Personally, I prefer Changdeokgung Palace to Gyeongbokgung or Deoksugung. This is my favorite palace in Seoul. Not too big, not too small size. Also it is connected to Changkyeong gung (another palace). Be sure to make reservation of the Secret Garden before you visit. It is worth the time and money.

This is a must see historical site in Seoul. For me, seeing people wearing beautiful traditional dresses when going in and out of buildings was very interesting. The architect is obviously stunning and the history is insightful. You can easily spend few hours going in different part and then enjoy a coffee!

This is the prettiest of the 5 palaces in Seoul. Very impressive and well preserved/restored. We have not seen the garden which is a pity, but we liked everything else. My favorite were the servants quarters. With the beautiful autumn weather, persimmon trees with fruits, and some foliage (very late this year) - it's a stunning display.

too bad it is raining when i visited this place. this palace is popular spot for taking a picture with a hanbook. its free to visit if you wear hanbook but you need to buy a ticket if you not wearing proper hanbook. my parents dont know that he need to wear special inner trouser and the security saw him, and said that it is not properly wear so he need ticket to enter this place

This is definitely the nicest Seoul palace. The grounds were beautifully incorporated into nature, and the buildings were plentiful and well-laid out. During our spring visit, many lilacs and azaleas were blooming, which looked and smelled very nice. The “secret” garden tour was a highlight and I would consider it a must-see (secret garden price is included in the multi-palace pass but you still need to reserve a time slot at the office; otherwise it’s a separate cost to the palace). The only downside we could find is that most of the buildings are empty or even closed up in a way that you can only really see the outside (which we found typical of all Seoul palaces). We do wish there were more displays inside buildings, but we understand that that may be hard to maintain during the seasons/outside. We also listened to the free audio guide, and while a little corny with its characters, was much less dry than other audio tours, and gave good information on the areas and history. If you can only visit one Seoul palace, visit this one!

The palace was built 15th century, which is one of Seoul's 'five grand palaces'. It was. It was used as the royal residence for many kings and their families. The oldest surviving structure in the palace complex is the Okcheongyo stone bridge, built in 1483 ahead of the front gate. There is a stone turtle under the bridge. Changgyeonggung was destroyed twice and has been rebuilt. There is a secret garden too, for which additional ticket has to be purchased. Wonderful must visit place in Seoul.

I noticed it when I got off the Airport Limousine Bus Stop located near it. Hurriedly left my luggage and began my visit. Learned that senior citizens can enter free, just show proof of age. Added to my visit the tour of the Secret Garden, cost was 5,000 won or about $4. There are several buildings in the compound, all serving different purposes. Note that among the 5 palaces, only this one is a Unesco Heritage Site. Many areas to look at and take photos here. Secret Garden Tour: can be visited on your own. No need to pay extra 5 k if you just want to see the 4 major areas. With the tour, the English speaking Guide tells about the place, reason for their construction, etc. Caveat: There are many groups of children having their field trips here. Their noise and running around could be issues for some visitors. Highly recommended to visit this attraction!

Very cool, looked grand and majestic. The best part (In my opinion), was seeing the guard walk around. While we didn't see the guards switch, they walked around to stretch their legs and do it in an orderly fashion, so it felt like they were switching. You can also take pictures with the guards, which is fun for kids. Also was very pretty, and the paintings everwhere were so cool.

I'm so glad that I joined their free tour. Sure, you can wander on your own but won't get the historical context. Our guide explained the history and juicy details. Plus, we could ask questions about specific buildings and events. There are a lot of stairs so make sure you wear comfy shoes. Unfortunately, the secret garden was closed on the day of my visit because of an event. What a bummer but it was still worth it. I combined this palace with the one next to it (Changyeonggung).

Changdeokgung Palace is one of the Five Grand Palaces built by the kings of the Joseon dynasty. Like the other palaces in Seoul, this one also offers guided tours in English 3 times a day, so it’s worth scheduling 1 or 2 days around these times. I also highly recommend the English tour as the guide was very good and gave a lot of information not found in the palace printed guides. The printed leaflet also has QR codes for audio guides as an alternative. I only used it once while waiting for the tour to start, but the commentary was very good. The palace was apparently the primary residence of the Korean Royal Family thanks to a combination of its spacious gardens and mountain views. The grandest building is the Injeongjeon or throne hall and contains the throne for the Korean king. Being the most important building, it also has the most chiwens of all the buildings in the complex. Another building to look out for is SeonJeongjeon Hall, which is the only remaining building in the complex to have blue glazed tile, thanks to expensively imported cobalt. Overall, I’d say this palace is definitely one of the best things to see in Seoul as an outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture.