Seoul City Private Full-Day Tour: Journey Through South Korean History and Culture
5.0
294 Ratings
Seoul

The country of the morning calm is full of history, and its capital, Seoul, abounds with authentic treasures. Join this 8-hour private tour to discover some of the most renowned gems of South Korean culture.
From the great palaces to the N Tower, this tour will lead you through the ages to discover the old & the brand new capital.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Gwanghwamun Gate - The southern gate of Gyeongbokgung
  • Gyeongbokgung Palace - See the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony and then visit the palace, this palace is filled with the smell of spring flowers, fresh phytoncide of green trees, yellow and orange autumn foliage and white snow depending on the season.

(On Tuesday, we visit Changdeokgung Palace instead.)

  • Bukchon Hanok Village - Walk down following Korean traditional architecture and the curves and straight lines of the roofs and walls from shuffled houses.
  • Insadong - After lunch, free time in Insadong, the art valley of Seoul
  • Jogyesa Temple - A small temple located at the central of Seoul city. This is the headquarter of over 2000 local temples in Korea.
  • N Seoul Tower - Standing 479.7m high, at the top of the Namsan mountain, you will be able to enjoy a fantastic panorama of Seoul.
What's Included
  • Lunch featuring Korean cuisine
  • Convenient private transport including hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Knowledgeable English-speaking driver guide
What's Not Included
  • Fee for observatory of N Seoul tower (optional)
  • Cable car for N Seoul tower (optional)
  • Gratuities
Additional Information
  • A minimum of 2 people is required for this tour
  • Infants and children must be accompanied by 2 adults
  • Gyeongbokgung Palace and Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is closed on every Tuesday. Instead, you will visit Changdeokgung Palace
  • Royal Guard Changing Ceremony may not available during rainy days or typhoons (Bad weather)
  • A maximum of 7 people per booking
  • This tour provide hotel pick up and drop off; please let us know the hotel name and address during reservation
  • Tour duration can be adjust depends on weather, traffic or personal reasons
Location
Gwanghwamun Gate
161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(294 Ratings)
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Robert_g
Apr 20, 2024
Great Day - This was a great tour with our guide Billy. He was informative and we were able to understand his English. Seeing the changing of the guard was really cool, and the Hanok village too. The whole tour was a great way to get acquainted with Seoul and some of its highlights. Definitely recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Linie_s
Apr 20, 2024
Great insider introduction of Seoul - Jonathan was a good tour guide with much korean history knowledge in his belt. He explained very clearly on Korean history during the palace tour. Took us around for the remainder Seoul tour knowing exactly where are good spots for photos etc. Added an extra nearby place for us to explore too.
Review provided by Viator
Wendy_k
Apr 16, 2024
Can't go wrong with this tour! - Brian Jeong was hands down one of the best tour guides we have ever had, and we travel quite a bit. Our day in Seoul was punctuated with heavy rain, but Brian still managed to create a memorable experience. In the morning we started at Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Brian showed his encyclopedic knowledge of the palace and the Joseun Dynasty. Little details such as the palace heating system and the king's mother-in-law quarters were described. We then proceeded to Hanok Village to see traditional Korean houses, and Brian took us to see the village vista from a hidden vantage point. We then went to Insadong to see traditional Korean handicrafts and art, and also had a delicious beef and rice stew in a hot stone pot for lunch. After lunch, we went to see the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple. Since it was cloudy with poor visibility, instead of taking us to Seoul Tower (where we wouldn't have seen much), Brian took us to the Gangnam district in the part of Seoul south of the Han River, where we took great photos at the huge Starfield Library in the COEX Mall and the amazing statue of Gangnam style. Throughout the tour, Brian provided commentary not only on the sights we were seeing, but on the current Korean sociopolitical situation. He was fluent in English and was a very considerate tour guide who provided ample breaks. His van was immaculate and comfortable, and we felt safe with his driving. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the tour and felt we got a great overview of Seoul in one day.
Review provided by Viator
Irene_c
Apr 10, 2024
Awesome tour guide, highly recommended - Brian was our tour guide. He speaks fluent English, is a nice guy, very knowledgeable, punctual, and accommodating. It was our first time in Seoul and felt lucky that we got Brian as our guide. We were able to visit all the places listed in the itinerary and had delicious authentic Korean food for lunch. We are satisfied customers and this tour is highly recommended especially if you get Brian as your guide.
Review provided by Viator
Vicky_t
Apr 2, 2024
Awesome Seoul Tour - This tour is fantastic. My family had so much fun. We learned so many new things about the places we visited. Our tour guy Brian is amazing. He is friendly, fun, knowledgeable, and flexible. It felt no different than travel with a friend of our. He made our trip more enjoyable. I will recommend this tour to my any of my friends..
Review provided by Viator
Susan_e
Apr 1, 2024
Enjoyable time in Seoul - Enjoyed the tour. Only a slight concern in that the traffic from the Incheon port into Seoul was more than expected. Luckily the driver (who was getting concerned on timing as well) managed to get us to the changing of the guard ceremony right on time and went to part while we then went with our actual guide, Tommy. Tommy was able to accomodate a slightly older crowd and reduced the stairs while we still completed the planned itinerary to include giving us different places to stop and explore a bit on our own.
Review provided by Viator
Lam_n
Mar 25, 2024
Fun day getting to see so many things! - Highly recommend this tour. Tommy was our guide and driver. He did a fantastic job throughout the day both driving us around Seoul and communicating relevant, interesting information at the various sites we visited. It was our first time in Seoul and we felt like we got a very good feeling for the variety of things available in Seoul including tings we went back to visit later more in-depth.
Review provided by Viator
Tania_w
Mar 23, 2024
A wonderful tour of Seoul, a great overview of this amazing city - excellent introduction to the historical and modern city of Seoul. Wonderful lunch in an authentic neighborhood restaurant. Korean cuisine is wonderful! Loved every moment of our tour!
Review provided by Viator
Virginia_b
Mar 19, 2024
Great introduction to Seoul. Thanks, Taylor! - As a college graduation gift, I took my nephew on a trip to Korea. I arranged for a private tour on our first full day in Seoul. Taylor picked us up in his car at our hotel in the morning and showed us the city. He was very nice and knowledgeable. He has personally traveled the world, so he was so interesting to talk with and his English was great. We started the day at Gyeongbokgung Palace and saw the changing of the guards, followed by a tour of the grounds filled with historical information. The day he planned was a nice mix of old and new sites in Seoul, ending with a cable car ride up to N Seoul Tower. We spent a few more days in Seoul on our own. Taylor was great answering our questions and making suggestions on other things to see and do in Seoul. After our first day, we felt completely comfortable exploring and found people very friendly and helpful.
Review provided by Viator
Marthae576
Mar 19, 2024
Take a tour with Brian that is tailored to you!! - Brian is an amazing tour guide! If you want a tour guide with excellent English skills, who is very knowledgeable about Korean history, and who makes a tour that is tailored to exactly who you are, what you like to do, and what you want to experience and learn, take this tour!!! One of our group was interested in learning about the Korean alphabet so he actually spent time teaching it to us!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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