Jongmyo Shrine 2026: Hours, 1,000-Won Admission, and the Free Week Starting October 29

Bottom line: On weekdays, Jongmyo Shrine can only be visited on a guided, hour-long tour; self-guided visits are allowed only on weekends and public holidays. It's a 5-minute walk from Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station, and admission is just 1,000 won. From October 29 to November 15, entry reportedly switches to free, no-reservation self-guided visits, so timing your trip for that window means you don't have to worry about tour schedules at all.

If you didn't know: Weekday guided tours run only a few set times a day, so missing one means waiting up to an hour outside for the next slot. Getting the date wrong costs even more — free, no-reservation entry starts October 29, but go a day early on the 28th and you'll still pay 1,000 won and be locked into a fixed tour time.

Jongmyo has housed the spirit tablets of Joseon kings and queens for nearly 600 years, and it feels nothing like a palace. Its main hall is a single long roofline on unpainted red pillars, so low and plain that the stone courtyard in front — wide, empty, paved in granite slabs — makes every footstep echo. Standing in front of Jeongjeon, the 19-bay hall is too long to take in at a glance, which explains why UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site without much debate. The weekday tour follows a guide once around the grounds before ending at the exhibition hall; on weekends you can walk that same path alone, slowly. In autumn, yellow leaves pile up under the gingko and zelkova trees, and the quiet strikes you before the color does. Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station also connects on foot to Myeongdong, Gwangjang Market, and Changgyeonggung Palace, so it's easy to fold into a longer day.

Journey stage: During the trip · Verified 2026-10-26 · Source Seoul Metropolitan Government, Royal Palaces and Tombs Center