Changdeokgung Palace
Changdeokgung Palace
4.5
Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings • Gardens
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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
This 600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site is the city's jewel. It's as famous for its outstanding architectural details as for its verdant and expansive gardens.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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  • Janet1016
    Ottawa, Canada971 contributions
    A beautiful spot!
    My son, husband and I decided to visit the Changdeokgung Palace during our visit to Seoul. There are other Palaces in Seoul but we decided to go see this one since it is the only one that is considered a Unesco Heritage site and it's also within walking distance to the Hangbok Cultural Village which is another neat thing to do. We got an English tour guide and did a tour of the Secret Garden. it being February not a lot was in bloom and it'd be stunning I'm sure to go during the spring or summer when the Lotus Ponds and the flowers are in season. The Garden takes up almost 60% of the entire area of the Palace. We were told in the old days tigers would occasionally appear within the Garden walls! :) The garden incorporates a lotus pond, pavilions, and landscaped lawns, trees, and flowers. There are over 26,000 specimens of a hundred different species of trees in the garden and some of the trees behind the palace are over 300 years old. The Palace was constructed in 1405, destroyed in the late 1500's by the Japanese and then rebuilt in 1610 and served as the Main palace for about 270 years. You can feel the history around you as you stroll. Admission is 3000 Korean Won which equals $3.30 Canadian and also includes tickets to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Deoksugung Palace, the Changgyeonggung Palace and the Jongmyo Shrine. The tickets don't expire until 3 months after purchase so if you have time to go see them all it's an amazing deal. (It's an amazing deal just to get in to one!!!) :) A must see if in Seoul.
    Visited January 2020
    Written February 20, 2020
  • TravelerTrecker
    837 contributions
    My favorite palace in Seoul!
    My sister had previously traveled to Seoul and she told me that to her, the Changdeokgung palace was the most impressive one of all palaces in Seoul. Yes, I agree. It is second in size after its neighbor the Gyenongbokgung palace, the main palace. It is a secondary palace that was used as the main palace at times of disaster or war. As mentioned before, the main palace was Gyenongbokgung. Changdeokgung is also a fully restored palace. The palace was destroyed by the Japanese at the beginning of the XX century during the occupation of Korea. Japan wanted to get rid of any vestige of Korean culture. The palace is very well restored. The main hall is monumental. The palace buildings are lovely and have a more disorganized distribution when compared with the order of the Gyenongbokgung palace. The lack of order makes it charming; in some areas you will feel that you are walking through a labyrinth that surprises you at every corner. The colors of the walls and roof are phenomenal! One of the buildings preserves its original blue color roof; it is a very dark, shiny blue that is unique of Korea! There are many places where you can take pictures and relax under the shade. You need approximately 2 hours to visit the palace. Once you finish, go to the secret gardens. The secret gardens belong to this palace; however, the entrance is separate and you need a different ticket. I recommend to buy the ticket that covers the 4 palaces of the Joseon dinasty, the garden, and the Jongmyo santuary. It is very cheap! The place is very well labeled. I do not recommend tours to visit this place. You need to have time to enjoy it. You need freedom to enjoy it. Visit the palace in a sunny day. Colors are spectacular; most of the visit is outdoors.
    Visited September 2019
    Written April 19, 2020
  • Learntorock
    21 contributions
    Beautiful Gardens
    An intersting place to visit. It consists mainly of scenically laid out, empty buildings. If you do not know the history it will probably seem underwhelming. I suggest doing reseach beforehand or joining one of the tours. Free entry if you are wearing a hanbok. These can be hired for two or four hours from local stores. Good bus service. There are toilets and a cafe that only seems to sell drinks. There is a larger cafe outside the palace. There is a small gift shop. Tickets need to be purchased from the ticket office on the left hand side or from the ticket booths directly outside. The palace has a secret garden, which you have to pay extra to visit. It is accessible by guided tour only and these are done in different languages, so make sure you book the right one. The tour is informative and lasts 70-90 minutes dependent on weather. The tickets sell out quickly so it is worth pre=booking on-line. The gardens were stunning and well worth a visit. Staff were all helpful. Everthing was very clean, including the toilets.
    Visited July 2022
    Written July 16, 2022
  • CanisHan
    Seoul, South Korea23,714 contributions
    Beautiful palace to feel Choseon's atmosphere.
    C ( 20.12.09 ) This palace was one of beautiful palace in Seoul. This palace was very beautiful and could feel about Choseon royal family's atmosphere. There had many beautiful architecture of Choseon that was Korea's dynasty. I didn't understand why Chandeokgung and Changyeonggung's entrance fee paid separately, but it was certain that there was very beautiful.
