Changdeokgung, Bukchon, Gwangjang market, N Seoul Tower
Joined 2023
Tour to Changdeokgung & Rear Garden, listed by UNESCO World Cutural Heritage, traditional Korean village, traditional food and whole view of Seoul. Tour feature highlight & essence of beautiful traditional culture and landscape at Changdeokgung, Bukchon Hanok Village, and traditional food at Gwangjang market, beautiful cityscape at Namsan Tower. Guide share information of Korean culture that help guest fully enjoy the beauty and value of traditional Korean culture as well as palace architecture.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
at your hotel
- Greetings and pick-up at your hotel. Moving to Changdeokgung
Changdeokgung and Rear Garden
Tour to Changdeokgung and Rear Garden
Bukchon Hanok Village
Bukchon Hanok Village
Gwangjang market
Traditional Korean street food at food stands.
Namsan & N-Seoul Tower
Panoramic view of whole Seoul at N-Seoul Tower and Fortress wall from N Seoul Tower to South Gate can be included as an option.
Namdaemun market
Tour to Namdaemun market
City hall
Tour ends.
Ending Point
Seoul City Hall
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
guide fee
meal, entrance for palace and N Seoul Tower, drinks, transportation.
* Entrance ticket for Rear Garden will be bought in advance by guide and later it need to be paid by guest to guide. Entrance fee for Rear Garden is 5,000Ko.Won/person.
* Entrance fee for palace is 3,000Kor.Won. It will be bought at palace.
Tour Important Information
Exploring of Korea’s unique cultural identity and beauty!
Architecture is the center of culture & tour. Architectural style represents spirit of times. Confucianism is spirit of Joseon Dynasty.
Confucianism culture of Joseon Dynasty is unique & differentiated characteristic of Korean culture, compared to Chinese and Japanese.
With knowledge of Confucianism, architectural feature & its historical significance, you can fully appreciate the beauty and value of not only Changdeokgung but entire Korea’s traditional culture. Without knowledge, we are just fascinated by their superficial beauty.
Changdeokgung and its Rear Garden is the only palace, registered as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Changdeokgung is unique and attractive palace with huge beautiful garden and unusal arrangement of palace buildings. Rear Garden of Changdeokgung is a remarkable place, where a plain hillside is turned into a beautiful garden. Rear Garden was designed to embrace nature. The original topography of the area is preserved, and trees, hills, valleys and streams are preserved. Rear Garden of Changdeokgung is classic example of traditional Korean garden reflecting Confucian ideas.
Bukchon Hanok Village is a Korean traditional village in Seoul with a long history. Bukchon Hanok Village is unique and attractive destination that shows traditional landscape in the middle of highly urbanized metropolitan environment.
Gwangjang market is the oldest traditional Korean market, where we can experience traditional Korean food, and there we can experience marinated beef slice, live octopus, mung bean pancake and Ttokbokgi, glass noodles, etc.
Namsan mountain is situated in the center of Seoul, and N Seoul Tower, which seats on the top of Namsan mt., provides panoramic view of Seoul. Visitors can see the beautiful scenery of Seoul at the observation deck of N-Seoul Tower. N Seoul Tower was selected as one of the world's top 500 tourist destinations in Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List.
Important message from the supplier
My primary tourist destination is Seoul and metropolitan area, consisting of 5 palaces, Royal Ancestral Shrine, Bukchon Hanok Village, National Museum of Korea, War Memorial of Korea and other museums & galleries and contemporary architectures, and Namsan Mt. with N-Seoul Tower, traditional & trendy market places such as Gwangjang market & Hondae street, and also Korean Folk Village & DMZ tour.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2023
About Tour Guide Paul K.
Hello everyone, I am Paul, a tour guide in Seoul. I am English tour guide certified by Ministry of Culture & Sports & Tourism with indepth experiences over 200 tours for international tourists.
Seoul is a fascinating destination that seamlessly blends the traditional with the modern.
Our tour to explore Korea’s unique cultural identity and beauty!
