Small-Group Royal Palace And Seoul City Tour W/ Lunch & Hotel P/u

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Tour Information

Key Details

  • Mobile Voucher Accepted
  • Hotel pickup Available
  • Instant Confirmation
  • Lowest Price Guaranteed
  • Duration: 8 Hrs
  • Language:
    English
  • Departure Time :
    09:00 AM Hotel pickups commence prior to this time, you must contact the local service provider to verify your exact pickup time.Times are subject to change due to local traffic conditions.
  • Return Details :
    Hotel pickups commence prior to this time, you must contact the local service provider to verify your exact pickup time. Times are subject to change due to local traffic conditions.
  • Cancellation Policy :
    This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Overview

This small group journey will start with Jogyesa, the center ofBuddhism in Seoul where you can see locust trees and baeksong trees in front of Jogyesa temple.Afterward, you will move to the presidential blue house that symbol of Cheongwadae with blue tiles and theGwanghwamun Gate to see royal guard changing ceremony. After watching the ceremony, you can explore Gyeongbokgung palace.Then you will see theNational Folk Museum where you cansee how people lived a few centuries ago,theChangdeokgung Palace that listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage andInsadong, a famous antique alley that is popular with antique shops, handmade crafts. Finally after a long day, you will seeNamdaemun, the main gate of a Seoul. This is a full day packed with a lot of information on Seoul and the Korean traditions.

Know More about this tour


Jogyesa Buddhist Temple is the center of Zen Buddhism in Korea, and is famous for being located in the city.From the busy streets of Jongno, follow the road towards Anguk Subway Station, and you will see Jogyesa Temple.The first things you will notice at the temple are the lovely trees. These locust trees and baeksong trees in front of the Daeungjeon, the main temple building, are about 500 years old.
After visiting Jogyesa temple, you will pass the presidential blue house is known by the symbolic blue tiles. The building shows the true beauty of Korea with Mt Bukak peeking behind it.Then, you will move onto the next place called Gwanghwamun to watch the royal guard changing ceremony. It is a ceremony to announce changing of the royal guards, as well as to clarify the guards' identities.Then, you will head toward Gyeongbokgung where was a main palace and the most beautiful palace during the Joseon dynasty.Please note:- On Tuesdays, the Gyeongbokgung Palace and National Folklore museum are closed, and you will go to Deoksugung Palace and The Presidential Blue House Museum instead.
Insadong is a place of traditional culture near Gyeongbok palace. Insadong was famous since the Joseon dynasty for having lots of antique shops. Today Insadong is popular among tourists for having lots of traditional tea houses, antique shops, traditional handcraft shops, and lots of other shops.Insa-dong is especially popular with foreign tourists. This is where they can experience and see traditional Korean culture firsthand, and also purchase pieces of fine art. On the street you can see many foreigners lost in all the joyous festivities of the street. Insadong is a place of traditional culture.
Changdeokgung Palace was the second royal villa built following the construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1405.It was the principal palace for many of the Joseon kings and is the most well-preserved of the five remaining royal Joseon palaces.It is recorded as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1997 for having its beautiful appearance of that time.The palace grounds are comprised of a public palace area, a royal family residence building, and the rear garden.
Soongryemun (Namdaemun) is a main gate of former Seoul fortress in Joseon dynasty. It is commonly called as Namdaemun.The gate was built in 1396, in King Taejo's reign. And it was reconstructed in 1447 by king Sejong and in 1479 by king Seongjong.In 2006 the Seoul city opened the passage to the gate to public. The gate is now listed as Korea's national treasure #1. But in February 10th 2008, the gate was all burnt away by arsonist and the wooden gate was all burnt away by that accident.The Cultural Heritage Administration has announced to rebuild the gate similarly to its original appearance. The rebuilding was done by early in 2013.

Itinerary:


