Seoul’s palaces have a way of sneaking up on you. I’ll never forget the first time I rounded a corner in this modern city to suddenly find myself standing in front of a 600-year-old throne hall, mountains rising behind it, and subway exits on either side. It’s a strange and wonderful thing to stumble into.
Not all the city’s palaces are created equal, though. A few are spectacular. (I’m lookin’ at you, Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung.) A couple of others are worth a quick look if you’re already nearby.
(And there’s at least one I think most travelers could skip without losing much sleep over it.)
One thing first-time visitors should know before visiting any of them is that most of these palaces are reconstructions. The Japanese occupation and the Korean War were not kind to Seoul’s royal history. Several of the city’s royal palaces were rebuilt as recently as the 1990s. (That’s not a reason to skip them, but it’s something many guides quietly leave out.)
Here’s my rundown of all five Grand Palaces of Seoul—and a sixth “surprise” palace worth knowing about…
Gyeongbokgung
If I only had time for one palace in Seoul, I’d make it Gyeongbokgung. It’s the largest and most historically significant of the Five Grand Palaces of Seoul, and the one that best captures what the city’s royal history looked like at its peak.
King Taejo built it in 1395 as the main seat of the Joseon Dynasty. This period of Korean history lasted over five centuries and shaped virtually everything we see across all six palaces. The name Gyeongbokgung translates to “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.” (That alone gave me an idea of how seriously the Joseon kings took this place.)
History, unfortunately, was not kind to Gyeongbokgung. The Japanese ransacked the palace during their late 16th-century invasion, leaving it in ruin. It was rebuilt in the 1800s, only for the colonizing Japanese to tear it apart again in the early 20th century.
The current restoration project, launched in the 1990s, is still ongoing. Keep that in mind as you walk around. What first-time visitors will see here is impressive, but it’s largely a reconstruction.
Even so, I can’t help but admit that Gyeongbokgung is spectacular.
The first time I walked through Gwanghwamun Gate, I wasn’t prepared for the scale of the palace. I spotted this impressive gate ahead as I walked towards the palace from its namesake subway station.
The full experience didn’t hit me, though, until I stood inside the grounds, looking back at the city framed by skyscrapers on one side and a 600-year-old throne hall on the other. It’s one of those (not-so-rare) moments that convince me Seoul is like nowhere else in the world.
The grounds at Gyeongbokgung are the most impressive of any palace I visited in Seoul, with Bugaksan and Namsan rising up in the background behind the palace’s gates, halls, and pavilions.
The National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum are both on-site, too. They’re worth an hour if Korean history is your thing.
If I had to pick one, I’d spend my time at the National Folk Museum. The open-air section with reconstructed traditional homes and everyday artifacts gives you a better feel for what life in Joseon-era Korea actually looked like than the royal treasures next door.
Another thing I’d recommend while exploring Gyeongbokgung is to catch the changing-of-the-guard ceremony at 10 am or 2 pm. It’s a little theatrical and kitschy, but it sets the scene well, and it’s free.
If you’re planning to visit more than two palaces, I’d recommend picking up the ₩10,000 combination ticket at the Gyeongbokgung ticket office. The ticket is valid for one month and covers all five grand palaces plus Huwon at Changdeokgung. (More on that next…)
- Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm daily (closed Tuesdays)
- Entrance: ₩3,000
PRO TIP: Wearing a hanbok (traditional Korean dress) gets you free entry to all five grand palaces. Rental shops are clustered around Gyeongbokgung Station if you wanna give it a go!
Getting there
The easiest way to get to Gyeongbokgung Palace via public transportation in Seoul is by metro. Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3) and Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) are within walking distance. From the namesake station, Exit 5 will lead you to the grounds. Exit 9 of Gwanghwamun Station also lies just south of the palace.
Changdeokgung
If Gyeongbokgung is Seoul’s most impressive palace, Changdeokgung is its most interesting. I’d actually argue it’s the more rewarding of the two for first-time visitors, if you have the time to do it properly. (And by properly, I mean including Huwon. More on that in sec.)
