Gyeongbokgung Palace hosts Starlight Tour from 21 October

Gyeongbokgung Palace (Gyeongbokgung) in Seoul is hosting the final foreign-visitor dates of its 2026 Starlight Tour from 21 to 24 October. The evening programme combines guided palace areas, royal court food and performances before the season ends on 24 October.

Starlight Tour reaches its final Seoul dates

The Starlight Tour runs from 2 September to 24 October 2026, with sessions scheduled from Wednesday to Sunday. Its final four dates, 21 to 24 October, are reserved for foreign visitors and are booked through Creatrip, according to the Korea Heritage Agency's official programme page.

The organiser lists two sessions, beginning at 6.20pm and 7.30pm. The route covers several northern areas of the palace, including Gyejodang, the outer kitchen, Jakyungjeon, Jibokjae, Geoncheonggung and Hyangwonjeong. Visitors encounter guided interpretation, a court-food experience, traditional music and staged cultural elements along the route. The official Starlight Tour programme also specifies that the event takes place across the palace grounds.

Night programming follows the palace's northern axis

The evening route gives the current programme a direct connection with the surviving royal landscape. Jibokjae was used as King Gojong's library, while Hyangwonjeong and its bridge form one of the palace's best-known garden settings. The programme therefore moves between administrative, residential and garden spaces rather than presenting one isolated performance venue.

Gyeongbokgung Palace was established in 1395 as the principal palace of the Joseon dynasty. The site was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and restored in 1867 under King Gojong. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center records the later restoration of areas including Gwanghwamun Gate, Heungnyemun Gate, the royal living quarters and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion. These layers explain why a night route through several named compounds forms the substance of the October programme. The custodian's history of Gyeongbokgung Palace sets out the building's chronology.

Foreign visitors get the closing four nights

The foreign-visitor arrangement changes the audience for the closing section of the season. The Korea Heritage Agency lists 21 to 24 October 2026 as foreigner-only dates, while the wider season began on 2 September. This places international visitors in the final scheduled block, when the programme still includes the northern route, court-food experience and cultural performances.

The regular palace landscape remains important even though the Starlight Tour is a separate evening activity. The English-language programme listing identifies the outer kitchen, Jibokjae and Hyangwonjeong as venues, linking the visitor experience to buildings and gardens that can also be understood through the palace's wider history.

Visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Starlight Tour runs at Gyeongbokgung Palace from 21 to 24 October 2026 for foreign visitors, with the palace grounds as its venue.
• The programme is an advance-reservation event rather than a walk-in evening opening, and the official page directs foreign visitors to Creatrip for these dates.
• The organiser lists evening sessions beginning at 6.20pm and 7.30pm, with registration at the Gyejodang confirmation point before the selected session.
• Gyeongbokgung Palace is in central Seoul, with access from Gyeongbokgung Station on Subway Line 3, Anguk Station on Line 3 and Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5.
• The route includes outdoor palace grounds, garden areas and traditional buildings, so visitors should expect evening walking and seated food service.
• South Korea's official language is Korean and its national currency is the South Korean won.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Gyeongbokgung Palace

When does the Starlight Tour take place at Gyeongbokgung Palace?

The foreign-visitor dates are 21 to 24 October 2026. The full 2026 season runs from 2 September to 24 October.

What is the Starlight Tour at Gyeongbokgung Palace?

It is an evening programme combining guided palace areas, court-food experiences, music and cultural performances across named northern areas of the site.

Where is Gyeongbokgung Palace and how do you get there?

The palace is in central Seoul. The nearest named subway access points include Gyeongbokgung Station and Anguk Station on Line 3, plus Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5.