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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanDonggwol Dongrak 2026 Palace Night Tour: How to Apply
Checked Oct 22, 2026
Donggwol Dongrak (동궐동락) is a ticketed night tour of Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung, held Nov 10 to 15, 2026, and tickets are handed out by lottery. You can apply on Ticketlink from Oct 22 at 2:00 pm until Wed Oct 28 at 11:59 pm KST. Results come out Fri Oct 30 from 5:00 pm, and each ticket costs 40,000 won. The official notice is in Korean only and sets no nationality rule, so foreign visitors can apply, but it mentions no English guide.
I read the Korea Heritage Agency's own Korean notice, the Cultural Heritage Administration's press release and three news reports, and the dates below match across them. I really dislike crowds, so a walk with fixed start times and a lottery for places suits me better than an open-gate night. The deadline is close, so this guide starts with the dates.
Jump to: Lottery dates · Can foreigners apply? · Is it in English? · What happens on the night · If you don't win · Getting there · FAQ
When does the Donggwol Dongrak lottery close?
On Wed Oct 28 at 11:59 pm Korea time. Applying costs nothing, and each Ticketlink account gets one application. Winning is not the same as having a ticket: winners must book and pay between Oct 31 at 2:00 pm and Nov 4 at 11:59 pm, and the booking is final only after payment. Winners can buy up to 2 tickets.
Any seats left after the priority period go on sale on Thu Nov 5 at 2:00 pm and stay on sale until 5:00 pm the day before each tour, first come, first served, up to 2 per person. In other time zones, the Oct 28 deadline of 11:59 pm Korea time is 2:59 pm in London, 10:59 am in New York and 7:59 am in Los Angeles, all on the same day. The Oct 30 results at 5:00 pm Korea time are 8:00 am in London and 4:00 am in New York.
Can foreigners apply for Donggwol Dongrak?
Nothing in the notice limits the lottery by nationality. The press release says the program is meant to give more domestic and foreign visitors a chance to see the palaces. The rules that matter for a visitor are practical ones:
- A Ticketlink account. The lottery runs on Ticketlink (ticketlink.co.kr), and the notice's rules count one application per account. Ticketlink also has an English version of its site at ticketlink.co.kr/global/en; the heritage agency's notice itself is Korean only.
- A phone number that can receive an SMS. The result is announced by SMS to the number in your Ticketlink profile, as well as by a notice on the agency's website.
- A card. Payment is by card only, there is no on-site sale, and an unpaid win is lost when the window closes on Nov 4.
- Your own ID at the gate. Staff match an original ID in the booker's name with your booking number. For a visitor that means carrying the passport you booked under.
- No handing tickets over. Transfers are banned except to a spouse, direct family or sibling, who must show both IDs and proof of the relationship. Phone-booked and discounted tickets cannot be transferred at all, and the notice says resale or shared priority-booking links can get tickets cancelled without warning.
If you need help with the booking itself, Ticketlink's phone line is 1588-7890 on weekdays from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. For questions about the program, the Royal Palace Program call center is 1522-2295.
Is the Donggwol Dongrak tour in English?
The press release and the agency's notice are in Korean, and neither mentions English sessions, interpretation or a foreign-language guide. The route is led by a guide dressed as a Dohwaseo (도화서) court painter, and four short plays about people tied to each stop are staged along the way, so plan for a Korean-language program. The free walk through Yeongchunmun, the traditional music (gugak) performance and the photos with actors do not rely on dialogue.
What happens on the night?
The tour starts and ends at Changgyeonggung's Honghwamun gate and lasts 110 minutes. The route in the press release runs Honghwamun (홍화문), Okcheongyo bridge, Myeongjeongjeon and Tongmyeongjeon halls, then over to Changdeokgung for Uidu-hap (의두합), Aeryeonji pond and Buyongji pond, and back to Changgyeonggung for the Daeonsil greenhouse and Daechundangji pond before returning to Honghwamun.
- Four short plays at Myeongjeongjeon, Tongmyeongjeon, Uidu-hap and Daechundangji.
- Free time to pass through Yeongchunmun (영춘문), a gate between the two palaces' rear gardens that is normally closed.
- Gugak performance at Yeonghwadang (영화당) and actors recreating royal daily life for photos.
- Tea and snacks, and a tumbler to take home.
Check-in is at the booking desk in front of Honghwamun, and it opens 20 minutes before each start. Late entry is allowed only within 20 minutes of the start time. Children must be at least 7. Flash and tripods are not allowed, and the organizers may film or photograph attendees. If the Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts 5 mm or more of rain between 6 and 9 pm, as of 5:00 pm the day before, the event may be cancelled, and changes come by text message.
You can cancel for a full refund until 5:00 pm the day before your tour. After that, tickets cannot be cancelled or changed.
What can you do if you don't win a ticket?
Changgyeonggung's regular night viewing is not run during the event, Nov 10 to 15, and the palace is open by day from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. From Oct 29 to Nov 15 palace entry is free for everyone, which does not cover paid reservation programs like this one; our Seoul palaces free entry guide has the closing days. Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung close on Mondays, so Mon Nov 9 is out.
Two other ways to see the same gardens:
- The daytime Huwon tour. The guided walk through Changdeokgung's Huwon (Secret Garden) is a separate 5,000 won ticket with English departures. The times and booking rules are in our palace guide.
- Deoksugung after dark. It stays open until 9:00 pm (last entry 8:00 pm) on normal open days, so it is the palace to pick for an evening visit that week. We cover its night festival in the Jeongdong Night Walk guide.
How do you get to Honghwamun gate?
Take the subway. The palace authority's directions give Hyehwa Station (혜화역), Line 4, Exit 4, about 12 minutes on foot toward Sungkyunkwan University and then along the signs. By bus, get off at "Changgyeonggung · Seoul National University Hospital" (창경궁·서울대학교병원), served by lines 151, 171, 172, 272 and 601. Changgyeonggung's own car park is closed through Dec 31, 2026, so leave the car.
Show a driver or a map app: 창경궁, 서울 종로구 창경궁로 185.
FAQ
Is Donggwol Dongrak free to apply for?
Yes. The lottery costs nothing; only winners pay, 40,000 won per ticket, between Oct 31 and Nov 4.
When are the Donggwol Dongrak results announced?
Fri Oct 30, from 5:00 pm Korea time. The agency posts a notice and sends an SMS to the phone number in your Ticketlink profile.
How many tickets can one person get?
A winner can book up to 2 tickets. Each Ticketlink account gets one lottery application.
What time do the tours start?
Four starts a day: 6:00, 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30 pm. Each lasts 110 minutes, and check-in opens 20 minutes before each start.
Can I just walk in during Donggwol Dongrak week?
Not for the night tour, which needs a ticket and has no on-site sales. You can visit Changgyeonggung in daylight, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.
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Sources
- Korea Heritage Agency (국가유산진흥원), 2026 Donggwol Dongrak event notice (Korean): application period, booking, check-in and refund rules
- Cultural Heritage Administration press release, Oct 21, 2026 (Korean), via Korea Policy Briefing: Donggwol Dongrak
- News (Korean): Gosiweek · Newsda · Herald Business
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (Korean): Changgyeonggung hours · directions
- Ticketlink: English site
- Photos: lumoplank (CC0) · lumoplank (CC0) · Sadopaul (CC BY-SA 4.0), all via Wikimedia Commons · Korea Tourism Organization, Choi Rin (KOGL Type 1) · poster: Cultural Heritage Administration (KOGL Type 1)
— SeoulAslan
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