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Changdeokgung Palace

You can enter by wheelchair and get around the mostly flat palace hall area, but Huwon Garden (후원) has steep hills that can be dangerous. This UNESCO World Heritage palace has large grounds with stone paths, dirt paths, and hills, so expect a fair amount of walking.

Wheelchair
Partly accessibleThe entrance and palace hall area work by wheelchair. Thresholds, stone paths, and hills make other parts hard, and Huwon's steep hills can be dangerous.
Walking load
MediumRoutes around the palace halls are mostly flat, but the grounds have stone paths, dirt paths, and hills. It takes at least 15 minutes on foot from the palace entrance to Huwon Garden.
Source
Checked online · Oct 2026
Two-story wooden hall at Changdeokgung Palace with green tiled roofs, red railings, and a person in a light blue hanbok.
KTO, KOGL Type 1

Getting there

  • Anguk StationLine 3Street elevator at Exit 6.
    Station
  • Anguk Station toiletOutside the gates, B3, by Exit 4. Listed as not wheelchair-usable.
  • Jongno 3(sam)-ga StationLine 1, Line 3, and Line 5Street elevators at Exit 8 and near Exits 12 and 13.
    Station
  • Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station toiletsLine 1: Inside the gates, B1, by Exit 11. Wheelchair-usable.Line 1: Outside the gates, B1, by Exit 1. Wheelchair-usable.Line 3: Inside the gates, B2, by Exit 7. Wheelchair-usable.Line 3: Inside the gates, B3, by Exit 8. Wheelchair-usable.Line 5: Inside the gates, B1, by Exit 5. Wheelchair-usable.

Accessible toilets near here

Heads-up

Reach the palace well before your Huwon Garden time. It takes at least 15 minutes on foot from the palace entrance to Huwon. If you arrive close to your time, you cannot collect your ticket. If you miss it, you cannot enter or get a refund. In peak season, entry lines can also be long, so arrive about 1 hour early.

Huwon Garden tickets sell out very fast in April–May and October–November. As of October 2026, online sales run from 10:00, 6 days before your visit, until the day before. Same-day tickets go on sale at the palace at 09:00.

As of October 2026, the Ongnyucheon (옥류천) area of Huwon Garden is closed for repairs until further notice.

A notice announced entry restrictions at Gwollaegaksa (궐내각사) for fire safety work. The notice was posted on October 20, 2026, and the end date is not known.

Getting in

Entrance
The main entrance has no step, and you can reach it by wheelchair. The center of Donhwamun Gate (돈화문) appears to have low stone steps, with a railed ramp on its left. Inside the entrance, on the left beside the overview map, a board shows the ramp route.
Tickets
The ticket office is in the visitor center (관람지원센터), outside the palace. A wheelchair ticket window is available, but sources differ on whether the counter is high for wheelchair users. Call 02-3668-2300 (+82-2-3668-2300) to ask.
Parking
Plan on public transport if you can. The palace's directions say it has no parking, but other sources give 2 accessible spaces left of Donhwamun Gate. Call 02-3668-2300 (+82-2-3668-2300) to ask before you drive.
Route
The palace's directions use Anguk Station Exit 3, about 5 minutes on foot, or Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station Exit 7, about 10 minutes. These exits have no street elevator. For elevator exits, see Getting there.

Inside

Palace halls
The area around the palace halls is mostly flat, with ramps on some sections, so you can get around by wheelchair. The halls themselves have no ramps, so those on high stone platforms may be hard to see up close. Sources differ on ramps at each hall. Call 02-3668-2300 (+82-2-3668-2300) to ask about the halls you want to see.
Nakseonjae
Nakseonjae (낙선재) is a fair distance from the ticket office, and the way there is dirt path and low hills. Wooden ramps help in places, but it can be a little hard by wheelchair. Inside, paths have no steps and gentle slopes, with some steep parts.
Huwon Garden
Huwon Garden mixes flat ground and hills. Steep hills can be dangerous for wheelchairs and strollers. Some unpaved dirt paths get muddy, depending on the weather.
Toilets
Accessible toilets are next to Donhwamun Gate, Nakseonjae, and Buyongjeong (부용정) in Huwon Garden. All 3 have an emergency call device and are roomy for a power wheelchair. Sources differ on the location near Donhwamun Gate. Call 02-3668-2300 (+82-2-3668-2300) to ask where it is.
Wheelchairs
The information booth lends wheelchairs and has 6.

Also useful

Hours
As of October 2026, the palace hall area opens 09:00–18:00 in February–May and September–October, 09:00–18:30 in June–August, and 09:00–17:30 in November–January. Last entry is 1 hour before closing. It closes on Mondays, or on the next non-holiday if Monday is a public holiday.
Fees
As of October 2026, individual palace admission for foreign visitors aged 19–64 is 3,000 won. It is free at 65 and over with proof of age. Huwon Garden costs extra: 5,000 won from age 19, including visitors 65 and over, and 2,500 won at ages 7–18.
Guide service
The free palace hall guide service takes about 50 to 60 minutes. Huwon Garden entry is only at set times with a guide. As of October 2026, English times are 10:30, 11:30, 14:30, and 15:30 from March to November, with no 15:30 time from December to February.
Vision, hearing
Braille leaflets are at the information center beside the ticket office. Audio guides come by app, and you can also borrow one at the entrance. The official website has a sign language video menu.

Not known yet

  • Whether wheelchair users can join the Huwon Garden guided visit, and which parts they can reach
  • Street route from the elevator exits to the palace entrance: distance, slopes, and crossings
  • Where benches and shaded rest spots are
  • Wheelchair rental conditions, such as ID, deposit, and use in Huwon Garden
  • Whether a disability card from outside Korea gives free palace admission

Sources

The summary, the notes and the lists on this page draw on these sources.

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