Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour 2025 | How to Get Tickets to this Exclusive Event

Moonlight tours at Changdeokgung Palace are back for a 16th year, and it’s something you definitely don’t want to miss. I had the privilege of attending in spring, and the experience was so remarkable, it’s STILL imprinted on my memory.

The Changdeokgung Moonlight tours are unforgettable.

Just imagine wandering Changdeokgung Palace by lantern light alone, admiring graceful pavilions reflecting off a calm lake, under a deep night sky, and you have a small idea of what to expect.

Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour | 창덕궁 달빛기행

Every spring and autumn in Seoul, UNESCO listed Changdeokgung Palace opens its doors at night for exclusive Moonlight tours.

This is an incredibly special event, where access is so limited, that tickets are awarded through a lottery! If you’re lucky enough to get tickets, you’ll find yourself among just 150 visitors allowed inside Changdeokgung Palace each night for this enchanting evening.

You can only see Sangnyangjeong Pavilion on the Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung.

Exploring Seoul’s beautiful royal palaces in the shadow of night is already an unforgettable experience, but the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tours take it so much further.

The moment you pass through Changdeokgung’s Donhwamun Gate, you’re transported to a bygone era of Korean royalty. And it’s just so much easier to feel the meaningful stillness of time without a mass of selfie-taking visitors surrounding you.

Passing through Donhwamun as light starts to fall.

Changdeokgung was an incredibly important palace established in 1405, as a secondary palace to Gyeongbokgung.

It served as an official residence for the Joseon Dynasty for over 250 years, from 1610 until 1868 – and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

Aeryeonjeong Pavilion by night on the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour.

Many Koreans consider Changdeokgung to be the most beautiful and harmonious of Seoul’s Royal Palaces, so being able to experience it on a Moonlight Tour is truly unforgettable.

When is the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour

Autumn Dates: September 4th – October 26th, 2025 (Thursdays – Sundays)

In 2025, Changdeokgung Moonlight Tours take place from September 4th to October 26th. Tours are available on Thursdays to Sundays, and take about 100 minutes each.

Changdeokgung night tours start in September.

There are just 6 separate time slots available each day, with the first session Changdeokgung night tours starting at 19:10, 19:15, and 19:20. The 2nd round begins at 20:00, 20:05 and 20:10.

All tours, except for the foreigner exclusive ones, are conducted in Korean. That doesn’t mean you can’t sign up for one – it just means that you likely won’t understand what the guide is saying.

Moonlight tours at Changdeokgung Palace are fully guided.

Due to holidays and other special events, like Chuseok, there are no Changdeokgung Moonlight tours running on September 25th, 26th, 28th, and October 5th, 12th, and 19th.

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Exclusive Changdeokgung Moonlight Tours for Foreigners

EVENT DATES: September 28th, October 5th, 12th, and 19th, 2025 (Sundays)

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible for visitors to Korea to reserve advance tickets for most events, due to language barriers and online security checks.

Don’t feel bad. I also find it really difficult to use Korean websites.

In light of this difficulty, the Korean Cultural Heritage administration created Moonlight tours specifically for foreigners in Korea. These tours are not just for tourists, but for ANY foreign passport holders in Korea.

Foreigner exclusive Moonlight tours at Changdeokgung Palace will take place on Sundays in late September and October, with tours offered in English, Chinese, and Japanese. It’s incredible value, costing just 30,000 won per person.

Changdeokgung Moonlight tours for foreigners are on Sundays.

The dates are quite limited, so these WILL sell out pretty quickly. If you’re in Seoul at this time, book as soon as you can.

Tickets for the Changdeokgung Moonlight tour will be sold EXCLUSIVELY on Creatrip, starting on August 27th at 9:00AM.

Which time slot should I book?

Truthfully, book whichever time slot of the Changdeokgung Moonlight tour you can get your hands on, but if you do have a choice, I recommend selecting one of the first round sessions.

Watching the sunset from inside Changdeokgung Palace.

We picked the first 19:10 time slot, on the very first Moonlight tour of the season, and I was really happy with the choice.