Center of tour is architecture. Architectural style represents spirit of times. We can see as much as we know. For example, without knowledge about Christianity, the spirit of medieval Europe, we cannot fully appreciate beauty and value of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
Confucianism is the spirit of Joseon Dynasty. Confucianism is Korea's cultural identity, that is reflected on palaces and traditional architecture.
I am the only Confucian culture tour curator and docent guide in Korea who introduces Korean traditional Confucian culture. Tour and information based on Korea's unique Confucian culture will help you discover joy and wonder of unique Korean culture.
My primary tourist destinations are focusing on Seoul and metropolitan area, consisting of 5 palaces, Royal Ancestral Shrine, Bukchon Hanok Village, National museum of Korea, War Memorial of Korea and other museums & galleries and contemporary architectures, and Namsan Mt. with N-Seoul Tower, traditional & trendy market places such as Gwangjang market & Hondae street, and also Korean Folk Village & DMZ tour in neighboring cities.
Alongside, I am specialist for hiking to Bukhansan Mt. and Inwangsan Mt. that are located in downtown Seoul, where you can enjoy beautiful natural sceneries and stunning view of Seoul.
With my hands-on experiences and deep knowledge of Korea's culture & history, you can discover true discoveries in Korea.
Thank you for your interest!
As your guide, I hope to see you soon in Seoul!
Reviews
Sandra H.
“Two day tour with Paul”
My family did a two day tour in Seoul with Paul. He is a good fit for those who are looking for (1) historical knowledge and explanations (2) fast walking and (3) someone who will definitely try to visit all sites on the agenda. He is a history specialist and has knowledge of Confucian writings. He has fixed recommendations for the tours, and I suggest being prepared to follow his agenda rather than flexing as things arise. We were able to communicate in English without any problems. Paul was prompt and reliable meeting us at our hotel. He is great at knowing the best photo spots, and he took great pictures of our family during the trip. He’s a very kind hearted, trustworthy, and well-intentioned tour guide with a lot of passion for others to learn about the history and culture of Korea. Our tours with Paul were very memorable! Thanks Paul!
Paul K.
Customer's good review always is great reward for my commitment to tour.
Stan V.
“Helaas niet door gegaan”
Vanwege plotselinge ziekte van ons kon de tour met Paul niet doorgaan. Jammer. We hadden ons er écht op verheugd. Paul heeft ons in de aanloop van de excursie steeds prima op de hoogte gehouden en geïnformeerd hoe we het beste kunnen reizen. Weet zeker dat onze excursie met Paul top zou zijn geweest, maar helaas: we waren er té ziek voor.
Paul K.
Dear Stan, I much appreciate your review with 5 star rating, though you did not tour. Anyway it is written in Dutch. Again, I am so sorry that you got sick in S.Korea and lost your tour. Hope you recover your health and enjoy your whole tour. Paul
Jennifer R.
“Fantastic experience! ”
I had the pleasure of having Paul as my guide for my first visit to Korea. The tour met all my expectations and more, thank you Paul! Paul is very responsive and went out of his way to travel to my hotel for an hour to pick me up as I wasn’t familiar with travelling in Seoul. His knowledge of Confucianism, Joseon Dynasty history & architecture was exceptional. This really provided insight to Korean culture both historically and as it is now, which enabled me to truly perceive the beauty and fully appreciate the sites and scenes we visited together. He’s such a fun and considerate guide, and we had such great conversations about various different cultures, life, and personal experiences. Paul also has insider knowledge of great spots and hidden places for the best photos (changing of guard, Hanok Bukchon), 1000won coffee (delicious!), food to aim for (at Kwangjang market). Thank you Paul for such a great experience, I hope we will meet again and appreciate your motivation to share the true beauty of Seoul!
Paul K.
