- Please make a reservation at least 3 days before the departure.
- Hours: Every Wed, Fri, Sun
- Morning Tour: 09:30-11:30 (Meeting Time: 09:20)
- Night Tour: 18:30-20:30 (Meeting Time: 18:20)
- Route: Gwanghwamun > Heungnyemun > Geunjeongmun > Geunjeongjeon > Sajeongjeon > Gangnyeongjeon > Gyotaejeon > Amisan > Gyeonghoeru > Sujeongjeon
- Tour Duration: Approximately 2 hours
- Tour Participants: 2-20 people (The tour is subject to cancellation if the minimum required number of participants is not met.)
- Included: Deoksugung Palace Admission Ticket, English Guide
- Excluded: Meals, Personal Expenses, Travel Insurance
Why We Recommend It
- Deoksugung Palace is a completely different vibe during the day and at night.
- The palace has a sad but important history and is a significant part of Korean Modern History.
- The palace is unique from Gyeongbukgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and more because of its western influence.
Deoksugung Palace has served as the royal palace for 13 years. The palace tells a sad story of the end of a 500-year-long history of the Joseon Monarchy and the start of the Korean Empire. The sad story of King Gojong and how his reign was taken away from him lives on in the Deoksugung Palace.
Daehanmun is the first gate that takes you into Deoksugung Palace. The name used to be Daeanmun, which had the meaning of 'A peaceful country and its peaceful people'. The tour will start here.
Deoksugung Palace's main characteristic is that it has a lot of western influence in its architecture. Seokjojeon is where the influence is visible mostly in the palace. The building is built with a modern architectural structure, which originated in the West. It was built as a space for the role and office of the palace, but it is used only as an office and an audience room, and the original shape has been damaged over time.
The Junmyeong in Junmyeongdang stands for 'clear and bright governance'. Junmyeongdang is where King Gojong met his foreign envoys and was used as the bedroom of King Gojong before Hamnyeongjeon was built.
Jeonggwanheon has a mixture of a traditional Korean roof and western pillars. According to the records, King Gojong and King Sunjong's portraits were created and stored here. The guide will tell you all about King Gojong's sad, last moments.
Deoksugung Palace is unique from the other palaces in Seoul, so we highly recommend visiting and comparing the differences! The palace also has a sad story which you can learn more about in this guided tour. Book your tour now to hear the last moments of the Korean Empire!