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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanSeoul Palace Events in October: Foreigner Tickets (2026)
Checked Sept 29, 2026
Almost every Korean-side ticket for Seoul's autumn palace programs is sold out as of Sept 29, 2026. Foreigners still have options that Koreans don't: foreigner-only sessions of the Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour (Oct 21 to 24, booking opens Oct 1 at 14:00 KST) and the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour (Oct 4 and 11, listed as sold out when I checked), 300 on-site night tickets a day at Gyeongbokgung until Oct 2, and English tours of the Huwon garden with seats left. And from Oct 29 to Nov 15, entry to all four palaces and Jongmyo is free.
The most beautiful autumn leaves I ever saw were not on a mountain. They were on a maple tree inside Gyeongbokgung. I read the Korean booking pages and notices for this guide, so you can see what is still open and what is not.
Jump to: Dates · Foreigner-only sessions · All bookable programs · What you can still get · When I went · No booking needed · Jeongdong night festival · FAQ
Which dates matter in October 2026?
- Mon Oct 5 is a substitute public holiday. The palaces are open.
- Tue Oct 6: every palace and Jongmyo (종묘) is closed. The one exception is the festival's eve concert at 17:00 (see below).
- Oct 7 to 11: the Royal Culture Festival (궁중문화축전) at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo.
- Wednesdays: free entry to Deoksugung (덕수궁), and from Oct 7 also to Changdeokgung (창덕궁), Changgyeonggung (창경궁) and Jongmyo. Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) and the Huwon garden are not included.
- Oct 29 to Nov 15: free entry to all four palaces, Jongmyo and the Joseon royal tombs, for the "Korea Grand Festival". The Huwon garden and regular closing days are excluded.
- Oct 29 to 31: Jeongdong Night Festival around Deoksugung. Free.
The Royal Culture Festival, Oct 7 to 11
Palace entry is not free during the festival. The festival sells a Gungpass scent pouch (궁패스 향낭) for 12,000 won. It gives unlimited entry to the four palaces and Jongmyo during the festival. I couldn't see how many are left.
The eve concert is on Tue Oct 6 at 17:00 in the Heungnyemun (흥례문) plaza at Gyeongbokgung. It is a recording of the KBS music show Immortal Songs (불후의 명곡). It's free, by lottery, for 2,500 people. 300 of those places are set aside for foreigners.
Most festival programs that need a booking are sold out on the Korean side (Ticketlink). Foreigners book them through Creatrip. What I saw on Sept 29:
- Hanbok banquet (한복 연향), Oct 9–10, 19:00, free for people in hanbok: sold out
- Waking the palace in the morning (아침 궁을 깨우다), Changdeokgung, 07:30, 10,000 won: sold out. There is also an 08:00 English session. I couldn't see its status.
- Walking into a painting in hanbok (한복 입은 그대 그림 속을 걷다), 15,000 won: sold out
- Donggwol Jangwonseo (동궐 장원서), for ages 60 and up, 10,000 won: some seats left (Oct 9 sold out)
- Workshops, children's school, Jongmyo architecture tour, seminar: sold out
These festival events need no booking: the Huijeongdang (희정당) exhibition, the palace games room at Nakseonjae (낙선재), "time travel" at Changgyeonggung (Oct 9–10), street parades at Changgyeonggung (Oct 10) and Deoksugung (Oct 9), the Deokhongjeon (덕홍전) exhibition, and a stamp tour. You still pay normal palace entry.
Are there foreigner-only sessions?
Yes. Two of the big night programs keep dates just for foreign visitors, sold only through Creatrip in English, Chinese and Japanese.
- Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour (창덕궁 달빛기행): Sun Oct 4 and Sun Oct 11. Creatrip page
- Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour (경복궁 별빛야행): Wed Oct 21 to Sat Oct 24. Creatrip page
The rules for these sessions:
- You must have a foreign nationality. The notice mentions foreign citizenship or permanent residency.
- A Korean national can't come with you.
- If a Korean buys the ticket, it is cancelled with no refund.
Which palace programs can you book in October 2026?
Status is what the Korean booking pages showed on Sept 29, 2026. "Sold out" can change when people cancel.
Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour (창덕궁 달빛기행)
- Dates: Sept 10 – Oct 17, Thu–Sun
- Time: Entry 19:10–20:10, 100 min
- Group size: 28 per group · Price: 30,000 won
- What you see: Injeongjeon, Nakseonjae, a daegeum flute at Sangnyangjeong, Buyongji pond, a show and tea at Yeongyeongdang, the rear garden
- Status on Sept 29: Korean dates sold out. Foreigner dates Oct 4, 11
- Book: Ticketlink · foreigners Creatrip
Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour (경복궁 별빛야행)
- Dates: Sept 2 – Oct 24, Wed–Sun (off Sept 30 – Oct 4)
- Time: 18:20 or 19:30, 110 min
- Group size: 38 · Price: 60,000 won
- What you see: Royal boxed dinner (vegetarian option), gugak music, Jagyeongjeon, Jibokjae, Geoncheonggung, Hyangwonjeong
- Status on Sept 29: Ticketlink sold out through Oct 18. Foreigner dates Oct 21–24
- Book: Ticketlink · foreigners Creatrip
Gyeongbokgung night opening (경복궁 야간관람)
- Dates: Sept 2 – Oct 2 (closed Mon, Tue)
- Time: 19:00–21:30
- Group size: 3,000 a day · Price: 3,000 won
- What you see: The palace at night, a performance at Sujeongjeon
- Status on Sept 29: Online: Sept 30, Oct 1 none; Oct 2 one left. Foreigners: 300 on-site a day
- Book: NOL (day before, 23:59) · foreigners at Gwanghwamun ticket office
Gyeonghoeru & Hyangwonjeong special tour (경회루·향원정 특별관람)
- Dates: Sept 2 – Oct 30, Wed & Fri
- Time: 10:00 or 14:00, about 70 min
- Group size: 25 · Price: Free + palace entry
- What you see: Inside the 2nd floor of Gyeonghoeru and inside Hyangwonjeong
- Status on Sept 29: Next date open for booking: Oct 14
- Book: royal.khs.go.kr
Changdeokgung Huwon garden (창덕궁 후원)
- Dates: Daily except Mon
- Time: English 10:30, 11:30, 14:30, 15:30 · 70 min
- Group size: 100 (50 online, 50 on-site) · Price: 5,000 won
- What you see: Buyongji, Aeryeonji, Yeongyeongdang, Gwallamji
- Status on Sept 29: Sept 30 – Oct 5: Korean sessions sold out, some foreign-language seats left
- Book: Online 6 days ahead · on-site from 09:00
Changgyeonggung Mulbit Yeonhwa (창경궁 물빛연화)
- Dates: Oct 7 – Nov 1, Wed–Sun
- Time: 19:00, 19:30, 20:00 · 16 min
- Group size: 400 · Price: 1,000 won (includes entry)
- What you see: A 16-minute evening program
- Status on Sept 29: October sold out. No on-site sales
- Book: Ticketlink
Deoksugung Night of Seokjojeon (덕수궁 밤의 석조전)
- Dates: Sept 9 – Oct 18, Wed–Sun
- Time: 18:00, 18:40, 19:15 · 100 min
- Group size: 18 · Price: 35,000 won
- What you see: Inside Seokjojeon with a guide, classical music on the terrace, coffee and dessert, a short musical
- Status on Sept 29: Sold out
- Book: Ticketlink
Gyeongbokgung Saenggwabang (경복궁 생과방)
- Dates: Sept 2 – Oct 26 (closed Tue)
- Time: 10:00, 11:40, 14:00, 15:40 · 70 min
- Group size: 34 · Price: 15,000 won
- What you see: Six royal snacks and a palace herbal tea
- Status on Sept 29: Sold out
- Book: Ticketlink
Changgyeonggung Yayeon (창경궁 야연)
- Dates: Sept 24 – Oct 4 (closed Mon)
- Time: 17:00–20:30
- Group size: 30 groups a day · Price: 50,000 won (1 participant + 2 companions)
- What you see: Parents dress in court official robes and play the lead
- Status on Sept 29: Sold out
- Book: Ticketlink
Korean Empire foreign envoy reception (대한제국 외국공사 접견례), Deoksugung
- Dates: Oct 2 – 4
- Time: 15:00–16:30
- Group size: 40 · Price: Free
- What you see: A Korean Empire envoy reception program
- Status on Sept 29: Sold out
- Book: Ticketlink
Palace concert: Ballet × Sujecheon (고궁음악회), Jibokjae
- Dates: Oct 2 – 5
- Time: —
- Group size: — · Price: 20,000 won
- What you see: Ballet × Sujecheon at Jibokjae, Gyeongbokgung
- Status on Sept 29: Korean side sold out. Creatrip listed it as available
- Book: Ticketlink · foreigners Creatrip
Age limits: most night programs are for age 7 and up. Yayeon is 8 and up. The Moonlight Tour cancel deadline is 16:00 the day before. The Starlight Tour booking and cancel deadline is 17:00 two days before.
