Changdeokgung Secret Garden Reservation Guide: Huwon Is All About Timing

Changdeokgung Huwon is more reservation game than pretty garden

Photo: © 한국관광공사 (Korea Tourism Organization)

Changdeokgung Huwon, also called the Secret Garden, is one of those Seoul palace experiences that confuses a lot of first-time visitors.

The important part is simple: you can enter Huwon only with a ticket for a fixed entry time. Under the current official guidance, though, a guided tour is optional. In other words, you do not necessarily need to book a guided tour, but you do need to secure a Huwon admission ticket for the right time.

If you are late, that is it. You cannot enter, and you do not get a refund. Huwon is not kind to no-shows.

Why Huwon is worth the extra planning

Photo: © 한국관광공사 (Korea Tourism Organization)

Changdeokgung was built in 1405 as a secondary palace to Gyeongbokgung. Huwon was created north of Changdeokgung in 1406 and later expanded. The official history page describes the palace as a place where governing spaces and living spaces were arranged together.

Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on December 6, 1997. The official World Heritage guide notes that Changdeokgung differs from other Korean palaces because its buildings follow the surrounding mountain terrain. It also introduces Huwon as a garden where pavilions and ponds have been preserved in harmony with nature.

VisitKorea describes Changdeokgung as having three broad parts: the public palace area, buildings used in the royal family’s daily life, and the rear garden. Huwon has trees over 300 years old, small ponds, and pavilions. It was created during King Taejong’s reign, used as a resting place for the royal family, and later became known as Biwon or the Secret Garden after King Gojong.

Autumn is the classic season to go. VisitKorea recommends Huwon in fall, when the leaves are at their peak and have just begun to drop.

Know this first: your Huwon ticket time is the rule

Photo: © 한국관광공사 (Korea Tourism Organization)

The official palace page says Huwon entry is allowed only at the entry time printed on your ticket. The same page also says guided tours are optional.

The official reservation page says the same thing in a different way. Inside Huwon, visitors can self-guide with a free e-book or audio guide, while interpreter-led guided tours are available after entry.

So the rules are:

• Huwon uses timed entry.
• You need a Huwon ticket.
• You also need a separate general admission ticket.
• Under the current official guidance, guided tours are optional.
• If you are late, you cannot enter and you cannot get a refund.

The upside is obvious. If you reserve properly, you get to see one of the quietest palace gardens in central Seoul. The downside is just as obvious. If you mismanage the time, you may end up seeing only the main Changdeokgung palace area.

How to reserve: 50 online tickets and 50 on-site tickets

The official palace page says Huwon entry is limited to 100 people per session: 50 online reservations and 50 same-day on-site tickets sold first come, first served.

Online reservations

• Opens: 10:00, six days before the visit date
• Reservation period: until one day before the visit date
• Online quantity: 50 tickets per session
• Limit: one reservation per entry date, up to 10 tickets

For popular dates, be ready at 10:00 exactly six days before your visit. The official reservation page warns that long lines can form at the ticket office and entrance during the spring and autumn peak seasons.

On-site tickets

• Huwon ticket office opens: 09:00
• Quantity: 50 tickets per session
• Method: same-day tickets, first come, first served
• Limit: up to 10 tickets per person

Treat on-site tickets as a backup, not a plan. If Huwon is a priority, try for the online reservation first.

On the day: do not underestimate the 15-minute buffer

The official reservation page says you must buy your ticket at least 15 minutes before your entry time. It also says to allow about 15 minutes to walk from Changdeokgung’s main gate to the Huwon entrance.

Plan your arrival like this:

• Arrive at Changdeokgung at least 30 minutes before your Huwon entry time.
• After passing the main gate, allow 15 minutes to reach the Huwon entrance.
• Mobile tickets are activated from 30 minutes before the reserved Huwon start time.
• At entry, show a valid mobile ticket or paper ticket.

Screenshots are not accepted. Printed confirmations are not accepted either. The official reservation page says you must show a valid mobile or paper ticket.

Fees: general admission ticket plus Huwon ticket

A Huwon ticket alone is not enough. The official palace page says you need to buy a general admission ticket as well as the Huwon ticket.

Changdeokgung general admission

• Adult general admission: ₩3,000 individual / ₩2,400 group
• Examples of free admission: age 18 or younger, age 65 or older, hanbok wearers, Culture Day
• General admission covers only the main palace building area
• Huwon requires an additional ticket

Huwon ticket

• Adults age 19 or older: ₩5,000 + general admission ticket
• Age 65 or older: ₩5,000 + general admission ticket ₩0
• Youth age 7 to 18: ₩2,500 + general admission ticket ₩0

If you plan to pay with a card issued outside Korea, check the card type. The English reservation-site popup lists overseas-issued VISA, MasterCard, and JCB cards as accepted.

Operating hours and closures

Hours vary by season, so check the official page again shortly before you go.

Changdeokgung palace building area

• February to May / September to October: 09:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:00
• June to August: 09:00 to 18:30, last entry 17:30
• November to January: 09:00 to 17:30, last entry 16:30

Huwon

• March to June / September to October: 10:00 to 17:30, last entry 16:00
• July to August: 10:00 to 17:10, last entry 16:00
• November: 10:00 to 17:00, last entry 15:30
• December to February: 10:00 to 16:10, last entry 15:00

Changdeokgung is closed on Mondays. If the regular closure day falls on a public holiday or substitute public holiday, the palace opens that day and closes the following day instead.

Course time: allow 70 or 90 minutes

The official reservation page gives the Huwon tour or course time by season.

• March to June / September to November: about 90 minutes
• July to August / December to February: about 70 minutes

Tour times and routes can change because of unexpected conditions. During heat wave alerts, the course gets shorter: 35 minutes under a heat wave advisory and 25 minutes under a heat wave warning.

Do not overpack your summer itinerary. Huwon may take less time than planned, but that usually means conditions are not ideal.

Notes on foreign-language tours

The official reservation page says foreign-language tours are for foreigners only. Korean companions are limited to a maximum of two people, and staff may check IDs if necessary.

If you are Korean and visiting with foreign friends, check this rule before you go. Sorting it out at the entrance can cost you time.

How to get there

The address is 99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The official guidance lists two subway options:

• Line 3 Anguk Station, Exit 3: 5 minutes on foot
• Lines 1, 3, and 5 Jongno 3-ga Station, Exit 7: 10 minutes on foot

The inquiry phone number is Changdeokgung Management Office: 02-3668-2300.

Recommended plan

For a first-time foreign visitor, the cleanest plan is:

1. At 10:00 six days before your visit date, try to reserve Huwon online.
2. Arrive at Changdeokgung at least 30 minutes before your Huwon entry time.
3. Prepare both the general admission ticket and the Huwon ticket.
4. Leave 15 minutes to walk from the main gate to the Huwon entrance.
5. Make sure your mobile ticket is activated, and show the actual valid ticket instead of a screenshot.

Huwon is a little unfriendly to spontaneous travelers. But if you get the reservation and timing right, it is not difficult. If I had to choose one Seoul palace experience that deserves a bit of extra planning, I would spend that effort on Changdeokgung Huwon.