Gyeongbokgung Palace opens for autumn night tours — 3,000 tickets a day, first come first served

A scene from the first-half 2026 Gyeongbokgung Palace night tour [Cultural Heritage Administration]

Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of Korea's most celebrated cultural heritage sites, will open its gates after dark this autumn, offering visitors a chance to experience the palace's atmosphere alongside traditional performing arts.

The Gyeongbokgung Palace Management Office under the Cultural Heritage Administration's Palace and Royal Tomb Management Division said it will run the "2026 Second-Half Gyeongbokgung Palace Night Tour" from Sept. 2 through Oct. 2. Online tickets go on sale Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.

The night tour runs from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with last entry at 8:30 p.m. The palace will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Open areas include Gwanghwamun, Heungnyemun, Geunjeongjeon, Gyeonghoeru, Sajeongjeon, Gangnyeongjeon, Gyotaejeon and Amisan.

Court music and dance performances will also be held during the second-half night tour period. Musicians from the National Gugak Center will perform 15 times at Sujeongjeon Hall inside the palace — across four runs: Sept. 2–5, Sept. 9–12, Sept. 16–19, and Sept. 30–Oct. 2.

Tickets are available through Nol Ticket from Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. through Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m., with up to 3,000 tickets released per day and a limit of four per person. Foreign visitors may purchase up to two tickets per person at the Gwanghwamun ticket booth on the day of their visit, subject to a daily cap of 300 on-site tickets; a valid passport or other identification is required.

Those eligible for free admission do not need to book in advance — they may enter through the Heungnyemun gate after presenting identification to confirm eligibility. Free admission applies to children aged 6 and under (guardians must book in advance), those aged 65 and over, visitors wearing hanbok, national merit recipients and their spouses (including veterans' compensation recipients), people with severe disabilities and one accompanying person, people with mild disabilities, and holders of a national bereaved family certificate. For foreign visitors, free admission is limited to children aged 6 and under (guardians must book in advance), those aged 65 and over, and visitors wearing hanbok.

"We will work to help the public engage closely with the history and culture of Gyeongbokgung Palace and experience its value and beauty anew," the Gyeongbokgung Palace Management Office said.

terry@heraldcorp.com