Seoul Palace Day Itinerary: Which Palaces, in What Order, on Which Day
Last Updated on October 19, 2026
Quick Answer
The classic “Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Jongmyo in one day” only works Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Monday closes Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung; Tuesday closes Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo. Thursday and Friday work if you plan around Jongmyo’s timed tour. Pick your day first, then the palaces, then book the Secret Garden slot, because that reservation fixes the rest of the day.
Contents
- The Full Answer
- What English Itineraries Get Wrong
- Which Palaces Open on Which Day
- Plan A: Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday
- Plan B: Thursday or Friday
- Plan C: Monday
- Plan D: Tuesday
- The Secret Garden Is the Fixed Point
- Ticket Math: Is the Combined Ticket Worth It?
- Limited-Time Changes, October to November 2026
- Practical Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Questions
The Full Answer
Seoul’s five royal sites are Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung (with its Secret Garden, Huwon), Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine. Itineraries treat them as interchangeable stops, but they do not share a closed day, and two of them (the Secret Garden, and Jongmyo on some days) run on fixed time slots.
This guide is the route layer: which palaces to combine, in what order, on which weekday. Tickets, dress rules and booking detail live in our single-site guides, which I link instead of repeating: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and the Secret Garden, Jongmyo Shrine and hanbok rental.
On October 18, 2026, I opened the Korea Heritage Service’s palace pages (royal.khs.go.kr: opening hours, fees and announcements) and read them against the day plans English guides publish. The four verdicts below come from that comparison.
What English Itineraries Get Wrong
I read five English-language palace plans and walking tours in October 2026, chosen by what I could open rather than by search ranking, so treat the counts as “of these five.”
- Three of five put Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung (with the Secret Garden) and Jongmyo into one day. Only one of those three says which weekdays the plan works (Wednesday through Sunday). Another gives no closing days at all.
- Two of five write that the combined palace ticket covers the Secret Garden. The official fee page lists the garden as excluded.
- One of five still quotes ₩10,000 for the combined ticket. The official price is ₩6,000.
- One of five describes Jongmyo as walk-in on weekdays; the one that mentions the timed tour is out of date on Wednesdays (more below).
Which Palaces Open on Which Day
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung | Open | Closed | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open |
| Changdeokgung | Closed | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open |
| Changgyeonggung | Closed | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open |
| Deoksugung | Closed | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open |
| Jongmyo | Timed tour | Closed | Self-guided | Timed tour | Timed tour | Self-guided | Self-guided |
| Secret Garden | Closed | Reserved slot | Reserved slot | Reserved slot | Reserved slot | Reserved slot | Reserved slot |
(As of October 18, 2026, per the Korea Heritage Service.)
Three rules sit under this grid:
- Public holidays shift the closure. If a closing day lands on a public holiday, the site stays open and the closure moves to the next non-holiday day. October 5 (a Monday substitute holiday) was open, and October 6 (Tuesday) was a closing day for every palace and Jongmyo, according to the heritage service’s September 30 notice.
- Hours differ by site. In October, Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Jongmyo run 09:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:00). Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung run 09:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:00), the only evening option now that Gyeongbokgung’s night opening ended on October 2.
- November is shorter. Gyeongbokgung closes at 17:00 (last entry 16:00) and Changdeokgung at 17:30 (last entry 16:30).
Verdict 1 — The three-palace day fails twice a week. On Monday, Changdeokgung is closed, so the plan collapses to Gyeongbokgung plus Jongmyo. On Tuesday, Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo are closed, leaving Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung. English plans usually assume both halves exist.
