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Full-Day Seoul Highlights Private Guided Tour: Exploration of South Korea's Vibrant Heart
4.8
23 Ratings
Seoul
Experience the vibrant heart of South Korea on a full-day private guided tour of Seoul. Explore historic palaces, traditional villages, bustling markets, and enjoy a panoramic night view of the city.
Duration:
9 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Gyeongbokgung Palace - Known as the “Palace of Shining Happiness,” Gyeongbokgung Palace is the largest and most iconic of the Five Grand Palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty. Visitors can marvel at its intricate architecture, colorful murals, and beautiful gardens. Don’t miss the changing of the Royal Guard ceremony, which takes place multiple times a day. You can also explore the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum, both located within the palace grounds. Expect to spend around 1.5 hours here depending on how in depth of a tour you want.
- Bukchon Hanok Village - Bukchon Hanok Village is nestled between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace is a must-visit for a glimpse into traditional Korean culture. It boasts well-preserved Hanok houses (Korean traditional houses) that date back to the Joseon Dynasty. Wander through the narrow alleyways, enjoy tea and snacks in charming teahouses, and visit one of the many cultural centers or museums to learn about Hanbok (traditional clothing) and other Korean crafts. For a more immersive experience, visitors can even book a stay at a Hanok guesthouse. Plan to spend around 1 to 1.5 hours exploring Bukchon Hanok Village.
- Insadong - Insadong is a vibrant and artistic neighborhood in the heart of Seoul, famous for its traditional art galleries, antique shops, tea houses, and souvenir stores. Strolling along the main pedestrian street, visitors can discover unique Korean handicrafts, pottery, and traditional calligraphy tools. Be sure to try some delicious street food, like Hotteok (sweet Korean pancakes), and visit Ssamzigil, a shopping complex with a spiral walkway featuring more handicraft shops and eateries. Allocate about 1 to 1.5 hours to explore Insadong Street.
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Gwangjang Market - Established in 1905, Gwangjang Market is one of Seoul’s oldest and most beloved traditional markets. With over 5,000 shops, it’s a haven for foodies and shoppers alike. Sample a variety of mouthwatering Korean street food, such as Bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes), Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and Gimbap (Korean sushi rolls). Apart from food, the market is also famous for its quality fabrics, vintage clothing, and hanbok stores. Be prepared to immerse yourself in the bustling atmosphere.
Expect to spend about 1 to 1.5 hours to explore and savor the diverse culinary delights of Gwangjang Market. - N Seoul Tower - Namsan Tower: Officially known as N Seoul Tower, this iconic communication tower sits atop Namsan Mountain, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Seoul’s skyline. Ride the cable car or hike to the top, and take in the cityscape from the observation deck, which stands 479 meters above sea level. Namsan Tower is also a popular spot for couples who attach love locks to the railings as a symbol of their everlasting love. Onsite, you’ll find a variety of restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops. For a truly memorable experience, visit at night to see the tower illuminated. Plan to spend around 1 to 1.5 hours enjoying the views and attractions at Namsan Tower.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Entrance Fee (Gyeongbokgung Palace)
- Licensed Guide
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- All fees and/or taxes
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Insurance
- Gratuities
- Namsan Tower cable car (optional 16,000KRW)
- Namsan Tower observatory (optional 21,000KRW)
Additional Information
Discover the vibrant heart of South Korea with our Seoul City Highlights Tour. Start at the grand Gyeongbokgung Palace, home to the Joseon Dynasty, and witness the mesmerizing Royal Guard Changing Ceremony. Wander through the traditional ‘Hanok’ houses of Bukchon Village, before exploring the artful alleys of Insadong Street, brimming with tea houses and galleries. Immerse in the culinary delights of Gwangjang Market, sampling local flavors. Conclude with a panoramic night view of Seoul from Namsan Tower—an unforgettable encounter with Seoul’s cultural tapestry.
- The listed amount of time that will be spent at each site is an estimation. You can adjust as you like, as long as the touring day ends within the 9.5 hours listed.
- During your day, you will spend about 1 hour moving from location to location. You will also have about 1 to 1.5 hours for a stop for lunch. All told, everything will add up to 9.5 hours total.
- If there happens to be time leftover after visiting all the attractions, your guide will be happy to take you to an additional location(s) in central Seoul. Any subsequent entrance fees or parking are not included and paid by you on the spot.
- Gyeongbokgung Palace is closed on Tuesdays. It will be replaced by Changdeokgung Palace on Tuesdays.
- The shops at Gwangjang Market is closed on Sundays. The food stalls and restaurants will be open.
