Most people visit one palace in their first month and never go back. That is a shame, because the entry fee is a few thousand won, the English tours are free, and the grounds are the best place in Seoul to spend an afternoon doing nothing. Links to the official sites.
Palaces, and the hanbok rule
Four palaces and a royal shrine sit inside central Seoul. Entry is a few thousand won, a combined ticket covers all of them, and anyone wearing hanbok gets in free — which is why the rental shops cluster around the gates.
Korea Heritage ServiceThe government body that manages the palaces, royal tombs and designated heritage sites, with opening hours and ticketing.CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATIONThe authority for opening hours and closures. Night openings are announced here and sell out the same day.
VISITKOREA - Imagine Your KoreaKorea Tourism Organization Official website provides various information on all things about Korea.english.visitkorea.or.krBetter than the heritage site for English explanations of what you are actually looking at.
Museums you can walk into for nothing
National museums are free. Not discounted — free, every day, for everyone. The folk museum in particular is the one that explains why Korean houses, food and holidays are the way they are.
National Folk Museum of KoreaThe national museum of everyday Korean life, inside the Gyeongbokgung grounds. Free admission.nfm.go.krSits inside the palace grounds, so you can do both in one afternoon. This is the one that makes daily life here make sense.
National Museum of Korea (English)NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREANATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREACheck the English docent times before you go — they run only a few times a day.
Opening hours change with the season and some buildings close for restoration for years at a time. Check the day before rather than turning up.
Which palace or museum did you end up going back to more than once?
Comments
Oldest first · Text only · Up to 2,000 characters
Loading comments…
Log in to comment. Anyone can read public comments.