Seoul, South Korea
Top places to visit in Seoul
6 places worth your time in Seoul, with what each is actually like and when to go.
Last updated 2026-08-08
1. Gyeongbokgung Palace
Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The main Joseon royal palace, burned twice and reconstructed, with a changing of the guard at the main gate.
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Guard ceremony at 10:00 and 14:00
- Tip: Entry is free if you arrive in hanbok, which is rented widely nearby — most visitors do this.
2. Bukchon Hanok Village
Photo: Bgag · CC0 · source
A hillside of traditional tiled-roof houses between two palaces, still lived in rather than preserved as a museum.
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Early morning
- Tip: These are private homes. Signs asking for quiet are there because residents have been driven out by noise.
3. Changdeokgung and the Secret Garden
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. IGEL assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
The best-preserved palace, with a rear garden accessible only on a timed guided tour.
- Map: Open in Maps
- Tip: Secret Garden tickets are limited and separate from palace entry; book online.
4. N Seoul Tower on Namsan
Photo: Arsen Lupin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
The city's viewpoint, reached by cable car or a steep walk up through the park.
5. Insadong
Photo: johl · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Antique shops, tea houses, brush and paper sellers, and galleries along a pedestrianised spine.
6. Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Jeon Han) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Zaha Hadid's aluminium-panelled building, surrounded by a night market district that trades until dawn.
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: After 22:00 for the wholesale fashion markets
More about Seoul
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