Visiting Korean Palaces and Wearing Hanbok: A Practical Guide
How to plan a palace visit in Seoul, what the closing days and guided tours mean, how hanbok rental works and what to know about temples and historic sites in Gyeongju and Jeonju.
The palaces of Seoul
Seoul has five main palaces from the Joseon dynasty, which ruled Korea for about five hundred years until the early twentieth century. The best known is Gyeongbokgung, the largest, with a grand front gate and a large throne hall. Changdeokgung, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for its harmonious layout and its rear garden. Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung are smaller, and each feels different. Deoksugung is unusual for mixing traditional halls with Western-style buildings and sits near the city hall area.
If you only have time for one palace, choose Gyeongbokgung for scale or Changdeokgung for beauty and atmosphere. Combine a palace with the area around it: Gyeongbokgung sits close to the Bukchon hanok village and the cafes of Samcheong-dong, and the National Folk Museum is inside its grounds, and Changdeokgung is near Insadong and Ikseon-dong.
Allow two to three hours for the big palaces, more for the garden tours. The grounds are open and exposed, with lots of walking and little shade. Bring water and a hat in summer, and layers in winter, when the stone courtyards feel very cold.
Hours, closing days and tickets
Each palace has its own weekly closing day, and they are not all the same. As a general pattern, Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays, while Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung have usually been closed on Mondays, but schedules can change and holidays shift things. Check the official palace pages for the date you plan to visit before you decide the order of your days. A palace trip on a closed day is a common mistake.
Tickets are cheap and sold at the gate, often by machine, and some palaces have a combined ticket that covers several sites over a period of time, which is a good deal if you plan to visit more than one. Prices and ticket types change. Some palace areas can only be entered with a guided tour. The rear garden at Changdeokgung, known as Huwon or the Secret Garden, is entered on set tours, and English-language tours run at fixed times, so book ahead or arrive early. In some seasons, evening openings at palaces require timed tickets that sell quickly. Look at the official booking pages well in advance.
Do check the guard-changing ceremony at Gyeongbokgung's main gate, where costumed guards perform a colorful routine several times a day. It is free with your ticket, or visible from outside, and good for photographs. The timetable is posted on the palace website.
Wearing hanbok
Hanbok is the traditional Korean dress, with a short jacket and a full skirt for women and a jacket and trousers for men. Renting a hanbok is one of the most popular things to do near the palaces, and shops in the Seoul palace areas, in Gyeongju near the historic center and in Jeonju's hanok village rent them by the hour or half day. Many shops include hair styling and accessories.
Visitors wearing hanbok have long been offered free admission to the main Seoul palaces, which is an extra incentive to try it, but policies can change, so confirm on the official site. Not every site in the country has the same policy, so do not assume it applies in Gyeongju or Jeonju.
Practical tips: book in advance in spring and autumn, when shops are full, and choose a size and a color in person if possible. Wear shoes that you can walk in for hours. The skirt is long, so be careful on stairs and in the toilet. Avoid rainy days if the hem will drag. Bring a small bag, since many hanbok have no pockets. Return the hanbok on time to avoid a late fee, and take care with food, which can stain it. Prices, hours and policies vary by shop.
Behavior and photography
Palaces are historic monuments, so do not touch or climb on walls, stone figures, doors or railings. Some interior spaces are closed to visitors, and rope barriers mean what they say. Photography is generally fine outdoors, and drones are prohibited in most protected sites. Be considerate with tripods and group poses, especially when it is crowded.
Dress modestly for temples and shrines. You can see temples in most regions of the country, and in Gyeongju the Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. At active temples, speak quietly, do not point your feet at a Buddha statue, take off your shoes before entering a hall, and ask before photographing people who are praying. Some interior halls ban photos.
Beyond Seoul
Gyeongju, the former capital of the Silla kingdom, has a different feel from Seoul. Instead of palace halls, you see grassy royal tombs, an observatory, a palace pond site and mountain temples. It is a compact, mostly flat city, so visitors often explore on foot or by bicycle, and the evening lighting at Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond is a highlight.
Jeonju's Hanok Village is a large cluster of traditional houses, and it also contains Gyeonggijeon, a shrine that preserves a portrait of the dynasty's founder, and the Jeondong Cathedral, a Romanesque and Byzantine style church from the early twentieth century. Visit in the morning, then eat and walk after sunset.
Opening days, entry fees and special programs vary, and some change with the season. Check the official sites for the exact times when you plan your route, and leave a margin for crowds on weekends and national holidays.