Plan A: Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday
The only day type where all three classic sites open and Jongmyo needs no timed slot. Times are built backwards from the 14:30 English Secret Garden slot.
| Time | Block | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:50 | Arrive Gyeongbokgung (Gwanghwamun or Gyeongbokgung station) | Hanbok rental, if any, before opening |
| 10:00 | Changing of the guard, Heungnyemun courtyard | About 20 minutes |
| 10:20 to 11:30 | Geunjeongjeon, Gyeonghoeru, main axis | Throne-hall terrace closed until October 31 |
| 11:30 | Walk through Bukchon toward Anguk | About 30 to 35 minutes, my map-based estimate |
| 12:15 to 13:15 | Lunch near Anguk | Tongin Market is on the other side of Gyeongbokgung, so it is a detour |
| 13:15 | Donhwamun, Changdeokgung’s main gate | About 5 minutes from Anguk station exit 3 |
| 14:30 to 16:00 | Secret Garden, English slot | Autumn route is about 90 minutes |
| 16:00 | Walk to Jongmyo’s north gate | About 20 to 25 minutes, estimate |
| about 16:25 to 18:00 | Jongmyo | Last entry 17:00, closes 18:00 |
The tight point is the walk, not the visit: Jongmyo stops admitting at 17:00, so after a 14:30 garden slot you have about half an hour of margin. Once inside, you have until 18:00.
Plan A-reverse (Secret Garden first) moves the fixed point earlier:
| Time | Block |
|---|---|
| 10:00 | Donhwamun, then Secret Garden at 10:30 (English slot) |
| 12:00 | Lunch near Anguk |
| 13:00 | Walk to Jongmyo’s north gate, visit about 40 to 50 minutes |
| 14:15 | Subway or walk to Gyeongbokgung (about 30 to 35 minutes on foot) |
| 15:00 to 18:00 | Gyeongbokgung (last entry 17:00) |
This removes the Jongmyo entry deadline, at the cost of both guard ceremonies (10:00 and 14:00).
On Wednesdays the Secret Garden and Gyeongbokgung stay paid while the other sites go free (see ticket math below). On Saturdays and public holidays, check Jongmyo’s commentary schedule if English narration matters to you; I did not re-read the weekend session table this month.
Verdict 2 — Jongmyo’s Wednesday status flipped. The heritage service’s October opening-hours page lists Jongmyo’s timed-tour days as Monday, Thursday and Friday (50-minute tours, 200 people per language session). Free-entry days are Saturday, Sunday, public holidays and the weekly “Culture Day” Wednesday, with the Yulgok-ro north gate open. English plans calling Jongmyo “weekday guided-only” are out of date for Wednesdays, and the north-gate walk from Changdeokgung now works that day.
Plan B: Thursday or Friday
On Thursday and Friday Jongmyo is a timed tour, which gives you two fixed points: a Jongmyo session and a Secret Garden slot. The north gate is closed, so you enter Jongmyo from the south.
English Jongmyo sessions run at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 (50 minutes). With two clocks to hit, put Jongmyo first:
| Time | Block |
|---|---|
| 09:40 | Arrive at Jongmyo (Jongno 3-ga station) |
| 10:00 to 10:50 | English-language tour |
| 11:00 | Walk or short taxi to Gyeongbokgung |
| 11:30 to 13:00 | Gyeongbokgung, main axis (the 10:00 ceremony is missed) |
| 13:00 | Lunch at Anguk |
| 14:00 | Donhwamun |
| 14:30 to 16:00 | Secret Garden, English slot |
| 16:30 to 20:00 | Changgyeonggung (last entry 20:00) |
For the guard ceremony, do Gyeongbokgung first and take Jongmyo’s 12:00 English session, leaving the palace by about 11:15 (about 40 minutes on foot).
Plan C: Monday
Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung are closed; Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo’s timed tour remain. A clean two-site day:
| Time | Block |
|---|---|
| 09:00 | Gyeongbokgung |
| 10:00 | Changing of the guard |
| 10:20 to 12:30 | Main axis, Gyeonghoeru |
| 12:30 | Lunch around Samcheong or Bukchon |
| 14:00 or 16:00 | Jongmyo English-language tour (50 minutes), about 40 minutes on foot from Gyeongbokgung or a short taxi |
With Deoksugung closed, there is no evening palace on Monday. Namsan is one non-palace option for the evening.
