Last checked: October 17, 2026 · Sources: Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (Korea Heritage Service) guideline, fee and hours pages and press releases, linked below.
If you wear a hanbok, you get into Seoul’s four main palaces and Jongmyo Shrine for free, and that includes foreign visitors. You need a proper top and bottom: a jacket with a wrap-over collar plus a skirt or hanbok trousers. A hanbok jacket over jeans doesn’t count. Most people rent one near the palace for a few hours. Without a hanbok, adult foreigners pay 1,000 to 3,000 won per palace, so the free entry is a small bonus, not a reason to rent.
Which palaces are free if you wear a hanbok?
Hanbok wearers are on the official free-admission list for the palaces, Jongmyo and the Joseon royal tombs. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center says this applies to foreigners too, because the point is to spread hanbok around the world.
| Place | Normal adult fee (foreigners 19–64) | In hanbok | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung | 3,000 won | Free | Tuesdays |
| Changdeokgung (palace grounds) | 3,000 won | Free | Mondays |
| Changdeokgung Secret Garden | 5,000 won (plus palace ticket) | Not free | Mondays |
| Changgyeonggung | 1,000 won | Free | Mondays |
| Deoksugung | 1,000 won | Free | Mondays |
| Jongmyo Shrine | 1,000 won | Free | Tuesdays |
Foreigners aged 18 and under or 65 and over are free anyway, hanbok or not. That doesn’t cover the Secret Garden, where visitors 65 and over still pay 5,000 won and ages 7–18 pay 2,500 won.
The Secret Garden is the one big exception. It’s free only for children 6 and under and some Korean merit and disability card holders, so in hanbok you still pay 5,000 won and need a palace grounds entry too. Booking it is a separate process; see our Changdeokgung Secret Garden tickets guide.
If a closing day falls on a public holiday, the palace opens that day and closes on the next non-holiday instead.
What counts as a hanbok for free entry?
This is where people get turned away. The official guideline:
- Both traditional and modern everyday hanbok (“saenghwal hanbok”) count.
- You need a top (jeogori) and a bottom (skirt or trousers). A long hanbok overcoat (durumagi) on its own doesn’t count.
- The top must keep the wrap-over collar. It doesn’t need the long ribbon ties.
- Trousers must have the shape of hanbok trousers. A zip waist or no ankle ties is fine.
- Any style of skirt is fine, wrap-around or not.
- The palace asks you to dress in a way that suits the place, with no excessive exposure.
| Outfit | Free? |
|---|---|
| Hanbok jacket + hanbok skirt or trousers | Yes |
| Hanbok jacket + wrap skirt (jacket reaches the waist) | Yes |
| Hanbok jacket + jeans | No |
| Hanbok skirt or trousers + T-shirt | No |
| T-shirt-style “modern hanbok” top | No |
| One-piece hanbok dress with no jacket | No |
| Overcoat (durumagi) over regular clothes | No |
Free visitors have to show proof at the gate. For hanbok, the outfit itself is the proof, so make sure it matches the guideline before you leave the rental shop.
How much does hanbok rental cost in Seoul?
Rental shops are private businesses and set their own prices, rental times and return rules. Extras like hair styling or accessories usually cost more. There’s no official price list, so specific prices are not officially confirmed — check before you go. You can compare shops and book a time slot in advance on booking platforms such as Creatrip, or walk in to a shop near the palace.
Things to ask the shop before you pay:
- Does the set include a jacket with a wrap-over collar and a full skirt or trousers? (A dress-style set may not get you in free.)
- When must you return it, and what does late return cost?
- Do they need a deposit or ID?
- Is there a place to leave your own clothes and bag?
Is renting a hanbok worth it just for free entry?
Our math, using the official fees: a full day at Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung saves an adult 6,000 won. Add Deoksugung or Changgyeonggung and it’s 7,000 won. The official Integrated Palace Ticket costs 6,000 won and covers one entry to each of the four palaces and Jongmyo for 6 months (not the Secret Garden).
