In addition to general admission, Korea’s four royal palaces offer a variety of paid programs, including guided tours, seasonal cultural experiences, and special events.
Paid programs can be divided into three main categories.
Official Palace Programs
These programs are organized by each palace or the Korea Heritage Agency.
Some programs are available throughout the year, while others are offered only during specific seasons.
Regular Programs
Regular programs are available for most of the year.
A well-known example is the Secret Garden (Huwon) Guided Tour at Changdeokgung Palace. Since this tour requires a separate ticket and reservation, visitors should check the latest information before their visit.
Seasonal Programs
Seasonal programs are held only during certain times of the year.
Popular examples include the Moonlight Tour, Saenggwabang (Royal Dessert Experience), and other special cultural experiences offered at different palaces.
Program schedules and reservation dates may change each year, so always check the latest official announcements.
K-Royal Culture Festival
The K-Royal Culture Festival is a seasonal festival held at Korea’s royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine.
The festival features free performances as well as special paid programs. Some events offer reservation opportunities specifically for international visitors.
Since the festival schedule and reservation methods vary each season, please check the latest official information before planning your visit.
Tours Operated by Travel Companies
Travel platforms such as Creatrip, Klook, KKday, and Trazy offer guided tours and travel packages featuring Korea’s royal palaces.
Unlike official palace programs, these tours are planned and operated by travel companies or local tour operators.
Before booking, compare the available languages, tour duration, meeting points, cancellation policies, and other details to choose the tour that best fits your travel plans.
Reservation Information
For some official palace programs and K-Royal Culture Festival events, clicking the reservation button on the official website may redirect you to an external booking platform.
For example:
- Korean residents may be directed to services such as Ticketlink or NOL.
- International visitors may be directed to booking partners such as Creatrip.
This does not mean that the booking platform is the event organizer.
In many cases, the palace or the Korea Heritage Agency organizes the program, while the external platform simply serves as an official reservation partner for international visitors.
Reservation methods may also differ between Korean residents and overseas visitors. Some Korean booking systems require local identity verification, while international visitors may use separate booking pages and present their passport when participating.
Before making a reservation, we recommend checking:
- Who organizes the program
- Whether a reservation page for international visitors is available
- Whether passport verification is required
- Whether the booking page is intended for Korean residents or international visitors
Following the reservation links provided on the official website is the safest way to access the correct booking page.