Wear a Hanbok and Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Opens Its Gates for Free: Hanbok Rental and a Palace Walk

Part 2 of 39 in Only Here: 39 Things You Can Only Do in Korea

Put on a full hanbok and Gyeongbokgung waives your ticket, so you skip the booth line and walk straight into Joseon’s main palace dressed for it. The same outfit does half the work of every photo in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall.

Featured photo: Kim Chang-su / Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1

Only Here: 39 Things You Can Only Do in Korea · Part 2 · Seoul

View this post on Instagram

At a glance

• What: Rent a hanbok near the palace, walk in for free, photograph the guard ceremony, Geunjeongjeon, Gyeonghoeru and Hyangwonjeong, then eat lunch at a Seochon market.
• Free-entry rule: Wear both a hanbok top and bottom and general admission is free at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine. A planned admission increase for 2027 has been put on hold, and the free-hanbok rule has been mentioned as something under review, so check the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center notice before you go.
• This fall’s bonus: Korean travel guides report that during the Korea Grand Festival, October 29 to November 15, 2026, general admission to the four palaces, Jongmyo and the royal tombs is free for everyone, hanbok or not (reserved programs such as the Changdeokgung Secret Garden excluded). The official notice was not yet posted when I checked, so confirm it on the day. If it holds, the hanbok becomes an outfit for photos rather than a ticket.
• Hours: November to February, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., last entry 4 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Longer hours from March to October.
• Hanbok rental: A basic hanbok for two to four hours runs about ₩15,000–30,000 ($11–23) at most shops near the palace; hair styling and accessories usually cost extra. Most shops open around 9 a.m. and want the outfit back by about 7 p.m. Check the shop’s own price list.
• Time needed: 30–40 minutes to choose and dress, two hours in the palace, one to two hours in Seochon. Half a day.
• Bring: From November, a thin thermal layer under the hanbok, and plain white sneakers instead of the shop’s embroidered shoes. A power bank.
• Getting there in short: Subway Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 5 (west entrance and the National Palace Museum), or Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2 (the main gate). One ride on Line 5 from Gimpo Airport; one transfer from Incheon Airport. Full routes at the end.

Also read: Life After miss A: Suzy Swept the Charts Alone

Gyeongbokgung in hanbok, in the right order

1. Pick your hanbok near Exits 3 and 4 of Gyeongbokgung Station

The rental shops cluster west of the station along Sajik-ro and Jahamun-ro 2-gil. Several have Google Maps ratings of 4.6 to 4.9 (checked October 26, 2026), and most can serve you in English.

• How to choose: Racks mix traditional hanbok with “fusion” hanbok, the ones with short skirts or lace. So many visitors now want historically accurate outfits that on October 19, 2026, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a “wear hanbok properly” campaign with 24 rental shops around the palace (Segye Ilbo, October 19, 2026). If you want photos that age well, pick the traditional cut. Some shops also keep character outfits: court lady, Dae Jang-geum, Joseon scholar.
• Hair: A braid or a traditional low bun changes the photo completely. It usually costs extra.
• Bags: Most shops will hold your suitcase and bag. Walk out with only your phone and wallet.
• Google Maps ratings (checked October 26, 2026): Daehan Hanbok 4.9 (133-2 Sajik-ro), Doyo Hanbok 4.9 (14 Jahamun-ro 2-gil), Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung 4.8 (133-5 Sajik-ro), Cham Hanbok 4.8 (130 Sajik-ro), Gureumi Hanbok Gyeongbokgung 4.8 (5 Hyoja-ro), Hanbok Sonyeo 4.6 (8 Jahamun-ro 2-gil).

View this post on Instagram

2. Start at 10 a.m. in front of Heungnyemun Gate

Past Gwanghwamun, in the first courtyard in front of Heungnyemun Gate, the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony runs daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for about 20 minutes (not on Tuesdays). The guard-duty ceremony in front of Gwanghwamun is at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (HaniSeoul guide). Stand among the red uniforms and banners in a hanbok and you are part of the scene.

• Special this year: Korean social media guides report that from October 30 to November 1, 2026, the Joseon palace guard review ceremony Cheopjong will be held in the Heungnyemun courtyard at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (45 minutes each, free), with the regular changing ceremony replaced by the Gwanghwamun guard-duty ceremony during those days (@yisunsin_love, October 2026). Cheopjong took place in the same courtyard on October 18–20, 2024, and October 30, 2025 (News Seoul). Confirm this year’s schedule on the Korea Heritage Service website.
• Where to stand: Arrive 30 minutes early to get the front row. With your back to Heungnyemun, the front left gives you the best view of the banner procession.

