Blue House, Seoul

[Itinerary] Gyeongbokgung Palace(with Royal Guard Changing Ceremony) - Bukchon Hanok Village (Sunday: Namsangol Hanok Village instaed) -Bugak Skyway - Gwangjang Market: Lunch time(Own expenses) - The War Memorial of Korea, mainly 3rd floor United Nations Memorial Cemetery - National Museum of Korean Contemporary History - Jogye Temple - Tapgol Park - Drop off at Myeongdong Cathedral Your day will start with a tour guide to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the most beautiful and remains the largest of all five palaces (Tuesday: visit Changdeokgung place). Your will watch "Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony", a unique and special ceremony in the palace. Then, move to Bukchon Hanok village which literally translates to "northern village," where many traditional houses operate as cultural centers, guesthouses and restaurants. From 2024 November 1st, all the tourists are prohibited to visit the village on Sundays and you visit Namsangol Hanok village on Sundays. After exploring the Hanok Village, we'll board a comfortable vehicle for a scenic drive to Bugak Skyway. During the vehicle you will pass by Cheongwadae, the blue house where previous presidents of South Korea worked until 2022. Arriving at Bugak Palgakjeong, also known as the Bugak Pavilion, you'll be captivated by the stunning panoramic views of Seoul. This tranquil pavilion is nestled on the slopes of Bugaksan Mountain, offering a peaceful retreat from the bustling city below. Take some time to absorb the beauty of the landscape and capture some incredible photographs. Also, visit Cheongha Korea Ginseng. Ginseng is first mentioned in “Ji Jiu Zhang” during Han dynasty of China as herb used widely in the orient for so many diseases and ailments. It is a plant which had been regarded as a panacea, a cure all. In the studies, Korean ginseng shows best performances in adaptogenic properties. Lastly, your trip will end at Gwangjang Market, the nation’s first market. Although the goods are not brand name products, the wide selection of high-quality goods at inexpensive prices will make it an enjoyable shopping experience. The market is famous for the delicious foods so have lunch or some snacks. Don't miss the chance to taste some of the market's famous dishes, such as bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and mayak gimbap (addictive seaweed rice rolls).

Experience the vibrant cultural heart of Seoul on a guided city tour that blends tradition, architecture, and local flavor. Begin your journey at Jogyesa Temple, the center of Korean Buddhism, where golden Buddha statues and pine-wood halls echo spiritual serenity. Witness the royal Changing of the Guard Ceremony and explore the grand Gyeongbok Palace, home to kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. Continue your discovery at the National Folk Museum, showcasing centuries of Korean life and heritage. Pass by the iconic Blue House, then stop at a ginseng museum and shop to learn about Korea’s traditional medicine. On the Full Day Tour, enjoy free time for lunch in Insadong, ride a cable car up to N Seoul Tower for panoramic views, and explore a vibrant local market like Namdaemun to shop like a local. With over a decade of experience, we are proud to be recognized as one of the leading Seoul tour providers. Our expert guides are professionally trained and deeply knowledgeable, ensuring every tour is both historically accurate and powerfully engaging. Book with confidence—your journey will be led by the best in the industry. Whether you choose a half-day or full-day option, our guides will bring Seoul’s rich history to life while helping you connect with the modern spirit of the city. Note: Gyeongbok Palace and the National Folk Museum are closed on Tuesdays. On that day, the tour will visit Changdeok Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village instead. * Half-Day City Tour (Morning) Pickup from hotel (downtown) or designated meeting point Jogyesa Buddhist Temple Changing of the Guard Ceremony Gyeongbok Palace National Folk Museum of Korea Ginseng Museum & Shop Drop-off at Myeongdong or City Hall * Full-Day City Tour Pickup from hotel (downtown) or designated meeting point Jogyesa Buddhist Temple Changing of the Guard Ceremony Gyeongbok Palace National Folk Museum of Korea Ginseng Museum & Shop Insadong Street (Free time for lunch) N Seoul Tower (Round-trip cable car included) Namdaemun Market or Traditional Market Drop-off at Myeongdong or City Hall # Tuesday Alternative Itinerary # (Gyeongbok Palace & Folk Museum Closed) Jogyesa Buddhist Temple Changdeok Palace Bukchon Hanok Village Ginseng Museum & Shop Insadong Street (Free time for lunch) N Seoul Tower (Cable Car) Namdaemun or Local Market

By car, explore Seoul in-depth, visiting sites such as Gyeongbokgung or Deoksugung Palace, Cheongwadae (Blue House), Bukchon Hanok Village, and Gwangjang Market. Our guided car tour will allow you to discover Seoul's top attractions with the utmost efficiency and convenience. [Half-Day Tour] * Duration: 4 hours * Flexible departure times: Choose your start time in 1-hour intervals. * Tour Course: - Gyeongbokgung Palace (replaced to Deoksugung Palace every Tuesday) : Gyeongbok Palace, the inaugural and grandest among the royal palaces constructed during the Joseon Dynasty, encapsulates 500 years of historical tales from Seoul. Immerse yourself in the narratives of the city's past and step into the role of the main character at Gyeongbok Palace. - Cheongwadae (Blue house): Explore the Blue House, the former office and residence of South Korean presidents, gaining a glimpse into its interior. - Bukchon Hanok Village : During the Joseon Dynasty, Bukchon was situated in the upper neighborhood of Cheonggyecheon and Jongno. The alley on the hill is adorned with hanoks on both sides, forming a serene and vintage panorama that evokes Seoul's rich historical past. - Gwangjang Market : Established as Korea's initial permanent market, Gwangjang Market remains a vibrant tourist hotspot to this day. The term "Gwangjang" translates to "to gather from afar and keep altogether," reflecting its enduring appeal and tradition. [Full-Day Tour] This tour offers fully customizable itineraries! After booking, please contact our CS Center to personalize your tour. * Duration: 9 hours * Departure options: 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM * Note: Entrance fees and meal costs are not included. * Tour Course: - Explore Korea's Beautiful Outskirts (Option: Out of Seoul) Customize your itinerary to visit charming destinations outside of Seoul. Recommended locations include: Nami Island. Cheorwon DMZ. Paju DMZ - Discover the Best of Seoul (Option: Only Seoul) For those who want to dive deep into Seoul's attractions, the Full-Day Tour includes Half-Day highlights plus additional stops such as: Insadong, Han River Cruise, N Seoul Tower, Myeongdong. For any specific scheduling requirements or special requests, kindly reach out to us prior to making your booking. Our tours can be personalized to cover various regions across Korea, extending beyond Seoul.

Enjoy a memorable experience in Korea with an e-bike tour. Enjoy an expert guide and award-winning curation take you to the right place at the right time. Our service goes beyond a 5-star tour, it's more of a VIP concierge service! Share with us epic views and hidden places, fascinating tales in back allies steeped in history. Travel at human pace with time to stop and taste local food, meet local people and truly be in Korea! Afterward, contact us anytime for help or advice, and revisit the moment through your photo album courtesy of our photo service. I’m confident you will agree this is the “Must do tour” in Seoul! Tour outline: * Starting at our KTO office location with a 5-10 min safety check, helmet & e-bike fitting with a short test ride. * From Cheongycheon River we ride to Gyungbokgung Palace and loosely explore the neighborhoods around the palace. * On route we visit Gwanghwamun Square, briefly enter the royal palace, then explore the romantic West village visiting a hidden community, and trying some local delights at a traditional market. A brief stop at the presidential Blue House and on to Bukcheon Hanok Village before riding through Insadong to Joggeysa Temple. Finish with a Cheonggyecheon river bike path ride. *Don't worry your awesome e-bike will help every ride together and get you around comfortably and in style.