Plan D: Tuesday
Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo are closed. What is left is the eastern pair plus Deoksugung.
| Time | Block |
|---|---|
| 10:00 | Donhwamun, Secret Garden at 10:30 (English slot, about 90 minutes) |
| 12:15 | Changdeokgung main halls, then lunch near Anguk |
| 14:30 | Walk to Changgyeonggung (it shares a wall with Changdeokgung), about 10 to 15 minutes |
| 16:30 | Subway to City Hall station, about 25 minutes including the transfer |
| 17:00 to 20:00 | Deoksugung (last entry 20:00) |
This is the only plan that pairs the Secret Garden with two other palaces without a clock conflict.
A GuruWalk tour I read (4.94 stars from 85 reviews, ₩30,000 to ₩50,000 for two hours, admission not included, as listed in October 2026) says outright that on Tuesdays its Gyeongbokgung route is replaced by Changdeokgung. It was the only tour I could open that put the weekday swap on the page.
The Secret Garden Is the Fixed Point
Verdict 3 — The Secret Garden is not covered by the combined ticket or by hanbok, and in October and November it sells out fast. The heritage service’s fee page says online and walk-up garden tickets sell out very quickly in April to May and October to November. It gives no seat counts, so I give none. Two of the five English plans I read say the combined ticket includes the garden.
- Online booking opens at 10:00 on the day six days before and runs until the day before your visit, first come, first served.
- On the day, tickets sell from 09:00 at the ticket office.
- You also need a main-hall ticket. A combined ticket counts as one.
- The garden is excluded from the combined ticket, from hanbok free entry, and from the Wednesday free policy.
Our Changdeokgung guide lists English slots at 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30, with Korean slots on the hour from 10:00 to 16:00. That table is from August, so confirm October’s slots when you book.
Ticket Math: Is the Combined Ticket Worth It?
The combined palace ticket is ₩6,000 (as of October 2026) for one entry each at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung (main halls), Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo within six months. Single tickets are ₩3,000 at Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung and ₩1,000 at the other three; the Secret Garden is a separate ₩5,000. Purchase and refund rules are in our Gyeongbokgung guide.
The arithmetic, which is mine and not an official figure:
- Gyeongbokgung + Changdeokgung = ₩6,000. The combined ticket breaks even.
- Plus Changgyeonggung or Jongmyo = ₩7,000 to ₩8,000. It saves ₩1,000 to ₩2,000.
- All five = ₩9,000 against ₩6,000.
- Wednesdays from October 7: Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo are free under the weekly Culture Day plan; Gyeongbokgung and the Secret Garden are excluded. The combined ticket then only replaces the ₩3,000 Gyeongbokgung ticket, so buying it loses ₩3,000.
One wrinkle: Changdeokgung’s fee page lists the Wednesday free policy as weekly, but its booking tab still says “last Wednesday of the month”. I follow the fee page and the announced plan; check the gate sign on the day.
Verdict 4 — The combined ticket is a Thursday and weekend decision. Buy it only if you are visiting three or more paid sites, and skip it on Wednesdays. One English plan I read still prices it at ₩10,000, which is ₩4,000 above the official price.
Hanbok wearers enter Gyeongbokgung free, which can make the combined ticket pointless on a two-palace day. If you want to rent for the palace, GetYourGuide lists a Seoul hanbok rental with Gyeongbokgung Palace entry that you can book in advance.
Limited-Time Changes, October to November 2026
Dated window — October 29 to November 15: Korea Grand Festival free admission. The Korea Heritage Service announced free entry to the four grand palaces, Jongmyo and the Joseon royal tombs for this period, excluding the usual closing days. The Changdeokgung Secret Garden special viewing is excluded, so it stays paid and reserved. Jongmyo switches to general (self-guided) viewing every day of the window. Source: heritage service notice, royal.khs.go.kr.
What that changes, in my reading of the notice:
- Gyeongbokgung is free in this window, so neither the hanbok free-entry benefit nor the combined ticket saves anything.
