Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁)

3.0Km 2024-10-10

161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3700-3900

Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1395 as the official palace of the Joseon dynasty by Yi Seong-gye, the future King Taejo and founder of the new regime. Gyeongbokgung Palace is commonly referred to as the Northern Palace because of its location to the north, comparied to Changdeokgung Palace in the east and Gyeonghuigung Palace in the west. Gyeongbokgung Palace is arguably the most beautiful and is the largest of all five palaces. Many Joseon kings were crowned here. The premises were once destroyed by fire during the Imjin War (1592-1598). However, all of the palace buildings were later restored under the leadership of Heungseondaewongun during the reign of King Gojong. The assassination of Empress Myeongseong, however, resulted in Gyeongbokgung Palace losing its function as a royal palace, eventually witnessing the downfall of the Joseon dynasty. Gyeongbokgung Palace retains the original Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, a prime example of Joseon architecture, and the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion and pond. The sculptures in the Geunjeongjeon Hall exemplify Joseon-era sculpture techniques. The west side of the area outside Heungnyemun Gate is occupied by the National Palace Museum of Korea, while the eastern side of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion within the Gyeongbokgung Palace is occupied by the National Folk Museum of Korea.

Passion 5 (패션5)

3.0Km 2024-03-08

272, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2071-9505

Passion 5 is a bakery and dessert café located in an art gallery-like space. It is made up of four sections offering bread, cakes, chocolate, and coffee with their unique ambiences. The menu consists of nearly 300-400 dessert items drawn from baking traditions around the world, including cakes, pudding, and handmade chocolate.

Royal Culture Festival (궁중문화축전)

3.0Km 2024-07-17

161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-1522-2295

The Royal Culture festival is held at the five Royal Palaces and Jongmyo Shrine. The festival first began in 2014 and provides visitors with first-hand knowledge of these important cultural heritages through unique performances, exhibitions, experiences and programs. The festival expanded in 2021 to be hosted twice a year, in spring and in fall.

Jeongdong Theater (국립 정동극장)

3.0Km 2024-06-19

43 Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-751-1500

Jeongdong Theater is located along Deoksugung Stone Wall Path and serves as a cultural hub for local citizens. Opened in 1995, Jeongdong Theater is historically significant as it was established to restitute the legacy of Wongaksa, the first modern theater in Korea. Jeongdong Theater features numerous critically-acclaimed productions, such as “Traditional Art Performance,” “Masters Exhibition,” and “Art Frontier,” as well as programs like “Art Stage at Noon” that are geared toward the general public. As a result, Jeongdong Theater has become one of Korea's representative traditional arts performance theaters and was designated as a Seoul Future Heritage in 2015.

The theater successfully held the performance “Miso” in 2010, featuring the traditional musical "Love Songs from Chunhyang," written and created by Jeongdong Theater. The musical attracted many international visitors from all over the world, passing on Korean cultural values and beauty, as well as gaining the attention of critics worldwide. In addition, the theater also produced "The 2nd Story of Miso: Baebijang-jeon," offering a modern interpretation of the fundamental values found in Korea's culture and art.

Kumho Art Hall (금호아트홀)

3.0Km 2021-05-28

76, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-6303-1977

Kumho Art Hall was built in 2000 exclusively for classical music concerts, with 390 seats, the perfect structure for chamber concerts. All seats are recital hall chairs and the wide spacing between rows of chairs helps the audience to have a pleasant time. Upon entering the theater, all cell phones will turn off automatically. This helps all visitors to enjoy the concert without being interrupted by ringing cell phones. The interior is cozy and luxurious, and the stage is made of maple.

Grand Hyatt Seoul Ice Skating Rink (그랜드하얏트 서울 아이스링크)

3.0Km 2019-06-14

322, Sowol-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-2-799-8113

The Grand Hyatt Hotel's beautiful ice skating rink has been featured in a number of Korean TV commercials and dramas. Skating with an open-view of Hangang River and the Gangnam area makes for a romantic dating spot for couples and a perfect place to enjoy winter sports for visitors with friends and families. Also, a night view of the center of the city is available from Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Himart - Yongdu Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (하이마트 용두점)

3.0Km 2024-04-18

414, Gosanja-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul

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Seoul Yangnyeongsi Market (서울 약령시장)

3.0Km 2021-06-09

10, Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
+82-2-969-4793

"Yangnyeongsi," which literally means medicine city district, refers to a central Oriental medicine district formed near major cities where medicinal herbs are collected and produced. Yangneongsi were first established by royal order during the Joseon dynasty for the purpose of effective production, distribution and management of medicinal products and herbs.

Seoul Yangnyeongsi Market history is relatively short, having formed naturally in the mid-1960s by medicinal herb merchants who gathered here seeking to sell their products with the city bus terminal and Cheongnyangni Station as their central base. Originally, these merchants came to Seoul through the old Seongdong Station and Chyeongnyangni Station after the Korean War, seeking to sell medicinal herbs and vegetation products that were cultivated and collected in the Gyeonggi-do and Gwangwon-do regions. This small market that was once open on an empty plot of land was later authorized as an official market establishment. Road and railroad developments between Gangwon-do and Seoul were followed and by the 1970s, the market grew into what is now seen today. The name Seoul Yangnyeongsi Market was given by the Seoul mayor in 1995.

Korea Samgyetang (고려삼계탕)

3.1Km 2024-06-19

1 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-752-9376

Located near City Hall Station, Korea Samgyetang specializes in samgyetang. Samgyetang is a traditional healthy dish made by simmering cleaned young chicken in a broth with ginseng, jujube, and glutinous rice. The light and tender texture of the stewed chicken and the ginseng-flavored glutinous rice porridge is excellent. Ogolgye tang (silkie chicken soup) and jeonbok samgye tang (abalone and ginseng chicken soup) are also favorites among patrons. This restaurant was selected for the Michelin Guide Seoul in 2023.

The Children’s Museum of the National Folk Museum of Korea (국립민속박물관&국립민속박물관 어린이박물관)

3.1Km 2024-03-04

37 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

The Children’s Museum of the National Folk Museum of Korea, located within Gyeongbokgung Palace, showcases artifacts related to Korean traditional culture. This interactive museum allows children to experience and learn about various aspects of Korean traditional clothing, food, society, culture, and games firsthand. Especially catering to children from Asian countries, there is a service for renting items, and reservations are required for admission.

Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) - Area information - Korea travel information