• Itinerary: Jogyesa Buddhist Temple - Changing of the Guard Ceremony - Gyeongbok Palace - National Folk Museum - Pass by Blue House - Ginseng Museum - Insadong Street (Free time for lunch) - N Seoul Tower (Including only round trip cable car) - Namdaemun Local Market or Traditional Market - Drop off at Myeongdong or City Hall area. * Lunch is not included (Tour guide will recommend the best restaurants and menu). * Gyeongbok Palace (with Changing of Guard Ceremony) & National Folk Museum are closed on every Tuesday. (Itinerary for Tuesday : Gyeongbok Palace - National Folk Museum -> Changdeok Palace & Bukchon Hanok Village) Don’t miss the chance to explore Seoul, South Korea’s vibrant capital on our Seoul City Tour! You will discover a mix of art, delicious cuisine, tradition, natural beauty, and a deeper understanding of culture. This is a wonderful opportunity to create lifetime memories with your loved ones! The Jogyesa Buddhist Temple is one of the most important landmarks of Korean Buddhism, first established all the way back in 1935. The temple is located in downtown Seoul and is graced by an ancient white pine tree. Next up on our Seoul City Tour is Gyeongbokgung Palace. This was the main home of the Josun Dynasty constructed in 1395. This is a stunning building with 7,700 rooms! The palace did take a few hits over the years, which makes it all the more interesting to see today! One of the first stops on our Seoul tour will be the Changing of the Guard Ceremony which is a beloved old tradition. Then, we will visit one of Seoul’s main palaces – Gyeongbok Palace which is home to thousands of years worth of history and has survived many turbulent events. After taking a lunch break, we’ll continue with our Seoul City Tour by heading over to two local markets – Insadong Arts and Crafts Market. Here, you can find beautiful local treasures to bring home to your loved ones and sample quirky little snacks and Korean street food. Once you’ve had your full of Korean treats, we’ll treat you to some magical views of downtown Seoul on the Namsan Cable Car. This well-known Korean landmark offers captivating views of Namsan Mountain and downtown Seoul as you ascend the 605-metre-long cable to the top. The last destination will be the first largest traditional market in Korea called Namdaemun Market. Various goods in store such as children’s, men’s and women’s wear. The displayed goods are sold at a reasonable price and it also functions as a wholesale market. Finally, we will drop you off at either Myeongdong or City Hall after a magical full day tour in Seoul.

Start the day with hotel pickup and meet your local guide to start exploring Seoul's best cultural highlights. The first stop on the itinerary is the Blue House, also known as 'Cheongwadae,' which serves as the official residence of the President of South Korea. Don't forget to capture a memorable souvenir photo in front of this iconic landmark. Gyeongbokgung palace is the oldest palace of the Joseon Dynasty, built in 1394 as the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty by its founder King Taejo, it's the most comprehensive and grandest of the five palaces of the period. The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene in Korea. Be sure to bring a camera to take lots of pictures. Admire the guards’ costumes with brilliant primary colors. (As Gyeongbokgung palace is closed on Tuesdays, it will be replaced with a tour of Deoksugung palace on Tuesdays.) The next stop is Cheongha Korea Ginseng. Ginseng is first mentioned in “Ji Jiu Zhang” during Han dynasty of China as herb used widely in the orient for so many diseases and ailments. It is a plant which had been regarded as a panacea, a cure all. In the studies, Korean ginseng shows best performances in adaptogenic properties. After great Bibimbab lunch, you will visit Changdeokgung Palace which was used as the main palace by many Joseon Kings and is very well preserved. The palace was registered with UNESCO in 1997. (You'll visit Jongmyo Royal Shrine instead on Mondays) Continue the cultural journey at Insadong Antique Shop Alley, a vibrant street lined with art galleries, traditional tea houses, and antique shops. Discover unique souvenirs and traditional crafts Namsangol Hanok Village stands out between tall buildings in the middle of the city with its five restored traditional Korean houses, a pavilion, a pond, and a time capsule. (You will visit to Bukchon Hanok Village instead on Mondays) Now we will visit one of a symbol of Seoul's historical significance. Sungnyemun gate, also known as Namdaemun gate, is one of the Eight Gates in the Fortress Wall of Seoul. Take memorable photos of one of the gates that surrounded the city. (Outside only on Mondays) And then let's enjoy the Namdaemun Market! It is one of the oldest and largest open-air traditional markets in Seoul. Explore a wide array of goods, including clothing, accessories, souvenirs, and delicious street food. *Three main meals of the photos are included only in 3 main meal option. Finally, the tour will conclude with a drop-off at either Myeongdong or City Hall, depending on your preference.

