Must see attractions in Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

  • Top Choice

    Gyeongbokgung

    Like a phoenix, Seoul’s premier palace has risen several times from the ashes of destruction. Hordes of tourists have replaced the thousands of government…

  • Top Choice

    Changdeokgung

    The World Heritage–listed Changdeokgung is the most beautiful of Seoul's five main palaces. You must join a one-hour guided tour to look around. English…

  • Top Choice

    Cheong-gye-cheon

    With its landscaped walkways, footbridges, waterfalls and a variety of public artworks, such as the enormous pink-and-blue shell entitled Spring in Cheong…

  • Top Choice

    Bukchon Hanok Village

    Meaning ‘North Village’, Bukchon, between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, is home to around 900 hanok, Seoul’s largest concentration of these traditional…

  • Jogye-sa

    The focus of Jogye-sa is the grand wooden hall Daeungjeon, Seoul's largest Buddhist worship hall and the epicentre of Korean Buddhism. Completed in 1938,…

  • Jongmyo

    Surrounded by dense woodland, the impressive buildings of the Confucian shrine Jongmyo house the spirit tablets of the Joseon kings and queens and some of…

  • M

    MMCA Seoul

    Combining architectural elements from several centuries of Seoul's history, this branch of the city's premier contemporary-art museum is an impressive…

  • N

    National Folk Museum of Korea

    Give yourself at least an hour to do justice to this excellent museum. It has three main exhibition halls, covering the history of the Korean people, the…

  • A

    Arario Museum in SPACE

    Korean business magnate and contemporary-art collector Kam Chang-il has found the perfect home for jewels from his collection at this ivy-clad brick…

  • S

    Seoul Museum of History

    To gain an appreciation of the total transformation of Seoul down the centuries, visit this fascinating museum, which charts the city's history since the…

  • G

    Gwanghwamun

    The impressive main gate to Seoul's premier palace is flanked by stone carvings of haechi, mythical lion-like creatures traditionally set to protect the…

  • N

    National Palace Museum of Korea

    In a modern building in the southwest corner of Gyeongbokgung's compound, this museum displays royal artefacts that highlight the wonderful artistic…

  • H

    Huwon

    Walk through the dense woodland at the rear of the main buildings of Changdeokgung and suddenly you come across a serene glade. The Huwon is a beautiful…

  • S

    Simsimheon

    This modern hanok was rebuilt using traditional methods on the site of two older ones to create a home with museum grandeur that gives a rare opportunity…

  • S

    Stone Pagoda of Wongak-sa

    This 10-tier, 12m-high monument in Tapgol Park once graced Wongak-sa, a Buddhist temple that stood here but was destroyed in 1504 on the orders of the…

  • T

    Tteok & Kitchen Utensil Museum

    For those interested in the local sweet culture, this two-room museum at the Institute of Traditional Korean Food offers displays of rice cakes in…

  • D

    Daelim Contemporary Art Museum

    Daelim specialises in exhibitions on photography, design and fashion. The building, which was originally a family house, was remodelled by French…

  • K

    Kukje

    Kukje's two main gallery spaces are found off the main road, behind its restaurant building, which has the running woman sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky on…

  • J

    Jean Art Gallery

    Pioneer of the Tongui-dong gallery scene and specialising in representing contemporary Korean and Japanese artists, such as Naru Yoshitomo and Yayoi…