Seoul Private Tours

“Great tour in Seoul!”

Paul was a great welcome to Seoul! We met him at the palace, he was prompt and very clear with the meeting point. He did an interesting intro before going through the beautiful palace and secret gardens, well timed and then through some other highlights to feel the culture and history of this amazing city (ie. a walk through a traditional village, visit to the folklore museum which was really enlightening and interesting, etc). Paul is a very knowledgeable guide and a super way to learn about the highlights, history and culture of the city, and country! Thank you!

Paul K.

(28 reviews)

Great review create great guide! Grateful for great review!

“Day Tour with Sally K”

Sally K met us each day with our itinerary planned as well as a discussion around suggestions and any changes we would like made. She was very knowledgeable about both historical and current events. Her warm friendly nature made for a memorable visit to South Korea and we would certainly recommend her to friends and family in the future.

“Unfortunately tour didn’t match our expectations ”

We booked a private tour because we wanted to discover some hidden gems in Seoul and know about non-touristy spots. During the tour, we walked through DDP, along the fortress wall, and visited a small temple with a romantic story behind it, but overall there were not many memorable highlights. Our guide was a pleasant lady, but throughout the four hours it often felt like we had to come up with questions ourselves in order to learn more about Korean culture and daily life. There was not enough information provided, and a third of the tour was spent walking in silence in rain. Since rain was expected that day, we hoped the route would be adjusted in advance, but it seemed like the guide was improvising most of the itinerary on the spot. Because of this, the tour did not feel well planned, and we spent a lot of time without a clear structure. We were really hoping to see more unique and interesting places, but unfortunately the tour did not meet our expectations, how ever tour guide was very nice as a person and it’s a pity that tour went in the wrong direction.

Jeeseon C.

(9 reviews)

Thank you for sharing this, Karina. I'm sorry the experience did not feel like what you were hoping for, and I hope you had a wonderful rest of your time in Seoul. I do want to gently clarify a few things for context. Before the tour, you specifically asked to avoid palaces and well-known tourist sites, and to experience Seoul as locals do. Every stop was chosen with that in mind and agreed upon in advance. I should also note that this is a walking tour, as clearly stated in the listing, so exploring neighborhoods and streets on foot is the nature of the experience itself. At the DDP, I walked you through the history and architecture of the building. Along the Seoul City Wall, we covered the Joseon dynasty, the North Korean refugee settlement in the area, and the evolution of housing in Seoul. At Gilsangsa Temple, I shared the story of the temple along with context on Buddhism in Korean society. You had many questions throughout the day and I was glad to answer every one. At the hanok tea house in Seongbuk-dong, I was happy to add a little extra given the weather, and we talked about daily life in Seoul and I gave you recommendations for the rest of your trip. Regarding the final stop, the water had pooled enough on the streets that crossing them meant soaked shoes, and the route to Sungkyunkwan did not align with your next plans in Seongsu. On the way to the subway I suggested stopping at a local bookshop as an alternative, though that did not work out either. I understand that was disappointing, but I would make the same decisions again under the same conditions. I always do my best to create a meaningful experience for each guest, and I appreciate you taking the time to write.