Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour 2026 | How to Get Tickets to this Exclusive Event

Moonlight tours at Changdeokgung Palace are back for a 17th 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.

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.

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The Magic of the 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 168 visitors allowed inside Changdeokgung Palace each night for this enchanting evening.

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.

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.

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.

Autumn 2026 Moonlight Tour Dates & Session Times

In autumn 2026, Changdeokgung Moonlight Tours will take place from September 10th to October 17th. Tours are available on Thursday to Sunday evenings, and last for about 100 minutes each.

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.

How to Get Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour Tickets

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

Exclusive Foreigner Booking Guide (No Korean ID Needed)

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 September and October with tours offered in English, Chinese, and Japanese. It’s incredible value, costing just 30,000 won per person.

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 28th at 9:00 AM KST.

General Ticket Sales & The Local Booking Lottery

If you’re currently living in Korea and have a verified local phone number linked to your residency card, you don’t have to wait for the foreigner-exclusive window. You can actually try your luck in the main domestic pool alongside local residents.

The Korea Heritage Service runs this entire system as a strict lottery to keep things fair, so you won’t need to stress about missing out due to slow internet speeds during the initial drop.

The application window for the autumn lottery opens on Ticketlink on Thursday, August 20th at 2:00 PM and runs until Wednesday, August 26th at 11:59 PM. During this phase, you just log in, pick your preferred tour type, and submit your entry without paying anything upfront.

The winners are drawn and announced on Friday, August 28th at 5:00 PM. If your name comes up, you’ll have a few days to log back into the portal and complete your payment for up to two tickets. If you miss out on a winning slot, keep an eye on the site on Thursday, September 3rd at 2:00 PM, which is when any unpaid or cancelled winner tickets get tossed back into a first-come, first-served public sale.

Which Evening Time Slot Should You 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.

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.

How to Get to the Moonlight Tour (Geumhomun Gate Directions)

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.

The Moonlight Itinerary: What Happens on the Changdeokgung Night 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It was the the perfect end to a perfect night.

Important Night Tour Safety & ID Guidelines

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

• This is a reservation only event. It’s impossible to walk up to the gate and buy tickets.
• It’s available for children aged 7 and up, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
• Each person can buy a maximum of 2 tickets, but you must input 2 separate foreign IDs when purchasing.
• Some parts of the terrain are rocky, have an incline, or include steps. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes with excellent grip.
• 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!

Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour Essential Info & FAQs

I originally researched, wrote & published this guide on April 1, 2025. I review & update my content for accuracy regularly. Watch out for copycats.This post was last updated on August 23, 2026. Copyright © 2025–2026 Travel-Stained. All rights reserved.