Gyeongbokgung Starlight Night Tour 2026: Last Days (Oct 24), Price, and Hours

Bottom line: The Gyeongbokgung Starlight Night Tour, which lets you walk the palace under evening lighting, ends its 2026 autumn run on October 24 (Saturday). This is a night-only program you can't see with a regular daytime ticket, so if you're in Seoul this fall, check the date first.

If you didn't know: The ticket costs 60,000 won per person, far more than the 3,000-won daytime admission, but it only runs a couple of seasons a year, so missing this October 24 closing date means waiting at least a few more months for the next round. Booking has previously run as a lottery rather than first-come-first-served, so same-day walk-up tickets are unlikely.

The courtyards packed with daytime visitors go strangely quiet once the sun sets. Soft lighting rises over Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and the palace halls, and footsteps on the stone paving carry clearly through the air. Visitors in hanbok standing beneath the night lighting, their silhouettes overlapping the curved roof lines, make for the program's signature sight.

Booking has used a lottery system in the past, so waiting only for first-come tickets this year could mean missing the better time slots. It's worth checking the Korea Heritage Foundation's notices or the relevant booking site in advance. Each session runs about 110 minutes, so it's more relaxing to have dinner before you go in, and since the palace connects directly to Gyeongbokgung Station on subway Line 3, getting anywhere in Seoul afterward is never a problem even late at night. This season's Starlight Night Tour closes for good after October 24, so don't put off the date if you want to walk the palace after dark.

Journey stage: During the trip · Verified 2026-10-21 · Source Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism