(Small Group) Palace & Seoul Old Town Highlights
Description
Discover Seoul’s must-see highlights, loved by both locals and visitors. This tour blends royal history with vibrant city culture in the heart of Seoul. Start at Jogyesa Temple and Insadong, pass through Gwanghwamun Square, and explore Gyeongbokgung Palace, the most iconic royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty. Finish with a walk through Bukchon Hanok Village, known for its traditional houses and charming streets. Seoul’s best. Don’t miss it.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The meeting point is Anguk Subway Station, Exit 6 (outside). We’ll walk to Insadong, which is known for its traditional goods, restaurants, and tea houses.
Jogyesa Temple is the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Founded in 1910, it is a peaceful sanctuary in the heart of Seoul and a key center of Korean Buddhism.
Gwanghwamun Square is a central public plaza in Seoul, located in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It highlights Korea’s history and culture with statues of King Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and offers a scenic view of the city framed by mountains and royal palaces.
Gyeongbokgung Palace is the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, built in 1395. It represents the power, beauty, and philosophy of traditional Korea, with mountains behind and the city in front. Today, it’s the best place to experience royal architecture, history, and palace life in Seoul
Bukchon Hanok Village is a historic neighborhood between two royal palaces, home to traditional Korean houses called hanok. Its winding alleys and rooftops show how people once lived during the Joseon Dynasty. Here, tradition and modern Seoul exist side by side.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(27)
Lee was great. It was just my husband and I in the tour being on this occasion. Despite the heat and the very busy Gwanghamun square due to the World Cup match, we visited all the planned spots. Lee went at our pace and we didn’t feel rushed. She explained a lot of what we were seeing and answered our many questions. She also made sure to stop in the shade for a while to help me cool down and helped us to find a shop for rehydration drink and sun umbrella ☺️. Highly recommend!
Our party of four thoroughly enjoyed the 5 hours we spent with Ms, Lee touring Seoul Old Town with an extensive look at Jogyesea Temple, Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace, including the stirring changing of the Royal Palace Guards, a stop at the Korean Folk Art Museum, lunch at Gwangjang Market (yummy bibimbap, beef tartare, spicy rice cake, mungbean pancakes, and gimbap), a walk down peaceful Cheonggyecheon Stream, and a visit to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Each stop's unique characteristics were brought to life through Ms. Lee's clear and down-to-earth explanations. She truly gave us an appreciation for Korean culture and history. She is warm and funny with a charming easy going manner. Ask her tons of questions; she has answers. We had a delightful experience and want to do more tours with her on our next stay in Seoul.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed review. I truly appreciate your kindness. Whenever I meet people like you, I feel lucky to have become a tour guide. It was a joy sharing stories, laughs, and great food with you all. I am so happy to know you enjoyed each stop, from the temple to the food market, and experienced the charm of Seoul. Your kind words truly mean a lot to me. I hope to meet you again someday in the future. Please let me know on your next visit. It would be lovely to meet and catch up again. :-) Regards, Lee (@honeytrailkorea)
We had an incredible time on the Highlights of South Korea tour with Lee. She explained the history, rules, and rituals so clearly and made everything easy to understand and appreciate. Lee also took magnificent photos of us throughout the day, which we truly treasure. Every stop was interesting and well paced, and we loved every minute of the experience. Thank you, Lee, for making this tour so memorable!
Thank you so much for the lovely review. I’m always very happy to meet people living in the countries I used to live in—it brought back such wonderful memories. I’m also glad you liked the photos! My nieces never want to take them when we travel, haha, so I know how special they are. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the tour. It was a real pleasure sharing Korea’s history with you, and I hope the experience stays memorable for your whole family. Thanks again for joining my tour. Have a lovely day. :-) Regards, Lee (@honeytrailkorea)
Lee was a great tour guide and we were fortunate to have a private tour! She offered a great balance of history and current Korean culture facts. This was a great introduction to the city!
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review! I truly enjoyed spending time with you and sharing stories, history, and everyday life in my hometown. It was especially meaningful to show you around on your first visit and help you get a feel for the city. Thank you very much for choosing my tour. I hope she had the chance to try lots of delicious Korean food, especially the ginseng chicken soup. :-) I am glad this experience became a warm introduction to Korea. Hope to see you again someday. Safe travels and wonderful memories ahead. Regards, Lee (@honeytrailkorea)
This tour was a wonderful mix of history utilizing several historical sites. The guide skillfully demonstrated how past events have influenced and built the character and resilience of the Korean people. Her presentations were clear, thorough, and responsive to our interests. At every stop, we were given ample time to explore, take photographs, and rest. Although our visit in Korea was short, this tour gave us a useful overview that helped us connect to the people and culture.
Thank you for the lovely review. I really appreciate it. Your words truly mean a lot to me. Whenever I receive such a review, I realize it was a great choice to become a tour guide after the profession I had before. I’m glad the tour helped you connect with Korea’s history, people, and culture, even during your short visit. I enjoyed walking with you and sharing stories at each site, and I’m happy the pace felt comfortable. I hope your memories of Korea stay warm and meaningful for a long time. Regards, Lee (@honeytrailkorea)
A great walk through the palace a lot of culture and knowledge of Korean culture all very beautiful super recommend and has the change of the guard
Thank you very much for joining the tour and for the kind review. I really appreciate it. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour, and I hope our paths cross again someday. Have a wonderful day! :-)
Great experience!! Lee was waiting for us and we experienced this trip the 3 of us. And we had a blast, very informative trip, we had plenty of questions on Seoul and Korea, and Lee was very helpful answering all. Lee is a very charming person and this trip was just like a trip with a friend in Seoul. A great memory of our trip to Seoul, and our friends (from Belgium) are also super excited and showed big interest in visiting Seoul and South-Korea. Of course we will recommend them all to do this trip with Lee!
Thank you so much for your kind review! I truly appreciate that you took the time to write it even after many days. It really felt like I was showing Seoul to my friends, and that means a lot to me. If you have any friends or family visiting Korea, please don’t hesitate to recommend me! I’d love to help them discover Seoul too. I hope to see you again someday! Always take care, my Belgian friends. :-) Regards, Lee (@honeytrailkorea)
Ms. Lee is knowledgeable about the culture and history of South Korea. We really got to know the history of the palace and other sites we toured. At the end, Ms. Lee taught and gifted us a board game that we were able to play when we got back home!! We had an amazing experience with this tour and left South Korea with a greater knowledge of the history and culture. Ms. Lee was very friendly and able to answer all of my mother’s questions as well.
Thank you very much for coming to my tour. It was really nice to meet with you again, even with your mother this time! It means a lot for me. Thank you. I hope you and your family enjoyed the trip in Korea and the other country too. I will remember this for long. Thanks again for your kindness and everything. Always take care. :-) Regards, Lee (@honeytrailkorea)
Lee was a Fantastic Tour Guide; she answered all our questions and gave us insight for a time gone by. This walking tour was fun as the weather cooperated and we got the full experience of Seoul. Thanks Lee....!!!
Thank you very much for coming to the tour. It was really nice to meet you and your friends. I also really appreciate you left the great review. I hope you enjoyed the stay in Korea. I hope next time you can visit Korea for vacation too! Have a wonderful day. :-)
I learned a lot about Seoul and the beautiful country of Korea. Lee was an excellent guide. We also got some great exercise. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much for choosing Korea as your travel country and my tour. I'm glad you enjoyed the exercise too! I hope you had a great time in Korea. Please let me know if you have any questions. :-) Enjoy your days, and always take care. Regards, Lee (@honeytrailkorea)
