Sep 26–27, 2026, all four royal palaces plus Jongmyo Shrine are free with no reservation, the Seoul Outdoor Library runs free at Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun and Cheonggyecheon, and the city’s events database counts 185 free events.
The free palace period runs Sep 24–27, so the weekend gives you two of its four days.
This post lists what is free by neighbourhood, with hours, tour times, and the things that are not free.
What’s free this weekend (Sep 26–27) at a glance
| Sep 25 (Fri) | Seoul Outdoor Library opens daily: day 11:00–18:00, night 16:00–22:00 · World Pansori Festival, Namsangol Hanok Village, 13:00–18:30 · National Museum of Korea closed (Chuseok day) |
|---|---|
| Sep 26 (Sat) | Naru Street Dance Festival, Naru Art Center, Gwangjin-gu · Hanseong Baekje Museum ‘HanGawi Keun Janchi’ · Jongmyo and all palaces free, free-roam |
| Sep 27 (Sun) | Naru Street Dance Festival day 2 · Namsangol Chuseok Festival final day · Jongmyo back to the normal tour schedule |
| Sep 28 (Mon) | Substitute holiday — venue closures not confirmed; check each venue before planning |
Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Jongmyo Shrine and all Joseon royal tombs are free with no reservation and no closure days from Sep 24 to Sep 27, 2026.
The free period covers four days, and the weekend keeps two of them, Sep 26 and 27.
Alongside the palaces, the Seoul Outdoor Library runs free at three venues, and the official events database counted 185 free events citywide when this was checked on Sep 24.
The count of 185 is the database total at planning time, not a weekend-only list, so treat it as a scale, not a schedule.
For a shorter route, pick one neighbourhood and chain two or three free stops instead of crossing the city.
If the plan is the classic palace visit, Sep 26–27 at Gyeongbokgung or Jongmyo costs nothing and needs no booking.
If the plan is an evening outdoors, the Outdoor Library runs 16:00–22:00 nightly during the holiday.
Free palaces and Jongmyo: hours, tours and the one exception
Jongmyo is free walk-in Sep 24–27, open 09:00–18:00 with last entry at 17:00.
It sits a 5-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995.
During the holiday, all four free days are un-timed free-roam viewing — normally weekdays run timed entry with a guide for about 50 minutes, so this format is not available outside the holiday.
The guided tours have a language catch: Sep 24–26 run 5 Korean-language tours per day at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00, with no foreign-language tours those days.
Sep 27 returns to the normal tour schedule.
So on Sep 26 you can roam at your own pace without a guide, and on Sep 27 the guided format is back.
At Gyeongbokgung, the guard-changing ceremony runs at 10:00 and 14:00 at Heungnyemun and the guard sentry ceremony at 11:00 and 13:00 at Gwanghwamun Woldae — both free, no booking.
Two things are not covered: Changdeokgung’s rear garden (Huwon) keeps its normal reservation and fee, and the Gyeonghoeru special tour does not run at all during Sep 24–27.
Free festivals by neighbourhood this weekend
Jongno has three free stops within walking distance: Unhyeongung’s ‘Haengun Gadeuk Han Gawi’ runs Sep 24–27, 11:00–17:00, with traditional games, craft experiences and gugak performances (entry free, some experiences paid).
The Yeoyuak gugak concerts at Donhwamun Gugakdang run Sep 24–25 at 15:00 and 17:00, free and walkable from Jongmyo.
World Pansori Festival runs Sep 25–26, 13:00–18:30, at Namsangol Hanok Village and Seoul Namsan Gugakdang, free.
Namsan stacks two free events at the same venue: the Namsangol Chuseok Festival ‘Namsan Dalbit Madang’ runs Sep 25–27 with tightrope walking, Arirang gugak, seven traditional experience booths and a Chuseok food table — exact program times are not confirmed, so check the organiser’s page on the day.
Gwangjin has the 5th Naru Street Dance Festival at the Naru Art Center outdoor plaza and main hall, Sep 26–27, free.
Seocho’s Hanseong Baekje Museum runs ‘HanGawi Keun Janchi’ on Sep 26: free samulnori, lion dance, jegichagi contest, kite making and tteok pounding.
Before this weekend, the World Dance Festival runs Sep 24 at 18:00 at Seoul Nolimadang, free, with overseas dance companies.
If a festival needs a fixed start time in your plan, Namsangol and Pansori program times were not confirmed from official pages — build those stops loosely.
Seoul Outdoor Library and Cheonggyecheon: holiday hours and free programs
The Seoul Outdoor Library, normally a Fri–Sun event, runs daily during Chuseok Sep 25–27 at Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Yukjo Madang and Cheonggyecheon (Mojeongyo–Gwangtongyo), 11:00–18:00 day and 16:00–22:00 night, free with no booking.
Both slots run each day, so the same visit can cover a late afternoon and the evening.
