From a Secondary Palace in 1405 to a De Facto Royal Palace for 270 Years — A Route Through Changdeokgung’s Donhwamun, Injeongjeon, and Secret Garden

The secondary palace of King Taejong in 1405, and the main palace used longer from 1610 to 1867

Changdeokgung was founded in 1405 (Taejong 5) as a secondary palace to Gyeongbokgung. The palace name “Changdeok (昌德)” means to illuminate virtue, and the route from the main gate Donhwamun to the throne hall Injeongjeon does not insist on a straight axis; instead, it bends twice, reflecting the topography on the eastern side of Bukhaksan as it is.

After it burned down in the Imjin War in 1592, it was rebuilt in 1610 (Gwanghaegun 2) first among the palaces of Joseon. Until Gyeongbokgung was rebuilt in 1867, successive kings used Changdeokgung more often for about 270 years, so the original “secondary palace” in practice served a role close to the main palace where state affairs were conducted.

Changdeokgung and the eastern Changgyeonggung were regarded as a single living district rather than being separated by wall boundaries, and were called “Donggwol.” Its listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 7, 1997 also reflects the palace layout, which combines buildings and gardens in harmony with the natural terrain and existing trees.

50 to 60 minutes from Donhwamun to Injeongjeon — how to distinguish the outer and inner palace areas

The general palace tour continues from Donhwamun through Geumcheon Bridge, Injeongmun, Injeongjeon, Seonjeongjeon, Huijeongdang and Daejojeon, and toward Nakseonjae. Injeongjeon is the main throne hall where the king’s enthronement ceremony, court audiences with officials, and receptions for foreign envoys were held. Seonjeongjeon was the office hall where the king handled daily government affairs, while Huijeongdang and Daejojeon were the living quarters of the king and queen.

You can visit freely, but if you choose the free guided tour starting at the information board opposite Injeongmun, the palace hall area takes about 50 to 60 minutes. Guidance is available in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese, and for foreign-language tours, only up to two people total, including accompanying Koreans, may participate.

• Injeongjeon: the main throne hall for state rituals and diplomatic receptions
• Seonjeongjeon: the office hall known for its blue-tiled roof
• Huijeongdang and Daejojeon: the bedroom area rebuilt in 1920 after the 1917 fire
• Nakseonjae: a relatively modest royal residential space built by King Heonjong in 1847

The Secret Garden does not end with just one ticket — 100 people per session and reservations 6 days in advance

The Secret Garden is a royal garden created north of Changdeokgung in 1406 and expanded in 1463. A separate Secret Garden admission ticket is required in addition to the palace tour ticket, and you cannot enter the Secret Garden even with the 6,000 KRW integrated palace pass. The adult Secret Garden admission fee is 5,000 KRW, and it is best to budget separately for both the palace tour fee and the garden fee.

For ecological and cultural heritage protection, the Secret Garden limits each session to a maximum of 100 people. From 10:00 a.m. six days before the visit date until the day before, 50 tickets are reserved online on a first-come, first-served basis, and the remaining 50 are sold onsite at the ticket office from 9:00 a.m. on the day of the visit. In April to May and October to November, online and onsite tickets sell out quickly.

The Secret Garden course usually takes about 90 minutes, starting at the Secret Garden entrance and passing Buyongji, Aeryeonji, Gwanramji, Yeongyeongdang, and the path lined with Chinese junipers. In midsummer and midwinter, it may be adjusted to about 70 minutes, and the final session depends on sunset time.

Buyongji, Juhamnu, and Yeongyeongdang — the northern area that holds the king’s reading and daily life, not just a garden

The first places to remember in the Secret Garden are the square pond Buyongji and Juhamnu on the hill to the north. In 1776, King Jeongjo built Juhamnu and Gyujanggak around Buyongji, making it a base for royal books and for discussions of scholarship and policy. The first floor of Juhamnu was used as Gyujanggak, and the second floor as a reading space overlooking the scenery.

Yeongyeongdang, built in 1827 (King Sunjo 27), was a place where the royal family held banquets in imitation of a yangban house’s living quarters. Rather than a more ornate throne hall, this is a place to see the relationship between the lower wooden floor, the sarangchae, and the anchae, so in the Secret Garden, looking at Yeongyeongdang’s floor plan and living function as well as just taking pond photos makes for a more Changdeokgung-like visit.

