How to spend a Perfect Day in Seoul with Itinerary Map

Seoul

Check Point

・The palace of the Joseon Dynasty, which was featured in the TV drama

・Area where you can enjoy both gourmet food and shopping

・N Seoul Tower offers a panoramic view of the city

【City description】

This is a model course for visiting the famous tourist spots of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, in one day. You can experience not only history but also current trends by visiting UNESCO and national treasure-class royal palaces and popular shopping spots.

【Overall rating】

　★★★★★

【Time required】

　12h

【Budget】

　45,000 won

【Fatigue】

　★★★★★

【Contents】

★=Must-see spots
◎=Recommended spots

Itinerary Map

Navigation

【Start】
①Seoul Station

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Take subway line 1 (to Yeoncheon Station) and get off three stops later.

②Jongno 3(sam) ga Station

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Exit the subway at Exit 11 and enter the park on your left. There will be a gate so go through.

③Jongmyo Shrine

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Return to Jongno 3-ga Station and board Line 3 (towards Daehwa Station) and go one stop.

④Anguk Station

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Go out onto the ground from Exit 3 and follow the road until you see a gate on your left.

⑤Jondeokjeong

★There is a connecting passage on the east side of the grounds that leads to the next palace, so go through there.

⑥Changgyeonggung Palace

★Route Time required: 20 minutes
Follow the same road back to Anguk Station ⇒ Turn right at the intersection where the station stairs are ⇒ Turn left at the bus stop with a sign that says Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을) to enter the next area.

⑦Bukchon Hanok Village

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Once you leave the Bukchon Hanok Village area, turn left at the end of the road ⇒ Turn left at the end and follow the wall ⇒ You will see the entrance on your right.

⑧National Folk Museum of Korea

★The museum is located on the premises of our next destination.

⑨Gyeongbokgung Palace

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Go in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall, go through the two gates and then turn right and you will see the museum.

⑩National Palace Museum of Korea

★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Exit Gyeongbokgung Palace’s main gate, Gwanghwamun, and go straight. After passing the subway stairs, you will see the gate on the corner to your right.

⑪Deoksugung Palace

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Exit through the Deoksugung Palace gate and cross the crosswalk in front of you ⇒ Go through Seoul Plaza and continue straight down the street ⇒ After passing the intersection where the next subway stairs are, there will be an open street on your right, so turn right and continue on.

⑫Myeong-dong

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
After passing through Myeongdong Street and the main street, go down the subway stairs to cross the road ⇒ Exit onto ground level from Exit 3 ⇒ Enter the street and turn right at the end of the road ⇒ Keep going up the hill ⇒ You will find the ropeway station on your right at the end of the road.

⑬Namsan Cable Car

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
After getting off the cable car, you will walk through Namsan Park to the tower.

⑭N Seoul Tower

★Route Time required: 40 minutes
Take the cable car back down the mountain and then take subway line 4 from Myeongdong station, two stops back to Seoul station.

【Goal】
Seoul Station

How to use Google Map

・Click the square mark on the top left of the map to see a list of tourist spots.

・If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information.

・You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).

【Start】

①Seoul Station

서울역

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Take subway line 1 (to Yeoncheon Station) and get off three stops later.

②Jongno 3(sam) ga Station

종로3가

This is where you get off the train.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Exit the subway at Exit 11 and enter the park on your left. There will be a gate so go through.

③Jongmyo Shrine★

종묘

Time required: 1h

Admission fee: 1,000 won

Opening hour:

Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri Only tours available	English tours	10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm
Free viewing on Sat, Sun, holidays, and the last Wed of every month	Feb-May / Sep-Oct	9 am – 6 pm
	Jun – Aug	9 am – 6h30 pm
	Nov – Jan	9 am – 5h30 pm

Closed: Tuesdays (open if Tuesday is a public holiday and closed the following day)

Jongmyo Shrine is a sacred place where the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty are enshrined. It was built when the capital was moved to Seoul. Originally, there were only seven main shrine rooms, but now there are 19 rooms with 49 statues enshrined. It was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 as the oldest wooden shrine building in the world.

