# Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden 2026: Booking, Times, Fees
Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul is open Tuesday to Sunday, and its Secret Garden needs a separate timed ticket. Book online from 10:00 six days ahead, or buy at the gate from 09:00.
English slots run at 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30 from March to November, with 100 places per slot.
Two questions decide your plan: whether the garden is included in the palace ticket (it is not), and whether it is free during the free-admission days from October 29 to November 15 (the palace is, the Secret Garden is not). This guide answers both, then walks you through booking, the times, the prices and the way in. Every number comes from the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (the government office that runs Seoul's palaces) and its booking site, checked on October 24, 2026.
Contents Plan ahead: Key facts · Secret Garden ticket · English slot · Palace ticket · Free-admission days | On the day: Getting there · Autumn color · Inside the walls | Help: 1330 hotline · FAQ · Checklist
Key facts at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| What | Changdeokgung Palace (창덕궁), built in 1405 as a second palace beside Gyeongbokgung; its Secret Garden (Huwon, 후원) was laid out in 1406 and the complex joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 (official history) |
| Hours | November to January 09:00–17:30 (last entry 16:30) · February to May and September to October 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00) · June to August 09:00–18:30 (last entry 17:30) |
| Closed | Every Monday (if Monday is a public holiday, the palace opens and closes on the next non-holiday day instead) |
| Palace ticket | KRW 3,000 for foreign visitors aged 19 to 64 (as of October 2026) |
| Secret Garden ticket | KRW 5,000 for adults and over-65s, KRW 2,500 for ages 7 to 18, free for age 6 and under; you also need the palace ticket |
| Garden entry | One fixed time slot, 100 places per slot: 50 booked online, 50 sold at the gate |
| Booking | Online from 10:00, six days before the visit until the day before; gate sales from 09:00 on the day |
| Nearest station | Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3, about 5 minutes on foot |
| Official site | Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · phone 02-3668-2300 |
Two ways to read this guide. Only the palace buildings: read the palace ticket and skip ahead to getting there. The Secret Garden too: read the Secret Garden ticket first, because places are limited and sell out fast in autumn.
The Secret Garden is a second ticket: book online from 10:00, six days ahead
The Secret Garden is not part of the palace ticket. You buy the palace ticket and a separate garden ticket, and the garden ticket is for one fixed time slot. The fee page says so in one line, and the booking rule next to it is the one to remember:
To visit the Secret Garden, book online on a first-come basis from 10:00 six days before your visit until one day before, or use the first-come gate sales that start at 09:00 on the day. Online and gate tickets for April, May, October and November sell out very quickly. Original (Korean): 관람일 제외 6일 전 오전 10시부터 1일 전까지 선착순 온라인 예매 / 관람 당일 오전 9시부터 판매하는 선착순 현장 구매 / 4~5월, 10~11월은 후원의 온라인 예매표와 관람당일 현장구매표가 매우 빨리 매진됩니다. — Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Admission fees
In plain terms, the booking window opens at 10:00 Korea time exactly six days before your date. For a visit on Saturday, November 7, that is Sunday, November 1 at 10:00. The booking site gives the same kind of example: for a visit on December 8, booking opens on December 2.
How the online booking works
- Join the membership on the official booking site (ticket.uforus.co.kr, English version available); your e-mail address is your login.
- Pick the date, then the time slot. Foreign-language slots are for foreigners only, and you may bring up to 2 Korean companions.
- Pay within 24 hours by credit card. If you book on the day before your visit, pay by 23:59 that day, or the reservation expires.
- On the day, show the mobile ticket at the gate (a screenshot is not valid) or print the ticket at the ticket office or a kiosk. Booked tickets should be paid for at least 20 minutes before the tour starts.
The booking site blocks automated link checks, so we did not link it. Type ticket.uforus.co.kr into your browser, or use the Secret Garden reservation shortcut (창덕궁 후원예약 바로가기) on the official fee page.
