Ultimate Guide to 5 Palaces in Seoul – Seoul Travel Guide

Hi, 안녕하세요, my friends all over the world. Do you know there are five palaces in Seoul? I'm sure most of the travel information about Seoul introduces Gyeongbokgung Palace as the most representative palace. It's not very wrong, but personally, my favorite palace in Seoul is not Gyeongbokgung Palace. And all five palaces have their own charms, but it's hard to visit all five palaces in a short time. If you plan to visit a palace in Seoul, I'll help you. I will give you a brief overview of the five palaces' characteristics and recommend which palace to go according to your preference. Be aware of this. Korea has a history of 5,000 years, but Seoul was designated as the capital of Joseon Dynasty in 1394. Back then, it was called Hanyang. And as you know, it is still the capital of Korea. Therefore, all five palaces we can see in Seoul are legacies of Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongbokgung Palace was the first palace built in Seoul by Joseon Dynasty. It was built in 1395 by King Taejo, the first king of Joseon, and was left unattended for about 300 years after being burned by Imjin War in 1592 and was rebuilt in 1867. As it was the first palace of Joseon, it was built in a grand and square style to show the authority of the royal family. Walking from Gwanghwamun, the entrance of the palace, to Geunjeongjeon, the main building, you may be overwhelmed by its grandeur. During the Joseon Dynasty, about 2,000 soldiers guarded Gyeongbokgung Palace. There are many buildings, but not only that, the walkways and gardens are well decorated and the palace is very spacious. So I recommend you to take a half-day time to look around. Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most crowded among the five palaces because it is the representative palace of Seoul and convenient for transportation. Right next to Gyeongbokgung Palace, there are two museums, the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea, which are available for free. Admission to Gyeongbokgung is 3,000 won and you can enter free of charge if you are wearing hanbok, the traditional Korean costume, and there are many hanbok rental shops around Gyeongbokgung Palace. It opens at 9 a.m. every day, but the closing time varies slightly from season to season between 5 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. You can find out more at the website linked below. Although it opens at night from time to time, there is a limited number of people available for the reservation system and the competition for the reservation is fierce, so actually it's not easy. The palace is closed every Tuesday. Exit 5 of Gyeongbokgung Subway Station Line 3 and the entrance to the palace are connected each other, so you can go there conveniently. I also recommend you get off at Gwanghwamun Station on Subway Line 5 and walk along Gwanghwamun Square to get to Gyeongbokgung Palace. If you are lucky, you can watch a cultural performance at the palace. On this day, I met a traditional play performance that allows visitors to enjoy together. In Gwanghwamun, the entrance to the palace, there are also the gate guards change ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day. Even if you don't enter the palace, you can watch it for free and you can take pictures with the guards. I recommend Gyeongbokgung Palace to these people. You want to see a grand and huge palace. It should be close to the subway station. You have plenty of time for half a day. It doesn't matter even if it's crowded with many people. You'd like to see the gate guard change ceremony. Gyeongbokgung Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I also feel that it is the most beautiful palace among the five palaces in Seoul, as it represents Korea's unique architectural beauty. Gyeongbokgung Palace was designed to be square like a planned city, so the buildings were symmetrically arranged while Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in keeping the natural terrain as much as possible so the layout was free-spirited and harmonized with nature. Changdeokgung Palace was built in 1405 originally as a detached palace of Gyeongbokgung Palace. In 1592, it started to be used as a main royal palace of Joseon for about 300 years after Gyeongbokgung was burned by war. So it contains the most history of Joseon dynasty. Changdeokgung is connected to Changgyeonggung Palace, and the combination of these two palaces are larger than Gyeongbokgung Palace. The beauty of Changdeokgung, combined with nature, culminates in a secret garden which is available only at a fixed time with a narrator for an additional 5,000 won. The pavilion is 2.1 km long and takes an hour and a half, so if you have enough time, look around there and feel the beauty of the world heritage made during the Joseon dynasty. There is a fixed number of people available for admission to each round, so I recommend you make a reservation in advance at the website of the link below. Admission to Changdeokgung Palace is 3,000 won excluding 5,000 won for secret garden, and if you are Hanbok, it's free admission too. It opens at 9 am and closes between 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm on a seasonal basis. Unfortunately, Changdeokgung doesn't open at night, but we have Changgyeonggung Palace right next to it which opens until 9 pm every day. Changdeokgung is closed every Monday, and it's about 5 minutes walk from Exit 3 of Anguk Station on Subway Line 3. Changdeokgung Palace is recommended to these people. You'll want to see a palace that shows the unique architectural beauty of Korea. You'd like to take a stroll through the beautiful secret garden. It should be close to the subway station. You have plenty of time for half a day. You'd like to take some time to look around Changgyeonggung Palace together. Changgyeonggung Palace was built in 1483 for the residential purpose of female royal families and is connected to