The 2026 Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour runs September 10 to October 17, every Thursday through Sunday, and a ticket is 30,000 KRW for all sessions.
For foreign visitors, this matters because foreigner-only sessions exist on just 4 dates and they book first-come on Creatrip — not through the Ticketlink lottery Korean speakers use.
This post covers the booking routes, session times, what the 30,000 KRW includes, the walking course, rules, and what to do if it is sold out.
Contents
- Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour 2026: how foreigners book — Creatrip first-come vs the Ticketlink lottery
- When does it run and what are the session times?
- What does the 30,000 KRW ticket include?
- Booking flow step by step (Korean lottery route)
- Rules before you go: entry, weather, photos
- Getting there and what to do if it’s sold out
Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour 2026: how foreigners book — Creatrip first-come vs the Ticketlink lottery
Foreigner-only sessions run on exactly 4 days in 2026 — September 20, September 27, October 4, and October 11 — and you book them first-come on Creatrip from August 28 at 9 AM KST.
That is a separate flow from the Korean sessions: those go through a free lottery on Ticketlink, while the 4 foreigner dates sell first-come with no lottery.
When a palace night event comes up, the first thing I check is whether foreigners have a separate booking path and which dates it covers — here it is Creatrip on 4 days only, while roughly 23 of the tour nights are Korean-language lottery sessions.
Each session holds 28 people, so 4 dates is a small pool; being online at 9 AM KST on August 28 matters more than anything else.
One caution: don’t count on buying leftover seats on Ticketlink as a foreigner — whether non-Koreans can use the general sale is not confirmed, so Creatrip is the safe route.
| Korean-language sessions | Free lottery on Ticketlink, Aug 20 2 PM – Aug 26 11:59 PM → winners Aug 28 5 PM → priority payment Aug 29–Sept 2 → leftover first-come sale Sept 3, 2 PM |
|---|---|
| Foreigner sessions (English/Chinese/Japanese) | First-come booking on Creatrip from Aug 28, 9 AM KST — 4 dates only: Sept 20, Sept 27, Oct 4, Oct 11 |
| 65+, disabled, or veteran visitors | Phone booking at 1588-7890 |
When does it run and what are the session times?
Per the 2026 fall schedule, the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour runs September 10–October 17, every Thursday through Sunday, with 6 sessions nightly starting at 19:10, 19:15, 19:20 and 20:00, 20:05, 20:10.
Each session takes 28 participants, which works out to 168 seats per night (28 × 6) and 3,864 total seats for the fall run.
The fall run covers 38 days, about 8 fewer than the spring run’s 46 days (April 16–May 31).
If you want a foreigner-language session, only the 4 dates above count — the rest of the calendar is Korean-language sessions.
A simple plan: pick one of the 4 foreigner dates first, then use the session times to build the rest of your evening around it.
👉 Gyeongbokgung night tour 2026: 3,000 won, Sept 2-Oct 2, and how booking works
What does the 30,000 KRW ticket include?
A Moonlight Tour ticket is 30,000 KRW per person for all sessions, and it bundles the guided lantern walk, a daegeum performance at Sangnyangjeong, a gugak performance, and traditional tea and desserts.
This is not a self-guided night opening — you walk with a guide and a lantern, and the performances are part of the program.
The course goes in through Hamho Gate, past Geumcheongyo (a 1411 stone bridge), Injeongjeon, and Nakseonjae, to Sangnyangjeong for the daegeum solo, then Buyongji for the ‘Walk of the Royal Family’ photo op, ending at Yeonyeongdang with the gugak performance and tea.
How long it lasts is not pinned down: the spring 2026 run was about 90 minutes and the 2025 fall run was about 110 minutes, with a recent fall review reporting roughly 100 minutes — check the session notice when you book.
Expect an evening program, not a free-roam night visit: if you want to wander on your own, the regular daytime admission below is the option for that.
Booking flow step by step (Korean lottery route)
The Korean-language route runs in four steps:
- Enter the free lottery on Ticketlink between August 20, 2 PM and August 26, 11:59 PM — one entry per account.
- Check winners on kh.or.kr on August 28 at 5 PM.
- Pay for up to 2 tickets between August 29, 2 PM and September 2 — unpaid wins are auto-cancelled, so pay right after the winner SMS.
- Miss that window and leftover seats go first-come first-served on Ticketlink from September 3 at 2 PM.
Leftover seats do reappear because winners who miss the payment deadline are cancelled automatically — a fast attempt at the leftover opening can still land tickets.
For better odds, past runs favored Thursday and Friday sessions, the second-part (20:00) time slots, and mid-to-late season dates; when you enter the lottery does not affect your chances.
