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Tips Before You Visit Secret Garden in Seoul (Changdeokgung Palace)

ByRoseanne Ducut

The Secret Garden at the Changdeokgung Palace is one of the most popular places to visit in Seoul to see autumn foliage.

So you’ll need to plan ahead!

I’ve gone to all of the palaces in Seoul, and made sure to visit Changdeokgung Palace again when I was in Korea specifically during autumn.

Vibrant autumn leaves on trees in Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden, Seoul, Korea, with a traditional pavilion by a serene pond.

While the Changdeokgung Palace is still beautiful, the Secret Garden area has more autumn foliage than the rest of the palace.

I went in 2023 at the tail-end of autumn in Seoul in the first week of November and it was still worth visiting.

Here’s important things to know about visiting the Secret Garden in Seoul plus photos from my trip.

🍂 Read next: Top places to visit in Seoul to see autumn foliage.

Seoul Checklist: have you booked these yet?

▢ Ride from the airport: prebook a transfer | airport bus | AREX train

▢ Book discounted hotels in Seoul (what I use)

▢ Buy a pre-loaded T-money card

▢ Book the most popular tours in Seoul

Location of Secret Garden in Seoul

Alt Text: A wide-angle view of the entrance to Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, showing a traditional Korean building with a dark tiled roof and ornate details. The area features broad stone steps and open walkways, with a few visitors scattered around. A lone tree with red autumn leaves stands near the palace wall, adding a touch of fall color to the scene.

Address: South Korea, Seoul, Jongno District, 율곡로 99번지

Closest subway station: Anguk station

The Secret Garden in Seoul is located at the Changdeokgung Palace, and is accessible through a separate entrance once you’re inside the palace.

The palace is closed on Mondays.

Cost of Secret Garden Tickets

Gazebo - Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden in Seoul Autumn - Seoul, South Korea: A traditional Korean gazebo with a tiled roof situated by a pond, surrounded by trees with vibrant red and orange leaves, capturing the peaceful atmosphere of the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung Palace in autumn.

Secret Garden tickets are purchased separately from the Changdeokgung Palace general admission fee.

You will need to buy both.

Secret Garden fee: 5,000 won ($3.75 USD)

Changdeokgung Palace fee: 3,000 won ($2.25 USD)

How to Buy Tickets

Visitors walking along a winding path in the Changdeokgung Palace Secret Garden during autumn, with vibrant red and orange foliage on trees

Important to know:

  • Secret Garden tickets are limited to 50 reservations online per time slot and 50 in person at the ticket office (first-come first-serve).
  • If they’re sold out, re-visit the website in case availability pops up, or go early on the day of to see if they have openings for that day.
  • You reserve tickets to the Secret Garden online, and then buy the general admission tickets to the palace in person.

Steps to reserve Secret Garden in Seoul tickets:

  1. Go to the official website (English version): ticket.uforus.co.kr/web/main?shopEncode=&lang=en.
  2. Choose the reservation date.
  3. Select the session time under English or preferred language (mostly for the optional guided tour). It will say how many tickets are left for that time slot.
  4. Select the number of tickets you’re buying.
  5. Enter your name.
  6. Create a log in (they’ll email you a verification number).
  7. Pay for your tickets (international credit cards are accepted).
  8. Save the QR code.
Alt Text: A mobile ticket for the Secret Garden tour at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, Korea, dated November 3, 2023. The ticket shows the booking number, a QR code for entry, tour time of 14:30, and the cost of 5,000 KRW for one adult. Notes include that the ticket cannot be canceled once issued, and no refunds are available after the start time of the tour.

How to Use Secret Palace Tickets

Ticket to Secret Garden - Changdeokgung Palace, Seoul, Korea: A hand holding an admission ticket to the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung Palace, showing the date and time of the visit along with a QR code and a small illustration of a traditional Korean palace.

Important to know:

  • Get to Changdeokgung Palace 20-30 minutes before your time slot, earlier if it’s a peak time in case there’s long lines at the ticket booth.
  • It takes around 10 minutes to walk from the palace entrance to the entrance of the Secret Garden.

Steps:

Entrance to Secret Garden - Changdeokgung Palace, Seoul, Korea: People standing near the traditional entrance gate of the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung Palace, featuring a wooden structure with a tiled roof, surrounded by trees showing autumn colors.
  1. Once you get to the palace, go to the ticket booth.
  2. Show your reservation QR code for the Secret Garden.
  3. Purchase a general admission ticket to the palace (3,000 yen).
  4. You’ll receive two ticket stubs, one general admission ticket and one Secret Palace ticket.
  5. Enter the palace and show your ticket.
  6. Follow the signs for the Secret Garden entrance (about a 10-minute walk).
  7. You’ll see a small booth with a gated entrance (photo above).
  8. Wait there until the tour guide arrives and explains instructions.
  9. From there, you have the choice to explore the Secret Garden yourself, or stay with the guided tour. I personally wandered around solo.

Secret Garden Photos

Here’s more photos from my visit to the Secret Garden in Seoul. I walked around for about an hour, then explored the rest of the palace.

Colorful Fall Leaves - Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden in Autumn - Seoul, Korea: A view of autumn foliage with a mix of red, orange, and yellow leaves on tall trees against a blue sky, capturing the vibrant fall season at Changdeokgung Palace's Secret Garden.
A woman taking a selfie in front of vibrant autumn leaves in Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden, Seoul, Korea.
Fall Leaves - Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden in Autumn - Seoul, Korea: A serene scene of trees with colorful autumn leaves, including red and yellow hues, surrounding a small pond in the Secret Garden of Changdeokgung Palace.
Alt Text: A traditional Korean gazebo with a dark tiled roof stands by a small pond, surrounded by vibrant autumn trees with red, orange, and yellow leaves. Several people are gathered inside and around the gazebo, enjoying the serene atmosphere of the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, during the fall season.
Fall Leaves - Changdeokgung Palace in Autumn - Seoul, Korea: A large pine tree with green and yellow needles arching over a pathway leading towards a traditional Korean building, with visitors walking under the tree during autumn at Changdeokgung Palace.

Top Palaces in Seoul Tours to Book

🔹 Hanbok Experience with Korean Hairstyling

🔹 Gyeongbokgung Palace and Temple Tour

🔹 Changdeokgung Palace with Hanbok Experience

🔹 Changgyeonggung Palace Night Walking Tour

🔹 Deoksugung Palace Half Day Walking Tour

More Seoul Posts

Best One Day in Seoul Itineraries (+ Hour Breakdown)

Where to Stay in Seoul Based on Your Interests (from a Frequent Visitor)

Autumn in Seoul: Top 9 Places to Visit (+ What to Expect)

7 Essential Seoul Travel Tips for First-Timers (+ everything I wished I knew)

15 Popular Things to Do in Seoul at Night

Basic South Korea Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors

7 Best Parks in Seoul to Visit in 2024 – Don’t Skip These!

Things I wish I knew before traveling to Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea Travel Tips

Roseanne Ducut is a solo female traveler and Filipina from the Bay Area, California. She writes practical and culture-rich travel guides and lives a not-so-secret double life as a fangirl. A veghead for over 15 years, Roseanne also writes vegan guides to help others plan their trips.