Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

12.5Km 2025-07-11

99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-2-737-6444

Deoksugung Palace has held a guard changing ceremony since 1996 after thorough historical research by leading historians. The ceremony, which is held in front of Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung Palace, is a tradition similar to the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and offers a rare opportunity to experience royal culture. The royal gate is opened and closed at pre-determined times, and the gatekeepers in charge of guard duty and patrols hold a shift ceremony three times a day.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a highly recommended event for tourists. It is held three times a day, with each ceremony following the same procedure and lasts for forty minutes to an hour, and the ceremony is free of charge. There are no ceremonies on Mondays as well as on severely cold or hot days.

As the ceremony begins, the changing of the guards commences replete with traditional musical instruments, and exchanges a password for verification. An eight-minute guard ceremony ensues, followed by a seven-minute change ceremony, and finally a patrol that completes the ceremony. The procedure takes a dramatic turn when 18 guards in six official positions beat a drum and bellow some orders.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene. The guards’ splendid costumes, with their brilliant primary colors, are a pleasure to view. Once the ceremony is over, visitors can take pictures with the gatekeepers.

Deoksugung Stone Wall Path (덕수궁 돌담길)

12.5Km 2025-01-10

24 Sejong-daero 19-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

The Deoksugung Stone Wall Path runs along the wall of Deoksugung Palace. It is beautifully lit and landscaped, giving it a romantic atmosphere even at night. There are street performances and flea markets, and the area boasts many famous cafes and restaurants along Jeongdong street. In autumn, the ginkgo trees and walls form a stunning scene. Close to major cultural facilities such as the Seoul Museum of Art and Seoul Museum of History, it attracts numerous visitors come for a stroll.

Starbucks Byuldabang (스타벅스 별다방)

12.5Km 2024-12-27

100 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

Byuldabang is a cozy space in the city, where the present and future of Starbucks coexist

Byuldabang is a special name. It combines the Korean words byul, which means stars, and dabang, which means a traditional space where people gather and talk over tea or drink. Byuldabang is the nickname Koreans generally use for Starbucks. Starbucks Byuldabang store opened in appreciation of customers of Starbucks Korea, celebrating its 22nd anniversary. This particular store is a Starbucks Reserve store with new concept food items, and is the first among Starbucks stores worldwide to have digital art wall decorations. The images projected to the art wall are “The Journey of Siren.” It is a surreal journey of Siren, who delivers coffee messages around the ocean, day and night. Customers love the story.

Blue Square (블루스퀘어)

12.5Km 2024-03-05

294, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-1544-1591

Blue Square is a multipurpose performance venue located in Hannam-dong. It includes Shinhan Card Hall, a performance hall dedicated to musicals with 1,776 seats, and Mastercard Hall, a multipurpose performance hall with 1,400 seats. Blue Square also includes the Book Park, which has a collection of nearly 75,000 books, and a café with a terrace that looks toward the Namsan Mountain. Many visitors come to the Blue Square to see its collection of popular musicals and other performances.

Bank of Korea Money Museum (화폐박물관)

12.5Km 2024-03-18

39 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

This Renaissance-style three-story stone building is the museum of the Bank of Korea. The older Bank of Korea was established as the central bank of the Korean Empire in 1909 and has been designated as a National Historical Site. During the Japanese colonial period, the bank was renamed the Bank of Joseon, and the building was used as the main and head office of the Bank of Korea until 2001. The building has been used as the nation’s Money Museum since June 2001 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Bank of Korea. The museum has 13 exhibition rooms on two floors, with one basement floor and two above-ground floors. It holds special exhibitions of various currency and art collections to provide domestic and foreign visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the history and culture of currency. Visitors can learn about the Bank of Korea and the central banking system, as well as how to identify counterfeit notes and how money is produced and circulated. It is also a good place for children to learn about currencies from around the world. Advance reservations are required, and parking is not available. The museum can easily be reached via subway by getting off at Hoehyeon Station (Seoul Subway Line 4) and exiting through Exit 7.

Deoksugung Palace's Daehanmun Gate (덕수궁 대한문)

12.5Km 2025-01-13

99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-771-9951

Located near City Hall station, Daehanmun Gate is the main gate of Deoksugung Palace, one of the princiapl five palaces of Joseon dynasty. The name "Daehan" means wish for eternal prosperity of the Korean Empire. In front of the gate, the Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is held twice daily, along with the reproduction of costumes and style throughout the year.

Jeongdong Culture Night (정동야행)

12.5Km 2025-05-20

99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3396-4625

Jeongdong Culture Night is dedicated to promoting the history and culture of Jeongdong, a neighborhood in Jung-gu, Seoul. The festival programs allow participants to understand how the history is connected to today's culture and offers an opportunity to view Jeongdong's cultural facilities in a different perspective.

Gyeonghuigung Palace (경희궁)

12.5Km 2024-07-09

45 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-724-0274

Gyeonghuigung Palace, a designated Historic Site, was originally called the large palace by Saemun Gate, or the Western Palace, for its location within the city. It was not until the eighth year of Gwanghaegun (1616) that the palace was used as a royal residence for the king, changing the name to Gyeongdeokgung Palace. The name later changed again to the current Gyeonghuigung Palace in 1760. The palace grounds included many halls but they were mostly all burned down in a fire in 1829. After the Japanese occupation began, all remaining buildings on the site were torn down and the palace grounds were turned into Gyeongseong Middle School (now Seoul High School). The school moved to Gangnam area in 1987, afterwhich the previous location was turned into a park. The palace grounds currently hold Seoul Museum of Art and walking paths, as well as a restoration of Heunghwamun Gate, the main gate of the palace, and Sungjeongjeon Hall, the main hall, completed in November 1994.

Korea Postage Stamp Museum (우표박물관(구.우표문화누리))

12.5Km 2024-03-06

B2, 70, Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-6450-5600

The Korea Postage Stamp Museum was established to promote stamp culture. Here, visitors can explore the history of stamps throughout the ages, with a wide variety of subjects and types. Its main facilities include Postal Service History, Hands-on Postage Stamp Experience, Informative Postage Stamps, and Philately Classroom. Reservations are required for weekend tours and can be made on the website.

Skylift (스카이리프트)

12.5Km 2025-11-11

102 Daegongwongwangjang-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do

The Seoul Grand Park Skylift is an experiential transportation and tourist facility that operates within Seoul Grand Park. It consists of two lines, Line 1 and Line 2, and operates from the entrance of Seoul Grand Park to the north gate of the zoo, and from the north gate of the zoo to the top of the carnivore animals zone, respectively. It serves to connect major tourist destinations such as the zoo, themed gardens, and children's zoo, allowing visitors to move around efficiently. Visitors can also enjoy the natural scenery of Seoul Grand Park's lakes, forests, and flower paths while traveling on the lift. Available all year round, visitors can enjoy seasonal scenery such as cherry blossoms in spring, greenery in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and snowy landscapes in winter.

Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식) - Area information - Korea travel information