Are you planning a trip to Seoul? Or, have you always wanted to visit the sprawling capital city of South Korea? Don’t know where to start planning? Welcome to our short series on Seoul’s districts and its notable landmarks worth visiting. Whether you want to learn about the country's history, experience its culture, find your food mecca, or jam out to K-pop...stay with us as we compile your handy travel guide to Seoul!
HISTORY | CULTURE | SHOPPING | FOOD | GOOGLE MAPS
HISTORY
In the heart of Seoul, nestled between modern towers and the natural surrounding mountains, is the home of ancient palaces and historic relics with a deep and rich Korean history. There are five main palaces that originally housed the royal family and officials of the Joseon dynasty. The original structures were destroyed and rebuilt multiple times throughout the centuries due to war and territorial disputes, and were even left neglected for hundreds of years. Finally in the 90s, the city committed to restoring the Five Grand Palaces to preserve the royal history of Korea.
The five palaces are located in Jongno-gu (종로구) district, the bustling downtown of the capital. You can easily spend an hour or two at each palace, especially if you enjoy taking in the beautiful scenery. You can schedule a few days to hit all the palaces, or, if you’re only planning on visiting a few palaces, you can easily do a one-day history fix by selecting your sites based on walking distance to each other. Be sure to plan according to operating hours too, as most of the palaces are closed on either Monday or Tuesday.
Geunjeongjeon Hall, the main throne hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace
This is the main palace known for its grandeur and symbol of royalty. Visitors can see the elegant royal culture and how officials used the spaces during the Joseon era. As the primary royal palace, it’s the most popular and frequented palace. There are multiple changing of the guard ceremonies throughout the day. You can check the times to catch these events here.
Map of Gyeongbokgung Palace
The palace complexes are large and sprawling, so don't forget to grab a map at the entry.
Buyongji Pond and Juhamnu Pavilion at Huwan (secret garden)
CHANGDEOKGUNG PALACE (창덕궁) (closed Monday)
While Gyeongbokgung is considered the main palace, Changdeokgung actually served as the primary residence for the royal family. Changdeokgung is famous for its beautiful secret garden, and it’s the only one of the five palaces that is registered as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Of all the palaces, this one was my favorite, especially during the autumn when the landscape is brilliant with changing colors. Note that you have to get specific tour tickets in order to visit Huwon (the secret garden). The tickets sell out fast (only 100 per tour), so either reserve online up to 6 days before, or arrive early around 9 am to book your tour.
Royal Palace Grounds
CHANGYEONGGUNG (창경궁) (closed Monday)
The original structures of Changyeonggung was originally built in the mid-15th century by King Sejong for his father, Taejong. This palace is smaller and quieter than the others, but an easy visit since it's located right next door to Changyeonggung and its secret garden.
Intricate Details at the Palaces
DEOKSUGUNG (덕수궁) (closed Monday)
Located at the intersection of Seoul’s busiest city center, Deoksugung is one of the smaller palaces (only 1,000 KRW admission). This palace is interesting because it blends traditional structures with modern western stone buildings. This palace is usually relatively empty, so you won’t have to deal with hoards of visitors in your scenic photos.
Intricate Interior Details at the Palaces
GYEONGHUIGUNG (경희궁) (closed Monday)
This palace served as the secondary palace for the king during times of emergency. Like the other palaces, Gyeonghuigung was rebuilt multiple times, being destroyed twice by fires. Any surviving buildings were eventually dismantled by the Japanese Occupation. And by the time the city decided to reconstruct the palace in the 90s, Seoul’s metropolitan buildings were already encroaching on the original palace grounds. Because of this, only about one-third of the palace structures have been restored today.
OTHER NOTABLE PLACES OF KOREAN HISTORY
JONGMYO SHRINE (종묘)
Built to honor deceased royalty, this Confucian temple was reconstructed in 1601 and still stands well-preserved today as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Note: to visit this site you must reserve a spot with a tour, except on Saturdays where you can explore freely.
National Museum of Korea
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA (국립중앙박물관)
This museum is a great introduction to the history and culture of Korea. It's also a great Day 1 activity when you're still jet-lagged off your flight and need a low-key activity on your itinerary.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREAN CONTEMPORARY HISTORY (대한민국역사박물관)
Documents and displays Korea's economic, cultural, and societal hardships and achievements.
SEODAEMUN PRISON HISTORY HALL (서대문 형무소)
Old prison facilities that have been restored to realistic conditions of activists incarcerated during Japanese Occupation and also during Korea's independence.
WAR MEMORIAL OF KOREA (전쟁기념관)
Exhibits thousands of artifacts and war records spanning Korea's 5000-year history.
Check out our interactive map categorized by history, culture, shopping, & more to come. Keep checking in as we update our map, and use it to help plan your Seoul itinerary!