Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung: Two Palaces, the Secret Garden and How to Visit

A visit to Changdeokgung can move from a formal throne-hall courtyard to wooded paths and ponds where pavilions seem tucked into the landscape. Next door, Changgyeonggung adds a different throne hall, a broad pond and a white glass conservatory. Together, the two palaces offer more variety than their similar names suggest. The first planning decision is whether you want to see Changdeokgung's Secret Garden, or Huwon. It requires a separate timed admission and can shape the rest of your day. If royal architecture is your priority, concentrate on the palace buildings and connect the two sites through Hamyangmun. If gardens are the main attraction, secure a Huwon entry time and leave room to enjoy the walk. You can visit both palaces, but you don't have to. Exploring one carefully is more rewarding than rushing through two before another appointment. Think of the combined route as a substantial walking outing, especially with the Secret Garden included.

Tickets, entrances and the one booking to sort out first

Anguk Station on Line 3 is convenient for Changdeokgung. Donhwamun is its historic main gate, but restoration work affects the entrance. As checked on October 12, 2026, official guidance directs visitors through Geumhomun on the palace's western side. Use the current entrance signs rather than relying on an old route to Donhwamun. For Changgyeonggung, Hyehwa Station on Line 4 provides an approach toward Honghwamun, its main gate. There are three admissions to keep distinct: Changdeokgung's palace buildings, its Secret Garden and Changgyeonggung. A Secret Garden booking doesn't replace admission to the palace buildings, which you pass through to reach the garden. The current combined palace pass also excludes the Secret Garden, so it doesn't remove the need to arrange that visit separately. For the garden, choose the date and an appropriate language session on the official booking page. As checked on October 12, 2026, advance reservations open at 10 a.m. Korean time six days before the visit date. A limited same-day allocation is sold on site, but it can sell out. Booking ahead is the better plan when Huwon is the reason you're coming. Both palaces normally close on Mondays. When that day is a public holiday, the closure shifts to the next nonholiday. Their closing times differ: Changdeokgung follows a seasonal daytime schedule, while Changgyeonggung also has regular evening visiting hours. Plan the connection between them during the day rather than assuming one palace's late opening applies to both.

Changdeokgung beyond the throne hall

Start with Injeongjeon, the main throne hall, and the broad courtyard used for state ceremonies. Then explore the more intimate royal living areas around Huijeongdang and Daejojeon. The shift in scale helps distinguish the public business of monarchy from the spaces used by the royal household. In the residential buildings, windows, doors and furnishings invite a closer look from the permitted viewing areas. Some interiors contain details that feel unexpectedly modern beside the painted wooden structure. An open doorway isn't an invitation to step inside, but it can offer a revealing view of how the rooms were arranged. Look at how the buildings connect

Changdeokgung rewards looking sideways as well as straight ahead. Covered passages, small doors and buildings at different heights link the larger halls. Rooflines overlap, stairs change the level, and a modest gate can frame a completely different view from the grand ceremonial courtyard. The palace's layout responds to its terrain, which becomes clearer as you move between these spaces. Rather than trying to memorize every building name, follow the sequence of courtyards and ask what each place was used for. The regular guided commentary is useful for that context; choose a language and start time that won't conflict with a Secret Garden reservation.

Is the Secret Garden worth adding?

Choose Huwon if the idea of a wooded royal retreat appeals to you. The garden combines ponds, pavilions and paths shaped by the surrounding slopes. Its pleasure is in the changing relationships between water, trees and buildings, rather than a single formal flower display. It gives a different sense of the palace from the ceremonial halls. Your timed entry is at the garden entrance inside Changdeokgung, not at the street gate. Official guidance allows at least 15 minutes for the walk from the palace entrance to the garden, before accounting for ticket collection or queues. Arrive earlier than that minimum. Missing the garden entry time means missing the session, even if you have already reached the palace. Expect hills as well as ponds

Huwon involves slopes, stairs and some unpaved paths. It isn't equivalent to a short, level circuit around a pond. Travelers with limited mobility should ask about the current route and assistance before committing, particularly when rain or winter conditions affect the paths. Visitors enter at the scheduled time with staff. The current arrangements allow joining the commentary or exploring independently within the areas opened for that session; follow the instructions at entry. The available route can change with conservation work or weather, so treat the garden as a whole visit rather than planning around access to one specific pavilion.

Through Hamyangmun to Changgyeonggung

Hamyangmun connects Changgyeonggung with Changdeokgung's palace-building area. It isn't a back entrance directly into the Secret Garden. You'll need the appropriate admission for the palace you're entering, and the connection has its own closing time. Reentry isn't allowed, so finish the places you want to see before crossing. At Changgyeonggung, visit Myeongjeongjeon and its courtyard. After Injeongjeon's double-tiered roof, Myeongjeongjeon's single roof gives the main hall a noticeably different profile. The approach through its gates and the corridors around the courtyard are as important to the view as the facade itself. Continue north toward Chundangji Pond for a more open, leafy part of the grounds. This can be a gentle finish after the denser cluster of palace buildings. Much of the visit is outdoors, so on a hot day put the shaded pond walk between longer stretches in the courtyards. Finishing at Honghwamun makes sense if your next stop is Hyehwa or the Daehangno theater district. If dinner is around Anguk or Ikseon-dong, think through your exit before crossing between palaces; the adjoining sites are larger than they look on a compact city map.

Changgyeonggung's Great Greenhouse, by day or evening

The Great Greenhouse, or Daeonsil, dates to 1909. Its white framing and glass roof introduce a different period of architecture after the painted beams and tiled roofs of the palace halls. The contrast is part of its interest: this is a later historic layer within the grounds, not a Joseon-era building in another style. A compact historic conservatory

When the interior is open, take a short circuit to see the plants, glass and supporting structure together. The appeal is the historic conservatory itself rather than the scale of a modern botanical garden. The aisle is narrow, so allow other visitors space to pass while you stop to look. An evening visit to Changgyeonggung is a separate option if you prefer illuminated buildings and pond-side paths. The designated night route doesn't include every daytime area, and the greenhouse interior has winter evening restrictions to protect the plants. Changdeokgung and the Hamyangmun connection won't remain available simply because Changgyeonggung is still open. For a first visit, choose one main goal: the Secret Garden, a comparison of the two palaces' architecture, or a relaxed Changgyeonggung walk with the pond and greenhouse. Once that choice and the tickets are settled, the day becomes much easier to enjoy.