Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, or Deoksugung: Which Palace Should You Visit?

If you can visit only one palace on your first trip to Seoul, start with Gyeongbokgung for the main royal palace experience. Choose Changdeokgung for gardens and a more intimate setting, or Deoksugung for a shorter visit that fits into an evening in central Seoul.

Gyeongbokgung: the grand first impression

Gyeongbokgung makes the strongest introduction to royal Seoul. Beyond Gwanghwamun Gate, broad courtyards lead toward Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall, with Bugaksan rising behind the roofs. The straight approach, rows of stone rank markers and raised hall make the hierarchy of the palace easy to see.

Founded in 1395 as the Joseon dynasty’s main palace, it is the best choice for scale and ceremony. There is also room to wander beyond the main courtyard into smaller royal quarters. Allow about two to three hours for an unhurried first visit.

Standard adult admission is ₩3,000. For an ordinary daytime visit, you can buy a ticket at the gate without booking a time slot. The palace opens at 9 a.m. and closes on Tuesdays; closing time varies with the season. Special night openings have separate ticket arrangements.

Changdeokgung: royal rooms, then the Secret Garden

Changdeokgung feels less like one long ceremonial approach. Its courts and royal rooms sit among trees and follow the contours of the site. Daejojeon, shown below, belongs to the residential quarters: the low roof and long veranda give it a different scale from Gyeongbokgung’s throne hall.

The palace’s biggest draw is Huwon, the Secret Garden, where wooded paths lead to ponds and pavilions. If that is what brings you here, plan around a garden entry slot rather than arriving with only a general palace ticket. Allow around three hours for the palace and garden together, or one to two hours for the buildings alone.

The palace buildings cost ₩3,000; the Secret Garden adds ₩5,000, making the usual adult total ₩8,000. General palace admission can be bought on arrival. The garden has timed entry and limited places.

Book the garden through the official English-language ticket site. Reservations open at 10 a.m. Korea time, six days before the visit. Choose an English-language session if you want English commentary, and buy the palace-building ticket separately. Same-day garden tickets go on sale at 9 a.m., subject to availability. Changdeokgung opens at 9 a.m. and closes on Mondays.

Deoksugung: a palace that works after dinner

Deoksugung’s appeal is the contrast around it. Traditional palace roofs stand against the city skyline, while the Western-style Seokjojeon sits within the same grounds. This was the imperial palace when the Korean Empire was proclaimed in 1897, so it offers a different chapter of Seoul’s history from the two Joseon palaces.

The grounds are compact enough for a one- to one-and-a-half-hour visit, and City Hall is just outside the main gate. Admission is ₩1,000, with tickets available at the entrance. The palace opens 9 a.m.–9 p.m., with last entry at 8 p.m., and closes on Mondays. That makes it the easiest of the three to add to an evening downtown.

Come during the day if you want to go inside Seokjojeon. Its English guided visits are at 11:50 a.m. and 2:50 p.m., with places booked on site; bring your passport. The evening opening is for the palace grounds, not those interior tours.

If you have time for two

Pair Gyeongbokgung by day with Deoksugung in the evening for the clearest contrast: a grand Joseon court followed by an imperial palace surrounded by modern Seoul. If gardens are your priority, make Changdeokgung and Huwon the daytime visit instead. Gyeongbokgung plus Changdeokgung is worth a full palace-focused day, but leaves less variety in a short Seoul itinerary.

For a dated itinerary, check the seasonal opening hours before choosing a late-afternoon visit. Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung stop admitting visitors one hour before closing. Prices above are standard adult rates; Changdeokgung’s palace buildings and Deoksugung are free on Wednesdays, while Secret Garden admission is still charged.