The rear wing of Changdeokgung Palace, one of the five historic palaces of the Choson royal dynasty, includes a vast 32-hectare garden with many ponds and pithy pavilions.
This forest park is known as the Forbidden Garden or the Secret Garden. The whole vast space was exclusively open to the royal family and no one else.
The Forbidden Garden is especially magical in autumn, when the trees turn dozens of shades from deep red to golden yellow. It's also a wonderfully romantic setting on snowy winter days.
Entrance fees and opening hours
Although the garden is part of Changdeokgung Palace, there is a separate entrance fee and it is not even possible to visit the Forbidden Garden on your own.
Organised guided tours start every half hour, but in English only 3-4 times a day, see the schedule on the official website.
The number of tickets for each tour is limited to 100. Open daily except Mondays from 9:00am, closing between 3:00pm and 3:30pm depending on the season, see official info.
The price of an organized tour is 5 000 krw, can also be paid by card. For children from 7 to 18 years old, the entrance fee is 2 500 krw.
An integrated ticket to all five palaces + secret gardens is also available for 10 000 krw (save 4,000 won).
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