The Secret Garden mixes forest paths and hills. Unlike the palace hall area, the entire route is not flat, and after rain some dirt paths can become muddy, so shoes with low heels and good grip are suitable.

• Buyongji: a scholarly and resting area formed by the square pond and Buyongjeong pavilion
• Juhamnu: a building related to Gyujanggak established by King Jeongjo in 1776
• Aeryeonji: a space with a lotus pond and Ui duhap
• Yeongyeongdang: a building in the style of a yangban house, created in 1827 for royal banquets

June to August 09:00 to 18:30, adult 3,000 KRW — the basic ticket as long as you avoid Mondays

As of August 2026, the palace tour hours for Changdeokgung are 09:00 to 18:30 from June to August, with last admission at 17:30. From February to May and September to October, the hours change to 09:00 to 18:00 with last admission at 17:00, and from November to January they change to 09:00 to 17:30 with last admission at 16:30. The palace is closed every Monday, and if Monday is a public holiday, it opens that day and closes on the next weekday instead.

The paid admission fee for the palace tour is 3,000 KRW for adults and 1,500 KRW for ages 7 to 18, while groups of 10 or more pay 2,400 KRW and 1,200 KRW respectively. Domestic visitors aged 24 or younger, foreign visitors aged 18 or younger, and domestic or foreign visitors aged 65 or older are eligible for free admission to the palace tour with proof. Residents of Jongno-gu receive a 50% discount on the palace tour fee upon showing ID.

The Changdeokgung Management Office main phone number is 02-3668-2300, and the official information page at https://royal.cha.go.kr/ROYAL/contents/menuInfo-cdg.do provides operating hours, guided tours, events, and reservations in one place. Night events on specific dates and interior access to Injeongjeon are operated as separate events rather than regular sightseeing.

About 5 minutes from Exit 3 of Anguk Station on Line 3, 10 minutes from Exit 6 of Jongno 3-ga Station

The simplest subway route to Donhwamun, the main gate, is to walk about 5 minutes from Exit 3 of Anguk Station on Line 3. From Jongno 3-ga Station, where Lines 1, 3, and 5 meet, it takes about 10 minutes via Exit 6. On Naver Map, entering “Changdeokgung” or the address “99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul” as the destination will guide you to the Donhwamun side entrance.

For buses, the closest stop is “Changdeokgung, Donhwamun Gugakdang.” You can use trunk buses 109, 151, 162, 171, 172, 272, and 601, branch bus 7025, and village buses Jongno 01 and Jongno 12, while airport bus 6011 also passes through the area.

There is no official parking lot for visitors inside the palace, so subway and bus access are more efficient than coming by car. If you bring a car, you will need to use private paid parking lots in the Unni-dong and Gye-dong area, and the palace hours and parking lot operating hours are separate.

• Anguk Station Exit 3 → Donhwamun: about 5 minutes on foot
• Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 6 → Donhwamun: about 10 minutes on foot
• Changdeokgung, Donhwamun Gugakdang stop → Donhwamun: about 5 minutes on foot

Cross Hamyangmun to Changgyeonggung — separate tickets, and re-entry is not allowed

If you plan to see both the palace halls and the Secret Garden, it is safest to allocate at least 2 hours and 30 minutes in total, combining about 60 minutes for the palace halls and about 90 minutes for the garden. If your Secret Garden reservation comes first, rather than trying to rush through the general palace area, it is better to arrive 20 to 30 minutes early and first sort out entry through Donhwamun, ticketing, and the Secret Garden gathering point.

The palace hall area of Changdeokgung connects to Changgyeonggung through Hamyangmun. You can buy a separate Changdeokgung ticket at the Hamyangmun ticket office from the Changgyeonggung side, or pass from Changdeokgung to Changgyeonggung, but re-entry is not permitted. Also, Hamyangmun only connects with the palace hall area of Changdeokgung; there is no direct path from Changgyeonggung into the Secret Garden of Changdeokgung.

Strollers and wheelchairs can move through the flat sections and some ramps in the palace hall area. However, buildings with moon platforms are difficult to approach closely, and the Secret Garden mixes steep hills with unpaved dirt paths, so an itinerary focused on the palace halls reduces mobility burden. Next to the general map on the left after entry, there is a sign showing the wheelchair and stroller ramp route.