Start at Anguk

Donhwamun gate at Changdeokgung

Use Line 3 Anguk Station and follow Exit 3 signs. On the street, continue east along Yulgok-ro toward Changdeokgung; look for the wooden Donhwamun gate on the north side of the road.

  • The palace address is 99 Yulgok-ro. Keep this saved in Korean as 창덕궁 돈화문; Changgyeonggung is a different entrance and ticketed palace.
  • Exit 3 is the reference walking route, not a promise of step-free access. With luggage or a wheelchair, check the station's current lift map before leaving the paid area.

Choose your admission

Decide between palace grounds only and palace plus Secret Garden before joining a queue. The garden has separate timed access; an ordinary palace ticket does not reserve a garden place.

  • The official reservation page is linked below. Select your visit date and a language you understand, then read the payment, collection and arrival instructions on that booking.
  • A transport card pays for the journey, not palace or garden entry. The optional Klook card below is collected at the airport; if already in Seoul, buying locally is usually simpler.

Enter Donhwamun

At the entrance, check today's opening notice and obtain the admission required for your plan. Go through the visitor entrance shown by staff, then use the palace map to locate Injeongjeon and the garden meeting point.

  • Ordinary palace hours are seasonal: October closes at 18:00 and November–January at 17:30, with admission one hour earlier. Mondays normally close, with public-holiday exceptions.
  • Special free-admission periods can change the ordinary palace charge without removing garden reservations or charges. Check the dated notice rather than assuming both areas are free.

See Injeongjeon

Courtyard before Injeongjeon at Changdeokgung
Injeongjeon roof and painted brackets
Archival view into Injeongjeon interior

Walk to the main ceremonial courtyard and stop to the side before looking toward Injeongjeon. The wide photograph shows the approach; the closer view helps identify the roof, painted brackets and central hall.

  • Follow barriers rather than assuming that a photographed interior is open to walk inside. Use open viewing positions and avoid blocking the central approach.
  • For a shorter visit, focus on the gate and main-hall area. Do not spend all your time here if your garden booking has a fixed meeting time.

Meet for the garden

Buyongji in Changdeokgung Secret Garden, 2026
Pavilion and trees beside Buyongji

If you reserved the Secret Garden, find its separate entry and arrive by the time stated on your confirmation. Show the required ticket or booking evidence; the Donhwamun arrival time is not your garden check-in time.

  • Buyongji photographs illustrate the garden landscape, not access available with palace-only admission. Tour routes, language sessions and walking conditions can change.
  • Expect outdoor paths and slopes. Wear shoes suitable for uneven ground; if steep walking is difficult, ask about the day's accessible options before booking.

Return without rushing

Leave enough time to return to Donhwamun and Yulgok-ro, then retrace the street route to Anguk Exit 3. Check your next Line 3 destination on the platform instead of choosing a train only by colour.

  • If the garden is sold out, keep the palace visit or choose another day. Do not buy an unrelated tour expecting it to bypass the official garden capacity.
  • Night Moonlight Tours and other special programmes have their own bookings. A night photograph is not evidence that your daytime ticket includes evening entry.

Sources & photo credits

Photo credits

Photos are resized and converted to WebP. Archival images illustrate signs and spaces; they do not show current service conditions.