Changdeokgung is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site of the five grand palaces. Unlike Gyeongbokgung, which was largely rebuilt in the 1990s, Changdeokgung has retained more of its authentic elements than any other palace in the city.
The buildings are still reconstructions, but they’re considerably older than what you’ll find next door. As I walked around Changdeokgung, I felt as if the history was a little more “lived-in.”
Originally built by King Taejong as a secondary royal residence, Changdeokgung ended up playing a bigger role than intended. After the Japanese invasion devastated Gyeongbokgung in the late 16th century, Changdeokgung became the primary royal seat. It stayed that way for over 270 years, housing more Joseon kings than the main palace ever did.
The real draw here, though, is Huwon. I wasn’t expecting much when I walked in. (In my experience, “secret garden” is exactly the kind of label that tends to oversell itself. It doesn’t here.)
Walking among the ponds, pavilions, and centuries-old trees, it was hard to believe I was in the middle of one of Asia’s biggest cities. Of all the places I visited in Seoul, this was one of the tourist attractions that stuck with me the most.
One practical note: Huwon requires a separate guided tour. Sessions fill up fast, particularly in autumn when the foliage peaks. (But it’s well worth the effort. Fall is absolutely one of the best seasons of the year to visit Seoul.)
Capacity at Huwon is capped at 100 people per session. Book ahead online. Don’t assume you’ll grab a ticket on the day.
The combination ticket at ₩10,000 covers all five grand palaces plus Huwon. It’s easily the best value I’ve found for first-timers planning to visit more than two palaces on the first 24-hour Seoul adventure.
- English-language tour times: 10:30 am and 2:30 pm
- Opening hours: 9 am to 5 pm (closed Mondays)
- Entrance: ₩3,000 palace / ₩5,000 Huwon
Getting there
The closest metro station to Changdeokgung is Anguk Station (Line 3). It’s about a 5-minute walk east along Yulgok-ro from Exit 3 to the palace entrance.
Changgyeonggung
Changgyeonggung shares its grounds with Changdeokgung and is easy to fold into the same visit. It’s the least spectacular of the central trio, in my opinion, but it has one detail that makes it more interesting than it first appears.
An original Koryo Dynasty palace once stood on these grounds as far back as the 12th century. In 1418, King Sejong built a new palace here as a gift to his father, King Taejong, who was stepping down from the throne.
King Seongjong later renovated and expanded it in 1483, renaming it Changgyeonggung Palace. Over the years, it served primarily as a royal residence for queens, concubines, and other relatives of the Joseon kings.
During the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century, the colonizers didn’t destroy Changgyeonggung the way they did the other Five Grand Palaces of Seoul. Instead, they converted it into a zoo and botanical garden.
It was a calculated act of humiliation designed to strip the palace of its royal dignity. It wasn’t restored as a palace until 1983, decades after Korea shook off Japanese occupation.
That history gives Changgyeonggung a slightly different weight than the other palaces. It also has something none of the others can claim: buildings that predate the 20th century, making it the only palace in Seoul where you’re looking at structures that weren’t rebuilt from scratch.
The gardens are the real reason to visit. Time it right (I’m talkin’ spring for cherry blossoms or fall for the foliage) and Changgyeonggung will be at its absolute loveliest. Outside of those seasons, it’s a quieter, more contemplative experience than Gyeongbokgung or Changdeokgung.
(And I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing in a city as busy as Seoul.)
- Opening hours: 9 am to 5:30 pm (closed Mondays)
- Entrance: ₩1,000
Getting there
If you’re already at Changdeokgung, it’s a short walk east through a small connecting gate. Alternatively, take Line 4 to Hyehwa Station and walk west from Exit 4 along Daemyeong-gil and Changgyeonggung-ro for about 5 minutes.
Deoksugung
Deoksugung is the odd one out among Seoul’s grand palaces. (And I mean that in the best possible way.)
Unlike the others, Deoksugung wasn’t intended to be a palace at all. The former royal houses were only upgraded to palace status after a late-16th-century Japanese invasion left the others in ruins.