Changdeokgung Palace. Changgyeonggung Palace itself is an independent palace, but it also has a function to make up for the lack of living space in Changdeokgung Palace. The buildings in Changgyeonggung Palace are usually compact as they are residential purpose and the space between the buildings and the gardens are spacious, giving us the impression of being in a luxurious mansion. Since there are fewer visitors than Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, you can enjoy the palace more in a quiet. My favorite place in Changgyeonggung is a pond called Chundangji. In spring, the flowers bloom so beautiful and the evergreen trees are wonderful. This pond is well designed for a walk, and there are some places where you can sit and rest in the middle. At the back of Chundangji, there is a white greenhouse. When the sun is shining, you can take beautiful portraits in there. When the sun sets and the lights start to light up in Chundangji, you can enjoy the beautiful and unique night view of the palace garden that you can't see anywhere else. The entrance fee for Changgyeonggung Palace is 1,000 won, and it is also free if you wear Hanbok. Changgyeonggung Palace has been open in the evening since 2019, and it runs until 9pm, so if you look around Changdeokgung Palace next to it in the afternoon, and go over to Changgyeonggung Palace in the evening and see the night view of the palace, it will be a good tour course. However, please note that the connecting doors of Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung Palace are open until about 5pm, and you need to move before then. Since the entrance of Changgyeonggung Palace is far from the subway station, you will need to take a bus or taxi to return. Changgyeonggung is closed every Monday. I recommend Changgyeonggung Palace to these people. You want to feel the luxurious garden where the royal woman strolled. You want to see the night view of the ancient palace. You don't like the tourist attractions that are too crowded. You don't have time during the day, so you have to go in the evening. It's okay even though it's far from the subway station. Located in front of Seoul City Hall, Deoksugung Palace was originally not built as a palace, but as a royal residence. When Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palace were burned down during the Imjin War in 1592, Deoksugung was built into a palace that was built by combining the royal residence and the surrounding private houses. The early 20th century was when Joseon began to embrace Western culture, and this building, which was completed in 1910, was designed by the British. Unlike other palaces, Deoksugung is the only one palace that Western-style buildings are blended in with traditional Korean buildings, creating a very unique atmosphere. Deoksugung Palace is relatively small, so you can look around in about an hour. And Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway next to the palace is also famous for lovers dating course. Compared to small size, there are many visitors, but it's still much quieter than Gyeongbok Palace. Admission to Gyeongbok Palace is 1,000 won, and like the other palaces, if you wear hanbok, it's free admission. As with Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace is open until 9 p.m. every day so the tourists can visit in the evening, and it's closed every Monday. It's just one minute away from City Hall Station Exit 2 of Subway Line 2, so it's convenient to visit. In addition, Deoksugung is a palace where visitors can see the changing ceremony of the gate guard along with the Gyeongbokgung Palace. There are ceremonies every day at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3.30 p.m. You can sit at the front of the gate of the palace for free without entering the palace. You will also be given time to take a picture with the guards. If you are as lucky as I am, you can see traditional cultural events like this. Deoksugung Palace is recommended to these people. You'd like to see the harmony between traditional Korean buildings and Western-style buildings. You don't have much time to look around. You'll like a small palace because it's hard for you to walk. It should be close to the subway station. You don't have time during the day, so you have to go in the evening. You'd like to see the gate guard change ceremony. Gyeonghigung Palace is probably the least known palace among the five palaces in Seoul. All other palaces have separate homepages, but Gyeonghigung Palace doesn't. Founded in 1617, Gyeonghigung was built as a very large palace at the time, but many buildings were demolished during the Japanese colonial era, losing many of their appearance and remaining on a small scale as it is now. I feel very quiet from the palace gate because there are not many visitors and I like this quiet atmosphere because I don't like the crowded places. Although the palace has lost its appearance a lot, it seems to be the biggest advantage of Gyeonghigung Palace not to be crowded with many people. Gyeonghigung Palace has no entrance fee and it is open from 9am to 6pm. Every Monday is closed. It's located halfway between Gwanghwamun Station and Seodaemun Station on Subway Line 5 and it is about 10 minutes walking distance from the station. And it's also 10 to 15 minutes walking distance from Deoksugung Palace. I recommend Gyeonghigung Palace to these people. You want to have your own time in the ancient palace of Seoul without being disturbed by anyone. You hate it when someone else is taken in the background in your picture. You don't have enough time to look around. You like a quiet place. Now that you've learned about the 5 ancient palaces in Seoul, which palace do you want to visit the most? Next week, I will visit the palace with a friend of mine in Hamburg and see how I can take a pretty pictures of her. If this video was helpful, please subscribe, thumbs up and press the alarm button. See you again in the next video. Annyeong.