Changdeokgung Palace & The Secret Garden Everyone Is Talking About In Seoul

Changdeok Palace (창덕궁), translated to mean the “Palace of Illustrious Virtue”, was the principal palace for many of the Joseon kings and sitting just up the street from the more famous Gyeongbukgung Palace, it warrants a visit any season of the year with one of the most beautiful gardens in the city.

This palace in Seoul Korea is actually said to be the most beautiful in each season and needs to be seen in each season… so I hope you’re ready to go at least four times.

Looking for some specific information? Skip around:

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How To Get To Changdeokgung Palace

Address: 2-71 Waryong-dong Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 와룡동 2-71)

By Subway: Anguk Station, exit 3. Walk straight for about 400 meters and the palace will become visible on the left.

Hop On/ Hop Off Bus: If you’ll be traveling via the Seoul City Hop On/Hop Off Bus, know that it also stops here. You can buy the ticket for this bus here. And to get more information about the bus, here is a guide to the Hop On/ Hop Off Bus In Seoul.

Changdeokgung Palace Basic Info

Days: Open everyday except for Mondays.

Hours:

Changdeok Palace:

February ~ May & September – October: 9:00am – 6:00pm
June ~ August: 9:00am – 6:30pm
November ~ January: 9:00am – 5:30pm

The Secret Garden: (by guided tour only)

February ~ May & September – October: 10:00am – 5:30pm
June ~ August: 10:00am – 6:00pm
November ~ January: 10:00am – 4:30pm

Admission:

General Tours: Adult: W3,000; Youth (age 7-18): W1,500

Secret Garden Tours: Adult: W8,000; Youth: W5,500

(Last ticket purchase available 1 hour before closing for the regular tour and 2 hours before closing for the Secret Garden.)

Children 6 years old and under, Seniors over 65 and every month on the last Wednesday there is free admission. (This does not include the Secret Garden.)

Did you know: You can get into the palaces for FREE if you’re wearing a Hanbok, a traditional Korean dress, and that means you can take beautiful pictures while you’re there. Rent a dress at this shop near Changdeokgung Palace.

Private Tour Guide: You can hire your own private tour guide that will take you to this palace, here.

Tours:

General Tours: Takes 1 hour

Korean: March ~ October: 9:30am , 11:30am , 1:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm; November ~ February: 9:30am , 11:30am , 1:30pm, 3:30pm
English: 10:30am & 2:30pm
Japanese: 12:30pm
Chinese: 10:00am

The Secret Garden Guided Tours: Takes 90 minutes. There are only 100 tickets available for these tours. 50 tickets can be booked in advance online while 50 tickets will be held for walk-ups and are sold at the ticket office on the day.

Korean: Throughout the year there are 6 to 9 tours a day generally starting on the hour from 10:00am throughout the year.
English: February ~ October: 11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm; November ~ January: 11:30am & 1:30pm
Japanese: 10:30am & 2:30pm
Chinese: 12:30pm

Amenities: parking, restrooms, cafe, water fountains, free wheelchair rental, baby stroller rental

Changdeokgung History & What You’ll See

Designated as an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, it is the most well preserved of the five remaining palaces in the city and offers up a chance for visitors to learn about tradition, architecture and Korean culture.

The palace was built just after the construction of Gyeongbukgung Palace in 1405 and was completed it 1412 keeping the ideas of Feng Shui in mind while at the same time harmonizing with the nature that surrounded it rather than dominating the land like the other four palaces.

King Taejo, the first king of the Joseon Dynasty who took his seat in 1392 had eight sons, six with his first wife and two with his second, and for this story the two sons to know are Yi Bang-Gwa who would become King Jeongjong and Yi Bang-Won who would become King Taejong. Of the eight sons, the king favored his youngest, who was neither Bang-Gwa nor Bang-Won which did not sit well with the elder princes.

In 1398, Bang-Won led a coup and killed the two youngest sons from the second wife and pushed to have his older brother Bang-Gwa become the crowned prince as he was older and was intended to take the throne.

Their father, disgusted, named Bang-Gwa the crowned prince and abdicated his throne to him shortly after. Yi Bang-Gwa became King Jeongjong, moved the capital from Seoul, then Hanyang, to Gaesong and all was good until just two years later when a conflict arose between Bang-Won and another one of his brothers.

Bang-Won attacked his elder brother, defeated him and sent him into exile with his family. King Jeongjong seeing this, named his younger brother Bang-Won the crown prince and realizing that he was leading from the former capital, abdicated his throne to his brother just two years after he’d become king.

Once King Taejong took over power, the capital city of Seoul, then Hanyang, was restored and King Taejong moved into Changdeok Palace instead of the primary Gyeongbuk Palace. This was done due to the fact that he had had his half brothers killed on the grounds of Gyeongbuk and the palace had been built by one of his original rivals.

All in all, a bad history made Changdeok Palace look like a more pleasant place to reside. King Taejong ended up reigning for eighteen years, far longer than the two years of his brother and the six years of his father. Ultimately, Changdeok Palace served as the main seat of the dynasty for more than 250 years and saw some thirteen kings walk through its gates.

