A Royal Tea Experience: My Visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace Saenggwabang
I happened to find out about the Gyeongbokgung Palace Saenggwabang (royal dessert kitchen) and applied for the reservation lottery for the second half of 2025. Although I was initially unsuccessful, I managed to snag a ticket during the general booking, allowing me to finally experience it!
I didn't research the best spots beforehand, so I just chose a seat that was available, ending up with Room 7.
When booking, I had to select a royal herbal tea and a royal dessert. I chose the Samgyulda tea and the dried persimmon ssam (wrap) set.
The price was 15,000 won, which I thought was a reasonable price for enjoying refreshments within the palace grounds.
I received a text message the day before my visit with directions. Finally, the day of my reservation arrived, and I headed to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
As mentioned in the text, the entrance near the National Folk Museum of Korea is the closest to the Saenggwabang.
Since you need to enter Gyeongbokgung Palace for the experience, there was an additional entrance fee of 3,000 won.
Registration started 5 minutes before the reservation time. I arrived a bit early, so I took a stroll and sat on a bench to wait. Then, it started pouring rain!
Listening to the sound of rain within Gyeongbokgung Palace while waiting to enter – it was quite lovely.
Registration began 5 minutes before the reserved time. As they checked my ID and confirmation text, I snapped a picture of the tea and royal dessert menu at the reception area.
They also provided a leaflet and guided me to my seat.
Room 3 is the largest and most open space, accommodating many people. It has a brighter and more open feel, which seems to be why it's considered a prime spot.
Room 6 is a private space for only two people but felt a bit cramped.
Room 7, where I was, can accommodate four people. It wasn't bad for enjoying refreshments quietly alone, but if you like taking pictures, Rooms 2, 3, or 4 might be better.
When I arrived at my seat, the royal desserts were already prepared on the table, covered with a lid. Here's a shot with the leaflet I received.
Sitting at my seat, I could see the rooms across from mine through the window.
The staff in charge of each room brought out the ordered tea, explained it, and showed how to drink it.
For solo reservations, they set up each seat individually.
The people who reserved Room 6 next to me arrived late, so I took a picture of the empty room. If you reserve for two, they prepare the table so you can sit side by side and enjoy the refreshments.
Enjoying the refreshments while listening to traditional palace music made me feel so peaceful.
As I ate each item, I noticed the name was written underneath, so I could keep track of what I was eating.
Personally, I liked the Dasik (traditional Korean cookie) and the dried persimmon ssam the best.
The Samgyulda tea I chose had a slightly bitter taste, but it was perfect with the sweet snacks.
The experience lasts 70 minutes, which is plenty of time to enjoy everything before leaving.
After eating, I took a stroll to look around the other rooms.
The leaflet provided information about the decorations in each room, which made it fun to see them in person.
After looking around, there wasn't much else to do, so I finished my Saenggwabang experience and explored more of Gyeongbokgung Palace.
It was raining, so I didn't see the entire palace, but it would have been wonderful to visit on a clear day to explore Gyeongbokgung and enjoy the Saenggwabang experience.
Reservations are currently sold out, but cancellations are possible until 12 PM the day before, so it seems cancellation tickets are often released the day before.
I enjoyed the Gyeongbokgung Palace Saenggwabang experience so much that I would love to come back on a nice day if I have the chance.
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