Gyeongbokgung Palace opens free from 29 October 2026

Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul will open free from 29 October 2026 during the Korea Grand Festival, giving visitors access to the royal complex without the usual admission charge. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center says the arrangement runs until 15 November, excluding the palace's regular Tuesday closing days.

Gyeongbokgung Palace changes access for the Korea Grand Festival

The access change begins on Thursday, 29 October 2026, and continues through Sunday, 15 November 2026. It applies to Gyeongbokgung Palace during the Korea Grand Festival, while the operator's notice also covers the other main royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine.

The official notice says regular closing days remain in force. It also states that guided tours at the palace will be shortened by 30 minutes from 29 October to 15 November. That gives travellers a clear distinction between free entry to the grounds and the separate format of guided interpretation during the festival period. The official autumn access notice carries the dates and the visitor arrangements.

Seoul royal heritage gains a second event in early November

The free-entry period overlaps with Cheopjong, a public reenactment scheduled at the Heungnyemun Gate plaza from 30 October to 1 November 2026. The Palace and Royal Tombs Center and the Korea Heritage Agency are organising the ceremony, which will be presented twice daily at 11am and 2pm.

Cheopjong recreates a royal inspection of guards. The programme includes a theatrical presentation of formations and martial arts, alongside early Joseon-era clothing, weapons and ceremonial objects reconstructed through historical research. The regular royal guard-changing ceremony will not take place during those three days; a Gwanghwamun Gate guard-duty ceremony will instead be held at 10am and 1pm. The Cheopjong programme details identify both the venue and its dates.

Why the festival dates matter at the palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace is a royal heritage site in central Seoul and the principal setting for the access change described by the custodian. Its gates, courtyards and palace buildings form the physical setting for both ordinary visits and the Cheopjong presentation at Heungnyemun Gate plaza.

The combination of free access and a historical reenactment links the visitor arrangement to the site's court history rather than treating the festival as a city-wide event alone. A traveller visiting during the overlap can enter the palace during the Korea Grand Festival and encounter a programme focused on the organisation and public display of royal guards.

Visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The free-entry period runs from 29 October to 15 November 2026 during the Korea Grand Festival, with the palace's regular Tuesday closures still applying.
• Cheopjong takes place at Heungnyemun Gate plaza from 30 October to 1 November 2026, at 11am and 2pm; the usual guard-changing ceremony is replaced during the event.
• The palace is in Seoul, and the official notice identifies it as part of the royal heritage sites managed by the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center.
• October visitor hours are listed as 9am to 6pm, with last entry at 5pm; November hours are 9am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm.
• From 29 October to 15 November 2026, regular guided tours are shortened by 30 minutes.

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Frequently asked questions about Gyeongbokgung Palace

When is the Korea Grand Festival free-entry period at Gyeongbokgung Palace?

Free entry runs from 29 October to 15 November 2026, except on regular Tuesday closing days.

What happens at Gyeongbokgung Palace from 30 October?

Cheopjong is reenacted at Heungnyemun Gate plaza from 30 October to 1 November 2026, twice daily at 11am and 2pm.

Where is Gyeongbokgung Palace?

The palace is in Seoul, South Korea, and is managed as part of the country's royal heritage sites by the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center.