Gyeongbokgung Palace is to Seoul what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. It’s the place every visitor sees and features on every Seoul itinerary. And just like the famous tower in Paris, Seoul’s palace is damn fine when lit up at night. Visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace at night is a must if you’re lucky enough to be in Seoul at the right time.
While it’s beautiful during the day, visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace at night is an entirely different experience. The palace opens for night visits only twice a year, and I was lucky enough to be in Seoul during November when it was open. The special evening entry lasts for about three weeks, and Jin and I decided to make a family night out of it with her parents.
If the stars don’t align and your Seoul trip falls outside the Seoul Palaces at Night event, you can still see the main gate, Gwanghwamun Gate, lit up every night, but you won’t be able to enter the palace grounds.
While seeing the palace under the stars is a highlight, it’s just one piece of the puzzle; for the full picture on navigating the city’s history and culture, check out my Essential Seoul Guide.
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When Does Gyeongbokgung Palace Open at Night?
If you want to experience Gyeongbokgung at night, timing is everything. Here’s what you need to know:
2026 Dates: Spring/Summer: 13 May – 14 June.
Autumn to be announced (3-28 September in 2025)
Months: Gyeongbokgung opens at night twice a year, usually in spring (mid-May-June) and autumn (Anytime from September to November).
In previous years, the autumn event ran for about a month, while the spring session lasted about two weeks. Finding out the exact dates can be a little tricky if you’re planning ahead.
Dates for visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace at night might be available on Gyeongbokgung’s official website a month or two before the event. Or maybe not.
Opening Hours: Night admission is from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM, with the last entry at 8:30 PM.
No nighttime entry on Mondays and Tuesdays.
How to Get Tickets for Gyeongbokgung at Night
Can You Buy Tickets Online?
Yes, but it’s incredibly competitive, and you might need a Korean phone number to secure a ticket. Tickets are capped at 3,000 per day, and online tickets sell out in minutes as locals rush to grab them.
Jin called a few days before our visit, but no more tickets were available. They did give her some handy info on free entrance and how to get a ticket as a foreigner. (See below.)
You’d be okay with buying tickets on-site, so don’t break your head trying to figure out online tickets.
How Much Do Tickets Cost?
- Adult Ticket: 3,000 KRW
- Children (ages 7-18): 1,500 KRW
Free Entry
- Seniors (65 and over) get free entry. Just show up at the entrance with your ID.
- Anyone (Korean or foreign) wearing a hanbok gets free entry. Just show up at the entrance, and you’ll be waved through. Hanbok rentals are available from 1.5 hours to a whole day. Check out prices here. Wearing a hanbok will be more expensive than paying for the entrance ticket, but you won’t have to queue for your tickets, and your holiday photos will look quite exotic.
How Can Foreign Visitors Buy Tickets On-Site?
There are 300 tickets available per night exclusively for foreigners. The foreigner tickets can be bought only on the day of your visit, and are sold at the ticket booth at Gyeongbokgung, on your right as you enter from Gwanghwamun Square. It’s first-come, first-served.
You must present your passport when buying a ticket, and each person can buy two tickets. I bought a ticket for myself (foreigner) and one for Jin (Korean). This is great if you have Korean friends who couldn’t get tickets.
Ticket sales open at 6 PM, an hour before the palace opens for the night. We arrived at 5 PM, and there were about 50 people ahead of us already. I waited in line to buy tickets while Jin and her family went to get a table at a restaurant near Gwanghwamun Square.
The queue moved fast once the ticket sales opened, and I snagged two tickets without breaking a sweat. After a yummy dinner, we were ready and excited to see Gyeongbokgung Palace at night.
Photos of Our Visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace at Night
Instead of boring you with dates and dynasties, let me just show you what we saw during our night visit to Gyeongbokgung. We spent under two hours at the palace — plenty of time to enjoy the atmosphere and take some great photos.
There are loads of beautiful spots, but my two favourites were Geunjeongjeon Hall and Gyeonghoeru Pavilion.
Geunjeongjeon Hall is the main throne room. It’s impressive, sure, but what really caught my eye were the long covered hallways along the sides of the courtyard. The earthy red pillars, the soft lighting, and the perfect symmetry made them one of the most photogenic corners of the palace.
Gyeonghoeru Pavilion sits quietly in the middle of a pond and looks even more magical at night. The reflections of the building and surrounding trees on the water were just beautiful and let me bet you you’ll take more than just a few photos of that scene.
More Korean Travel Blogs
Here are more stories and guides to help you plan a trip to Seoul and beyond
➜ Autumn Road Trip from Seoul to Sokcho
➜ Seoul 4-Day Itinerary
➜ Guide to Dongdaemun
➜ Experience K-wellness at Gyeongdong Market
➜ Andong Hahoe Folk Village: A Slice of Rural Korea
➜ What to Eat at Gwangjang Market
Hope you make it to Seoul when the palaces open for the night. As always, drop us your questions in the comments below, and we’ll try our best to help
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Thank you so much guys! We are off to Seoul on Saturday and we were so confused how tickets for this work!! Your article was a god-send.
Happy days, Tom! Enjoy your visit and arrive by 5pm to line up for those tickets. It’s worth it.