Entry follows the slot on your ticket, and the site is blunt about lateness:
Admission is only allowed at the entry time on your ticket. Late admission means NO ENTRY and NO REFUND. — Changdeokgung Palace Reservation (official booking site, ticket.uforus.co.kr)
The garden entrance is not at the front gate. The booking site asks you to allow 15 minutes to walk from the main gate to the Secret Garden, so reach the main gate about 45 minutes before your slot to buy the palace ticket and walk in without rushing.
If you did not book, you can still try the gate: the ticket office sells 50 places per slot from 09:00 on the day, first come, first served, and the booking site says gate tickets must be bought at least 15 minutes before your entry time. In October and November, expect them to go early.
Practical info: Secret Garden (Huwon)
| Item | Secret Garden (Huwon) |
|---|---|
| Korean name | 창덕궁 후원 (Huwon, show this to staff) |
| Entry | One fixed slot; the palace ticket is also required |
| Admission | KRW 5,000 (ages 19 to 64 and 65 and over) · KRW 2,500 (ages 7 to 18) · free (age 6 and under) (as of October 2026) |
| Booking | Online from 10:00, six days ahead · or gate sales from 09:00 on the day |
| Phone | 02-3668-2300 |
| Official booking site | ticket.uforus.co.kr (Changdeokgung Palace Reservation, linked from the official fee page) |
For wheelchairs and strollers, the Seoul Tourism Organization's accessible-travel page says they can enter through the main entrance and that a rental service stands near it, but roads with sand or arched stone, uphill sections and pavilions need caution. It also lists an accessible restroom near Buyongji (Seoul Danurim · Changdeokgung Palace).
Unverified: whether the full Secret Garden route works for a wheelchair or stroller, because that page covers the palace as a whole and the palace's own pages say nothing about the garden paths. Call the Changdeokgung office at 02-3668-2300 or the 1330 hotline before you book.
Which English slot? Four times from March to November, three in winter
English slots run at 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30 from March to November, and at 10:30, 11:30 and 14:30 from December to February. Each slot takes 100 people, split 50 online and 50 at the gate. Find your language, then your day:
| Language | March to November | December to February |
|---|---|---|
| English | 10:30, 11:30, 14:30, 15:30 | 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 |
| Japanese | 13:30 (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) | 13:30 (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) |
| Chinese | 12:30 (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) | 12:30 (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) |
Korean slots use a different season split: hourly from 10:00 to 16:00 from March to October, and hourly from 10:00 to 15:00 from November to February.
The garden walk takes about 90 minutes from March to June and September to November, and about 70 minutes in July, August and December to February, because the winter and summer route is shorter. A morning slot leaves the rest of the day for the palace buildings.
Guided tours led by Heritage Interpreters are available and begin after entry. Self-guiding in the Secret Garden is allowed with a free e-book or audio guide. — Changdeokgung Palace Reservation (official booking site, ticket.uforus.co.kr)
So the slot sets your entry time, and the guided commentary is a choice: you can follow the interpreter or walk the route with the free e-book or audio guide.
The palace ticket costs KRW 3,000, and many visitors enter free
Foreign visitors aged 19 to 64 pay KRW 3,000 for the palace buildings. The fee page lists these groups as free:
- Foreign visitors aged 18 or under, or 65 or over (bring your passport).
- People wearing hanbok, the traditional Korean clothing.
- Everyone, from October 29 to November 15, but only for the palace buildings (the Secret Garden is the exception, explained in the next section).
Free admission for foreigners aged 18 or under and 65 or over. Original (Korean): 만 18세 이하 및 만 65세 이상 외국인 — Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Admission fees
Hanbok does not make the Secret Garden free. The fee page limits garden fee waivers to children aged 6 or under (plus Korean veterans and Korean citizens with disabilities), so a hanbok wearer pays for the garden. Here is what the full visit costs a foreign visitor, palace plus garden:
| Visitor | Palace | Secret Garden | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult, 19 to 64 | KRW 3,000 | KRW 5,000 | KRW 8,000 |
| Aged 65 or over | Free | KRW 5,000 | KRW 5,000 |
| Aged 7 to 18 | Free | KRW 2,500 | KRW 2,500 |
| Aged 6 or under | Free | Free | Free |
The palace pass (KRW 6,000, valid six months) covers the four palaces and Jongmyo Shrine once each, but the fee page excludes the Secret Garden, so you still book the garden separately.