We started our tour in the light of day, watched the sunset over Seoul, and ended the night, watching traditional performances in the darkness.

The last stop of our tour was in the black of night.

READ NEXT: How to See Gyeongbokgung at Night | A Guide for Tourists

How to get to the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour?

Address: Waryong-dong 3-2, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea

The palace night tour starts at Changdeokgung’s Geumhomun Gate. This is a reservation only event, with check in beginning 20 minutes before the start of each Moonlight tour. You’ll need your foreign ID, and a screenshot of your reservation voucher in order to enter.

Make sure to arrive at least 10 minutes early for chek-in.

To reach Geumhomun Gate:

• Go to Anguk Station on Line 3
• Make a U-turn out of Exit 2, and then walk straight for about 5 minutes.
• You’ll see Arario Museum in Space, and a Wellness Centre on your left hand side as you walk.
• Make the first left after these 2 buildings, and you’ll see Changdeokgung Palace in front of you.

What happens on the Moonlight Tour?

After check-in, you’ll be handed a hanji-covered lantern to carry with you throughout the tour.

Things start off really wonderfully at Donhwamun – the main gate of Changdeokgung Palace – where you’re greeted by a Royal Guard at full attention.

The Royal guard at Changdeokgung’s Donhwamun Gate.

The first major stop is at Injeongjeon Hall, where Joseon kings conducted official state affairs. It’s gloriously illuminated, and being able to admire it without a throng of other visitors is really special.

From there, we headed to the King’s office, Huijeongdang, and then Nakseonjae, which was used by the 24th king of the Joseon Dynasty, Heonjong.

The Moonlight tour starts at Injeongjeon Hall.

Next, was one of the most special parts of the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour – a stop at the hexagonal Sangnyangjeong Pavilion.

This pavilion is a restricted area that most visitors aren’t able to see, due to the steep set of stairs leading up to it. It’s the highest elevation point in Changdeokgung, so the view from there is beyond mesmerizing.

Sangnyangjeong Pavilion is off limits during regular hours.

We were treated to a traditional Dageum performance, with the performer situated INSIDE Sangnyangjeong Pavilion.

There are no words that can really express the utter beauty of this moment. It’s something that has to be experienced.

Daegeum performance inside Sangnyangjeong Pavilion.

At the Secret Garden, we watched a Joseon King and Queen taking a stroll around the royal Buyongji Pond, and had an opportunity to take pictures with them.

The sight of the illuminated buildings on the pond is so incredibly picturesque, it goes without saying, that this is one of the best parts of the entire Changdeokgung Moonlight tour.

Taking pics with the king and queen!

We admired Buyongji, Bullomun Gate, and Aeryeonjeong, before heading to the final stop of the Changdeokgung night tour.

At Yeongyeongdang, we were served a snack box of Korean treats, and tea, while we watched traditional performances.

This performance was absolutely breathtaking.

It was the the perfect end to a perfect night.

Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour Tickets

If you’re a resident of Korea, and want to try your luck buying tickets online, general sales start at 2:00PM on Wednesday, August 27th.

Maybe you’ll get lucky with tickets!

These are for any remaining tickets that weren’t already purchased during the “booking lottery” ticketing process, which started in mid-August, and ended last week.

Final Details | Things to Know

The Changdeokgung Moonlight tour is incredibly well-organized, but there are a few important things to note.

There’s some uneven terrain on the Moonlight tour, so be cautious!

1. This is a reservation only event. It’s impossible to walk up to the gate and buy tickets.
2. It’s available for children aged 7 and up, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
3. Each person can buy a maximum of 2 tickets, but you must input 2 separate foreign IDs when purchasing.
4. Some parts of the terrain are rocky, have an incline, or include steps. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes with excellent grip.
5. It’s obvious, since it’s a night tour – but it’s important to stress that it’s actually quite dark. You’ll be exploring by lantern light mostly, so make sure to wear glasses if you need them, take it slow, be cautious, and step carefully. Getting injured while on vacation in Korea isn’t any fun!

Enjoy this incredible event! It’s one of the best things I’ve done in Seoul.

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The Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight is one of Seoul’s most special events. Don’t miss it!