suits the forecast.