I was building an itinerary around the long weekend and nearly booked a palace day on 6 October, which turns out to be the one date this month when essentially every royal site in Seoul is locked. The Korea October holidays create that trap through a rule most visitors never read, and it only bites in years like this one.
Here are the three dates, the one to avoid, and what is actually open on each.
Korea October Holidays 2026: Three Dates That Matter
There are three public holidays in October, and they fall in a pattern that produces two short breaks rather than one long one.
3 October (Saturday) is National Foundation Day, Gaecheonjeol. Because it lands on a Saturday, a substitute holiday is granted on the next non-holiday, which makes 5 October (Monday) a public holiday too. That gives a three-day weekend from the 3rd to the 5th.
9 October (Friday) is Hangeul Day, marking the Korean alphabet. It falls on a Friday, so no substitute day is added and the break runs 9 to 11 October.
The 5 October substitute holiday is the last one of 2026. Every remaining public holiday this year falls on a weekday, so domestic travel demand concentrates hard on these two weekends.
6 October Is the Day Nearly Every Palace Closes
Seoul's royal sites split their weekly closing day in two. Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, Sungnyemun and the Joseon Royal Tombs close on Mondays. Gyeongbokgung, Jongmyo and Chilgung close on Tuesdays.
Now the rule that causes the problem. Korea Heritage Service policy states that when a regular closing day falls on a public holiday or substitute holiday, the site opens anyway, and the closing day moves to the next non-holiday.
So 5 October is a Monday and a substitute holiday. The Monday group opens, and their closing day shifts one day forward to Tuesday 6 October. Tuesday is already the closing day for Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo.
The result: on 6 October, all four grand palaces plus Jongmyo Shrine are closed at the same time. This is unusual, it is not published as a special notice, and it is the single biggest planning risk in the Korea October holidays.
Which Palace Is Open on Which Day
Admission is cheap enough that the calendar matters far more than the cost.
| Site | Ticket | Sep–Oct hours |
|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung | 3,000 won | 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00 |
| Changdeokgung | 3,000 won | 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00 |
| Deoksugung | 1,000 won | 09:00–21:00, last entry 20:00 |
| Changgyeonggung | 1,000 won | 09:00–21:00, last entry 20:00 |
| Jongmyo Shrine | 1,000 won | 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00 |
Foreign visitors pay the same price as residents, and the adult bracket starts at 19 rather than 25. Changdeokgung's Huwon Secret Garden is a separate 5,000 won on top of the palace ticket.
If you want to skip the fee entirely, wearing hanbok gets you in free at all of them. Our guide to what the palaces accept as hanbok covers the details, because the rules are stricter than rental shops imply.
What Else Shuts on a Public Holiday
Banks, post offices, immigration offices and government service centres all close on the 3rd, 5th and 9th. If you need a foreigner registration appointment or a bank branch, those three days are dead.
Almost everything else stays open and gets busier. Department stores, markets, cafes and restaurants run normal hours, and museums generally open. Subway and bus services run on holiday timetables, which usually means slightly reduced frequency rather than closure.
The real pressure is on intercity transport. KTX seats for the 3rd and the 9th sell out early, and expressways out of Seoul back up badly on the first morning of each break. Travelling on the middle day of a three-day weekend is consistently easier than the first.
Hangeul Day Opens Jongmyo's Gates
One holiday quirk works in your favour. Jongmyo Shrine normally restricts Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to timed guided tours only — a 50-minute walk with a guide, capped at 200 people per slot, half booked online and half sold at the gate. English departures run at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00.
On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, that restriction lifts and the shrine switches to free-roam general admission. 9 October is a public holiday, so you can walk Jongmyo at your own pace instead of joining a timed group.
The same logic applies to Changgyeonggung's Yulgok-ro gate, which opens on weekends and public holidays and lets you move between Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo without leaving and re-entering.
What to Do Right Now
The fix is mostly about sequencing rather than booking.
1. Put your palace day on 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 or 11 October — never the 6th. Those six dates all have every major site open.
2. Book KTX the moment your dates are fixed. The 3rd and the 9th are the two peak departure days and they go first.
3. Use 6 October for something indoors and privately run. Museums, markets, Bukchon's lanes and department stores are unaffected by the heritage closing rule.
If you are timing the trip around foliage rather than holidays, note that early October is too early for most of the country. Our breakdown of when each mountain peaks has the regional calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 6 October different from a normal Tuesday?
Because 5 October is a substitute holiday, the Monday-closing sites open that day and push their closing day to the 6th, where it collides with the regular Tuesday closure of Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo.
Are shops and restaurants closed during the Korea October holidays?
No. Public holidays close banks and government offices, but retail, dining and transport operate normally and are busier than usual.
Is 5 October definitely a holiday?
Yes. National Foundation Day on 3 October falls on a Saturday, which triggers a substitute holiday on the next non-holiday, Monday the 5th.
Do foreign visitors pay more for palace tickets?
No. Prices are identical, and the adult rate applies from age 19 for foreign visitors compared with 25 for residents.
Wrapping Up
Two three-day weekends, cheap palace tickets and one badly timed Tuesday is the whole shape of the Korea October holidays this year. Put the 6th aside for something indoors, book rail seats early for the 3rd and the 9th, and the rest of the month is unusually easy to travel in. Closing days can shift for maintenance, so confirm on the Korea Heritage Service palace pages before you commit to a date.
This article is independent coverage and is not affiliated with the Korea Heritage Service.
Photo credit Gyeongbokgung — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1.