Gyeongbokgung Night Tour: Ticket Booking and Hanbok Entry Rules

How the night tour differs from a daytime visit

Gyeongbokgung's standard daytime admission is walk-up and available most days of the year. The night tour (sometimes run seasonally under a specific event name) is a separate, limited-capacity opening held on select evenings, with the palace lit for the occasion and access restricted to ticket holders rather than general walk-up visitors. Because of the limited capacity and lighting setup, this is a genuinely different visit from a daytime walk-through, not just a later time slot for the same ticket.

The booking process

• Tickets are usually released through the Cultural Heritage Administration's official reservation site on a set schedule, not sold at the palace gate on the night of the event.
• The season and exact dates for night openings vary year to year and aren't guaranteed to run continuously, so confirm the current schedule before planning a trip around it.
• Booking typically requires selecting a specific entry time slot within the evening rather than open access for the whole night.

Hanbok entry rules at night

Wearing hanbok grants free daytime admission at Gyeongbokgung under the standard rule, but the night tour's separate ticketing system means the same free-entry logic doesn't automatically carry over.

1. Check whether hanbok-wearing visitors still need a paid night-tour ticket, since this rule has changed between past editions of the event.
2. If hanbok entry is allowed, confirm whether it requires a separate line or check-in process from regular ticket holders.
3. Book your regular night-tour ticket as a backup even if you plan to wear hanbok, in case the free-entry policy doesn't apply to that specific event.