View this post on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

3. Geunjeongjeon, Gyeonghoeru, Hyangwonjeong: the three photo spots

• Geunjeongjeon: The throne hall where Joseon kings were crowned and held state ceremonies. Stand in the middle of the courtyard, between the rows of rank stones, with the hall square behind you, and the hanbok looks its best. Fewer people before 11 a.m.
• Gyeonghoeru: The pavilion that floats on a pond. From the southwest corner of the pond, with a willow in the foreground, you get the pavilion and its reflection in one frame.
• Hyangwonjeong: The pavilion on an island at the palace’s northern end. When the leaves turn in late October and early November, it is the most photographed spot in Gyeongbokgung. There is a particular angle that puts Inwangsan Mountain in the background (@kimkyungyoup).

View this post on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

4. Tips so it doesn’t go wrong

• Don’t go on a Tuesday. Gyeongbokgung is closed. On a Tuesday, switch to Changdeokgung or Deoksugung (closed Mondays). Free hanbok entry works there too.
• No food inside the palace. Water only.
• Decide your return time first. A two-hour rental covers the palace and nothing else. If you want to walk Seochon too, book four hours or more.
• In November, shade falls fast after 4 p.m. Shoot between morning and 2 p.m.

Top 10 things to do around Gyeongbokgung and Seochon

1. Stand under the ginkgo next to the National Palace Museum (photo spot)

On the west side of Gyeongbokgung, right next to the National Palace Museum, stands a huge ginkgo tree. When it turns yellow in late October and early November, people queue to photograph it (@yeom_see, 1,851 likes). The museum is free and holds the Joseon royal seals and court records.

View this post on Instagram

2. Walk the ginkgo road on Hyoja-ro (photo spot)

Across from the museum, Hyoja-ro runs along the palace’s west wall under a line of ginkgo trees. A post from October 23 put the color at about 50% (@_gojiwon), so late October to early November, when this guide goes live, is the peak.

View this post on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

3. Pay for lunch with brass coins at Tongin Market (eat)

Ten minutes on foot from Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station, Tongin Market runs the “brass-coin lunchbox.” Buy old-style brass coins at the market’s customer center (₩500, about $0.40, per coin), take an empty lunch tray, and walk from stall to stall filling it one side dish at a time (@sonofel_jung, October 2026). Buying food with coins is the part foreign visitors love.

• Tip: Ten coins (₩5,000, about $3.80) make lunch for one. The lunchbox café usually closes around 4 p.m., and the market has its own closing days, so check before you go.

View this post on Instagram

4. A plate of oil tteokbokki (eat)

Tongin Market’s signature snack is gireum tteokbokki, rice cakes stir-fried in oil with no sauce to swim in. It comes in a red chili version and a soy version, crisp outside and chewy inside (@mukgiye04). You can buy it with your coins.

• Google Maps rating: Wonjo Jeong Halmeoni Gireum Tteokbokki 3.9 (checked October 26, 2026). You go for the experience of eating it standing up in the market, not for the rating.

View this post on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

5. The samgyetang worth the line: Tosokchon (eat)

Tosokchon Samgyetang, in the alley off Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station, has one of the longest foreign-visitor lines of any ginseng chicken soup restaurant in Seoul. It tops local lists of the best restaurants near the station (@allmatzip, October 2026).

• Order: The basic samgyetang, around ₩20,000 ($15). Avoid noon to 1 p.m.; go before 11 a.m. or after 2 p.m.

View this post on Instagram

6. Banquet noodles at Chebudong Janchijip (eat)

A noodle house tucked into a Seochon alley. Anchovy-broth janchi guksu, spicy bibim guksu and seafood pancakes, all cheap, so it is always busy. Google Maps rating 4.2, open until 10 p.m. (checked October 26, 2026). A bowl of noodles costs under ₩10,000.

7. The palace where BTS and NewJeans performed (K-pop moment)

When K-pop wants to show “Korea,” it picks Gyeongbokgung. In 2020, BTS performed “IDOL” on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Geunjeongjeon and Gyeonghoeru behind them; the video has passed 47 million views (checked October 26, 2026). NewJeans took the stage at Gyeongbokgung in 2024 for the Korea Heritage Service’s “KOREA ON STAGE.” The throne-hall courtyard and the pond’s edge are the exact spots.

8. Look up under the dancheong (see)

Look up under the eaves of Geunjeongjeon and Gyeonghoeru and you will find dancheong, dense patterns painted in green, orange and blue. Plenty of visitors match their hanbok color to the paintwork.

