A day at Changdeokgung and Ikseon-dong: palace first, alleys later
Build your palace visit around any Secret Garden reservation, then leave the late afternoon for Ikseon-dong’s hanok lanes.
Morning: enter Changdeokgung
The palace address is 99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu. The official palace guide gives a roughly five-minute walk from Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3, or ten minutes from Jongno 3-ga Station, Exit 7. Its posted October hours for the palace building area are 09:00–18:00, with last admission at 17:00.[C1]
Start with the palace buildings and courtyards. If you have a timed tour, check the meeting point and entry instructions on your booking rather than assuming you can join at any time.[C1]
Exterior of Seongjeonggak at Changdeokgung. (Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0).
Afternoon: treat the Secret Garden separately
Do not treat the garden as ordinary walk-in access to the main palace. The official guide describes limited places per session, split between advance online booking and same-day tickets. The Secret Garden uses language-specific timed sessions: check the official booking page for your date, language and remaining places. Online reservations open at 10:00 KST six days before the visit (excluding the visit day), through the previous day, subject to availability. A separate general palace admission ticket is also required.[C1][C4]
Buyongji Pond in the Secret Garden; separate entry conditions apply. (Photo: lumoplank, CC0).
If you cannot secure a place, spend longer in the main palace and take a relaxed lunch instead. The palace normally closes on Mondays, but a public or substitute holiday can shift the closure to the next non-holiday.[C1]
Late afternoon: Ikseon-dong
Use a pedestrian map to find “Ikseon-dong Hanok Village” or 17 Donhwamun-ro 11ga-gil. Exit 4 of Jongno 3-ga Station is a useful neighborhood reference. Explore the hanok lanes, choose a café or restaurant, and leave the narrow walkways clear for residents and other visitors.[C3]
A narrow hanok lane in Ikseon-dong; leave space for pedestrians. (Photo: S h y numis, CC BY-SA 4.0).
A hanok courtyard in Ikseon-dong, not a café interior. (Photo: S h y numis, CC BY-SA 4.0).
**Recheck before an October 2, 2026 visit:** opening and last-entry times, holiday substitutions, garden sessions, booking rules, and remaining same-day tickets can change. These are posted details researched September 28, 2026, not a booking or entry guarantee.[C1]
Official sources and photo credits
• C1: [Changdeokgung opening hours and admissions](https://royal.khs.go.kr/ROYAL/contents/R702000000.do)
• C4: [Changdeokgung Secret Garden reservation and separate general admission](https://royal.khs.go.kr/ROYAL/contents/R601000000.do?schGroupCode=cdg)
• C2: [Changdeokgung Palace Complex](https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/whereToGo/locIntrdn/rgnContentsView.do?vcontsId=94399)
• C3: [Ikseon-dong Hanok Village](https://english.visitseoul.net/attractions/Ikseon-dong%20Hanok%20Village/ENP037008)
• Photo cover: [Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Changdeokgung_Palace,_Seoul,_constructd_in_1405_(117)_(39305609460).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
• Photo 1: [Basile Morin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exterior_view_of_Seongjeonggak_with_blue_sky_at_Changdeokgung_Palace_in_Seoul.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
• Photo 2: [lumoplank](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Changdeokgung,_Seoul_-_Changdeokgung3148.jpg), [CC0](http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en)
• Photo 3: [S h y numis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ikseon-dong_%EC%9D%B5%EC%84%A0%EB%8F%99_October_1_2020_1.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
• Photo 4: [S h y numis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ikseon-dong_%EC%9D%B5%EC%84%A0%EB%8F%99_October_1_2020_8.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)