The free programs are named and dated: special film screenings on the LED screen at Seoul Plaza (‘F1 The Movie’ and others), an author talk with Kim Dong-yeon on Sep 25 at 20:00, pajama reading on Sep 26 at 19:00, and a poet talk with Ko Seon-kyung on Sep 27 at 19:00.
Programs may change with weather.
The Cheonggyecheon stretch between Mojeongyo and Gwangtongyo doubles as a stream walk linking Gwanghwamun to the Jongmyo and Cheonggye area.
If the day is built around Jongno, ending here covers the evening without a new trip.
Free museums and galleries still running this weekend
SeMA main branch (Seosomun) runs the ‘Yu Young-kuk: The Mountain Is Inside Me’ retrospective free, and Nam-Seoul MoA runs ‘Cho Sook-jin: A Passing Place’ (Jul 29–Nov 15) free in its indoor galleries and 1F outdoor space.
SeMA Photo shows the Martin Parr retrospective free, and SNU MoA runs ‘Images of the Everyday’ (Sep 11–Nov 22) free on floors 2–3, reachable from SNU Station (Line 2).
The SeMA ‘Perhaps, All of Us’ exhibition is at the Korean Cultural Centre in Canada, not in Seoul.
Two closures to plan around: the National Museum of Korea is closed on Sep 25 (Chuseok day), so visit Sep 26–27 — permanent exhibits are always free.
Whether SeMA branches and SNU MoA close on Monday Sep 28 (substitute holiday) is not confirmed, so check each venue’s page before extending the plan to that day.
What’s not free (and what’s already over)
The paid palace night programs run separately from the free grounds and all need advance booking: Gyeongbokgung Saenggwabang (to Oct 26) and Byeolbit Yahaeng (to Oct 31), Changdeokgung Dalbit Gihaeng (Thu–Sun at 19:10 and 20:00), Deoksugung Night of Seokjojeon (to Oct 18) and Changgyeonggung Yayeon (to Oct 4, daily 17:00).
A free palace day and a paid night ticket are different things — do not book a night program assuming the free opening covers it.
The Huwon rear garden at Changdeokgung also keeps its normal fee and reservation.
One item is already over: the Media Art Seoul × Kiaf screens around Gwanghwamun ran Sep 1–19, so they are not a weekend option even though older guides still list them.
If a stop depends on a fixed program time this weekend, confirm it on the organiser’s page on the day.
Related posts
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Sources
- 4 palaces + Jongmyo + royal tombs free Sep 24–27, Huwon excl (newsworks.co.kr)
- Sep 24–27 free walk-in 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00 (mediahub.seoul.go.kr)
- National Museum closed Sep 25; museum opening-hour caveats; (itsdwayne.co.kr)
If this weekend, then this
- Want the free-roam Jongmyo you normally cannot get → Sep 26, 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00, no guide, no booking.
- Wanted Huwon (Changdeokgung rear garden) for free → it is not included; normal reservation and fee apply.
- Needed an English tour at Jongmyo → none Sep 24–26, 5 Korean tours per day (10:00–15:00); Sep 27 returns to normal.
- Planned the National Museum on the holiday’s main day → move it to Sep 26–27; closed Sep 25.
- Want something outdoors in the evening → Outdoor Library nightly 16:00–22:00, Sep 25–27, free films and reading programs.
FAQ
Q. Are the palaces free on Sep 26–27, 2026, without a reservation?
Yes. Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Jongmyo and all Joseon royal tombs are free with no reservation and no closure days Sep 24–27, 2026 — palace grounds only, Changdeokgung’s Huwon excluded.
Q. Are there English guided tours at Jongmyo during Chuseok?
No. Sep 24–26 run only 5 Korean-language tours per day (10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00); Sep 27 returns to the normal tour schedule, and the holiday’s free-roam format lets you visit without a guide.
Q. Is the National Museum of Korea open on Chuseok day?
No, it is closed on Sep 25, 2026. Visit Sep 24 or Sep 26–27 instead — the permanent exhibits are always free.
Q. What are the Seoul Outdoor Library hours during Chuseok 2026?
Sep 25–27 it opens daily at Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Yukjo Madang and Cheonggyecheon: day slot 11:00–18:00 and night slot 16:00–22:00, free with no booking.
Q. What is closed on Monday, September 28, 2026?
Sep 28 is the substitute holiday. Whether SeMA branches and SNU MoA close that day was not confirmed in the sources checked — check each venue’s page before extending your plan to Monday.
For a one-day route: Jongmyo free-roam on Sep 26, then Unhyeongung on the same street, then the Cheonggyecheon outdoor library in the evening — three free stops, one line, no bookings.
Cover photo: Seoul Mountain Climbing & culture center (산악문화체험센터) by Korea Tourism Organization — KOGL Type 1 (attribution)
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