Guest’s good review is the best reward and encouragement for my commitment to tour! Our tour is exploring of Korea’s unique cultural identity and beauty! Architecture is the center of culture and center of tour. Architectural style represents spirit of times. Confucianism is spirit of Joseon Dynasty. Confucianism culture of Joseon Dynasty is unique & differentiated characteristic of Korean culture, compared to Chinese and Japanese. Eventually, we can understand the beauty and value of traditional architecture consist of architectural feature, its historical significance and spirit of times. But without the basic information, tourists are just fascinated by superficial beauty of the buildings and places. Through tour, we explored Korea's unique cultural identity, focusing on architectural feature, historical significance and Confucianism, the spirit of Joseon Dynasty.
$250/ per group
More tours by Paul K.
Gyeongbokgung,Bukchon,Gwangjang,N-SeoulTower,Hongdae
Exploring for Korea’s unique cultural identity! Tour features Gyeongbokgung palace - the most beautiful place and best architecture, Bukchon Hanok Village, Gwangjang market, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae street. Guide share information of Korean culture that helps guest fully appreciate beauty and value of Gyeongbokgung but entire Korean traditional culture. Gyeongbokgung is the most beautiful place and must-see architecuture that represent Korea's traditional culture.
DMZ tour to 3rd tunnel, Imjingkak, Gamaksan Suspension Bridge
DMZ tour offers your exploring of the dark side of Seoul, featuring intense tensions, violent confrontations and the constant risk of war between North and South Korea. During DMZ tour, you will visit the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel to see the reality of North's threatening provocation and Imjingak to see the scars & sorrowful memories of the Korean War. On your way back to Seoul, you will visit Gamaksan to enjoy beautiful natural scenery.
Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon Village, Ikseondong, Jogyesa temple
Tour of 4 hours to explore essence and highlight of traditional Korean culture from best of best palace, traditional Korean house village, traditional Korean folk culture. Tour features Gyeongbokgung palace - main palace of Joseon Dynasty & the most beautiful place and best architecture of Korea, Bukchon Hanok Village. Guide share information of Korean culture that help guest fully enjoy and appreciate the authentic beauty and value of traditional Korean culture as well as palace architecture.
Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon Village, Gwangjang market, Folk Museum
Tour of 6 hours to explore essence and highlight of traditional Korean culture from best of best palace, traditional Korean house village, traditional Korean food. Tour features Gyeongbokgung - main palace of Joseon Dynasty & the most beautiful place and architecture in Korea, Bukchon Hanok Village, Gwangjang market. Guide share information of Korean culture that help guest fully enjoy and appreciate the authentic beauty and value of traditional Korean culture as well as palace architecture.
Other Popular Art, Culture, & Historical Tours in Seoul
Central Seoul Walking Tour ; From Gwanghwamun Square to Ikseon-dong Hanok Alley.
Gwanghwamun Square connects the Joseon Dynasty and modern times. The view of Bukaksan Mountain and Gyeongbokgung Palace from Gwanghwamun Square is just like a landscape. Let's go on a journey back to the past at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty. We can tour antique shops and galleries along the Insadong Cultural Street. Jogyesa Temple is worth visiting. Lastly, Ikseon-dong Hanok Alley has pretty cafes, restaurants, and stores while maintaing traditional Korea houses.
Full-day Intro to Seoul and Korean History
This is my standard and very popular Itinerary for this ~8 hour tour: it can be adjusted for individual preferences. Its intention is to be a fascinating orientation & overview of Seoul "old & new", with introduction to who the Koreans are, and the key points of their history and customs. We can move faster and see more, or take our time and see a bit fewer sites; it's all up to your personal style. I will be telling colorful stories all along the way. You will learn so much, and in context!!
Seoul Downtown Walking Tour - the past and the present
From the serene atmosphere of palaces and old traditional villages to the bustling traditional markets and streets, you will see and experience real life in Seoul. I will help you explore the hidden gems and stories!
Gangbuk Seoul (Northern district of Hangang River in Seoul) one day tour
This is the highlight to cover the traditional district in Seoul(called "Gangbuk"). You will learn overall Korean history including Seoul, life passages of Koreans(from birth till after death) and Korean democracy evolvement. You will feel the beauty of traditional architecture harmonized with modern buildings in Seoul. This tour covers visiting old palace, folk museum, city stream, old city wall and etcetra. For more description, refer to the itinerary below.