- Jongmyo is self-guided every open day, so Thursday and Friday stop being two-clock days and can run Plan A. Monday still cannot, because Changdeokgung is closed.
- Closing days still apply. Monday and Tuesday remove the same palaces.
- Changgyeonggung’s evening opening is paused November 10 to 15, so the evening block moves to Deoksugung.
Dated window — October 20 to 31: Changdeokgung inner-quarters special viewing. Tuesday to Saturday, two sessions: 10:00 to 11:10 and 14:30 to 15:40 (about 70 minutes). October 31 is a private event, so general viewing ends October 30. I could not read the booking method or price from the notice. The afternoon session overlaps the 14:30 Secret Garden English slot.
Dated window — through October 31: Geunjeongjeon’s terrace is closed to visitors. The raised stone terrace in front of Gyeongbokgung’s throne hall is restricted to protect the stonework, which changes where you can stand for photographs.
What You Need to Know
- Walking times are my estimates from map distance, not from walking them. The 15 minutes from Donhwamun to the Secret Garden entrance and 5 minutes from Anguk exit 3 come from official palace guidance cited in our Changdeokgung guide.
- Three palaces is the practical maximum. The 90-minute autumn garden route is the longest block in any plan.
- Prices, hours and event dates can change. Check the heritage service’s current notices before you go.
Practical Tips
- Choose the weekday before you choose the palaces. Use the grid above, then book.
- Book the Secret Garden slot first. Online booking opens at 10:00, six days before.
- Use Anguk station as your base. For routes and fares see our Seoul subway guide and T-money guide.
- Count last entry, not closing time. Jongmyo’s 17:00 admission cutoff is the deadline in the Plan A afternoon.
- Skip the combined ticket on a Wednesday, and think twice if you are visiting only two paid sites.
- Keep Deoksugung or Changgyeonggung for the evening. They are the only palaces open until 21:00 in October.
- Mind accessibility. Palace grounds include slopes and gravel paths.
For the next day of a longer trip, consider a DMZ tour or a Nami Island day trip, both of which also depend on what day you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Jongmyo in one day?
Yes, on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday Changdeokgung is closed, and on Tuesday Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo are closed. On Thursday and Friday it is possible, but you must hold both a Jongmyo tour session and a Secret Garden slot.
Which palace should I pick if I only have half a day?
Gyeongbokgung for scale and the guard ceremony, Changdeokgung for the Secret Garden. The weekday often decides it: Gyeongbokgung is closed Tuesday, Changdeokgung Monday.
Is it better to do Gyeongbokgung or Changdeokgung first?
If you want the guard-change ceremony, Gyeongbokgung first at 09:00. If the Secret Garden is the priority, start with it at 10:30 and do Gyeongbokgung in the afternoon. Both orders work on a Wednesday.
How many hours does a three-palace day take?
About 8 to 9 hours including lunch, going by the plans above. The Secret Garden alone is about 90 minutes in autumn.
What happens if a public holiday falls on a Monday or Tuesday?
The site opens on the holiday and closes on the next non-holiday day. October 5, 2026 was open and October 6 closed.
Can I walk from Changdeokgung to Jongmyo?
On Wednesdays, weekends and public holidays, yes, through the Yulgok-ro north gate, about 20 to 25 minutes by my estimate. On Monday, Thursday and Friday the north gate is closed.
Does hanbok help on the Korea Grand Festival days?
No, because the four palaces and Jongmyo are free for everyone from October 29 to November 15. The Secret Garden remains paid.
Is there a palace open on Monday evening?
No. Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung close on Mondays, and Gyeongbokgung’s night opening ended on October 2.
Related Questions
- Gyeongbokgung Tickets in 2026: Free Days, Closures, and the Hanbok Rule
- Changdeokgung Secret Garden: The Booking Rules English Guides Missed
- How to Visit Jongmyo Shrine: Entry Rules by Day and Language
- Suwon Hwaseong: Night Opening, Monday Closures, Trolley Tickets