Jogyesa Buddhist Temple is the center of Zen Buddhism in Korea, and is famous for being located in the city. From the busy streets of Jongno, follow the road towards Anguk Subway Station, and you will see Jogyesa Temple. The first things you will notice at the temple are the lovely trees. These locust trees and baeksong trees in front of the Daeungjeon, the main temple building, are about 500 years old.
After visiting Jogyesa temple, you will pass the presidential blue house is known by the symbolic blue tiles. The building shows the true beauty of Korea with Mt Bukak peeking behind it. Then, you will move onto the next place called Gwanghwamun to watch the royal guard changing ceremony. It is a ceremony to announce changing of the royal guards, as well as to clarify the guards' identities. Then, you will head toward Gyeongbokgung where was a main palace and the most beautiful palace during the Joseon dynasty. Please note: - On Tuesdays, the Gyeongbokgung Palace and National Folklore museum are closed, and you will go to Deoksugung Palace and The Presidential Blue House Museum instead.
Insadong is a place of traditional culture near Gyeongbok palace. Insadong was famous since the Joseon dynasty for having lots of antique shops. Today Insadong is popular among tourists for having lots of traditional tea houses, antique shops, traditional handcraft shops, and lots of other shops. Insa-dong is especially popular with foreign tourists. This is where they can experience and see traditional Korean culture firsthand, and also purchase pieces of fine art. On the street you can see many foreigners lost in all the joyous festivities of the street. Insadong is a place of traditional culture.
Changdeokgung Palace was the second royal villa built following the construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1405. It was the principal palace for many of the Joseon kings and is the most well-preserved of the five remaining royal Joseon palaces. It is recorded as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1997 for having its beautiful appearance of that time. The palace grounds are comprised of a public palace area, a royal family residence building, and the rear garden.
Soongryemun (Namdaemun) is a main gate of former Seoul fortress in Joseon dynasty. It is commonly called as Namdaemun. The gate was built in 1396, in King Taejo's reign. And it was reconstructed in 1447 by king Sejong and in 1479 by king Seongjong. In 2006 the Seoul city opened the passage to the gate to public. The gate is now listed as Korea's national treasure #1. But in February 10th 2008, the gate was all burnt away by arsonist and the wooden gate was all burnt away by that accident. The Cultural Heritage Administration has announced to rebuild the gate similarly to its original appearance. The rebuilding was done by early in 2013.

Inclusions

  • Local guide
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • Hotel pickup in Central Seoul
  • Driver/Guide

Exclusions

  • Gratuities
  • Hotel drop-off (drop-off at the City Hall or Myeongdong)

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adults lap

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required

Royal guard changing ceremony might be cancelled due to weather conditions

On Mondays, Changdeokgung Palace is closed and you will go to Bukchon traditional Hanok Village instead

This tour is proceeding with minimum 2 people

On Tuesdays, Gyeongbokgung Palace is closed and you will go to Changdeokgung Palace & Changdeokgung Palace Rear Garden (Secret Garden) instead in the morning and Korean Folk Museum, Ginseng Museum and Namdaemun in the afternoon.

Traveler Reviews

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  • 09-Aug-2023

    Sadie was PHENOMENAL! She knew all interesting information and got us to stand in all the best spots for photos/videos! She also had a great sense of humor! The palaces were amazing and Sadie as our tour guide was incredible! She knew all the history and then some! Touring the palaces would’ve been very difficult without a tour guide and definitely not as fun without Sadie!

  • 09-Aug-2023

    Sadie was a phenomenal tour guide! Even after we accidentally put in the wrong address she still came to pick us up from the hotel. She got us the best spot to see the changing of the guards and insisted we all got photos with them and any other monument we seemed interested in.

  • 07-Aug-2023

    Mr Young gives us the best Seoul city tour experience!! Highly recommended Young. He is very friendly and knowledgeable!!

  • 07-Aug-2023

    The historical background as explained by Sadie is very informative. She knows her history. The information on the sites we passed by is very helpful. Sadie also answered questions about directions places to see. Sadie deserves a 5-star rating.Grea

  • 06-Aug-2023

    Had a GREAT day with Mr Young! A great guide with deep knowledge of the sites. Picked a great spot for lunch! Highly recommend!

  • 05-Aug-2023

    Our tour was amazing! Sadie was our tour guide, and she is the absolute best! Ask for her if you can. She was friendly, outgoing, knowledgeable, and very thoughtful. She helped us navigate the heat and was very conscientious of the entire group to make sure everyone had an incredible experience. The stops are all great and the lunch was delicious. We give this tour and our guide 5 stars, we would give it 6 if we could!!

  • 05-Aug-2023

    Really enjoyed the palaces and Buddhist Temple. Sadie our guide was fabulous. Very knowledgeable and an interesting presenter. It was horrifically hot and she was cheerful and kind throughout! Next time I will plan a longer stay. Korea is great I love it.

  • 04-Aug-2023

    Nice introduction to Seoul. Our guide, Brian, set a good pace. We liked being part of a smaller tour group. It was nice having an air conditioned car get us around to the key sites during the summer heat.

  • 03-Aug-2023

    This was a great tour. Our family really enjoyed it, and we saw so much in one day. Young was an incredible tour guide, and took great care of the family.

  • 01-Aug-2023

    Very enjoyable. The temple and palace were lovely and our tour guide was very informative. Thank you

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