- The cable car and observatory are optional at Namsan Tower and not included. If not taking the cable car, you can either walk or take a bus to the base of the tower.
- Infant seats for children 3 and under are available on request, but subject to availability. Please contact us to make sure we have one available on your tour date.
Location
Gyeongbokgung Palace
161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(23 Ratings)
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K7762svmikec
Aug 11, 2024
The best tour I have ever experienced. - Sori Kim was amazing! When the tour got flooded out for the DMZ, she took us to some amazing places to see like the palace, the food market, some very old sections of town with 600-year-old homes, a great shopping center, and then an athletic Korean tea ceremony.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie_s
Jul 28, 2024
A wonderful day in Seoul - We enjoyed our tour very much. Our guide made sure that we saw everything we wished to see and was flexible with the schedule. We would definitely recommend this tour. It is not inexpensive but is worth the price if you are looking for a custom and comfortable experience.
Review provided by Viator
Johanbs6935ce
Jul 23, 2024
Fantastic Guide - We hires Korea Tour Company to give us a 1 day tour of Seoul's highlights. Our guide was Andy. He was a terrific guide. He was very knowledgeable and very caring. He took us to a terrific place for lunch to eat Korean ginseng chicken. He is truly a local expert and made our day truly memorable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q5024dchelens
Jul 1, 2024
Great tour company - Albert, and Grey were amazing even before the tour - communicating quickly and arranging anything and everything we asked including aiport transfer to hotel and back to airport - his staff were amazing and on time and kind- Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stacywc3196uf
Jun 22, 2024
Made our trip so easy and awesome - They made the trip so easy and fun! We had the best service . Would totally recommend ! They were on time and so organized. Easy to communicate with . Our guide was so nice and friendly
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dak_gal
Jun 6, 2024
The Best of Seoul - We were a group of 9 Americans who had just completed a mission trip in Cambodia. We had a 12 hour layover in Seoul on our way home so we booked a day tour with Korea Tour Company. It was amazing. We were so pleased. Our guide was Sori. She knew just where to take us to be at the best advantage for photos or to be ahead of the crowds. We totally enjoyed the day and were so pleased. Thank you for showing us your beautiful city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yehoshua
May 7, 2024
A very interesting trip - The protection and organization of the trip was excellent. The guide Kory was excellent with extensive knowledge and very kind.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Voyager15284284425
Apr 29, 2024
Best tour guide ever - It is our first time to Seoul, it wouldn't have been this great and hassle free if it's without our tour guide, Mr Kory.
I strongly recommend Mr Kory because of his professionalism, and always going extra miles for us. He did his best to accommodate to our request.
Eg. At Gyeongbokgung Palace, he ran to the first in queue, so that we can take the photo with the guard without waiting. He also helped us to queue for lunch, while allowing us to shop around at Insadong.
I will definitely recommend Mr Kory to my family and friends, and will definitely look for him again when I visit Seoul again.
Thank you Korea Tour Company for assigning Mr Kory to be our tour guide! :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K4719pyashleyl
Jun 22, 2024
Great History Information From Tour guide - My son and I (7) booked this tour to get around the city as much as possible in the short amount of time we were there.
The city was amazing and the tour hit just about every aspect we were looking for. We went to the palace and did a little shopping and street foods.
I did like the tour but at times I felt that the tour guide was a little "judgy" or biased in his own opinions. He had made a comment about wanting to pursue my career instead of be with my boyfriend who worked in another country. After he described the roles of male and female at the palace and the different sleeping houses he stated "the only reason I opened the door for you today was because you had your son with you, I do not open the door for women." It was just a little off putting. I understand that diversity and culture plays a large aspect, but I just do not think that they should express these to customers. I wanted to reply to him with, "isn't it funny a single woman paying you to provide this service." Instead I understood that we are all different and let it go.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Autumnsnowy
Jun 13, 2024
Uninterested Tour Guide. Not worth the money spent - I booked a private DMZ tour for 7 pax with Korea Tour Company in June. One of my colleague dropped out and another one decided to drive to the destination to meet us there. Without informing me in advance, the Korea Tour Company came to fetch us in a small car that can only fit 5 person, even though I had paid for a car for 7 pax. The tour guide also asked my colleague who arrived earlier at the DMZ center to queue up at the ticket counter while we were still on the road. This is seriously unacceptable and ridiculous. We wasted at least 1.5 hours at the center because of the queue as the company did not purchase the tickets in advance for us. The tour guide also did not care to explain much about the sites (I was observing other tour guides on site) but rushed through everything. They also included in our itinerary a "tourist shopping stop" which was not originally in my itinerary. At the end we got so bored, we decided to abandon the tour and end it by 1 2.30 PM.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