In addition, the Jongmyo Jerye, a ritual ceremony to honor the achievements of deceased kings with musical instruments, songs, and dances, was registered as the world’s oldest ritual culture in 2001 as the 600-year-old tradition. This ritual can be seen every year on the first Sunday of May. The tour is only available on weekdays, and free viewing on weekends and holidays, so the viewing method varies depending on the day.

Here are some of the main highlights during your visit.

・Yeongnyeongjeon Hall: An annex to the cellae where 34 statues are enshrined.

・Jeonsacheong Office: A storage facility for ritual items.

・Hyangdaecheong Office: A preparation room for the ancestral shrine rituals.

・Jaegung Office: A place to purify the body and mind in preparation for rituals.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Return to Jongno 3-ga Station and board Line 3 (towards Daehwa Station) and go one stop.

④Anguk Station

안국

This is where you get off the train.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Go out onto the ground from Exit 3 and follow the road until you see a gate on your left.

⑤Jondeokjeong Palace★

관덕정

Time required: 45 min

Admission fee: 3,000 won
(+5,000 won for a tour)
※Free in Hanbok

Opening hour:

Feb-May/Sep-Oct	9 am – 6 pm
Jun – Aug	9 am – 6h30 pm
Nov – Jan	9 am – 5h30 pm

Closed: Monday

This is the only palace among the Five Great Royal Palaces in Seoul that is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was originally a detached palace of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which we will visit later, but it was burned down during the Bunroku Invasion of Korea by Tokugawa Hideyoshi, and politics were conducted at this palace for 270 years after that.

There are two areas for viewing: the general viewing area and the Rear Garden Area, which is only open to tours. The Rear Garden Area is famous as the filming location for Dae Jang Geum, and is the northern half of the grounds, so general visitors can only visit the southern half of the grounds.

For detailed tour times, please see here.

Tour information
https://royal.khs.go.kr/JPN/contents/J700000000.do?schGroupCode=cdg&schGroupCodeNm=%E6%98%8C%E5%BE%B3%E5%AE%AE

Main highlights

・Donhwamun: The first gate you enter and the oldest palace gate still standing in Seoul.

・Geumcheongyo Bridge: The oldest stone bridge in Seoul with a history of over 600 years.

・Injeongjeon: The main hall where the king’s coronation ceremonies and national events were held.

・Seonjeongjeon: The office.

・Heejeongdang: The king’s living space and office.

・Daejojeon: The queen’s living space.

Free if you wear Hanbok (Chima Chogori)

There are many shops where you can rent hanbok near tourist spots in Seoul. Some tourist spots, such as Changdeokgung Palace, allow you to enter for free if you wear hanbok. Why not try it out as a memento of your trip?

★There is a connecting passage on the east side of the grounds that leads to the next palace, so go through there.

⑥Changgyeonggung Palace★

창덕궁

Time required: 45 min

Admission fee: 1,000 won

Opening hour: 9 am – 9 pm

Closed: Monday

This palace was built by the ninth king, Seongjong, for his three wives, and was also used as a secondary palace for his grandmother, birth mother, and adoptive mother to supplement the lack of accommodation at Changdeokgung Palace.

Main highlights

・Myeongjeongjeon: The main hall, used for official ceremonies. It is the oldest of the Joseon royal palace’s legal halls and is a national treasure.

・Tongmyeongjeon: The king and queen lived here.

★Route Time required: 20 minutes

Follow the same road back to Anguk Station ⇒ Turn right at the intersection where the station stairs are ⇒ Turn left at the bus stop with a sign that says Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을) to enter the next area.

⑦Bukchon Hanok Village★

북촌한옥마을

Time required: 1h30

Admission fee: 0 won

Closed: No

This area is lined with traditional Korean houses from the Joseon Dynasty, where royalty and aristocrats once lived. With 600 years of history, you can stroll through the old-fashioned streets. It is called Bukchon because it is located north of Cheonggyecheon and Jongno.

There are restaurants and cafes here, so it is recommended to take a lunch break. There are also facilities where you can experience traditional crafts such as tea ceremony and handicrafts. There are also eight scenic spots called the Bukchon Eight Scenic Views, and although the first and second are far from this area, you can visit six of them in this area.

Please note that this area is a residential area, so please do not disturb the neighbors. For detailed routes through the Bukchon Eight Scenic Views, please click here.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Once you leave the Bukchon Hanok Village area, turn left at the end of the road ⇒ Turn left at the end and follow the wall ⇒ You will see the entrance on your right.