9. Wander Seochon’s hanok alleys (see)

Seochon, west of the palace, is a quieter hanok neighborhood than Bukchon. Every alley has a small gallery, bookshop or café, and Sangchonjae in Ogin-dong is a hanok you can walk into for free (check opening hours). Seochon café routes are all over Korean Instagram in autumn (@ilovecafeandmore).

View this post on Instagram

10. Watch Seoul’s sunset from the Inwangsan fortress wall (photo spot)

If you have energy left after returning the hanbok, climb from Suseongdong Valley in Seochon up to the Inwangsan section of the Seoul City Wall. In 40 minutes to an hour you are on the wall, with Bugaksan, downtown Seoul and the sunset in one view. In November the sun sets around 5:20 p.m.

View this post on Instagram

Nearby

• National Folk Museum of Korea (inside the palace on the east side, free, Google rating 4.6): Everyday Korean life, food, clothing and ritual in one place. It suits a visit in hanbok.
• Gwanghwamun Square: The statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and the restored royal terrace in front of the gate. In December it hosts the Seoul Winter Festa (Part 3 of our Christmas in Seoul and Busan series).
• Cheong Wa Dae (the former presidential residence): Public tours were suspended from August 1, 2025, with no reopening date announced (SBS Biz). Check before you plan on it.
• Bukchon and Changdeokgung: East of Gyeongbokgung. Booking the Changdeokgung Secret Garden tour is Part 3 of this series.
• Jongno 3-ga and Ikseon-dong: Two stops on Line 3. Finish the day on the pocha street from Part 1.

Hotels nearby

Prices are Google Maps nightly rates, checked October 26, 2026 ($1 = about ₩1,325). They swing a lot by date.

• Budget: Hotel Dada Gyeongbokgung (2-star, about five minutes’ walk from Gyeongbokgung Station), about ₩133,000 ($100).
• Hanok stays: Seochon Yeongnakjae (Nuha-dong, Google rating 4.7) and Hanok Essay Seochon (Pirundae-ro 3-gil, 4.8). Sleep in a hanok and walk to the rental shop in the morning. Check rates for your dates.
• Mid-range: Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun (4-star, 4.1), about ₩259,000 ($196); Nine Tree by Parnas Seoul Insadong (4-star, 4.4), about ₩284,000 ($214).
• Luxury: Four Seasons Hotel Seoul (5-star, 4.6, right by Gwanghwamun Station).

Getting there

① From Gimpo Airport (the airport closest to central Seoul)

• One ride on Line 5: From Gimpo Airport Station, take Line 5 to Gwanghwamun (no transfer, about 35–40 minutes), then walk five minutes from Exit 2 to the gate. About ₩1,550 ($1.20) with a transit card.
• Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3 (Exit 5) is closer to the palace’s west entrance, but from Gimpo it adds a transfer.

② From Incheon Airport

• AREX + Line 5 (one transfer): From Incheon Airport Terminal 1 or 2 Station, take the AREX all-stop train toward Seoul Station, change at Gongdeok to Line 5 toward Macheon / Hanam Geomdansan, and ride to Gwanghwamun. About 65–75 minutes and roughly ₩4,300 ($3.20) with a transit card.
• Alternative: Ride AREX to Gimpo Airport Station and change to Line 5 there. The transfer walk is longer, but you are more likely to get a seat.
• Transit card: Buy a T-money card at an Incheon Airport convenience store and top it up. Seoul’s Climate Card short-term pass works on Seoul subways, but not on the AREX stretch outside the city.

From Myeongdong

• Line 4 from Myeongdong to Chungmuro, change to Line 3, ride to Gyeongbokgung (about 20 minutes). Or take a bus from near Myeongdong Station to Gwanghwamun in about 15 minutes.

Sources

• Palace hours, admission and free hanbok entry: Trazy and This Is Korea Tours Gyeongbokgung guides (2026); Hankyung, February 18, 2026 (free entry over the Lunar New Year holiday, adult ₩3,000)
• Admission increase on hold, hanbok rule under review: a Korean card-benefits blog (2026)
• Free admission October 29–November 15: foxcg guide (official notice not yet posted when checked)
• “Wear hanbok properly” campaign: Segye Ilbo, October 19, 2026
• Guard ceremony times: HaniSeoul guide
• Cheopjong: @yisunsin_love on Instagram (October 2026); past schedule from News Seoul
• Cheong Wa Dae tours suspended: SBS Biz
• Google Maps ratings and hotel rates: checked October 26, 2026
• Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1), photographer credited on each photo; embedded public Instagram posts and YouTube videos