    Visited December 2020
    Written December 13, 2020
  • Barbara M
    5 contributions
    Stunning architecture and history!
    The architecture and roof lines and painting and tress - all beautiful. And the concrete "gargoyles" are varied animals and the preservation of everything is amazing. Admission to the palace is free for seniors. My only regret would be that I simply didn't have enough time. And was unable to go to the Secret Garden because it is only available if you sign up for a guided tour. English (my language) was not offered for hours after I had already spent the good part of a day at the palace. I'd recommend finding out about the tour times for the Secret Garden prior to going.
    Visited July 2022
    Written July 16, 2022
  • Byeongjun Park
    1 contribution
    The essence of Korean beauty
    Changdeokgung Palace is the palace of Joseon dyhasty which is the most historically valuable palace of the Joseon Dynasty among palaces of Joseon. The reason is that, unlike Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is the most well-known among the palaces of Joseon, it was Changdeokgung Palace that played the role of the actual palace during the about 500-year period of the Joseon Dynasty. Also, Changdeokgung Palace is the most well-preserved palace among the five major Palaces in Seoul. What’s more, Changdeokgung Palace is the only one listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site among the five major palaces in Seoul. Visiting Changdeokgung Palace, you can feel the serenity in the middle of Korea's noisiest city. Espicically, I strongly recommend to walk around the secret garden of Changdeokgung palace. Because there is one of the most beautiful gardens in Korea where you can feel the essence of Korean beauty. It’s well worth a visit when you travel to Seoul.
    Visited May 2022
    Written April 14, 2023
  • Alex H
    Port St. Mary, United Kingdom1,294 contributions
    A beautiful palace and gardens
    My partner and I came here and the entry into the Palace is cheap and easy to purchase from the nearby ticket office. The palace and surrounding buildings are beautiful and make for some lovely photos. I’d recommend picking up a copy of the map from the ticket office beforehand as this really helped us navigate where we were. The second part of this area offers an extra ticket (5,000 WON) to enter the secret garden, which is done on time slots. We selected the 11:30am English tour. The secret garden is well worth doing as this is really picturesque and peaceful, and it is interesting learning about what the gardens were and the buildings in the area. It was beautiful in the snow and this turned out to be, in our opinion, the best part of the visit.
    Visited January 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 9, 2023
  • mel7155
    Singapore, Singapore870 contributions
    Empty shell of a palace . Who took all the furniture ?
    This was our sentiment when we visited this palace ? It is similar to the other palaces in Seoul and the forbidden city in Beijing or the palace in Avignon, France . It is all an Empty shell with no entrance allowed into any of the inner ss run of the buildings . With very little information provided , the buildings become meaningless attraction sites Not worth your time to visit .
    Visited June 2022
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 23, 2022
  • menth0l
    Winterthur, Switzerland72 contributions
    Visitors only can see outside of the building
    Actually the area of the palace is very big, you can spend quite a lot of time inside. There is a big garden area behind with very nice environment setup. However, visitors cannot see the rooms inside and I believed the rooms are empty, after the trip I still have no idea how the royal family lived and what they've used. The only place the visitor can participate is kitchen part, people can join some kind of tea time. There is another museum next to the palace, it shows the history of Korean kingdom, I think that one is more interesting.
    Visited September 2022
    Written September 27, 2022
  • Jeremy Y
    Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe122 contributions
    Beautiful palace
    I really loved the feel of this palace, like a haven of peace in the heart of the busy city. It is really beautiful. Because of Covid there was no guided tour or audio guide available but it is still worth the trip. The only negative thing is I had to get a second ticket to visit the secret garden. It is a a bit a shame that you can’t buy a combo ticket It took me actually a few visit to be able to do the secret garden as the number of tickets sold In a day is limited and I couldn’t book in advance
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled on business
    Written July 29, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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CanisHan
Seoul, South Korea23,714 contributions
Dec 2020
C ( 20.12.09 )
This palace was one of beautiful palace in Seoul. This palace was very beautiful and could feel about Choseon royal family's atmosphere. There had many beautiful architecture of Choseon that was Korea's dynasty. I didn't understand why Chandeokgung and Changyeonggung's entrance fee paid separately, but it was certain that there was very beautiful.
Written December 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Barbara M
5 contributions
Jul 2022
The architecture and roof lines and painting and tress - all beautiful. And the concrete "gargoyles" are varied animals and the preservation of everything is amazing. Admission to the palace is free for seniors.
My only regret would be that I simply didn't have enough time. And was unable to go to the Secret Garden because it is only available if you sign up for a guided tour. English (my language) was not offered for hours after I had already spent the good part of a day at the palace.