What can a foreigner still get?
1. Gyeongbokgung night opening, on-site, until Oct 2
The online tickets on NOL are gone for Sept 30 and Oct 1, with one left for Oct 2. But foreigners don't need NOL. Each night, 300 tickets are kept for foreigners at the Gwanghwamun (광화문) ticket office, sold on the day, up to 2 per person. Entry is 3,000 won. People in hanbok, people 65 and over, and children 6 and under get in free.
The last three nights are Wed Sept 30, Thu Oct 1 and Fri Oct 2, 19:00 to 21:30. After that, the general night opening ends.
2. Huwon garden in English
The Huwon (후원), the rear garden of Changdeokgung, can only be seen with a guide. There are four English tours a day: 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30. Each tour is 70 minutes and costs 5,000 won. Chinese is at 12:30 and Japanese at 13:30.
- Half the 100 places go online, from 6 days before at 10:00 KST.
- The other half are sold on the day from 09:00, at the palace, for every session of that day.
- For Sept 30 to Oct 5 the Korean-language tours were sold out, but some foreign-language seats were left.
- Koreans can join a foreign-language tour only with a foreign visitor, and at most 2 of them.
- The route is Buyongji (부용지), Aeryeonji (애련지), Yeongyeongdang (연경당) and Gwallamji (관람지). Ongnyucheon (옥류천) is under repair.
3. Gyeonghoeru special tour, next booking Oct 5
This tour takes 25 people up to the second floor of Gyeonghoeru (경회루) and inside Hyangwonjeong (향원정). It's free, but you pay Gyeongbokgung entry. It runs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:00 and 14:00, for ages 7 and up. There is no tour on Oct 7 and Oct 9.
Booking is on royal.khs.go.kr, from 9 days before at 10:00 KST until 3 days before at 23:59. The Oct 2 tour is closed. The next date is Wed Oct 14, which opens on Mon Oct 5 at 10:00 KST (Oct 5, 02:00 in London; Oct 4, 21:00 in New York; Oct 4, 18:00 in Los Angeles). After that: Oct 16, 21, 23, 28 and 30.
4. The two foreigner-only night tours
Moonlight Tour on Oct 4 and 11. Starlight Tour on Oct 21 to 24, with booking opening on Oct 1 at 14:00 KST. Both only on Creatrip. See above.
When I went: what does Gyeongbokgung look like at night?
Two years ago I went to the Gyeongbokgung night opening. The general night admission, not the Starlight Tour. Gyeonghoeru reflected perfectly in the pond. It was a windless night.
Hahyangjeong, a small pavilion by the north wall of the pond, glows yellow through its paper doors at night. That angle was the prettiest.
Geunjeongjeon's doors were open, so you could see the throne and the Irworobongdo screen. But the area in front was crowded. The Gyeonghoeru side is quieter.
One thing is different this year. The stone terrace in front of Geunjeongjeon (근정전 월대) is closed to entry until Oct 31, so the view from the front may not match mine.
What can you do with no booking at all?
Hours, prices and closing days
| Palace | Hours | Entry | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) | 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00) | 3,000 won | Tuesday |
| Changdeokgung (창덕궁) | 09:00–18:00 | 3,000 won (Huwon 5,000 won extra, guided) | Monday |
| Changgyeonggung (창경궁) | 09:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00) | 1,000 won | Monday |
| Deoksugung (덕수궁) | 09:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00) | 1,000 won | Monday |
| Jongmyo (종묘) | Mon, Thu, Fri: guided timed entry only · Wed, Sat, Sun, holidays: walk around on your own | 1,000 won | Tuesday |
- Open at night without booking: Deoksugung is open until 21:00 all year. Changgyeonggung is also open until 21:00, but in October only the night zone is open after 18:00.
