Gyeongbok Palace to offer nighttime cultural experience this fall

The traditional Korean court cuisine "dosuk-surasang" / Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service

Gyeongbok Palace, a former royal palace in central Seoul, will host its annual nighttime cultural program from Sept. 2 to Oct. 24, offering visitors evening tours, traditional Korean court cuisine and performances, the Korea Heritage Service said Wednesday.

The 2026 edition of the Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour will be held from Wednesday to Sunday each week, with two sessions beginning at 6:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Each program lasts about 110 minutes.

The event, which debuted in 2016, allows visitors to explore the palace after dark with professional guides while experiencing aspects of royal life from the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty.

Participants will begin their tour at Gyejodang, a building associated with the crown prince, before moving to the palace kitchen area, where they will watch a traditional Korean music performance and sample “dosuk-surasang,” a modern interpretation of a 12-course royal meal traditionally served to the king and queen.

The term combines “dosuk,” an old Korean word for a lunchbox, and “surasang,” the royal table. A separate vegetarian menu will also be available.

The tour will continue through Jagyeongjeon, Jibokjae, Geoncheonggung and the area around Hyangwonjeong Pavilion. This year, a special traditional opera performance telling stories about King Gojong will be staged inside Jibokjae, his library.

A special program for foreign visitors will be held from Oct. 21 to 24, with tickets available through Creatrip, a travel platform popular among international visitors to Korea.

The program costs 60,000 won ($43) per person. General ticket applications will be accepted through Ticketlink from 2 p.m. Aug. 14 to 2 p.m. Aug. 20, with winners announced Aug. 24.

Remaining tickets will go on sale on a first-come, first-served basis Aug. 28.

The program will not operate from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 due to preparations for a separate palace music festival.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.