The Secret Garden, known in Korean as Huwon, occupies the wooded hills behind Changdeokgung Palace at 99 Yulgok-ro in Jongno District. Joseon kings used this landscape of ponds, pavilions and old-growth trees as a private retreat for more than 400 years. Today visitors come for one of Seoul’s quietest settings, part of the UNESCO-listed palace complex since 1997.
Access is by guided tour only, and the route climbs through roughly 78 acres of gently terraced forest (source: K-Heritage). The first major stop is Buyongji Pond, where the two-story Juhamnu Pavilion, once the royal library, rises above a square pool built to symbolize earth beneath heaven. Farther along, Yeongyeongdang shows a rare unpainted residence modeled on a scholar’s house. The route ends at Ongnyucheon, a small stream that flows past a rock carved with poetry by King Sukjong.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Tickets: Book tour tickets online well ahead, especially in spring and autumn. You must also buy palace admission, because the garden entrance sits inside Changdeokgung (source: HANKUKIN). The ₩6,000 Royal Palace Pass excludes the Secret Garden (source: Royal Palaces and Tombs Center).
Timing: English tours run on set schedules, and the palace closes on Mondays. Early weekday tours are the least crowded. Late October and November bring peak autumn foliage.
Getting there: Take Line 3 to Anguk Station, then walk about five minutes to Donhwamun Gate. Bukchon Hanok Village lies just to the west.