Seoul, Korea: Changdeok Palce The Secret Garden

Though the palace was later burnt down by an angry mob of citizens in 1592 when the royal family fled to escape from the Japanese Invasion, it was rebuilt and restored in 1611 only to be burnt down once again in 1623 during a political revolt against King Injo. The palace was later attacked by Manchu Qing but, each time the palace was rebuilt and restored, the original design was kept in tact.

The garden that sits behind the palace is the largest draw for visitors and ever since it was established during the reign of King Taejong, the powers that be have tried to keep it as natural as possible. Because of this, only tours allow visitors to walk through the Secret Garden to preserve the original sanctity of the area.

Changdeok Palace was the site of the royal court and the main seat of government up until 1868 and the last Emporer of Korea, Sunjong, resided in the palace until his death in 1926. Though Gyeongbuk Palace is seen as the more formidable and dominating palace in the city, Changdeok Palace has just as much, if not more, to say historically and is revered as the more beautiful palace to visit.

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden (비원 or 후원) is one of the biggest draws to Changdeok Palace (창덕궁) and it is touted among Koreans as a beautiful place to take a stroll not only in the autumn but in every season. It’s one of those places, they say, that should in fact be visited each season to truly appreciate its beauty. Can you imagine seeing cherry blossoms abloom, the vibrant greens of summer, and the garden covered in a blanket of snow?

The garden, though it hasn’t changed much from the beginning, has seen a few different names through its history. Due to the private nature of the area and that only the king and those he permitted could enter the space it was once known as Geumwon (금원) or the Forbidden Garden.

Later is was known as Naewon (내원) or the Inner Garden but today most Koreans know the garden as Biwon (비원), the Secret Garden, or Huwon (후원) meaning the Rear Garden and the name most commonly used during the Joseon Dynasty period. The Secret Garden was a place where kings and queens strolled through the trees among the pavilions and allowed them to get away to relax from their hectic public lives.

Changdeokgung Palace, Secret Garden, Seoul, Korea

For more than 250 years, kings of the Joseon Dynasty, beginning with King Taejong, took advantage of the large space that takes up nearly 60% of the palace grounds to enjoy various activities from fishing, archery and banquets to planting, raising grains and sericulture (rearing of silkworms).

The garden, with its pavilions scattered among different valleys and sitting beside the many ponds and stream that flows through, was designed to adapt to the topography of the area rather than making the area adapt to the ideals of architecture at the time.

The gardens have been maintained as natural as possible with as little human touch as possible which is why only guided tours of the area are available. That being said, the day that we went, the guide said that those interested were welcome to stay with him to hear the history and stories of the area while those just wanting pictures of the area were able to wander ahead and enjoy the views and scenery that surrounded.

Only 100 tickets are sold for each tour though and they can fill up fast, especially during the autumn, so plan ahead. Fifty tickets are available to be booked online in advance while fifty are held back for walk-ups and it is suggested that you arrive a half hour to an hour in advance to get the walk-up tickets in high season.

What’s Nearby

Changdeokgung is right in the heart of the traditional downtown of Seoul. Here is what else you can check out while you’re in the area.

Bukchon Hanok Village: The neighborhood to the west of the palace is a must see to understand how Koreans used to live. There are amazing cafes, plenty of restaurants, and a lot to do in the area. It’s a MUST SEE while in Seoul.
Ihwa Mural Village: Just down the road is the popular mural village that is great fun to find… if you can. It’s a bit of fun after the traditional downtown.
Gwangjang Traditional Market: One of the best places to get good Korean cuisine in the city. This is one of my favorite spots to get food and was recently featured on Netflix. It’s a must eat.

Changdeokgung Palace is one of five palaces in the city of Seoul, Korea and is a popular stop for tourists looking to see the beautiful Secret Garden. While it requires a tour to get in, it’s worth it. There are FOUR more palaces though AND a royal residence you need to know about.

The other four main palaces are:

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the largest of the five palaces and the most popular with tourists. There is a lot to see on the grounds of this beautiful palace and hours can be spent here. It’s popular for a reason. Check it out if there’s time.
Deoksugung Palace: This is one of the most interesting palaces due to the multiple architectural styles on the premises. It’s really interesting and so different from the other palaces. It also has a popular changing of the guard ceremony three times a day.
Changgyeonggung Palace: One of the most overlooked palaces of them all, this palace has a substantial park and features a Japanese colonization era greenhouse that is quite stunning. The palace is beautiful and you can often walk the grounds all on your own.
Gyeonghuigung Palace: This palace, also free and a great stop if you want a bit more privacy while palace viewing is another palace that is often overlooked but is great if you just want to peruse the architecture quickly and easily on your own.
Unhyeonggung Royal Residence: This smaller residence is a bit different from the others in that none of the buildings have been painted in the colorful reds and greens of the other palaces but technically it’s not a palace. Quite a bit smaller, but FREE to enter, this stop is a bit more rustic, easy to get to and has some of the cheapest options for Hanbok rental in the area.