A day open to your desires in this immense city rich in undiscovered places. With a Frenchman who has been living in Seoul since 2009, as a film and video producer or director, previously a journalist, with a degree in Political Science (Sciences Po). He speaks very good Korean, and has produced or helped to produce French fiction films, documentaries and reports on Seoul within this company: www.pandamediaproduction.com He has been working for tourism agencies since 2018. His instagram: @l_apostrophe The tour can be adapted to suit your meeting place, the point in your trip (first or last day, it's all the same), your knowledge of Asia, your announced and even sudden desires, your pace, your family, your hunger... It's all up to you. If you're discovering Seoul, we can take you on a few "classics", such as the palaces, with a preference for the Changdeokgung, sometimes called "the Queen's Palace", and its sublime Secret Garden, which we can help you book: it can only be visited by groups of 100 people, per hour. We can show you around even outside the English-language tours (2 per day). Around it, the traditional districts of Insa-dong and Bukchon, the Changgyecheong inland river or the Namdaemun market, but with our little tricks, little-known streets or anecdotes. We can help you discover Gangnam beyond its iconic subway station, so you don't waste too much time on huge avenues surrounded by sometimes inhuman buildings. And we can take you where others won't, to unusual places such as the old heart of Seoul, Euljiro, which is undergoing a complete overhaul, the more mountainous north of Seoul (traditional Iwha-dong with its murals, upmarket Pyeongchang-dong with its galleries), the new hipster district of Seongsu or the district where most of our guides live, Hongdae, the heart of the art and student scene. We can go even further on request, as we have often done for clients who have already seen the essentials of Seoul, or for clients with special wishes. Here are some examples of what we've done: - Visits for sociology/anthropology research focused on a particular neighborhood. - Photogenic locations for photographers - Drama/movie locations (two of our guides work in the film industry) - Webtoon locations (especially Solo Leveling) - Cosmetics / Apgujeong - Crafts - Design and modern architecture (such as the DDP, Seongsu district...) - Blue House (former presidential palace open to the public since 2022) - Korean sauna accompaniment - Fabric browsing at Dongdaemun market - Luxury boutique tour (not our world, but if it's yours, we've done it too!) - Wedding-style barbecue orgy (done with a family of 6!) - Escape game and VR café And much, much more!

Feeling limited by travel time and budget? Eager to explore as many tour sites as possible in a short time? Unsure of where to start, where to go, and how to get there? Why not join our tour and let us take care of it all for you!! Embark on an adventure mastering Seoul's most thrilling and popular attractions, ranging from traditional to contemporary, quiet to bustling streets, historical landmarks to modern marvels-all in just a single day ! 8 spots (+ 2spots pass by) in a day: Cheonggye Plaza / Gwanghwamun Square / Insa-dong / Gwangjang Market / Seongsu-dong / Jamsil / Starfield Coex Mall(Starfield Library) / Han River Sevit Island / Blue House(Pass By) / Dongdaemun Design Plaza(Pass By) This is the must-know-before-you-sign-up! This tour will be challenging and exhilarating! But if you are ready to take on the adventure, we are here to make it happen! Your challenge awaits-sign up now!

Meet your guide and then hop aboard a brand-new e-rickshaw driven by a professional guide, or choose to take your own bike. Set off for a few hours of urban exploration through Seoul's Old Town. Begin with a ride toward the royal palace of Gyeongbokgung to get a look at its grand architecture. Pass by Gwanghwamun Gate to the West Village to enjoy the quiet streets and traditional market there. See the Presidential Blue House followed by a ride up the hills of Bukchon Hanok Village, where old Korean-style houses are preserved. Finally, stop at Jogyesa temple, where your guide will share the brief history of Buddhism in Korea and take in the calm! Enjoy this comfortable ride with Wi-Fi and a blanket in your V.I.P rickshaw with professional guide.

You will meet your guide at designated point, Lotte Hotel Seoul for this small group Seoul tour. On your way to see the first attraction, The Blue House called as Cheongwadae and see into The Blue House, the executive office and official residence of the South Korean head of state, the President of the Republic of Korea. The Blue House is, in fact, a complex of buildings, built largely in the traditional Korean architectural style with some modern elements. One of the highlights of this tour is a Royal Guard Changing Ceremony. It is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene in Korea. Be sure to bring a camera to take pictures. Afterwards, you will continue to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest of the 5 grand palaces built by the Joseon dynasty. The government ministry district and main buildings of Gyeongbokgung Palace formed the heart of the capital city of Seoul and represented the sovereignty of the Joseon Dynasty. The architectural principles of ancient China were harmoniously incorporated into both the tradition and the appearance of the Joseon royal court. * Gyeongbokgung palace will replaced to Deoksugung palace on Tuesday, as Gyeongbokgung palace is closed on Tuesday. Later visit Cheongha Korea Ginseng. Ginseng is first mentioned in “Ji Jiu Zhang” during Han dynasty of China as herb used widely in the orient for so many diseases and ailments. It is a plant which had been regarded as a panacea, a cure all. In the studies, Korean ginseng shows best performances in adaptogenic properties. At the end of this tour, you will be dropped-off at Myeongdong Lotte Hotel or Namdaemun market finally. Itinerary: • Visiting the Blue House ‘Cheongwadae’. • Gyeongbokgung Palace, The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (Only Deoksugung Palace on Tuesday) • Cheongha Korea Ginseng • 12:00 Drop off at Myeongdong Lotte Hotel or Namdaemun Market