Around Korea: Jongmyo Shrine
If you’re palace-hopping in Seoul and want a deeper look at Korea’s royal rituals, Jongmyo Shrine is worth adding to your route. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is quiet, ceremonial, and very different from the colorful palace complexes nearby.
That said, set your expectations: you don’t go inside any of the buildings, and there isn’t a ton to physically “see.” The value of Jongmyo is almost entirely in the information you take in - either from a tour guide, the QR-code audio guide, or the plaques around the grounds.
If you’re here mainly for visuals and photo ops, you’ll probably enjoy the palaces more. Jongmyo shines when you’re in the mood to slow down and actually learn the story behind the Joseon Dynasty’s royal rituals.
Guided Tour vs. Audio Guide (What I’d Choose)
On weekdays, Jongmyo is guided tour only at set times by language, and each tour lasts about an hour. On weekends and select days, you can scan a QR code at the entrance for a self-guided audio tour, which means you’re not locked into a big group.
Honest take:
I personally would’ve preferred to do Jongmyo on my own with the audio guide. You move at your own pace, linger where you’re curious, and skip the feeling of being herded from stop to stop.
Good to know:
You can only view buildings from the outside
There’s not a ton to “see” compared to palaces
The experience is about listening and learning, not exploring interiors
If you don’t enjoy structured tours, this can feel a bit rigid or like you’re wasting time
What You’ll See Along the Way (and Why It Matters)
There are only 5 buildings on Jongmyo grounds. Even though you won’t enter any buildings knowing their purpose makes the visit more interesting. Over the course of an hour, our tour walked past 3 of the buildings and we ended at the final office to visit the exhibit on our own.
Jeongjeon Hall (Main Shrine Hall)
A corner view of Jeongjeon Hall
The long, minimalist main hall where ancestral spirit tablets of Joseon kings and queens were enshrined. This is the spiritual heart of Jongmyo and the main site of royal ancestral rites. Its length reflects how more kings were honored over time and it holds 19 spirit chambers housing 49 spirit tablets.
This diorama also has braille on it for the blind to read!
You’ll only be able to stand outside the main pavilion here; however, there’s a diorama of Jeongjeon Hall outside as well as several boards showing what the rituals look like, which helps you visualize what actually happened here. In fact, rituals still take place here twice a year.
Yeongnyeongjeon Hall (Hall of Eternal Peace)
We were able to walk on the stones at Yeongnyeongjeon Hall (Hall of Eternal Peace)
A secondary shrine hall built to house additional ancestral tablets. It shows how seriously royal ancestor worship was taken - rather than replacing older structures, Jongmyo expanded to continue honoring past rulers. It contains 16 spirit chambers housing 34 spirit tablets.
On a guided tour, you get closer to this building, but you still don’t get to go inside. In fact, only ancestral ritual officials and authorized personnel can enter the interior chambers where spirit tablets are housed - even the tour guides are not allowed to open the doors to the halls.
The Spiritual Pathway
The spiritual pathway at Jongmyo Shrine
One thing you won’t be able to miss at Jongmyo is the spiritual pathway that runs through the grounds. The three trails place side by side reflect the future kings on the left, the spirits in the middle and the living kings on the right.
The raised stone path in the center was traditionally reserved for the spirits of the deceased kings during ancestral rites, so living participants walked on the lower paths to either side. It’s a small design choice, but it says a lot about how sacred and hierarchical this place was meant to be and we were not allowed to walk on the middle stones.
Fun fact: a Queen would only visit here once in her lifetime and would stand here to pay her respects to the spirits. (Or so our tour guide told us.)
Hyangdaecheong
One of the exhibits at Hyangdaecheong Office
Where offerings were prepared for ancestral rituals. Food offerings were central to Confucian rituals, and this building gives context to how elaborate these ceremonies actually were. This is one pavilion that you’re allowed to see inside of as it hosts exhibitions related to the history and rituals of Jongmyo.
Is Jongmyo Shrine Worth Visiting?
Jongmyo is 100% worth it IF you’re genuinely interested in Korean history, Confucian traditions, and royal ritual culture. If you’re short on time or want places where you can freely wander and explore interiors, this may feel skippable.
This is why Jongmyo works best as a short, meaningful stop between palace visits rather than a full standalone attraction. That’s my honest take, and you’re allowed to have a different opinion as we all have different interests!
How to Combine Jongmyo with Other Palaces
Jongmyo pairs perfectly with Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung for an easy palace-hopping day in central Seoul.
If you start your morning at 9:00 at Changdeokgung, book the 10:00 Secret Garden tour, and then walk through Changgyeonggung around 11:00, the 12:00 PM English guided tour at Jongmyo Shrine is an easy next stop. This timing lets you explore each of the palaces without rushing, then head to Jongmyo for a structured, educational break.
Opening Hours & Admission
Entry to Jongmyro Shrine is by guided tour ONLY on the weekdays, however, general admission is available on weekends, National Holidays, and Culture Day - the last Wednesday of every month.
Hours: Opens at 09:00 all year, closes 17:30-18:30 depending on the time of year
Last admission: 1 hour before closing
Admission fee: 1,000KRW for adults, under 19 and over 65 free
Closed: Tuesday’s
English tours: 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 - Guided tours in foreign languages offered only for foreigners and Koreans accompanying foreigners. Tours are also offered in Chinese and Japanese.
Sundays / Culture Day : Tours offered same as weekdays; Saturdays / National Holidays : Only Korean tours offered. However, just inside the entry is a QR code to scan for an audio tour!
Be sure to check the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center website for the most accurate information. If you’re visiting multiple royal sites, combining Jongmyo with nearby palaces saves both time and money, especially if you’re using the Royal Palaces Pass.
This is the line up I have coming for my Seoul Royal Palaces Series. I’ll update links as each post goes live!
