Popular Gyeongbokgung nighttime tours return in April

Tickets for nighttime tours of Gyeongbokgung, the main Joseon royal palace, go on sale online at 2 p.m. on Friday, with the first round of the highly popular tours starting April 3.

Available through Ticket Link, the tickets cost 60,000 won ($45). The ticket covers a royal “dosirak,” or a boxed meal of dishes enjoyed by the Joseon (1392-1910) royals, followed by a guided tour of the palace’s northern side.

The first round of tours will take place April 3 to April 21, twice daily at 6:40 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. There are no tours on Mondays and Tuesdays. The second round of tours will be offered April 24 to May 1, with tickets going on sale April 12.

From May 2 to May 4, the tours will be available to foreign nationals only, and tickets for these tours can be purchased at creatrip.co.kr.

Each tour will be limited to 34 people. Seniors aged 65 and above, people with disabilities and veterans can purchase tickets by phone.

Meanwhile, tickets are on sale for the K-Royal Culture Festival, a 9-day festival starting April 27 that offers unlimited access to five Joseon palaces in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung. Several events, from special performances to craft exhibitions and flea markets, will be held at the palaces during the festival period. The musical “King Sejong 1446,” an ode to the Joseon king who created Hangul, the Korean writing system, will be performed at Gyeongbokgung.

During the festival, ticket holders can visit the palaces as many times as they want and do not have to pay for admission to each palace.