Seoul City Half Day Tour Gyeongbok Palace Guard Changing Ceremony
Description
Learn about Seoul’s royal and religious history as you sightsee with a knowledgeable local guide. Travel by coach to several stunning landmarks in the capital, including Jogyesa Temple and the pavilions of Gyeongbokgung Palace. During your 3.5-hour morning tour, gape at the awe-inspiring architecture of the Joseon Dynasty, see a Changing of the Guard ceremony and learn about Korean cultural traditions at Cheongwadae Sarangchae. Hotel pickup is included, with drop-off at City Hall, leaving you a free afternoon to explore more on your own.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Jogyesa Buddhist Temple is one of the most important landmarks of Korean Buddhism, first established all the way back in 1935. The temple is located in downtown Seoul and is graced by an ancient white pine tree. There are a few important steps to entering the temple. First, you must go through “Iljum”, which is the one pillar gate. The “Iljumun” symbolizes the division between the world of the living and that of the holy Buddha world. You will have a beautiful spiritual experience and be able to admire the splendid, golden statues.
Changing of the Guard Ceremony – witness a spectacular Korean tradition You will see the meticulously choreographed ceremony that takes place in front of Gwanghwamun Gate. This tradition originated during the Joseon Dynasty and the city decided to bring it back for reenactment in 1996. The soldiers wear colorful blue and red uniforms and gracefully patrol the gates of the palace in protection of the king. The tradition is very elegant and simply beautiful to watch! Gyeongbok Palace (Except Tuesdays) – live like a royal Next up on our Seoul City Tour is Gyeongbokgung Palace. This was the main home of the Joseon Dynasty constructed in 1395. This is a stunning building with 7,700 rooms! The palace did take a few hits over the years, which makes it all the more interesting to see today! Some of the highlights here are Gangnyeongjeon, the king’s main quarters, Geunjeongjeon where the king accepted formal visits, Gyeonghoeru – the special banquet hall, and more!
The National Palace Museum of Korea was initially established as the “Korean Imperial Museum” in 1908; however, it was renamed and relocated many times throughout its history. Today the museum holds approximately 45,000 artefacts and royal treasures from Joseon Dynasty palaces and the Korean Empire. In addition, you can find 14 of South Korea’s National Treasures located here. With 500 years of history on display, you can get a real sense of the past and discover what it was like to live as a Joseon King and Queen.
Ginseng Museum & Shopping
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick-up service is available from the listed Hotels or the Main Subway Station within the Seoul area.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(372)
Our tour guide Alice is nice and friendly. Explain things pretty well.
It’s a fun tour. Our lovely tour guide Diane guided us every stop with her beautiful smile and caring. Definitely will be recommending.
Dear Valued Customer, Greetings from VIP Travel. We are truly delighted to hear that you had a pleasant and memorable experience with one of our professional guides. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. Your kind words and thoughtful recommendation mean a great deal to us. They not only encourage our team but also serve as a valuable reference for future travelers considering our services. We remain committed to providing exceptional service and unforgettable travel experiences. We sincerely hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on your next visit to Korea. With kind regards, Stella VIP Travel
Judy is a phenomenal tour guide and we had a great time even in the rain! We learned so much and would definitely recommend it!
Dear Valued Customer, Greetings from VIP Travel. This is Denisa. Thank you very much for taking the time to share your wonderful 5-star review with us. We are truly delighted to hear that you had such a pleasant and memorable experience during your tour with our professional guide. Your kind words and thoughtful feedback mean a great deal to our entire team. It is always rewarding to know that our efforts helped create an enjoyable and meaningful experience for our guests. Reviews like yours not only motivate our guides and staff, but also help future travelers feel confident when choosing our tours. Once again, we sincerely appreciate your support and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on your next visit to Korea. With warm regards, Denisa Experience the DMZ from Seoul with VIP Travel
great tour to discover the history of Seoul and the daily life of Koreans. The tour is in total immersion, it’s great. Thanks to Max for his kindness and his patience!
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your wonderful 5-star review. We’re delighted to hear you had a memorable experience with our guide. Your kind feedback means a lot and inspires our team to continue delivering great service. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again on your next visit to Korea. With warm regards, Denisa Experience the DMZ from Seoul with VIP Travel
Crystal was our guide. She is efficient and proficient in the history of the places visited.
Dear Customer. We are so happy that you had a wonderful tour with one of our professional guide. We appreciate a lot for your recommendation and your time to give us a 5-star review. 😊 Your comments will be very welcome to other customers and to us. Thank you for your valuable review and recommendation. Hope to see you again with VIP Travel in Korea. Kind Regards Stella
Our guide (Alice) was amazing, and she showed us some interesting sites. I really loved the changing of the guard ceremony, the palace grounds, and the ginseng museum (bring your wallet if you want to buy premium quality ginseng products). The driver was also great, because he had to deal with crazy traffic and street closures due to a protest going on that day. We did the half day tour, but there were others who did the full day tour, so we did not return to our meeting point.
Dear Customer. We are so happy that you had a wonderful tour with one of our professional guide. We appreciate a lot for your recommendation and your time to give us a 5-star review. 😊 Your comments will be very welcome to other customers and to us. Thank you for your valuable review and recommendation. Hope to see you again with VIP Travel in Korea. Kind Regards Stella
We had a super fun and relaxed half-day tour, our guide Max was extremely informative and we would book any tour again with him! Thank you so much
Dear Valued Customer, Greetings from VIP Travel. We are truly delighted to hear that you had a pleasant and memorable experience with one of our professional guides. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. Your kind words and thoughtful recommendation mean a great deal to us. They not only encourage our team but also serve as a valuable reference for future travelers considering our services. We remain committed to providing exceptional service and unforgettable travel experiences. We sincerely hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on your next visit to Korea. With kind regards, Stella VIP Travel
Great half-day tour covering some of Seoul’s most important landmarks, including Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum and the Changing of the Guard Ceremony. Everything was well organized, and our guide Eva was friendly, knowledgeable and made the experience very enjoyable. Highly recommended!
Dear Valued Customer, Greetings from VIP Travel. We are truly delighted to hear that you had a pleasant and memorable experience with one of our professional guides. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. Your kind words and thoughtful recommendation mean a great deal to us. They not only encourage our team but also serve as a valuable reference for future travelers considering our services. We remain committed to providing exceptional service and unforgettable travel experiences. We sincerely hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on your next visit to Korea. With kind regards, Stella VIP Travel
K was very informative, letting us know what our next step was ,what to look for. Very clear when we were resuming our tour where to meet gave pictures displayed the time so there was no misunderstanding. I’m very adaptable due to activities in the city. Make sure everything is clear that there was no misunderstandings. Kept the group moving so that we could accomplish the full day tour
Dear Valued Customer, Greetings from VIP Travel. This is Denisa. Thank you sincerely for your generous 5-star review and for sharing your experience with us. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour and had a memorable time exploring with our guide. Our team is dedicated to providing informative, comfortable, and meaningful travel experiences for all our guests, and your positive feedback is truly encouraging for everyone involved. Your thoughtful review is also very helpful for other travelers who are planning their visit to Korea. We greatly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again on another tour in the future. With warm regards, Denisa Experience the DMZ from Seoul with VIP Travel
Very nice, educational and cozy!!
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your wonderful 5-star review. We’re delighted to hear you had a memorable experience with our guide. Your kind feedback means a lot and inspires our team to continue delivering great service. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again on your next visit to Korea. With warm regards, Denisa Experience the DMZ from Seoul with VIP Travel