Free-admission days (October 29 to November 15) skip the Secret Garden
From October 29 to November 15, 2026, the four palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and the royal tombs are free for everyone. The notice that announces this has one exception in red: it does not apply to the Secret Garden's special viewing, and it excludes the weekly closing days.
Free admission during the Korea Grand Festival period. Excluded: the Changdeokgung Secret Garden special viewing, and closed days. Original (Korean, from the notice image): Korea Grand Festival 기간 무료개방 / 창덕궁 후원 특별관람 제외/ 휴관일 제외 — Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · October–November 2026 operating notice
For you, that means a Thursday, October 29 visit costs nothing for the palace buildings, and the Secret Garden still needs its own paid, timed ticket. Mondays stay closed, so the free days you can use are Tuesday to Sunday.
Getting to Changdeokgung: Anguk Station Exit 3 is a five-minute walk
Changdeokgung Palace is in central Seoul; the nearest airport is Gimpo (GMP), and Seoul Express Bus Terminal is the closest long-distance bus hub.
Take Seoul Subway Line 3 to Anguk Station and leave by Exit 3. The palace's directions page gives 5 minutes on foot. The other subway option is Jongno 3-ga Station (Lines 1, 3 and 5), Exit 7, about 10 minutes. There is no parking at the palace, so use public transport.
Practical info: Changdeokgung Palace
| Item | Changdeokgung Palace |
|---|---|
| Korean name | 창덕궁 (show this to taxi drivers) |
| Address | 99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 율곡로 99) |
| Subway | Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3, 5 minutes on foot · Jongno 3-ga Station (Lines 1, 3, 5), Exit 7, 10 minutes |
| Bus stop | Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang (서울돈화문국악당): trunk buses 109, 151, 162, 171, 172, 272, 710 and branch bus 7025 |
| Hours | November to January 09:00–17:30 (last entry 16:30) · February to May and September to October 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00) · June to August 09:00–18:30 (last entry 17:30); closed Mondays |
| Admission | KRW 3,000 for foreigners aged 19 to 64 (as of October 2026) |
| Phone | 02-3668-2300 |
| Official site | Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Directions |
The directions page lists the subway route like this: Line 3 Anguk Station Exit 3, about 5 minutes on foot (Korean original: "도보 5분 3호선 안국역 3번 출구"). In a map app, search 창덕궁 or Changdeokgung Palace and set the destination to the main gate, Donhwamun (돈화문).
Autumn color: the Secret Garden is forecast to peak around November 1
The Korea National Arboretum's official peak-foliage search forecasts November 1, 2026 for the Changdeokgung Secret Garden area. We looked it up on October 20, 2026.
The forecast comes from a statistical model based on weather data and may differ from what is actually observed, so please use it for reference only. The confidence level (hit rate) of the peak date is about 70%. Original (Korean): 예측은 기상자료 기반 통계 모델(QRF)의 결과입니다. 실제 관측치와 차이가 발생할 수 있으며 참고용 으로만 사용하시기 바랍니다. 단풍 절정일 신뢰수준(적중확률)은 약 70%입니다. — Korea National Arboretum · 2026 peak foliage search
A 70% hit rate means the date can move a few days with the weather. Because autumn slots sell out first, book as soon as your date opens: booking for October 31 opens on October 25, and booking for November 3 opens on October 28, both at 10:00. Then check the same service again three or four days before you go. Other regions peak on different weeks, and our Korea autumn foliage 2026 guide lists them.
Inside the walls: palace buildings first, then the garden
The booking site describes the palace-building route as about 60 minutes: Donhwamun Gate, Injeongjeon Hall, Seonjeongjeon Hall, Huijeongdang Hall, Daejojeon Hall, Seongjeonggak Hall and Nakseonjae Complex. Self-guided and guided visits are both possible.
