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Top Seoul Tours & Vacations 2024/2025 [reviews & photos]

Seoul Attractions & Landmarks Guide

Seoul: The Restored Capital

A city that has been occupied since before Christ, Seoul has been known by many names including Wirye-seong, Namgyeong, Hanseong, Hanyang, and Gyeongseong. It has been the capital of Korea from the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty (1394-1910) to the present day. As a result, more of Korea’s history andculture can be found in Seoul than anywhere else in the country.

Being the biggest city comes with a price, however, as the city was almost entirely destroyed during the Korean War in 1950. Much of what did not survive has been reconstructed or restored; as a result, it’s not uncommon to see the old and new exist side-by-side. Seoul’s new City Hall in the heart of downtown is right across the street from Deoksugung, a Joseon-Dynasty palace.

Gyeongbokgung is the biggest and most well-known Korean palace, but Seoul also has four others that were used over the centuries-long Joseon Dynasty. Thebest guided tours showcase the downtown area of Seoul, a vibrant combination of the old and new.

Top Landmarks

Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village are important places to visit to get a glimpse into Korea’s past. Visit The Blue House to see where the president currently lives. North Seoul Tower is a popular place to get a bird’s eye view of the city. The Dongdaemun cultural building is an eye-catching asymmetrical creation that defines how modern and fast-changing this city is.

Food

You’ll notice that many restaurants serve only a few dishes. For instance, there are places that only specialize in stews, green onion pancakes, dumplings, or bbq. When going for bbq, you’ll find that restaurants tend to only serve one kind of meat - you’ll only find pork at one place, and chicken at another.

What to Wear

Even though the country is very modernized, Koreans are still quite conservative when it comes to fashion. Try to wear shirts that cover your shoulders and aren’t too low-cut or else people will shamelessly stare.

Photography Tips

What’s unique about Seoul is that you can find traditional houses standing next to modern skyscrapers. The stark contrast makes for unique shots that you won’t find in other parts of South Korea. When wandering through temples, be sure to look up at the ceiling so you don’t miss the intricate patterns and exquisite color scheme. At night, you’ll find colorful neon shop signs glowing everywhere which is a can’t miss!

Weather

The weather in Seoul can be much more intense than in the rest of the country - summers are much hotter, and winters are much colder. Spring and fall are pleasant, with a small temperature drop by nighttime.

Safety

This country is completely safe from North Korea. In fact, locals here rarely discuss or think about the North. At night it is still safe to walk around the city. Seoul has an incredibly low rate of crime and drug-use.

4.7/5 Excellent

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Janette

Oct 2016

Provided byG Adventures

Best of South Koreaby G Adventures

Enjoyable trip, great people both on tour and the locals we met, excellent food loved Seoul and very glad I went thank you to Rob and everyone at G Adventures you provide a great holiday experience

Enjoyable trip, great people both on tour and the locals we met, excellent food - loved Seoul and very glad I went - thank you to Rob and everyone at G Adventures - ...

Betty Phuong

Oct 2016

Provided byG Adventures

Best of South Koreaby G Adventures