⑧National Folk Museum of Korea◎

국립민속박물관

Time required: 1h

Admission fee: 0 won

Opening hour

Mar – Oct	9 am – 6 pm until 8 pm on Saturday
Nov – Feb	9 am – 5 pm

Closed: 1/1, Lunar New Year, Chuseok

As its name suggests, the National Folk Museum is a museum that focuses on the lives of Korean people. You can see how life has changed from the Joseon Dynasty to the present day. The National Children’s Museum is next door, but it is aimed at children and has a limit on the number of visitors.

If you would like to make a reservation, please visit this website.

Ticket purchase site
https://www.museum.go.kr/site/childeng/home

★The museum is located on the premises of our next destination.

⑨Gyeongbokgung Palace★

경복궁

Time required: 1h

Admission fee: 3,000 won
※Free in Hanbok

Opening hour

Mar-May / Sep-Oct	9 am – 6 pm
Jun – Aug	9 am – 6h30 pm
Nov – Feb	9 am – 5 pm

Closed: Tuesday

This is the highlight of the Five Great Royal Palaces of Seoul. Built in 1393 when the capital was moved to Seoul, it is meant to symbolize the new dynasty’s prosperity and great fortune. It was burned down during the Imjin War and was replaced by Changdeokgung Palace, which we visited earlier, for 270 years.

The highlight is Geunjeongjeon, the largest wooden building in Korea. Geunjeongjeon was the main hall and is used for national events such as the coronation ceremony, and the folding screen painting of the Sun, Moon and Five Peaks behind the throne inside is also depicted on the 10,000 won bill.

Main highlights

・Jagyeongjeon: The residence of the Empress Dowager, the highest-ranking woman in the royal family.

・Sajyeongjeon: The king’s study and was also used for discussions with his subjects.

・Sujieongjeon: A place for academic research, where Hunminjeongeum, which shows the origins of Hangeul, was created.

・Gyeonghoeru: A facility used for celebrations and banquets.

Must-see changing ceremony

At Gyeongbokgung Palace, you can see the Changing of the Guard Ceremony, a reenactment of the changing of the guard from the Joseon Dynasty.

Changing of the guard

・Heungnyemun Gate (20 min): 10 am, 2 pm

・Gwanghwamun Gate (10 min): 11 am, 1 pm

Guard army open training

Kyoseimon Gate (15 min): 9h35 am, 1h35 pm

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Go in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall, go through the two gates and then turn right and you will see the museum.

⑩National Palace Museum of Korea◎

국립고궁박물관

Time required: 1h

Admission fee: 0 won

Opening hour: 10 am – 6 pm

Closed: 1/1, Lunar New Year, Chuseok

This is the third museum within the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds, and it mainly exhibits materials related to the royal culture.

★Route Time required: 15 minutes

Exit Gyeongbokgung Palace’s main gate, Gwanghwamun, and go straight. After passing the subway stairs, you will see the gate on the corner to your right.

⑪Deoksugung Palace★

덕수궁

Time required: 1h

Admission fee: 1,000 won

Opening hour: 9 am – 9 pm

Closed: Monday

It was originally the residence of Prince Wolsan, the elder brother of the 9th king, Seongjong, but was temporarily used as a royal residence when Gyeongbokgung Palace and other palaces were burned down during the Imjin War. After that, when Gojong proclaimed the Korean Empire and took the throne in 1897, it was used as an imperial palace and a Western-style building was built on the premises. At the entrance gate, the changing of the guard ceremony is held at 11 am and 2 pm except on Mondays, just like at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Main highlights

・Jungwaden: The main hall, used for official national events.

・Tokuhoden: Used as a reception room for ministers and other important people, its wooden floors were influenced by Western culture.

・Hannyeongjeon: The king’s bedroom, with the emperor’s room to the east and the empress’s room to the west.

・Seokjojeon: A Western-style building where foreign envoys were received.

・National Museum of Modern Art: Another Western-style building, and as its name suggests, it is currently used as an art museum.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Exit through the Deoksugung Palace gate and cross the crosswalk in front of you ⇒ Go through Seoul Plaza and continue straight down the street ⇒ After passing the intersection where the next subway stairs are, there will be an open street on your right, so turn right and continue on.

