Seoul 3 day itinerary

Gwanghwamun is the main gate of Gyeongbokgung, and in front of it the wide Yukjo-geori street stretched out as the centre of Hanyang. The official history records that Gwanghwamun, Geonchunmun and Yeongchumun were built in 1426 (the 8th year of King Sejong). Source

No hours in the catalogue

19 min walk to the next stop

A traditional market in the Seochon residential area with a continuous run of side-dish, snack and everyday grocery stalls. Source

Catalogue hours 07:00–21:00

12 min walk to the next stop

Gyeongbokgung was founded in 1395 (the 4th year of King Taejo) after the founding of Joseon in 1392, as the foremost main palace of the Joseon dynasty. With Bugaksan as its guardian mountain, the wide Yukjo-geori street stretched out in front of its main gate, Gwanghwamun, as the centre of Hanyang. Source

Catalogue hours 09:00–17:00 · Closed Tue

Admission ₩3,000 · official page

Bukchon Hanok Village lies between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, with traditional hanok lining every lane. It is not a village made for tourism but a residential neighbourhood where Seoul citizens actually live. Source

Catalogue hours 10:00–17:00

About 19 min to the next stop: walk 10 min to Anguk, Seoul Subway Line 3 from Anguk to Jongno 3(sam)-ga (1 stop, about 2 min), walk 7 min

You can look at the layout of the shrine that holds the spirit tablets of Joseon kings and queens and of the ritual space, and learn the history of the Jongmyo royal ancestral rite. Source

Catalogue hours 09:00–18:00 · Last entry 17:00 · Closed Tue

Admission ₩1,000 · official page

11 min walk to the next stop

A temple-food restaurant in Insa-dong that serves meat-free meals made with mountain greens and seasonal vegetables. It is near Exit 6 of Anguk Station and is introduced as having a traditional-style interior with a raised sitting floor. Source

Catalogue hours 11:30–21:00

A national museum with more than 13,000 objects on display in six permanent exhibition halls. Source

Catalogue hours 09:30–17:30 · Other closing days apply

Free entry · official page

About 16 min to the next stop: walk 10 min to Ichon, Seoul Subway Line 4 from Ichon to Samgakji (2 stops, about 4 min), walk 2 min

A long-established place in Samgakji known for brisket and lamb intestines grilled over charcoal on a rebar grate. Source

Catalogue hours 08:00–21:30 · Closed Mon

Main dishes ₩20,000–29,999 per person · official page

A tower 236.7 m tall on the summit of Namsan (262 m); the official tourism guide says you can look down on Seoul in 360 degrees from 480 m above sea level. Source

Catalogue hours 10:00–22:30

Admission ₩29,000 · official page

A pedestrian area in Jongno of hanok lanes built before the 1930s, now with cafes, restaurants and small shops. Source

No hours in the catalogue

About 11 min to the next stop: walk 4 min to Jongno 3(sam)-ga, Seoul Subway Line 5 from Jongno 3(sam)-ga to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (DDP) (2 stops, about 4 min), walk 3 min

DDP is a cultural complex connected directly to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, and it opened on 21 March 2014. It is described as a Zaha Hadid building made of curves and 45,133 different exterior panels. Source

Catalogue hours 10:00–20:00 · Other closing days apply

About 8 min to the next stop: walk 3 min to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (DDP), Seoul Subway Line 2 from Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (DDP) to Euljiro 4(sa)-ga (1 stop, about 2 min), walk 3 min

A restaurant that has served beef-broth Pyongyang naengmyeon and bulgogi for more than 60 years. Source

Catalogue hours 11:30–21:00 · Closed Mon

Main dishes ₩10,000–19,999 per person · official page

Changdeokgung was founded in 1405 (the 5th year of King Taejong) as a secondary palace to the main palace, Gyeongbokgung. It is regarded as the most Korean palace because it was built naturally in harmony with the surrounding terrain, and it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Source

Catalogue hours 09:00–17:30 · Closed Mon

Admission ₩3,000 · official page

16 min walk to the next stop

Insa-dong became a centre of art activity after the Dohwaseo (royal painting bureau) was sited there in the early Joseon period, and settled as a traditional-culture street in the 1980s when art-supply, antique-furniture and folk-craft shops appeared. Source

No hours in the catalogue

A long-established Chinese restaurant that has been going since 1948, whose signature dishes are oyster jjamppong and samseon jjamppong. Source

Catalogue hours 11:30–21:00

Main dishes ₩10,000–19,999 per person · official page

About 15 min to the next stop: walk 2 min to Euljiro 3(sam)-ga, Seoul Subway Line 3 from Euljiro 3(sam)-ga to Jongno 3(sam)-ga (1 stop, about 2 min), change at Jongno 3(sam)-ga (4 min), Seoul Subway Line 5 from Jongno 3(sam)-ga to Gwanghwamun (1 stop, about 3 min), walk 4 min

Cheonggyecheon is a stream of about 11 km through central Seoul, restored through an urban regeneration project from the stream that existed in the Joseon era. It starts at Cheonggye Plaza and flows under 22 bridges to the Han River. Source

Open 24 hours

Free entry · official page

10 min walk to the next stop

Deoksugung was the imperial palace of the Korean Empire, proclaimed in 1897, and was formerly called Gyeongungung. As it was enlarged to suit an imperial palace, Western-style buildings began to be built inside it, so traditional and Western-style buildings stand together. Source

Catalogue hours 09:00–20:00 · Closed Mon

Admission ₩1,000 · official page

18 min walk to the next stop

A kalguksu specialist that opened in 1966, with its main shop on Myeongdong 10-gil near Exit 8 of Myeongdong Station. The official Seoul tourism guide presents kalguksu made with chicken broth as its signature dish. Source

Catalogue hours 10:30–21:00

Main dishes ₩10,000–19,999 per person · official page