Visitors 65+, disabled visitors, and national merit or veteran registration holders can skip the online lottery and book by phone at 1588-7890.
Rules before you go: entry, weather, photos
Bring the booker’s ID and your booking number to the Hamho Gate check-in, and know that tickets are non-transferable — identity may be verified at entry.
Past runs cancelled the night with a full refund when 5 mm or more of rain was forecast as of 11 AM on the event day; those terms were published for 2025, and the fall 2026 terms should be confirmed in your booking notice.
Flash photography is strictly prohibited during the tour, and tripod use is restricted in many areas of the palace.
There are no shops or concessions inside the rear garden, so bring your own water for the roughly 90–100 minute walk and carry out your trash.
Check the age limit on your session notice before booking — spring 2026 allowed ages 7+, the 2025 fall run required 8+, and the fall 2026 rule is not yet confirmed.
👉 Andong Mask Dance Festival 2026: Sept 24–Oct 4, plus Hahoe Village plan
Getting there and what to do if it’s sold out
Take the subway to Anguk Station (Line 3) or Jongno 3-ga — palace parking is limited to staff and accessible vehicles, and nearby paid lots fill fast on weekends.
Don’t expect a same-day booth like Gyeongbokgung’s: that palace runs a same-day passport lottery on site, while the Moonlight Tour is entirely advance online booking — the two work differently, so everything here must be booked in advance.
If your date is sold out, remember that cancelled winner bookings push leftover seats back onto Ticketlink at the general sale.
When the night tour doesn’t work out, regular daytime entry is 3,000 KRW, the Rear Garden guided tour is 5,000 KRW with reservation required, and the palace is closed Mondays.
For comparison, Gyeongbokgung also runs its own night tour in the same season, but with a different booking flow — its same-day on-site passport lottery differs from the Moonlight Tour’s advance lottery and first-come sales, so a sold-out night at one can still leave room at the other.
If I were booking as a visitor, I’d take the Creatrip first-come route for the foreigner sessions, because a fixed 9 AM opening on Aug 28 beats gambling on lottery odds that shrink every season.
What I’d check first is the leftover sale on Ticketlink from Sept 3 — unpaid winner cancellations keep feeding seats back there, so patience often pays off.
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Sources
- Fall run Sept 10–Oct 17, 30,000 KRW, 28/session, lottery Aug (ddnnews.kr)
- Route and performance details (Sangnyangjeong daegeum, Buyon (mk.co.kr)
- Odds tips (Thu/Fri, 2nd part, mid-late season dates) and dro (hongsinews.com)
Dates to keep on your calendar
- Check kh.or.kr on Aug 28 (Fri) 5 PM for your winner result — that is where the list goes up
- Check whether your winner SMS arrived and pay within the priority window (Aug 29 – Sept 2) or the seat auto-cancels
- Check the 4 foreigner-session dates (Sept 20, Sept 27, Oct 4, Oct 11) if you want an English/Chinese/Japanese guide
- Check Creatrip’s booking page at Aug 28 9 AM KST for first-come foreigner seats
- Check Ticketlink from Sept 3 (Thu) 2 PM if the lottery didn’t come through — unpaid winner seats reappear here
- Check the 5mm+ rain forecast rule before you go, since the tour can be cancelled with a full refund
FAQ
Q. When does the 2026 Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour run?
September 10 to October 17, 2026, every Thursday through Sunday, with 6 sessions nightly (19:10/19:15/19:20 and 20:00/20:05/20:10 starts).
Q. How do foreigners book the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour?
Through dedicated English/Chinese/Japanese sessions on 4 dates — Sept 20, Sept 27, Oct 4, and Oct 11 — booked first-come on Creatrip from Aug 28 at 9 AM KST, separate from the Ticketlink lottery used for Korean sessions.
Q. How much do tickets cost and what is included?
30,000 KRW per person for all sessions, including the guided lantern walk, the daegeum and gugak performances, and traditional tea and desserts.
Q. What happens if it rains on my booked night?
In past runs, the event was cancelled with a full refund when 5 mm or more of rain was forecast as of 11 AM on the event day; check your booking notice for the fall 2026 terms.
Q. Is the Changdeokgung night tour booked the same way as Gyeongbokgung’s?
No — Gyeongbokgung uses a same-day passport lottery booth on site, while the Moonlight Tour is entirely advance online booking via Ticketlink or Creatrip.
From here, note the Moonlight Tour running through October 17 and the palace’s Monday closures when planning a daytime visit.
#Changdeokgung #MoonlightTour #Seoulpalacenighttour #Koreafall2026 #Creatripbooking #Ticketlinklottery #Gyeongbokgungnighttour
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