Planning a hanbok photoshoot at Gyeongbokgung Palace with your mother or your daughter?


This session shows how it works in practice: a pink and lavender hanbok pair, a timing plan that avoids the biggest crowds, and a few simple poses that keep the photos natural.


The daughter had already shot with me last year, so this was her second session in Seoul.

Two women in pastel traditional Korean hanbok holding hands and smiling beneath red pillars and a painted wooden palace corridor.

Pink and Lavender Hanbok: What They Wore


Mother: blush pink and ivory. She wore a soft blush-pink skirt (chima) in sheer layered fabric, with gold foil patterns of flowers and birds in bands across the hem. Her ivory jacket (jeogori) had champagne-gold brocade on the collar, cuffs and chest. She carried a small champagne clutch with silver floral embroidery. Her hair was styled half-up with a white flower and pearl clip and a purple ribbon.


Daughter: lavender and ivory. Her skirt was lavender and faded to near-white at the hem, with a gold foil landscape of mountains, waves, tiny birds and clouds. Her ivory jacket had gold floral embroidery with sequin detail, and a gold-ochre ribbon (goreum) hung down the front. She wore a low updo with pearl flower pins and a gold hairpin, and carried a gold brocade clutch.


Why this color pair works at the palace: Soft pastels stand out against the deep red pillars and jade-green lattice doors. The gold foil catches the light, and the sheer skirts move when you walk or turn. Matching ivory jackets tie the two outfits together without making them identical.

Woman in a pink and gold hanbok holding a beaded purse, standing in a traditional Korean palace corridor with red wooden columns.
Woman in a lavender and gold hanbok holding a embroidered purse stands in a red-columned corridor of a traditional Korean palace.

Best Time for Photos at Gyeongbokgung: 9–10 AM or After 3:30 PM


My first choice is 9:00–10:00 AM. The palace opens at 09:00, so you get the first hour with far fewer people in your frames. girlonazebra

The reason to finish by 10:00 is the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony. It is held at Gwanghwamun Gate at 10:00 and 14:00. After 10:00, large groups arrive at once. The photoshoot is still possible, but I don’t recommend it. koreatodo


My second choice is after 3:30 PM. Once the sun drops, the light gets warmer and the colors in the photos look richer. One caution: from November to February the palace closes at 17:00, with last admission at 16:00. In winter, plan the late slot carefully or choose the morning.

Smiling woman in a pink and gold embroidered hanbok stands on stone steps before a traditional Korean wooden building with lattice windows.
Two women in pastel hanbok dresses walk hand in hand along a wooden veranda of a traditional Korean palace with tiled roof.
Woman in a lavender and gold embroidered hanbok standing on stone steps before a traditional Korean wooden building with lattice windows.

Poses That Work for Mother and Daughter


Nobody needs to know how to pose. These simple actions gave the most natural results:


  • Walk hand in hand along a wall or corridor, looking at each other instead of the camera.
  • Hug from behind in front of a stone archway.
  • Sit on the stone step in front of the green lattice doors, one seated and one standing.
  • Touch the lattice window and look up, or glance sideways.
  • Peek around a gate and let the other person turn to react. This one almost always ends in real laughter.
  • Hold the skirt and step down a stair so the fabric swings.
Two women in pastel pink and lavender hanbok with gold embroidery pose together on grass before a historic stone wall.
Two women in pastel hanbok dresses hold hands while walking on grass in front of an arched stone fortress gate beside a pine tree.
Smiling woman in a pink and white hanbok sits before green lattice wooden doors beneath a colorful dancheong roof at a Korean palace.
Two women in traditional pastel hanbok dresses pose near a red wooden Korean palace building with green lattice doors.
Two women in pastel hanbok dresses pose beside green latticed wooden doors at a traditional Korean palace with colorful painted eaves.
Woman in a lavender hanbok sits holding a small handbag in front of green traditional Korean wooden doors with lattice panels.
Woman in a lavender and gold hanbok holding a small handbag stands in a red wooden doorway of a traditional Korean palace.
Two women in pastel pink and lavender hanbok pose near red wooden doors and a gray brick wall at a traditional Korean palace.

Practical Tips Before You Go

  • Free admission in hanbok: Visitors wearing hanbok enter the palace for free. koreatodo
  • Closed on Tuesdays: Gyeongbokgung is closed every Tuesday, so book your session for another day. koreatodo
  • Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk a lot on gravel and stone, and the long skirts cover your feet in most photos.
  • Coordinate, don’t match. Choose two colors that sit well together, like pink and lavender, rather than identical outfits.

*FAQ


  • What is the best time for a hanbok photoshoot at Gyeongbokgung Palace?

Between 9:00 and 10:00 AM, before the 10:00 guard ceremony brings the crowds. The second-best option is after 3:30 PM, when the light turns warmer.


  • Is Gyeongbokgung Palace free if I wear hanbok?

Yes. Visitors wearing hanbok enter for free.


  • What hanbok colors look best at the palace?

Soft pastels like blush pink and lavender look great against the palace’s red and green. Ivory jackets with gold detail keep everything balanced.


  • Can I book a mother and daughter session?

Yes. I photograph couples, families, solo travelers and mother-daughter pairs in Seoul.

Photographer in glasses adjusts a camera mounted on a tripod while two others shoot on a foggy, grassy hillside in black and white.