Deoksugung became the final home of Gojong, the last Joseon king and first emperor of Korea, who died here. It gives it a quiet significance I didn’t quite catch at the other, more visually spectacular palaces.
What I found unique as I wandered through Deoksugung, though, was its architecture. It’s the only palace in Seoul that incorporates European-style buildings alongside traditional Korean ones. This is a legacy of the early 20th century, when Western influence was creeping into the Joseon court.
Walking between the two styles in the same complex is a strange and interesting experience. It shouldn’t work, but it does.
Compared to Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, I found Deoksugung quite a bit smaller and quieter. I’m sure it won’t blow you away in the same way the other two might, but it’s arguably the most historically fascinating of the five.
During the Japanese occupation, it escaped much of the destruction that befell the others, which means a handful of pre-20th-century buildings still survive here alongside the reconstructions.
For a tiny ₩1,000 entrance fee, it’s an easy add to any first-time Seoul itinerary.
Don’t miss the daily changing of the guard ceremony at 11 am, 2 pm, and 3:30 pm, except on Mondays.
- Opening hours: 9 am to 9 pm (closed Mondays)
- Entrance: ₩1,000
Getting there
Deoksugung sits right next to City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2). Exit 2 puts you directly onto the palace grounds.
Gyeonghuigung
Gyeonghuigung is the one palace on this list I’d tell most first-time visitors they can skip without losing much sleep over it.
That’s not entirely its fault. At its peak, the complex had over 100 buildings. The Japanese occupation in the early 20th century gutted it so thoroughly that the current reconstruction reflects only about a third of the original.
Gyeonghuigung is the least authentic of all five grand palaces. (And it shows.)
Like Deoksugung, Gyeonghuigung started life as a secondary royal residence before circumstances forced it into a more prominent role. After the Japanese devastated the main Joseon palaces in 1623, it became an important royal seat for about two centuries. A fire tore through in the 19th century, and before any meaningful restoration could happen, the Japanese occupation finished the job.
The saving grace is that entering Gyeonghuigung is free. The Seoul Museum of History sits on the palace grounds, too, which’d be worth an hour of your time if Korean history has been growing on you over the course of your palace visits.
If you’re already at Deoksugung, Gyeonghuigung is close enough to justify a quick detour. But I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.
- Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm (closed Mondays)
- Entrance: Free
Getting there
Gyeonghuigung sits between Seodaemun Station and Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5. From Seodaemun Station Exit 4, walk north along Saemunan-ro. From Gwanghwamun Station Exit 7, walk west along Saemunan-ro. About 5 minutes either way.
Unhyeongung
Unhyeongung isn’t one of the five grand palaces of Seoul. And it doesn’t pretend to be.
It’s smaller, quieter, and easy to overlook, but has a human story behind it that I think makes it worth a quick visit if you’re already roamin’ around the Insadong area.
(Side note: Insadong is one of the coolest neighborhoods in Seoul, and should absolutely be added to your first visit to the city!)
Unhyeongung was the childhood home of Gojong, the last Joseon king and first emperor of Korea. He was born here, grew up here, and left at the age of 12 to ascend to the throne. That detail alone gives Unhyeongung a more personal feel than the grander palaces.
(You’re not walking through the seat of dynastic power, you’re walking through someone’s home.)
Like everything else in Seoul’s royal history, Unhyeongung took a battering from the Japanese occupation and the Korean War. What you’ll see here today are reconstructions.
But the grounds are peaceful, and the cultural programming is kinda interesting, most notably the yearly re-enactment of the royal wedding of Emperor Gojong and Empress Myeongseong, which draws crowds every year.
This non-grand palace has also become a popular spot for young Koreans to get married. It gives Unhyeongung a living, breathing quality that I didn’t feel at the more tourist-focused grander palaces.
(Oh, and it’s free.)
- Opening hours: 9 am to 7 pm (April to October), 9 am to 6 pm (November to March)
- Entrance: Free
Getting there
The closest metro stop to Unhyeongung is Anguk Station (Line 3). Exit 4 spits you out directly onto the palace grounds.
