Visiting Changdeokgung Palace in Autumn: Secret Garden Ticket Guide

Visit Seoul’s Changdeokgung Palace in autumn, and you can walk in the footsteps of long-gone Joseon-era kings and queens. Strolling past the calm lotus ponds of the Secret Garden, relaxing under regal pavilions, and wandering through a landscape covered in a riot of colourful maple, ginkgo, oak, and pine trees is a truly unforgettable experience.

There’s a catch though. If you want to see the absolute best of this fall foliage at Changdeokgung Palace, you cannot just wander in on your own. Access to the Huwon or Secret Garden is strictly limited to a reserved spot on a timed guided tour. These tickets are notorious for disappearing in seconds, because these autumn leaves are some of the most spectacular in Seoul,

But don’t panic – I’ve navigated these ticketing systems for years in Korea, and I’m going to break it down for you, so you don’t miss your chance to go.

*This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link & make a purchase, I may earn a commission.

Why Visit the Secret Garden & Changdeokgung Palace in Autumn

Changdeokgung Palace is impressive in every season, but I’d dare say it’s most breathtaking during autumn in Korea, when its army of thousands of trees slowly surrenders its leaves to the earth.

Make sure to visit the Secret Garden (Huwon / 후원) to really see the majesty of autumn in all its glorious colour. This is where you’ll find trees and plants changing hue in every imaginable shade possible. It’s truly a feast for the eyes and senses that shouldn’t be missed.

If you’re trying to figure out how to fit all the important Korean landmarks into your schedule, check out my complete guide to the 5 Royal Palaces in Seoul to decide which ones fit your travel vibe, and are worth adding to your itinerary

Best Time to See Peak Autumn Leaves at Changdeokgung

The Secret Garden is gorgeous throughout autumn, but you’ve got to time things right if you want to catch the peak fall foliage.

Generally speaking, the autumn leaves in Seoul hit their most vibrant right near the end of October. If you want to see the trees at their most colourful, I recommend planning your autumn visit to Changdeokgung Palace anytime from late-October to mid-November at the latest.

If you’re trying to figure out the weather or what to pack for those exact weeks, you can look over my comprehensive guide for Seoul in October or November to map out the rest of your month.

It’s good to know that the trees at Changdeokgung in autumn don’t all change colour at the exact same time. The walnut, white oak, plum, maple, ginkgo, and pine trees scattered around the main palace grounds usually start turning first. The deep, shaded areas back inside the Secret Garden take a little longer to catch up, but once they do, the mix of bright yellows and deep crimsons framing the old pavilions is incredible.

One thing to keep in mind is that the sun dips behind the mountains pretty early in autumn. If you book a late afternoon tour, the lotus ponds will already be covered in long shadows, so trying to snag a midday or early afternoon slot is your best bet for good lighting.

How to Get Changdeokgung Secret Garden Tickets in Autumn

While you’re free to wander around the main grounds of Changdeokgung Palace in autumn solo, a visit to the Secret Garden requires a guided tour. It’s something you definitely don’t want to miss during this season, because the autumn foliage is undeniably epic.

Because it’s such a popular time of year, getting your hands on a ticket takes a little planning. You can get tickets for the Secret Garden tour and Changdeokgung in autumn by booking in advance online on the official site or by getting them on-site in person.

Before we get into those options, just keep in mind that Changdeokgung Palace treats these as two entirely separate entries. Your Secret Garden ticket won’t get you past the main front gates on its own – you have to buy the 3,000 KRW palace general admission ticket first, and then use your 5,000 KRW Secret Garden ticket once you reach the Huwon checkpoint (total 8,000 KRW).

1. Reserve Your Tickets in Advance Online

There are a total of 100 tickets available for each individual Secret Garden tour session per day, and exactly half of those (50 tickets) are set aside for online reservations. The booking window opens at 10:00 AM KST, exactly 6 days before the planned tour date. During the peak fall foliage rush, these slots disappear in seconds, so you’ve got to get onto the official portal right on the dot.

The most important thing to remember here is that making the reservation is only step one. Once you snag a spot, you’ve got a strict 24-hour deadline to actually pay for the tickets online using a credit card. If you forget to pay before that 24-hour timer runs out, the system will automatically cancel your booking and give your slot to someone else. The only exception is if you book a ticket the day before your visit – in that case, you have to pay by midnight that same night.

If your plans change, you can get a full refund as long as you cancel more than two hours before your tour starts. If you cancel with less than two hours to go, you’ll get 90% back. Once your tour time officially hits, there’s no refund at all.

When you arrive, you have two ways to prove you have a ticket. You can either print a physical paper ticket at the machines near the gate, or open up the official website on your phone, log into your account, and show your live mobile ticket (it activates 30 minutes before your tour).

Whatever you do, don’t just take a screenshot of your confirmation page – the gate guards explicitly check for a live ticket and will turn you away if it’s just a photo in your camera roll.