⑫Myeong-dong★

명동

Time required: 1h

It is one of Seoul’s most popular downtown areas and a popular tourist spot. It is a popular place for shopping and restaurants, and it is also fun to buy food from the food stalls and eat it while walking around. No matter how much time you try to take a good look at it, it is not enough, but here you just enjoy the atmosphere and head to the last tourist spot.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

After passing through Myeongdong Street and the main street, go down the subway stairs to cross the road ⇒ Exit onto ground level from Exit 3 ⇒ Enter the street and turn right at the end of the road ⇒ Keep going up the hill ⇒ You will find the ropeway station on your right at the end of the road.

⑬Namsan Cable Car

Time required: 15 min

Admission fee: 15,000 won for round trip

Opening hour: 10 am – 11 pm

Closed: No

From here, you can take a cable car to the tower. Buy a ticket on the first floor and board the cable car on the third floor.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

After getting off the cable car, you will walk through Namsan Park to the tower.

⑭N Seoul Tower★

N서울타워

Time required: 1h

Admission fee: 21,000 won

Opening hour: 10 am – 10 pm

Closed: No

This is the first radio tower built in Korea, located on top of Namsan Mountain. The 236.7m tower stands on top of Namsan Mountain at an altitude of 243m, giving it a total height of 479.7m. From the observation deck you can get a panoramic view of Seoul, and the sunset and night view are romantic.

It is also a popular date spot, and there are many other attractions besides the observation deck, such as Seoul Tower Plaza, which has many photogenic spots and love padlocks that couples leave as mementos.

★Route Time required: 40 minutes

Take the cable car back down the mountain and then take subway line 4 from Myeongdong station, two stops back to Seoul station.

【Goal】

Seoul Station

For those who still want to play

This concludes our model itinerary, but for those who want to do more sightseeing, we’d like to introduce some recommended tourist spots that you can visit after returning to Myeongdong Station from Seoul Tower. Of course, we also recommend continuing your stroll around Myeongdong and having dinner.

⑮NANTA★

NANTA is a popular entertainment for tourists in Seoul, where you can enjoy a slapstick comedy performed by chefs. There is no language barrier, so you can enjoy it even if you don’t understand Korean. There is also a venue in Myeongdong, and performances are held at 8 pm except on Sundays, so you can go even after touring the model course. I went to see it myself and it was a lot of fun, so I recommend it.

⑯Namdaemun Market◎

남대문시장

Namdaemun Market, one of Seoul’s best, is located one stop away from Hoehyeon Station on the subway from Myeongdong to Seoul Station.

It’s a huge market, with each street lined with specialty shops selling clothing, glasses, watches, and more, and it takes a long time just to walk around. There is also a street selling ginseng and other groceries, where you can buy souvenirs. There are also food stalls if you feel like eating, and there are several restaurants on the west side of the market. If you go further west, you will find Namdaemun Gate.

⑰Dongdaemun Market◎

동대문종합시장

From Myeongdong, take the train on Line 4 to Jinjeong Station, three stops away, and you’ll find Dongdaemun Market, which rivals Namdaemun Market, near Dongdaemun Station, an area known as the town that never sleeps. When you exit the street from Exit 9, Dongdaemun Market is ahead on the left, housing specialty shops such as accessories.

There are many restaurants on the west side of the market building, which is also recommended as a place to eat. Across the bridge on the south side of the station is Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a modern-looking commercial complex, and if you want to enjoy shopping, we recommend spending a day in the Dongdaemun area.

⑱Gwangjang Market

광장시장

If you go further west from the restaurant area of Dongdaemun Market, you will find an arcade called Gwangjang Market. There are many food stalls in the shopping street, and you can eat in front of the stores. The nearest station is Jongno 5(o)ga Station on Line 1.

⑲LOTTE MART ZETTAPLEX Seoul Station★

롯데마트 제타플렉스 서울역점

This large supermarket is located next to Seoul Station and is open every day until midnight. You can buy a lot of souvenirs here, and you can also use the duty-free service, so you can shop at a great price. You can also request international delivery, and there is a space to store your suitcases, so it’s a convenient place to stop by before heading to the airport on your last day.

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