The Secret Garden route in autumn passes Buyongji Pond, Aeryeonji Pond, the Yeongyeongdang Complex, Jondeokjeong Pavilion and the Ongnyucheon stream area before it returns to Donhwamun Gate. The garden lies north of the palace buildings, so plan the palace walk before or after your slot instead of squeezing it in between the main gate and the garden entrance.
Help in English: the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline
If something goes wrong (a closed gate, a missed slot, a question for a taxi driver), call 1330. The Korea Tourism Organization runs this travel hotline, and Busan Metropolitan City's English guide describes it like this:
Information provided 24 hours a day in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese (other languages: 8:00a.m. to 7:00p.m.) — Busan Metropolitan City · Foreigner support
Dial 1330 inside Korea or +82-2-1330 from overseas. For palace questions (slot times, closures), the Changdeokgung office number is 02-3668-2300.
FAQ
Do I have to book the Secret Garden in advance? No, but it is safer. The gate sells 50 places per slot from 09:00 on the day, and the fee page warns that October and November tickets sell out very quickly.
Can my Korean friends join an English slot? Yes, up to 2 of them, if a foreign visitor is in your group. Without a foreign companion, Korean visitors cannot enter the foreign-language slots.
Do I have to follow a guide in the garden? No. The booking site says guided tours are optional and that you can walk the garden with the free e-book or audio guide.
Is the Secret Garden open on Monday? No. Changdeokgung is closed every Monday, and the Secret Garden is part of the palace. If Monday is your only free day in Seoul, Gyeongbokgung is open that day (it closes on Tuesdays); our Gyeongbokgung Palace guide has its hours and tickets.
Can I bring food or a picnic mat? No picnic mats. The palace rules let staff refuse entry to visitors carrying alcohol, camping gear such as tents, mats and sunshades, or cooking tools, and food is allowed only in areas the palace designates (Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Visitor rules).
Can I fly a drone? No. The rules allow aerial filming only for public-interest filming by public bodies or with the center's approval and a separate permit.
Before you go: checklist
- Pick a day from Tuesday to Sunday (Mondays are closed)
- Book the Secret Garden at 10:00 exactly six days before your date, on the official booking site
- Choose your language slot: English is 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30 (no 15:30 from December)
- Reach the main gate about 45 minutes before your slot; the walk to the garden takes 15 minutes
- Show the mobile ticket (a screenshot is not valid) and bring your passport if you are 18 or under or 65 or over
- Save 02-3668-2300 and 1330 in your phone
Booking for a visit on November 7 opens on November 1 at 10:00: set a reminder now.
Official sources
Palace visitor information
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Opening hours: seasonal hours, Monday closure, holiday rule and Secret Garden slot times (checked October 24, 2026)
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Admission fees: palace and Secret Garden fares, free categories, palace pass, booking rule (checked October 24, 2026)
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Directions: address, subway exits, buses, no parking (checked October 24, 2026)
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Visitor rules: items refused at entry, food areas, drones (checked October 24, 2026)
- Changdeokgung Palace Reservation (ticket.uforus.co.kr, official booking site; it blocks automated link checks, so no link): online booking steps, entry rules, tour routes (checked October 24, 2026)
Notices, history and tourism pages
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · October–November 2026 operating notice: free admission October 29 to November 15, Secret Garden special viewing excluded (checked October 24, 2026)
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center · Changdeokgung Palace and Its History: built in 1405, Secret Garden 1406, UNESCO listing 1997 (checked October 24, 2026)
- Seoul Danurim · Changdeokgung Palace: Seoul Tourism Organization's accessible-travel page, entrance, rental, restrooms (checked October 24, 2026)
- Korea National Arboretum · 2026 peak foliage search: forecast peak date and hit rate (checked October 20, 2026)
- Busan Metropolitan City · Foreigner support: 1330 hotline languages and hours (checked October 24, 2026)
Every fact in this article was checked one by one against the official sources listed above.