While you’re technically required to enter the Secret Garden with an official timed tour group, you won’t be forced into a rigid, single-file march for the entire tour. Before the tour begins, make sure to scan the QR code on the info sign near the entrance to pull up the palace’s free digital audio guide on your phone.

Once inside, the guides are usually relaxed enough to let you step away from the crowd, explore the trails at your own pace, and take photos of the pavilions, as long as you stay within the general vicinity of the group. At least, that’s always been my experience.

2. Line Up Early for On-Site Tickets

If you fail to get tickets through the online booking system, your last resort is to buy a walk-up ticket in person on the day of your visit. Changdeokgung Palace saves exactly 50 tickets for each individual Secret Garden session to be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you’re planning to visit the Secret Garden, go straight to the main ticket office near the front entrance, since this is the only place on the grounds that sells walk-up tickets for the Secret Garden.

You’ll need to buy both your 3,000 KRW general admission AND your 5,000 KRW Secret Garden ticket here. Once you have both tickets in hand, pass through the front gates and give yourself a solid 15-minutes to walk deep into the grounds where the actual Huwon garden entrance is.

During the chaotic autumn foliage rush in Seoul, the line for tickets at the main front gate can be pretty slow. If you’re only planning to see the main Changdeokgung Palace grounds (and NOT the Secret Garden) – I recommend skipping those staffed lines, and heading straight to the nearby automated digital ticket kiosks.

You can quickly pay for your 3,000 KRW general admission ticket using a physical credit card, Samsung Pay – grab your printed barcode ticket, and walk right through the turnstiles.

3. Don’t Fall for Outdated Day Tour Packages

If you’ve been reading blogs that haven’t been updated properly, you might see advice telling you to take all the guesswork out of things by booking a day tour that includes access to the Secret Garden. I used to mention options like this too, but you need to be really careful about this now.

To stop scalpers from hoarding all the spots during the peak autumn season at Changdeokgung, the palace tightened up their rules. Third-party tour companies aren’t allowed to bulk-buy tickets for tourists anymore. Any old website or blog post claiming they can sell you an independent guided group tour that bypasses the official Secret Garden booking site is flat-out outdated.

The only legitimate ways to get onto the Secret Garden tour are through the official website, or by standing in line at the physical ticket booth yourself. Don’t waste your money on group tours that promise an easy shortcut. They’ll either leave you without a ticket or charge you an insane markup.

How to Get to Changdeokgung Palace

If you prefer taking the bus instead of the subway, blue lines 109, 151, 162, 171, 172, 272, or 710 all stop at the Changdeokgung Palace Stop (창덕궁.서울돈화문국악당).

Just remember to copy-paste the Korean address I’ve provided above into Naver Maps (네이버 지도) or KakaoMap (카카오맵) before you head out, since Google Maps will probably scramble your walking route in Seoul.

Inside the Secret Garden: Tour Route and What to Expect

Once you step into the Huwon at Changdeokgung Palace, the route you take actually changes depending on when you visit.

Because spring and autumn at Changdeokgung have the most comfortable weather, you get access to the full, extended tour route. From March to May, and September through November, the Secret Garden tour takes about 90 minutes.

You’ll wind your way past the gorgeous Buyongji Pond (부용지), walk through the Bullomun Gate (불로문), and see the Aeryeonji Pond (애련지). From there, you’ll head through the Yeongyeongdang Complex (연경당), check out the Jondeokjeong Pavilion (존덕정), explore the Ongnyucheon Stream (옥류천) area, and finally head back outside through the main Donhwamun Gate (돈화문).

If you happen to visit during the dead of Korean winter or the height of Seoul’s humid summer (July, August, or December through February), they cut the route down to about 70 minutes by skipping the stream area entirely. You’ll be thankful they do – the weather at those times is extreme.

A Brief History of Changdeokgung Palace & Huwon

Built in 1405 as a secondary palace to Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung (창덕궁) is widely considered the most beautiful of Seoul’s 5 Grand Joseon-era palaces.

It was burnt down during the late 16th-century Japanese Invasion and rebuilt in 1610, where it served as the main seat of the dynasty for the next 270 years. It is also the only palace in the city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional architectural and landscape design.

Located at the foot of a mountain, the 462,000 square metre complex follows the contours of its natural environment, resulting in a peaceful and relaxed ambiance, with the massive Secret Garden (Huwon / 후원) taking up fully 2/3 of the total area. You can just imagine how breathtaking Changdeokgung Palace is in autumn.

Changdeokgung Palace Secret Garden Tour: FAQs

I originally researched, wrote & published this guide on September 23, 2020. I review & update my content for accuracy regularly. Watch out for copycats.This post was last updated on July 22, 2026. Copyright © 2020–2026 Travel-Stained. All rights reserved.