Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Serving as Deoksugung’s main throne hall, Junghwajeon was used for ceremonial occasions such as coronations, and is adorned with dragons and golden window…
Must-see attractions in Seoul
Northern Seoul
On the grounds of Changgyeonggung is this splendid Victorian-stye greenhouse built by the Japanese in 1909.
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
The curvaceous stylings of the slinky GT Tower sit beside the major crossing of Teheran-no and Gangnam-daero.
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Contrasting with the modern Jongno Tower opposite, this ornate pavilion houses a recent copy of the city bell – the original, forged in 1468, is in the…
Itaewon Bugundang History Park
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Even longtime residents of Itaewon might be surprised if you tell them that it is indeed possible to find historical relics in the heart of the…
Myeong-dong Catholic Cathedral
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Go inside this elegant, red- and grey-brick Gothic-style cathedral, consecrated in 1898, to admire the vaulted ceiling and stained-glass windows. The…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Seoul's first modern-style park, opened in 1897, stands on the precincts of Wongak-sa, a Buddhist temple destroyed in 1504. Left behind was its remarkable…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Seonjeongneung Park contains two main burial areas for kings and queens from the Joseon dynasty. The first tomb is for King Seongjong (r 1469–94), who was…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
This broad, elongated square provides a grand approach to Gyeongbokgung and is used for various events (as well as protests). Giant statues celebrate two…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
The Palace of Shining Celebration, completed in 1623, used to consist of a warren of courtyards, buildings, walls and gates spread over a large area. But…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Cheondogyo means 'Religion of the Heavenly Way', and this temple is the hall of worship for a home-grown faith containing Buddhist, Confucian and…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
This palace has a modest, natural-wood design reflecting the austere tastes of Heungseon Daewongun (1820–98), King Gojong’s stern and conservative father…
Northern Seoul
This modern hillside temple is a pleasure to visit at any time of the year, but particularly in May when the grounds are festooned with lanterns for…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Much more interesting than the tour of Cheongwadae itself is this exhibition hall opposite the exit from the presidential compound. Inside are displays…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Mokin are carved and painted wooden figures and decorative motifs that were used to decorate sangyeo (funeral carriages). Carved by village craftsmen,…
Northern Seoul
Apart from the former prison, this park, dedicated to those who fought for Korean independence, also features Dongnimmun, an impressive granite archway…
Seoul
Home to South Korea’s parliament since 1975, the pleasant grounds here with a fountain and an elaborate hanok (traditional wooden house; used for official…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Opened in 2012, the Seoul Metropolitan Library is within the original City Hall's Renaissance-style building, constructed in 1926, that's fronted by a…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Standing alone on an island (in direct contrast to the mayhem around it), Seoul’s picturesque Great South Gate, Sungnyemun, is one of the capital's…
Seoul
Come to this venerable university, founded in 1886 by American Methodist missionary Mary Scranton, to view Dominique Perrault’s stunning main entrance…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Covered with 10,000 lights, the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain's coloured water rains down in messy arcs from the double-decker Banpo Bridge. More…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
Attached to the DDP, this museum makes up a part of the Dongdaemun History and Culture Park and features archaeological remains from the Joseon dynasty…
Northern Seoul
The charming hanok (traditional wooden home) of Choi Sunu, a former director of the National Museum of Korea and academic on Korean arts is now looked…
Lotte World Adventure & Magic Island
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Lotte World Adventure & Magic Island is a mainly indoor Korean version of Disneyland, complete with ‘flying’ balloons, 3D films, laser and music shows,…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Standing at the main entrance to Olympic Park is the colossal World Peace Gate, with its striking winged arches designed by Kim Jung-up for the 1988…
Northern Seoul
One of the 'four small gates' in Seoul's City Wall, this is also the start point for the City Wall hike up Bukaksan. If you plan on doing the hike, you'll…
Seoul
A former water-filtration plant on an island in the Han River has been transformed into this award-winning park. The old industrial buildings have been…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Olympic Park’s Seoul Baekje Museum illuminates the history and culture of Hanseong (18 BC–AD 475), when this part of Seoul was the capital of the Baekje…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
A statue of the revered scholar king (1397–1450) sits regally on a throne in the middle of Gwanghwamun. An entrance at the statue's base leads down to an…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
This statue is a downtown landmark. Seoul-born Yi Sun-sin (1545–98) designed new types of metal-clad warships called geobukseon (turtle boats), and used…
Northern Seoul
An engaging little museum about Seongbuk-dong's long vanished Seonjam altar, which was where royal sericulture (silk production) rites were held during…
Cheong-gye-cheon Cardboard House
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
This 'cardboard' slum house, typical of the wooden shacks that lined the Cheong-gye-cheon after the Korean War, has been preserved to give a sense of life…
Seoul
The top-class, regularly changing art exhibitions at this 60th-floor gallery have the extra thrill of an observation deck. It's held within the gold…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
The most notable of the three royal tombs at Seonjeongneung park is that of King Seongjong (r 1469–94), who was a prolific author and father – he had 28…
Bukchon Traditional Culture Center
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
There's an informative exhibition about hanok homes and the Bukchon area, housed in this larger-than-average hanok. It's generally unstaffed but sometimes…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
The regularly changing exhibitions at the gallery in the Sejong Center, the largest cultural complex in Seoul, are generally worth a look for an insight…
Seoul
These five connected parks (Pyeonghwa, Nanjicheon, Nanji Hangang, Haneul Park and Noeul) were created for the 2002 FIFA World Cup out of former landfill…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Accessed from the Southern Namsan Circuit or via a pedestrian bridge over the road from near the Grand Hyatt is the Namsan Botanical Garden. The 59m2 are…
Northern Seoul
One of the 'four small gates' of the Seoul City Wall, Hyehwamun is also known as Dongsomun (literally 'small east gate'). Originally built in 1396, it was…
Seoul
The items displayed on the two floors of this small museum trace the history of modern design in Korea from the 1880s to contemporary times. Not much is…