- Jongmyo timed entry: 200 people per session, 100 online and 100 on-site.
- Integrated palace pass (궁궐 통합관람권): 6,000 won, valid 6 months, one entry each to the four palaces and Jongmyo. Huwon not included.
Who gets in free?
- Foreigners aged 18 and under, and 65 and over. (For Koreans the rule is 24 and under.)
- Anyone in hanbok, Korean or foreign. You need a full set: a jeogori (저고리) top with a skirt or trousers. A durumagi (두루마기) coat alone doesn't count. Nor does a jeogori with jeans.
- Wednesdays at Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo (see dates).
- Everyone, Oct 29 to Nov 15 (Huwon excluded).
Royal guard ceremonies
- Gyeongbokgung guard change: 10:00 and 14:00, about 20 minutes. Not on Tuesdays.
- Gwanghwamun gate guard ceremony: 11:00 and 13:00.
- Deoksugung, at Daehanmun gate (대한문): 11:00 and 14:00. Not on Mondays.
What is the Jeongdong Night Festival?
A free night festival in and around Deoksugung and along Jeongdong-gil (정동길), the street beside it. There's a preview night, Miri Jeongdong Yahaeng (미리정동야행), on Thu Oct 29, and the main Jeongdong Yahaeng (정동야행) on Fri Oct 30 and Sat Oct 31. It falls inside the free-entry period, so Deoksugung itself is free those nights too.
FAQ
Are Seoul palaces open on October 6, 2026?
No. All palaces and Jongmyo are closed on Tuesday Oct 6. They are open on Monday Oct 5, the substitute holiday.
Is palace entry free during the Royal Culture Festival?
No. You pay normal entry from Oct 7 to 11, or buy the 12,000 won Gungpass for unlimited entry during the festival. Free entry for everyone starts Oct 29.
Can foreigners book the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour in October 2026?
Only on the foreigner-only dates, Oct 4 and Oct 11, through Creatrip. On Sept 29 Creatrip's palace tours list marked it sold out, so check the tour page for cancellations. The Korean-side dates are sold out too.
When does the Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour foreigner booking open?
Creatrip showed Oct 1, 2026 at 14:00 KST for the Oct 21 to 24 foreigner sessions. First come, first served.
Do I get in free if I wear hanbok?
Yes, at all four palaces and Jongmyo, if you wear a full set: a jeogori top with a skirt or trousers.
Things I could not confirm:
- Seats left for the foreigner-only Moonlight Tour on Oct 4 and 11. Creatrip's list said "Sold Out", but the tour page still showed a date picker.
- Whether Creatrip's Oct 1 opening covers all four Starlight dates, Oct 21 to 24.
- Whether foreigners can pass the 본인인증 identity check for the Gyeonghoeru special tour.
- What time the 300 foreigner tickets for the Gyeongbokgung night opening go on sale at Gwanghwamun.
- Whether the Huwon tour also needs a Changdeokgung entry ticket on top of the 5,000 won, and which site takes online Huwon bookings.
- Whether the eve concert lottery is still open, and how many Gungpass pouches are left.
- Seat status of the 08:00 English "morning palace" session, and of Mulbit Yeonhwa on Nov 1.
- Jeongdong Night Festival hours, and how to watch the Jongmyo autumn ritual (추향대제) on Nov 7.
Back to that maple tree. The red was brilliant in the sunlight, and no matter how many photos I took, it didn't come out. It stays only in my head. I really hate crowds, so I avoid going at the absolute peak. A Wednesday at Deoksugung, or the Gyeonghoeru side of Gyeongbokgung, is where I'd start.
Sources
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (royal.khs.go.kr): notice on the Oct 6 closure, palace hours, fees, free-entry rules, guard ceremonies, Huwon and Gyeonghoeru special tour booking
- Korea Heritage Service Foundation: 2026 Autumn Royal Culture Festival
- Ticketlink booking pages 64921, 64791, 64803, 64937, 65374, 65513 (checked Sept 29, 2026)
- NOL booking page for the Gyeongbokgung night opening (checked Sept 29, 2026)
- Creatrip: Moonlight Tour, Starlight Tour, palace tours list (checked Sept 29, 2026)
— SeoulAslan
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