Changdeokgung Palace is the best preserved of Seoul's five grand Joseon palaces and the only one on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Where Gyeongbokgung impresses with scale and straight lines, Changdeokgung follows the shape of the hills behind it, with halls, gates and courtyards set into the landscape. Behind the palace buildings lies Huwon, the Secret Garden, a wooded royal retreat of ponds and pavilions that many visitors rate as the highlight of their time in Seoul.
Why visit Changdeokgung Palace
The palace was built in the early 15th century as a secondary royal residence. After the main palaces were burned during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s, Changdeokgung was rebuilt first and served as the principal seat of the Joseon kings for much of the following centuries. It was added to the UNESCO list in 1997, recognised for the way its architecture works with the natural setting.
It feels less formal and often less crowded than Gyeongbokgung, and the mix of palace courtyards and forest garden makes for a calmer, more varied visit.
How to get to Changdeokgung Palace by subway
The nearest station is Anguk on Seoul Subway Line 3 (the orange line). From the station it is a walk of around five to ten minutes east along Yulgok-ro to Donhwamun, the main gate. Signs for the palace in English are posted near the station exits.
Jongno 3-ga Station, served by Lines 1, 3 and 5, is another option, with a slightly longer walk north. A T-money card or another rechargeable transit card works on all Seoul subway lines and city buses and saves buying single tickets.
Tickets and the Secret Garden
Entry to the palace grounds requires a modest ticket bought at the gate. Visitors wearing hanbok, the traditional Korean dress, have been admitted free, which is why you will see many people in rented hanbok taking photos around the courtyards.
The Secret Garden is a separate ticket and is visited on a guided tour with a fixed number of places per session. Tours run in Korean and at set times in English and other languages. Places can sell out, especially in spring and autumn, so book online in advance through the official Changdeokgung website run by the Korea Heritage Service, where a share of places is released ahead of time and the rest are sold on site.
The palace is closed on Mondays. Opening hours change by season, so check the official site for current times and tour schedules.
Best time to visit
Spring and autumn are the finest seasons. In April the garden is full of blossom, and from late October into November the maples of Huwon turn red and gold, which is the busiest and most photographed period. Summer is green and humid, and winter is quiet and sometimes snowy, with fewer tour groups.
Allow around an hour for the main palace area and another hour and a half for the Secret Garden tour. Going at opening time on a weekday gives the best chance of quiet courtyards.
Highlights of Changdeokgung Palace
Donhwamun Gate
The two-storey main gate is the oldest surviving palace gate in Seoul, dating from the early 17th century reconstruction.
Injeongjeon Hall
The throne hall, set behind a courtyard lined with stone rank markers, where state ceremonies and royal audiences were held.
Nakseonjae
A group of unpainted wooden buildings in the east of the palace, built in a simpler style and used by members of the royal family into the 20th century.
Huwon, the Secret Garden
The garden covers a large wooded slope. The guided route passes Buyongji, a square lotus pond with a small pavilion standing in the water, as well as the library pavilions and quieter corners where the kings read, wrote poetry and relaxed.
Nearby around Anguk
Anguk Station puts you in one of the most rewarding walking areas of Seoul:
- Bukchon Hanok Village: lanes of traditional houses on the hill to the north-west. People still live here, so keep your voice down and respect the quiet-hours signs.
- Changgyeonggung Palace: the neighbouring palace to the east, once linked to Changdeokgung and pleasant in the evening.
- Insadong: a street of tea houses, galleries and craft shops a short walk south.
- Jongmyo Shrine: the royal ancestral shrine, also UNESCO-listed, to the south-east.
For more places near this station, see Changdeokgung on Around the Metro, or browse the full Seoul subway map.