Changing of the Guard in Seoul: Full 2026 Timetable (Gyeongbokgung vs Deoksugung)

The Gyeongbokgung Royal Guard Changing Ceremony runs every day at 10:00 and 14:00, closed Tuesdays. The Deoksugung Royal Palace Guard Ceremony runs at 11:00 and 14:00, closed Mondays. The two events share some words in their names and nothing else — different organisers, different locations, different hours, different days off. If you read “guard ceremony at 11:00” somewhere and turn up at Gyeongbokgung at 11, you will not see the Changing of the Guard. You will see the Gwanghwamun Gate Guard Ritual, a separate ten-minute event.

If you are wearing hanbok, this timetable determines when your rental should start.

What time is the Gyeongbokgung ceremony?

Gyeongbokgung runs four distinct events on a fixed daily rotation.

Time	Event	Duration	Location
09:35	Sumungun Public Training	15 min	Outside Hyeopsaengmun Gate
10:00	Royal Guard Changing Ceremony	20 min	Heungnyemun Plaza
11:00	Gwanghwamun Gate Guard Ritual	10 min	Gwanghwamun stone platform
13:00	Gwanghwamun Gate Guard Ritual	10 min	Gwanghwamun stone platform
13:35	Sumungun Public Training	15 min	Outside Hyeopsaengmun Gate
14:00	Royal Guard Changing Ceremony	20 min	Heungnyemun Plaza

• On Tuesdays, Gyeongbokgung is closed and no ceremonies run.
• After each ceremony or ritual, gate sentry duty continues on the hour at Gwanghwamun.
• The main event runs only twice — 10:00 and 14:00 — and lasts 20 minutes. Miss that 40-minute window and there is no second chance that day.

Gyeongbokgung or Deoksugung — which one should you pick?

You do not need to see both. Gyeongbokgung is the bigger production; Deoksugung is more accessible and more forgiving with timing.

	Gyeongbokgung Royal Guard Ceremony	Deoksugung Royal Palace Guard Ceremony
Time	10:00 / 14:00 (20 min)	11:00 / 14:00
Location	Heungnyemun Plaza	In front of Daehanmun Gate
Closed	Tuesday	Monday
Organiser	Korea Heritage Agency	Seoul Metropolitan Government
Scale	Large, with multiple side events	Medium, but offers audio commentary in four languages
Side events	Gate Guard Ritual, Public Training, Sulla Parade, Cheopjong	Sungnyemun Gate Opening/Closing Ceremony, Sulla Parade

Let the day of the week decide. Tuesday means Deoksugung; Monday means Gyeongbokgung.

At Deoksugung, sentry duty rotates continuously from 09:00 to 16:30, so even if you miss the ceremony itself, you can still see guards on duty. The Sungnyemun Gate Opening Ceremony runs 10:00–10:30 and the Closing Ceremony follows from 15:00–15:30.

Do I need a ticket to watch?

The Heungnyemun Plaza, where Gyeongbokgung’s ceremony takes place, sits outside the ticket line. You can walk past Gwanghwamun Gate into the plaza without an entry ticket, and the ceremony happens in this zone. The Gwanghwamun Gate Guard Ritual on the stone platform is also outside the paywall.

The Royal Palaces and Tombs Agency’s night-opening announcement confirms the layout — ticket holders collect their tickets at the unmanned kiosks at the Gwanghwamun ticket booth, while free-admission visitors get verified at Heungnyemun Gate. In other words, the ticket checkpoint is Heungnyemun Gate, and the plaza in front of it is the free zone.

So you can watch the ceremony even if you have no plans to enter the palace. If you are in hanbok, entry is free anyway — you can simply continue inside afterwards.

What happens if it rains?

The ceremony is cancelled. Both Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung events can be called off on the day due to weather, protests, or other conditions.

Announced cancellation reasons include:

• Rain
• Heatwave
• Severe cold (sub-zero threshold)
• Fine dust
• Road conditions caused by protests or rallies

How to check on the day:

• Deoksugung and Sungnyemun events post same-day cancellation notices on royalguard.kr’s cancellation board. Heatwave cancellations appear regularly during summer.
• During the summer break period, ceremonies may be suspended for several days at a stretch (for example, 4–7 August 2026: all Deoksugung and Sungnyemun ceremonies suspended).
• For Gyeongbokgung ceremony enquiries, contact the Korea Heritage Agency. Deoksugung: 02-6462-7402 / Sungnyemun: 02-3789-7402.

If you are already in hanbok when the cancellation is announced: your rental clock is already ticking and cannot be rewound. In midsummer and midwinter, do not build your day around the ceremony.

Are there seasonal events too?

Sulla Parade — the royal guards patrol the capital in marching formation. You can walk alongside and take photos.

• Season: March–May and September–November, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
• Time: 15:00–16:00
• Route: Saturdays inside Gyeongbokgung / Sundays from Gwanghwamun stone platform to Insadong Culture Street
• ※ Road conditions such as protests may shift the Sunday route back inside the palace grounds

Cheopjong (Royal Guard Inspection Ceremony) — a large-scale military ritual re-enacting the king’s inspection of the palace guard. Held in October at 11:00 and 14:00.

Sehwa Sharing — during the Lunar New Year holiday, the guards distribute sehwa (traditional New Year prints).

Children’s Day Mascot Guard Ritual — guard characters in costume make an appearance.

The Sunday Sulla Parade in spring and autumn, with its route stretching from Gwanghwamun to Insadong, offers some of the best hanbok photo opportunities you will find in this neighbourhood.

How to time your hanbok rental around the ceremony

Work backwards from the ceremony time, allowing 20–30 minutes for changing and hair.

Target	Rental start
09:35 Public Training	Need a shop that opens 08:00–08:40 (3 of 28 verified shops)
10:00 Changing Ceremony	09:00–09:20 (most shops open 09:00–09:30)
14:00 Changing Ceremony	13:00–13:20
14:00 Ceremony + 15:00 Sulla Parade (weekend)	Start at 13:00 — a 4-hour rental then flows into a full-day route

To catch the 09:35 Public Training, the shop’s opening time is the constraint. Among the 28 shops with verified hours on seoulhanbok.com, only three open before 9:00 (at 08:00, 08:30, and 08:40). The rest open between 09:00 and 09:30.

Allowing 20–30 minutes for changing and hair, a shop that opens at 09:00 makes the 10:00 ceremony the practical morning anchor point. To see the 09:35 training as well, you need to have identified a shop with an early opening time in advance.

※ Based on the 28 shops with verified opening hours. Shops with earlier hours may exist — check when booking.

---

I ran a hanbok rental shop at Gyeongbokgung from 2015 to 2025. I watched the ceremony from the plaza hundreds of times while customers were inside the palace. The 10:00 slot fills first — if you want a front-row view, arrive ten minutes early and stand to the right of the plaza (less backlight in the morning).

Compare 28 hanbok shops near Gyeongbokgung →