Vincent Houckham | Mar 1, 2018

Must visit (including the palace) for anyone visiting South Korea. I'd highly recommend trying to watch the changing of the guards ceremony at 2 pm. There was no entrance fee when we went which was Korea/Lunar New Year.

Subin Rosa Lee | Feb 15, 2018

palace the hugest in korea. representative spot. beautiful and calm. you can see blue house and small pond, too. this is good place to begin Korea historical journey.

Lejen See | Feb 18, 2018

Beautiful oriental architecture that might have been inspired by ancient imperial China. Got to take some photos with the imperial guard models and much like those royal guards in Buckingham palace, they demand the respect also.

Jobert Santos | Feb 13, 2018

I luckly get a chance to catch the alternation of the royal guards and it's just a impressive that they still have the culture oh having this kind of happening even in a modern days. 🤗

Eike Pschorn | Feb 19, 2018

Impressive gate with gard changing ceremony on fixed times. Visit the 0alace as well and it will be worth your while

William S. Gilbert | Mar 15, 2018

Amazing visit. They do a changing of the guard twice a day in traditional garb and how they would have done it centuries ago. Right next to a nice museum too.

krystal Underwood | Mar 29, 2018

absolutely beautiful. a must see. if you have an hour take the free tour.

Richard Navarro | May 25, 2018

Worth checking out! If you dress up in the traditional Hanboks you get to get in free until the palace. Worth checking out the changing of the guards it happens twice a day. I believe it's at 10am and 2pm if I'm not mistaken The grounds are huge! So plan about an hour or 2

Jessu Johnson | May 24, 2018

A good place for historic lovers. Guard changing ceremony is the best thing you can see there. It is in the first square just inside the gate. You can see it without ticket. The crew will change two times. One At 10:00 AM and at 14:00 hours

Luke Sim | Apr 29, 2018

You can rent the Hanbok from shops around the area for about 15000 Won for two hours. Then you can take pictures in the costume. There is a guard changing ceremony around noon, do catch it if the weather is good. There are usually certain areas closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so it would be better to go on other days. Translation devices to explain the place to you are available in multiple languages of your choice. English write ups are available.

Melati Slaats | May 20, 2018

The ceremony 'changing of guards' is worthy to watch. It is during opening days at 11.00 and 14.00 o'clock. It is nice to experience ancient old traditions.

Liis Saar | May 4, 2018

Nothing special... worth passing by. We saw the changing of the guards that happens every hours in the gate - and it was ok. Nothing special really. There is a guide explaining to the microphone what is happening during the changing of the guards (could not understand a single word she was saying) - so all in all it’s more of a show for tourists than anything else. Worth passing by, but not a separate visit if you’re not in the area.

Lesley Austen | Jun 26, 2018

This is one of the gates leading into the Gyeongbokgung Palace. From outside here you can see and take pictures next to the Palace Guards. The Guard Duties are performed here at certain times of the day. Just inside the gate, you can see the changing of the Guard twice a day as well as the rest of Gyeongbokgung Palace which is well worth checking out. I recommend setting aside at least two hours to see the whole palace.

Diamond Rose | Jun 5, 2018

Such an iconic location. Beautiful and regal. If you want a good photo, rent a hanbok and get a photo here. If you want to avoid the crowds come at opening especially on a weekday.

Yorick de Wid | Jul 13, 2018

Must see in Seoul as these are the remains of the Joseon dynasty. The houses in the palace are mostly alike and there is not much to see inside, but it is more about the context. Some of the houses are closed and you can only walk by. Take the English tour if the map alone is insufficient. There is a change of the palace guards a few times a day. This is quite the attraction and you attend the ceremony for free.

sam yoon | Jul 10, 2018

My kids (8 and 3) enjoyed their walk through the palace during our one day visit to GWM gate. This is a beautiful piece of Korean history. Anyone that visits Seoul should allow a day for the palace.

BradJill Travels | Jul 25, 2018

Gwanghwamun Gate is the main gate to the UNESCO World Heritage - Gyeongbukgung Palace in Seoul. This is a national landmark originally built in 1395 and symbol of the important Joseon Dynasty in Korea that is worth spending a few minutes to look over prior to entering the palace for your visit. The present gate received major restoration and was reassembled with wood between 2006-2010, returning it as closely as possible to it former glory. The base of the gate include three passages, topped by multiple wooden floors, which are elegantly carved and highly decorative. If you time your visit right, you can watch the 'Changing of the Guards' ceremonies held outside Gwanghwamun Gate. Ceremony times are 11am, 2pm and 4pm as of November 2015. At other times of the day, you can take pictures with guards in front of Gwanghwamun Gate. In the end, this is an important structure and inclusion of visits to Gyeongbukgung Palace. Give a few minutes here to appreciates it architecture and hopefully the 'Changing of the Guards' ceremony if possible.