Seat In Coach
Afternoon Seoul 3 hours
Tour Highlights
- Bugak Skyway
- Changdeonggung Palace
- Insadong Antique Shopping Street
- Namsangol Hanok Village
- Namaemun Market
We book this tour through subcontracted out to other tour companies. Therefore the tour quality and visits by their nature may vary company to company.
Arrival complications
Sometimes the unexpected can happen; If you have missed your tour departure, first call the relevant emergency number and speak to our staff who will be happy to help you catchy up with the group. Please note that you are responsible for any extra travelling expenses incurred due to you missing your tour’s departure, so please be on time.
Seoul / The Best of Afternoon (- - -)
You join the tour with other tourists at the designated point. Your exploration this afternoon begins by driving tour to Bugak Skyway for a unique panorama of Seoul. Explore World Heritage site of Changdeokgung Palace. Built in 1405, it was the site of the royal court and the seat of government until 1868, when the neighboring Gyeongbokgung was rebuilt. Changdeokgung palace was rebuilt in 1610 with more color and with a slightly different style of architecture. From this date, 13 kings used it as their official residence until 1926, except for a limited period of time. You will also tour the Nakseonjae which is the only compound inside the palace built without Dancheong, the traditional multicolored paintwork on wooden buildings. Upon entering the gate is an extensive yard leading to the group of buildings, collectively called Nakseonjae together with the adjacent Seokbokheon Hall and Sugangjae Hall. Admire the peaceful ambience as you leisurely make a tour to Nakseonjae, a library built for the king where he would read and paint, and the residences of the queens.
Insadong, at one time the center of traditional Korean art and antiques, features a mixture of historical and modern atmosphere representing the cultural glimpse of the nation. Clustered along the main street and alleys are lined with street vendors, wooden tea houses, restaurants and numerous galleries and shops dealing in antiques, oriental art supplies, and modern Korean art of all types and styles. Soak in the paintings, upscale artworks, antiques and potteries while you can. Get lucky and you just might meet the artist themselves. It can be plenty of fun walking on the main street, but you venture into the hidden alleys that do spring some unexpected surprises. While here, you may want to buy some souvenirs or simply wander and browse at leisure admiring cultural ambience.
Tour also includes Namsangol Hanok Village which is made up of five aristocratic residences which sit at the foot of picturesque Mount Namsan, having been moved and then restored to their original state down to the smallest detail.
You can explore the centuries-old Namdaemun Market brimming with well over 11,000 shops selling anything you can imagine. One of the most colorful aspects of the market is an endless sprawl of street-vendor stalls that setup in the alleys and walkways between the buildings. The market is seriously crowded, so be prepared to get bumped around. A fantastic place to haggle over the price to get the best deal on something you want or simply admire the vibrancy of this massive market. At the western entrance of the market in the middle of a traffic circle stands Sungnyemun. It is a formidable and iconic construct that served as the southern gate of the wall that surrounded Seoul during the period of the Joseon Dynasty.
In the event of Changdeokgung palace and Namsangol Hanok Village being unavailable for any reason or closed (Mondays), the visit will be substituted with Jongmyo shrine and Bukchon Hanok Village.
Jongmyo shrine is the most important ancestral shrine in Korea, dedicated to the spirits of Korea's royal ancestors. It was built by the first king of the Joseon dynasty in 1396, and has been added to expand ever since. Today ancestral ritual service is performed here by the Yi families every first Sunday of May. The ritual is usually from 11:00 to 15:00 accompanied by the royal procession from Gyeongbok palace to the shrine, just as it used to be in the past. At the ceremony of Jongmyo, reverence is paid to the spirits of 82 kings and queen consorts of the Joseon dynasty, along with music and dance performance. Jongmyo Jerye, or Royal Ancestral Rite, was one of the most important court events during the Joseon period. The Royal Ancestral Rite is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage.
At the end of the tour you will be dropped at the Lotte Hotel Seoul.
Bukchon Hanok Village is the home to traditional houses called "Hanok" and the district is preserved to show a 600-year-old urban environment as best seen along the alleys of Gahoe-dong. As you wander through this maze of alleys that wind and twist between houses you will experience a unique view of Hanoks, making you eager to see what you will find next. The quaint neighborhood hangs on tenaciously to its traditional past. The sight of a number of houses built next to each other, sharing a wall and touching each other's eaves, will give you a glimpse into the friendly and open-hearted lifestyle of Koreans.
Remarks
The tour is subject to operation with minimum two persons and will be conducted in English