I'd recommend finding out about the tour times for the Secret Garden prior to going.
Written July 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Byeongjun Park
1 contribution
May 2022
Changdeokgung Palace is the palace of Joseon dyhasty which is the most historically valuable palace of the Joseon Dynasty among palaces of Joseon. The reason is that, unlike Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is the most well-known among the palaces of Joseon, it was Changdeokgung Palace that played the role of the actual palace during the about 500-year period of the Joseon Dynasty. Also, Changdeokgung Palace is the most well-preserved palace among the five major Palaces in Seoul. What’s more, Changdeokgung Palace is the only one listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site among the five major palaces in Seoul. Visiting Changdeokgung Palace, you can feel the serenity in the middle of Korea's noisiest city. Espicically, I strongly recommend to walk around the secret garden of Changdeokgung palace. Because there is one of the most beautiful gardens in Korea where you can feel the essence of Korean beauty. It’s well worth a visit when you travel to Seoul.
Written April 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alex H
Port St. Mary, UK1,294 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
My partner and I came here and the entry into the Palace is cheap and easy to purchase from the nearby ticket office. The palace and surrounding buildings are beautiful and make for some lovely photos. I’d recommend picking up a copy of the map from the ticket office beforehand as this really helped us navigate where we were. The second part of this area offers an extra ticket (5,000 WON) to enter the secret garden, which is done on time slots. We selected the 11:30am English tour. The secret garden is well worth doing as this is really picturesque and peaceful, and it is interesting learning about what the gardens were and the buildings in the area. It was beautiful in the snow and this turned out to be, in our opinion, the best part of the visit.
Written January 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mel7155
Singapore, Singapore870 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
This was our sentiment when we visited this palace ? It is similar to the other palaces in Seoul and the forbidden city in Beijing or the palace in Avignon, France
. It is all an Empty shell with no entrance allowed into any of the inner ss run of the buildings . With very little information provided , the buildings become meaningless attraction sites

Not worth your time to visit .
Written June 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

menth0l
Winterthur, Switzerland72 contributions
Sep 2022
Actually the area of the palace is very big, you can spend quite a lot of time inside. There is a big garden area behind with very nice environment setup. However, visitors cannot see the rooms inside and I believed the rooms are empty, after the trip I still have no idea how the royal family lived and what they've used. The only place the visitor can participate is kitchen part, people can join some kind of tea time.
There is another museum next to the palace, it shows the history of Korean kingdom, I think that one is more interesting.
Written September 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeremy Y
Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe122 contributions
May 2023 • Business
I really loved the feel of this palace, like a haven of peace in the heart of the busy city. It is really beautiful. Because of Covid there was no guided tour or audio guide available but it is still worth the trip.
The only negative thing is I had to get a second ticket to visit the secret garden. It is a a bit a shame that you can’t buy a combo ticket
It took me actually a few visit to be able to do the secret garden as the number of tickets sold
In a day is limited and I couldn’t book in advance
Written July 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Patchie
New Jersey7 contributions
Nov 2022
This is one of my favorite places in Seoul. I’ve always liked the tranquility of temples, palaces, and gardens in South Korea, and Changdeokgung Palace is one of the most memorable of them. The ponds are beautiful, the buildings fit in with the nature around them, and you can tell there was a lot of thought put into the design of the palace – it’s steeped in history and feels that way.

Tips: There is an entrance fee (which can be paid with Tmoney, when I went it was 3,000 won) which lets you see a portion of the palace grounds. I paid when I got to the palace front gates.
To see the gardens, about 60% of the palace, you need to buy an additional ticket, a guided tour ticket (5,000 won). The only way to access the gardens is through a guided tour, but you get plenty of free time to explore and take pictures during the tour! You can buy tickets online or at the front gate.

My favorite spot was the meditation area!
Written November 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brian J
Philadelphia, PA8 contributions
Jun 2022
An interesting historical and cultural site in a scenic park like setting. Beautiful. I highly recommend the Secret Garden tour, which requires a separate ticket and 90-minute walking tour. The walk was longer and more strenuous than I had expected but worth the time and effort. Would go again.
Written July 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeremy Y
Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe122 contributions
Feb 2021
I really loved the feel of this palace, like a haven of peace in the heart of the busy city. It is really beautiful. Because of Covid there was no guided tour or audio guide available but it is still worth the trip.
The only negative thing is I had to get a second ticket to visit the secret garden. It is a a bit a shame that you can’t buy a combo ticket
Written February 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Changdeokgung Palace (Seoul) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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