Our view: rent a hanbok because you want the photos and the experience, not to save money. Compare the shop’s price with the 1,000 to 7,000 won you’d save on entry. If you only want cheap entry to several palaces, the 6,000 won Integrated Palace Ticket is the simpler choice.
What are the palace opening hours?
All hours are from the official timetable; the last entry is one hour before closing.
| Palace | Months | Hours (last entry) |
|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung | Mar–May, Sep–Oct | 09:00–18:00 (17:00) |
| Gyeongbokgung | Jun–Aug | 09:00–18:30 (17:30) |
| Gyeongbokgung | Nov–Feb | 09:00–17:00 (16:00) |
| Changdeokgung | Feb–May, Sep–Oct | 09:00–18:00 (17:00) |
| Changdeokgung | Jun–Aug | 09:00–18:30 (17:30) |
| Changdeokgung | Nov–Jan | 09:00–17:30 (16:30) |
| Deoksugung | All year | 09:00–21:00 (20:00) |
| Changgyeonggung | All year | 09:00–21:00 (20:00) |
Jongmyo works differently. On Wednesdays, weekends and public holidays you can walk around freely during the same hours as Changdeokgung. On Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays you can only enter on a guided tour of about 50 minutes; English tours start at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00. It’s closed on Tuesdays.
Staff start asking visitors to leave 30 minutes before closing, and hours can be cut short on the day.
Our view: if you pick up a hanbok in the afternoon, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung stay open until 21:00, so you aren’t racing the last-entry time. Gyeongbokgung closes earliest in winter.
Planning hanbok photos in Bukchon as well? Tourists may enter its red zone only from 10:00 to 17:00: Bukchon Hanok Village hours and fines.
Are there days when everyone gets in free?
- Every Wednesday is “Culture Day”: the palaces and Jongmyo are free for everyone, except Gyeongbokgung and the Secret Garden.
- On some national holidays the Korea Heritage Service opens the palaces for free. For example, it opened the four palaces, Jongmyo and the royal tombs free over Chuseok, September 24 to 27, 2026 (Secret Garden excluded).
On those days a hanbok makes no difference to the fee, and the palaces tend to be busier.
Is the hanbok rule changing?
As of October 17, 2026, the official guideline and fee pages still list hanbok wearers as free. The Korea Heritage Service is reviewing palace admission fees in general; it held a public debate on a “realistic” fee system on September 8, 2026. Korean media reported in October 2026 that a planned January 2027 fee rise has been put on hold with no new date, and that the agency plans to review which hanbok qualifies. No new rule has been announced. If you’re visiting in 2027, check the official fee page before you go.
Getting there and paying
Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Jongmyo and Deoksugung are all in central Seoul and easy to reach by subway. For fares and transfers, see our Seoul subway fares guide, and for which transport card to get, our T-money vs WOWPASS vs Climate Card comparison.
Palace questions by phone: Gyeongbokgung 02-3700-3900, Changdeokgung 02-3668-2300, Changgyeonggung 02-762-4868, Deoksugung 02-771-9951, Jongmyo 02-765-0195.
Watching the guard ceremony at the front gate? Gyeongbokgung’s changing of the guard runs at 10:00 and 14:00 and needs no ticket: Gyeongbokgung changing of the guard times and where to stand.
Read next
Sources
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center — Hanbok free admission guideline and Q&A, checked Oct 17, 2026 (Korean)
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center — Admission fees, free admission list and Integrated Palace Ticket, checked Oct 17, 2026 (Korean)
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center — Opening hours and closing days, checked Oct 17, 2026 (Korean)
- Korea Heritage Service — Call for a citizen panel ahead of the Sept 8 public debate on palace admission fees (Aug 11, 2026), checked Oct 17, 2026 (Korean)
- Korea Heritage Service — Free palace opening over Chuseok (Sep 18, 2026), checked Oct 17, 2026 (Korean)
- Asia Business Daily — Palace fee rise postponed, hanbok criteria under review (Oct 8, 2026), checked Oct 17, 2026