Changdeokgung Palace
창덕궁 · Palace · Seoul
The Secret Garden (Huwon) is the reason to come. English tours sell out — reserve online.
K-drama filming location
- Kingdom (킹덤, 2019, Netflix) — starring Ju Ji-hoon, Bae Doona. A Joseon-era zombie thriller: the crown prince fights a plague and a palace plot. Filmed here: Gwallamji Pond in the Secret Garden.
The Secret Garden of Changdeokgung Palace used to be a resting place of the royal family. … This garden appears several times in "Kingdom".
Source: VISITSEOUL
Live crowd levels for Seoul, 14-day forecast elsewhere. No sign-up.
- Admission
- ₩3,000Secret Garden tour +₩5,000 (timed entry, book ahead) · Free in hanbok
- Opening hours
- 09:00 – 18:00Nov–Jan closes 17:30
- Closed
- Mondays
- Quietest day
- Tuesday — about 16% fewer foreign visitors than an average dayBusiest: Saturday. Based on Korea Tourism Data Lab foreign-visitor counts for Jongno-gu, Seoul.
- Payment
- Cards accepted
- English
- Signs and staff in English
- Nearest subway
- Anguk Station (안국역) · Line 3About 5 minutes on foot
- Parking
- Not availableKorea Tourism Organization
- Fee checked
- 2026-09
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When to go
Changdeokgung Palace is closed on Mondays. Arriving on a closing day is the most common way to lose a morning in Korea, and the gate will not make an exception for a visitor who has come a long way.
Counting foreign visitors to Jongno-gu, Seoul over twelve weeks, Tuesday is the quietest day you can actually go and Saturday the busiest — a difference of about 30%. These are district-wide figures rather than a headcount at the gate, so treat them as a tendency.
Opening hours are 09:00 to 18:00. Nov–Jan closes 17:30. Tour groups tend to arrive mid-morning and again after lunch; the first hour after opening is normally the quietest stretch of any day.
What it costs, and what to bring
Adult admission is ₩3,000 — Secret Garden tour +₩5,000 (timed entry, book ahead) · Free in hanbok. By the standards of most countries this is very cheap, and it is charged at the gate rather than online, so there is no need to book ahead.
Cards are accepted. Foreign Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere in Korea, and contactless is normal.
Getting there
The nearest subway stop is Anguk (안국역) on Line 3, about 5 minutes on foot. Seoul's subway signs and announcements are in English, and a T-money card bought at any convenience store works on every line and bus.
Google Maps · Naver Map · Kakao Map
Google Maps shows public transport in Korea but not walking routes. Naver or Kakao Map gives walking directions.
Eat nearby
Gwangjang Market is 1.3 km away. The oldest market food alley in Seoul, and still the busiest. Everything is cooked in front of you.
- Mung bean pancake 빈대떡 ₩5,000–8,000
- Mini seaweed rolls 마약김밥 ₩3,000–5,000
- Raw beef 육회 ₩15,000–25,000
Seochon Village is 1.6 km away. Tongin Market, at the edge of Seochon, is where office workers and locals buy lunch one spoonful at a time.
- Coin lunchbox 엽전 도시락 ₩5,000–10,000
- Oil tteokbokki 기름떡볶이 ₩4,000–6,000
Prices are per person and were checked in September 2026. Market stalls are often cash-only even where restaurants take cards.
Near here
- Changgyeonggung Palace350 m
- Ikseon-dong Hanok Street580 m
- Jongmyo Shrine605 m
- Insadong732 m
- Bukchon Hanok Village782 m