Tradition & cultureSeoul

Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour 2026 in Seoul, South Korea

창덕궁 달빛기행 2026

Sep – Oct2026
10 –17
Thu–Sat Thursday to Sunday, six departures a night in two parts: 19:10, 19:15 and 19:20, then 20:00, 20:05 and 20:10
Past edition

10 September 2026 to 17 October 2026 · Thursday to Sunday, six departures a night in two parts: 19:10, 19:15 and 19:20, then 20:00, 20:05 and 20:10; about 100 minutes each

This edition has ended. It is kept as a record of what the 2026 festival offered. The current information is on the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour page (Expected Apr/May/Sep/Oct 2027).

Venue this year. Participants gather and enter at Geumhomun Gate, west of the main Donhwamun Gate on Yulgok-ro; one visitor's guide says Donhwamun was under repair in 2026. In 2025 the booking check desk stood in front of Geumhomun.

Dates10 Sep – 17 Oct 2026
HoursThursday to Sunday, six departures a night in two parts: 19:10, 19:15 and 19:20, then 20:00, 20:05 and 20:10; about 100 minutes each
WeatherSeptember average 26/18 °C (79/64 °F), 142 mm of rain
October average 20/11 °C (68/51 °F), 52 mm of rainMonthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Seoul station.
VenueChangdeokgung Palace and its Secret Garden (Huwon)서울특별시 종로구 율곡로 99 (와룡동) 창덕궁
AdmissionParticipation (guided night walk, performances, tea and sweets), per person: ₩30,000
Previous edition2025: 4 Sep – 26 Oct 2025
Next edition2027: Not announced as of 19 October 2026. Spring and autumn seasons ran in each of 2024, 2025 and 2026, with spring starting on 11 April 2024, 10 April 2025 and 16 April 2026, so the next season is expected in spring 2027 (about mid-April to late May or June), followed by an autumn season in September–October.

Program

  • RouteGeumhomun Gate → Geumcheongyo Bridge → Injeongjeon → Huijeongdang → Nakseonjae and Sangnyangjeong → Buyongji Pond → Aeryeonjeong and Aeryeonji → Yeongyeongdang → Secret Garden forest path
  • Sangnyangjeong (Nakseonjae)daegeum (bamboo flute) solo
  • Buyongji Pondphotos with the cast of the Royal Stroll (왕가의 산책), a re-enactment of a Joseon royal walk
  • Yeongyeongdangtraditional music ensemble and court dance, with tea and traditional sweets
  • A cheongsachorong lantern for every participant and a professional guide throughout
  • Sun 20 and 27 Sep, Sun 4 and 11 Oct: foreign-language departures (Japanese 19:10, Chinese 19:15, English 19:20, 20:00, 20:05 and 20:10), sold through Creatrip

Prices

ItemPriceNote
Participation (guided night walk, performances, tea and sweets), per person₩30,000General sessions: lottery on Ticketlink, up to 2 tickets per winner, then remaining seats first come, first served. Foreign-language sessions: ₩30,000 on Creatrip, first come, first served.

Notes on the 2026 edition

Autumn season: 28 people per departure group, 3,864 places in all. Lottery on Ticketlink 20 August, 14:00, to 26 August, 23:59; winners announced 28 August, 17:00; winners booked up to 2 tickets from 29 August, 14:00, to 2 September; remaining seats first come, first served from 3 September, 14:00. Foreign-language sessions went on sale on Creatrip on 28 August, 09:00 (672 seats: 4 nights × 6 departures × 28). A spring season also ran from 16 April to 31 May 2026, Thursday to Sunday, with part 1 from 19:10 and part 2 from 20:00, at ₩30,000: lottery 23–29 March, winners announced 31 March, winners' booking 1–4 April, remaining seats from 6 April; foreign-language sessions on 10, 17, 24 and 31 May, sold on Creatrip from 2 April, 09:00. Its programme featured King Jeongjo and Crown Prince Hyomyeong, a night-watch guard at Geumcheongyo and the restored new wing of Huijeongdang.

About the festival

The Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour (창덕궁 달빛기행) is a ticketed, guided night walk by lantern light through Changdeokgung Palace and its Secret Garden in central Seoul, with a daegeum flute solo, court dance, and tea with traditional sweets. It runs in spring and autumn: the autumn 2026 season ended on 17 October, and no 2027 dates had been announced as of 19 October 2026 (recent spring seasons have started in mid-April). Tickets are paid (about ₩30,000 per person) and general sessions are allotted by lottery on Ticketlink, while foreign visitors book separate English, Chinese and Japanese sessions on Creatrip. The tour enters by Geumhomun Gate, about 5 minutes' walk from Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3.

Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour page, which covers every edition.

Source

Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.

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