Admire South Korea’s palace architecture and learn of life in the country’s capital on this 3-hour Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village walking tour. Stroll to Gwanghwamun Gate and visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. Listen as your guide details Joseon Dynasty history and admire traditional construction techniques. Visit the National Folk Museum of Korea and discover over 98,000 artifacts detailing South Korea’s history. Head between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace to Bukchon Hanok Village. Peer inside traditional houses and learn about Korean lifestyles from the past to the prefect day.

Informative, friendly and professional guide
Perfect introduction for first-time visitors
All entrance fees included
Step back in time on a history tour
Pickup from a centrally located meeting point

What's Included

Professional guide
Admission fee

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

24-1
24-1 Taepyeongno 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
City Hall Station Exit #6 outside right next to the hotel THE PLAZA We don't provide pick up and drop off service so all travelers are supposed to get the above meeting point on time.

End point

75-5
75-5 Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
The tour finishes at Insadong area.

What To Expect

Gyeongbokgung Palace

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Gwanghwamun Gate (Pass By)

Bukchon Hanok Village

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Seoul City Hall (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travellers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travellers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Not recommended for travellers with walking difficulty on steps and uphills
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 5 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Reviews

5.0

106 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 106 reviews

All in one place. The real heart of Seoul.

Lorena_M, May 2023

It was a walking tour so we moved around people that were doing their own daily life. It was wonderful to see the very spectacular palace on other historic places but at the same time see the daily life environment. And our tour guide explained all so well!!!

Great experience, learnt...

Scarlett_J, May 2023

Great experience, learnt about the history and culture with some sights! Would recommend especially for those with limited time

Paul is the best tour guide ever

Kristan_S, May 2023

I had THE BEST TIME EVER. I ended up booking this tour last minute and being the only person on the tour, and my tour guide Paul did an incredible job of making the experience fun and memorable. He taught me so much about Korean history and culture, and we even stopped to have a bite of street food together. I was able to see the changing of the guard, many palace buildings, the National folk museum, and a beautiful village. He also went out of his way to take me to a shopping area I wanted to see and a seafood restaurant he recommended for me. Paul is hands down what made this experience super special, so I highly recommend him!

Great tour

Jeff_W, Apr 2023

Helpful guide with lots of knowledge of the landmarks we walked by, I would recommend this tour to others

Awesome

Karen_S, Apr 2023

Great experience with Paul! He had a lot of great knowledge! I would do again! I wish there was more time!

Fabulous tour and wonderful guide!

Elizabeth_D, Apr 2023

This is an excellent tour to take if you are new Korean history and looking to know more. My friend and I boked for our first full day in Seoul and it was perfect. Jack was an excellent tour guide; giving plenty of time to take pictures and explore the palace complex, but also providing great cultural and historical information. He even sang us a couple of traditional Korean songs! It is clear he loves what he does and take a lot of pride in his work. Fair warning there is a lot of walking and the Bukchon Hanock Village is uphill. The tour was amazing!

Well worth the time and money! Exceeded expectations!

Greg_F, Apr 2023

The tour was thorough and she knew all the tips to make a touristy spot seem personalized. Highly recommend!

Jack was great

Christopher_F, Apr 2023

Our tour guide Jack was fantastic. He met us right outside the station and was very knowledgeable of the area and history. We booked a group tour but we’re the only ones there so it became a personal half day tour.

Great tour!

Chelsea_K, Apr 2023

I was lucky enough to be the only guest on this tour. Paul the tour guide gave an excellent and efficient 3-hour walking tour, which included the changing of the guard ceremony at the palace, walking around the palace and folk museum, walking up the famous Hanok street, and walking down the main Insadong alley. Paul has a wealth of knowledge to share, and he made this a very enjoyable experience! He even offered to take my picture and buy us some delicious street food to taste. If I had more time, I would have spent time after the tour exploring Insadong more.

Great tour!

florence_m, Mar 2023

Jack was a very informative tour guide!! Enjoyed the history, cultural aspects and tips! Lots of walking but worth it!

Fantastic and informative tour!

Teresa_F, Mar 2023

The guide was very well versed in the Korean history and explained the culture as well as the places that we visited.

A day at the palace and Hanok village

Carol_D, Feb 2023

We learned a lot about the Joseon era from our tour guide Jack. Going to Bukchon Hanok village was very interesting. Overall a fun walking tour.

Great tour

Gail_W, Jan 2023

We had a really pleasant and informative time on this tour! I highly recommend it for a good experience learning more about Korea and viewing some of the historical sites. Jay was our guide, and he was very kind, well-informed, and experienced.

Informative with Personal Touches

Nicole_S, Nov 2022

My tour guide for the experience was Catherine, who was so patient, kind and fun. She was very knowledgeable about each tour stop, and also took the time to explain interesting happenings on the street as we walked - as well as make recommendations on where else to visit while in Korea. She added personal stories and anecdotes which were unique and made the experience that much more rich. I would recommend this walking tour to anyone visiting Seoul!

Catherine was fabulous! So knowledgeable, adorable, and fun! She also recommended a great lunch place and shopping!

Ronna_H, Nov 2022

The palace and chafing of the guard is quite wonderful and colorful, but The Buddhist temple with all the chrysanthemums is the best!It almost puts Longwood Gardens in PA to shame!!

Great tour

Mia_H, Sept 2022

Had a great tour with Jack! He was very informative and gave us a greater appreciation of the sites throughout the tour. Definitely glad we did the tour!

Great first day tour!!

babsieq, Sept 2022

We did this tour with Catherine and she was excellent! We learned a lot about the history of Korea. Despite the fact that ot was a bit rainy, the tour did not dampen our mood. Catherine also was so great taking our pictures and being patient with our group. This an awesome tour for an introduction to Korea. We highly recommend!! Thank you so much Catherine!!

Amazing experience

Meghan_E, Aug 2022

This was such a great tour with so much information. I actually got to do the tour alone and I felt like I got to see so much. I learned so much about history and Korean design. I think I’d I had done this without the tour I wouldn’t have gotten much out of it but pictures. There is so much information that isn’t shared without this tour! The guide was wonderful and he took many great photos of me in different parts! I would recommend this to anyone interested in history and Koran culture!!

Wonderful historical tour!

Kelsey_J, Aug 2022

We had a great tour with Ben and learned so much about the history of South Korea. It was very hot and sunny the day of our tour and Ben got us a taxi near the end so we could have a break from walking, which was much appreciated. He knows a ton about Seoul's history and was able to answer all of our questions. I think the tour was a perfect amount of time - not too early in the morning and we were able to wrap up and have lunch. I would recommend this tour to anyone traveling to Seoul, it is a great experience and Ben is a terrific guide.

Amazing Tour and Tour Guide

Henry_B, Aug 2022

Jack was an amazing tour guide and I had a lot of fun learning about Korean history through his tour, and would definitely try this again. He helped me find lots of cool local spots to eat and shop in between the tour and it really helped!

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