EZSeoulTravel

A Walk with Parents: Deoksugung and Jeong-dong

Visit Deoksugung, then rest along the streets of Jeong-dong. Thinking separately about walking inside the palace and along outside streets makes it easier to match your companions' energy. Add a Jeongdong Theater performance separately if there is a production you want to see.

Name plaque, tiled roof and courtyard of Junghwajeon Hall at Deoksugung
Name plaque, tiled roof and courtyard of Junghwajeon Hall at Deoksugung · John Shene / Shene81 · CC BY 3.0 · Name plaque, tiled roof and courtyard of Junghwajeon Hall at Deoksugung · Photographed 2012-04-19

Visit in This Order

  • Deoksugung — Choose the halls and rest stops first.
  • Jeong-dong Streets — Use the front of Jeongdong Theater as a reference point for meals and breaks.
Exterior of Seoul Museum of Art's Seosomun main branch, preserving the former Supreme Court building's facade
Exterior of Seoul Museum of Art's Seosomun main branch, preserving the former Supreme Court building's facade · Gapo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Exterior of Seoul Museum of Art's Seosomun main branch, preserving the former Supreme Court building's facade · Photographed 2011-05-28

How Much Walking Is Involved in Each Section?

The times and distances below are map-route records checked in the source. Allow separate time for visits, queues and meals. Actual walking distance changes if your starting or finishing point changes.

  • Deoksugung's Daehanmun Gate → Front of National Jeongdong Theater: 7 minutes · 464 m · Map-route record (checked 2026-10-17). This is on roads outside the palace; travel inside is additional.
Entrance stairs and exterior of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung, in Seokjojeon's west wing
Entrance stairs and exterior of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung, in Seokjojeon's west wing · Dkdksjsh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Entrance stairs and exterior of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung, in Seokjojeon's west wing · Photographed 2017-06-30

Opening Hours and Bookings

Deoksugung, 09:00–21:00; last admission 20:00. Closed on Mondays. If the closing day falls on a public or substitute holiday, it opens and closes on the first following non-holiday instead.

General admission is available on site. Interior guided visits to Seokjojeon require advance online booking and are separate from the default itinerary.

This is a suggested allocation of 3–4 hours for the palace and rest in Jeong-dong. Actual time varies with your visiting pace and queues.

You Can Adjust the Plan to Your Time and Interests

  • Deoksugung → Jeongdong-gil
  • Deoksugung → Seoul Museum of Art, Seosomun Main Branch (art instead of a Jeong-dong walk)
  • Deoksugung + National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung (an exhibition inside the palace instead of a Jeong-dong walk)

Seoul Museum of Art, Seosomun Main Branch

This is a separate museum in Jeong-dong outside Deoksugung. Choose a current exhibition after the palace by shortening the Jeong-dong walk; the plan does not visit MMCA Deoksugung as well.

Tuesday–Thursday, 10:00–20:00; Friday, 10:00–21:00. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: March–October, 10:00–19:00; November–February, 10:00–18:00. Last admission is one hour before closing.

Admission is generally free, but special exhibitions may charge. Advance-visit reservation guidance is provided, so check the tickets and booking conditions for your exhibition. Education and guided programs require separate applications. Do not assume general admission is always available without booking.

Closed on Mondays and January 1, but opens if Monday is a public holiday. Check exhibition changeovers and temporary restrictions before visiting.

  • This separate facility is outside Deoksugung at 61 Deoksugung-gil. Do not confuse it with MMCA Deoksugung.
  • The 2026 Yoo Youngkuk exhibition is listed as ending on October 25. The same exhibition is not guaranteed afterward.
  • The photo shows the exterior in 2011, including an exhibition banner from that time, and does not show the current exhibition.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung

This museum is in Seokjojeon's west wing inside Deoksugung, separate from Seoul Museum of Art outside the palace. Choose its exhibition instead of the Jeongdong-gil walk, and check palace admission and exhibition conditions separately.

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10:00–18:00; Wednesday and Saturday, 10:00–21:00. Daehanmun Gate admission still ends at 20:00 on late-opening days.

Check exhibition-specific fees and booking conditions. Deoksugung admission is separate; free museum admission on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 18:00 to 21:00 does not waive the palace fee. Education, groups and separate guided programs follow their own booking conditions.

Closed every Monday and January 1. Check exhibition changeovers, temporary restrictions and palace entry conditions before setting out.

  • The museum is in Seokjojeon's west wing inside Deoksugung. Distinguish it from Seoul Museum of Art's Seosomun main branch outside the palace and MMCA Seoul near Gyeongbokgung.
  • The Lee Daiwon exhibition is listed until 2026-11-08. Recheck available exhibitions and entry conditions afterward.
  • The banner in the 2017 photo is for the exhibition at that time, not the current one.

Things to Know Before Setting Out

  • Deoksugung's nighttime opening does not mean all indoor exhibition buildings stay open until 21:00.
  • We have not confirmed barrier-free access throughout the route or guaranteed seating.

Official information and sources

Check official information for bookings, operating hours and event schedules on your visit date.

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