What are the best free things to do in Seoul?
Plenty. Royal palaces are free if you wear hanbok, and most are free on Wednesdays. The National Museum of Korea's permanent galleries, the National Folk Museum, the War Memorial and the Seoul Museum of History are free, as are Cheonggyecheon and the Hangang parks.
Updated 2026-10-15Palaces free in hanbok
Visitors wearing hanbok get free entry to the royal palaces and Jongmyo, and this applies to foreigners too. The official guideline asks for a full outfit: a hanbok top (jeogori) plus a skirt or trousers. Modern hanbok counts, but a jeogori with jeans, or hanbok trousers with a T-shirt, doesn't. A hanbok dress without a jeogori isn't accepted either, so check your rental outfit before you go.
Free Wednesdays and free ages
The Korea Heritage Service lists every Wednesday as Culture Day, with free palace admission except at Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung's Secret Garden. Foreign visitors aged 18 and under or 65 and over also enter free. Otherwise fees are low: Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung are 3,000 won for adults, and Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo are 1,000 won. Small sites such as Chilgung and Sajikdan are free.
Free museums
The National Museum of Korea's permanent galleries are free (some special exhibitions charge). The National Folk Museum, inside the Gyeongbokgung grounds, is free. The War Memorial of Korea is free except some hosted exhibitions, and closes on Mondays. The Seoul Museum of History is free and closes on Mondays, as does Gyeonghuigung Palace next door, which is also free.
Free walks: streams, rivers and hills
Some of Seoul's best moments cost nothing. Walk along Cheonggyecheon, the stream that runs through downtown from Gwanghwamun eastward. Spend a sunny afternoon or evening at one of the Hangang parks along the Han River. In autumn, Seoul city publishes lists of foliage walks, and palace stone-wall roads such as the one beside Deoksugung are free to stroll at any time.
People also ask
Is Gyeongbokgung free on Wednesdays?
No. The weekly Wednesday free entry excludes Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung's Secret Garden. Wearing hanbok still gets you into Gyeongbokgung free.
Is the National Museum of Korea really free?
Yes, the permanent galleries are free. Some special exhibitions charge a fee. It closes on 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok, and galleries close on the first Monday of March, June, September and December.
Do foreigners get free palace entry in hanbok?
Yes. The official guideline applies to Koreans and foreigners alike, as long as you wear a full hanbok outfit with a jeogori top.
Sources we checked
- Korea Heritage Service, Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (admission fees)
- Korea Heritage Service, Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (hanbok free-admission guideline)
- National Museum of Korea
- National Folk Museum of Korea
- The War Memorial of Korea
- Seoul Museum of History
- Seoul Museum of History (Gyeonghuigung Palace)