Reservations to open for special night tours of Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces in Seoul

Special evening events in the Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces featuring traditional food, theater and architecture are slated to kick off next month, according to hosts the Korea Heritage Service and the Korea Heritage Agency on Monday.

Changdeokgung Palace [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

Special evening events in the Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces featuring traditional food, theater and architecture are slated to kick off next month, according to hosts the Korea Heritage Service and the Korea Heritage Agency on Monday.

“Starlight Tour At Gyeongbokgung Palace” will be held at Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul, from Sept. 11 to Oct. 6.

Participants will get to experience ancient royal cuisine and get a guided tour of the palace. A traditional play detailing the lives of royal subjects will be shown, along with the story of King Gojong accepting foreign artifacts and culture.

“Moonlight Tour At Changdeokgung Palace” will be held at Changdeok Palace in Jongno District from Sept. 12 to Nov. 10.

Those who attend the event will be guided around the various architecture inside the palace. Traditional performances will be ready throughout the tour, including musical performances featuring traditional instruments and re-enactments of royalty taking a walk along the palace grounds.

Those who participate wearing Korean traditional clothing, hanbok, will be given free souvenirs for both events.

Reservations for both events will be done through a draw on ticket retailer website Ticketlink. Each ID can apply for up to two tickets, and those who have been selected can choose the date and time for participation.

Applications for the events open on Thursday for “Starlight Tour At Gyeongbokgung Palace” and Monday for “Moonlight Tour At Changdeokgung Palace.” The latter offers English, Japanese and Chinese-led sessions on Oct. 20, 27 and Nov. 3. Reservations for the dates are available on travel platform Creatrip starting Sept. 9, and will be offered on a first come first served basis instead of a draw system.

Results of the draw will be revealed on Aug. 29 for “Starlight Tour At Gyeongbokgung Palace” and Aug. 28 for “Moonlight Tour At Changdeokgung Palace.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]