Seoul

Seoul City Private Full-Day Tour Including Lunch

Badge of ExcellenceSeoul, South Korea

8 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Join this privately led tour of Seoul and discover some of South Korea's renowned cultural gems. See the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony and tour Gyeongbokgung Palace; stroll around Bukchon Hanok Village and Insadong; and visit Jogyesa Temple and N Seoul Tower. The full-day itinerary will lead you through the ages, from ancient city to modern-day capital.

Sightseeing tour of Seoul attractions
Visit highlights such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village
Lunch at a local restaurant
Hotel pickup and drop-off included
Private tour is operated with just your party and a guide/driver

What's Included

Private transport with hotel pick up & drop off
English speaking driver guide
Lunch (Korean food)

Fee for observatory of N Seoul tower (optional)
Cable car for N Seoul tower (optional)
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

09:30 AM

Pickup details

We pick up from any hotel/Airbnb in Seoul. If you request pick up from Incheon airport, there will be an additional cost.

What To Expect

Following hotel pickup in the morning by private vehicle, your personal guide accompanies you to Gyeongbokgung Palace. At the palace entrance you'll see an impressive reenactment of the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony, performed at Gwanghwamun Gate during the Joseon Dynasty.

Gain admission to Gyeongbokgung, considered the most beautiful of the Five Grand Palaces in Seoul. Wander the pavilions and ponds with your guide and learn about its architectural features. (When the palace is closed on Tuesdays, you will visit Changdeokgung Palace instead.)

Next up is Bukchon Hanok Village, a traditional Korean village built nearby. Stroll among hundreds of homes called hanok, most dating to the Joseon Dynasty. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue into the heart of the capital and browse among the alleys of Insadong. You'll find antique items on display amid the galleries, eateries, traditional teahouses, and cafes.

Then pay a visit to Jogyesa, the main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Located within the city, the stately complex is a religious site for practitioners of Seon (Zen) Buddhism.

N Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower) is the final stop on your full-day itinerary. After a cable car ride or walk to the top of Namsan Mountain, you'll have unobstructed views of the city from this prominent landmark (entrance fees and cable car ride are your own expense). Afterward, you’re dropped off at your hotel.

Gwanghwamun Gate (Pass By)

Gyeongbokgung Palace

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Bukchon Hanok Village

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Insadong

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Jogyesa Temple

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

N Seoul Tower

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
A minimum of 2 people is required for this tour
Infants and children must be accompanied by 2 adults
Not wheelchair accessible
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)
Service animals allowed

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
Infants must sit on laps
Tour duration can be adjust depends on weather, traffic or personal reasons
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

294 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 294 reviews

Good way to see Seoul

ANIL_K, Apr 2024

Janet our guide was good . She communicated well . Although a lot of walking was involved she made it light by talking well . Thanks Janet

Excellent tour

Anil_R, Apr 2024

Brian was an excellent tour guide. He adjusted the pace of the tour to suit us and had flexibility to take us to locations and even shops that we were interested in along the way. His historical knowledge was very good. We had a great day

Great trip

Thanhtruc_n, Apr 2024

Billy was a great tour guy, he's very attentive to us. Took us to see all of the places in our iteniary and more. Such a great person very nice man. He made our experiences very special. If it wasn't raining it would be a perfect day, but the experiences were great. Thank you Billy

Great Day

Robert_G, Apr 2024

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.

Great insider introduction of Seoul

Linie_S, Apr 2024

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.

Can't go wrong with this tour!

Wendy_K, Apr 2024

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.

Awesome tour guide, highly recommended

Irene_C, Apr 2024

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.

Awesome Seoul Tour

Vicky_T, Apr 2024

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..

Enjoyable time in Seoul

Susan_E, Apr 2024

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.

Fun day getting to see so many things!

Lam_N, Mar 2024

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.

A wonderful tour of Seoul, a great overview of this amazing city

Tania_W, Mar 2024

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!

Great introduction to Seoul. Thanks, Taylor!

Virginia_B, Mar 2024

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.

Amazing tour because of the amazing tour guide, Brian!

ivywong7, Mar 2024

Brian was an amazing tour guide in Seoul! Even our teenagers loved him and listened to every word. He was proactive , thoughtful and patient. One of the best tour guides we have ever had. Great English, very knowledgeable and funny! Thank you , Brian!

Highlights

Diane_S, Mar 2024

We had an excellent day with Johnathan! He was attentive to our requests, picked us up on time, and got us situated in the best location for the the changing of the guard at the palace. He was thoughtful and knowledgeable. We loved visiting the palace, the village, N tower, the market, and the temple. Excellent day that we would not have wanted to miss!

Our tour guide, Taylor,...

Nenita_F, Mar 2024

Our tour guide, Taylor, was very friendly and engaging during the tour. He educated us about the highlights of Seoul, while also making sure that we had fun.

Great Tour

Barry_P, Mar 2024

This was a terrific tour. Our guide Brian was personable, knowledgeable, patient and pleasant. He shared much information - historical, political, cultural and personal. He was flexible and eager to please. We would highly recommend.

A wonderful day in an exciting city.

Dorothy_B, Mar 2024

We had a wonderful day with Brian. His English is perfect and we saw all parts of the city, city life and a delicious lunch. We couldn’t have had a better experience

Nice private tour.

Dana_N, Mar 2024

Personable guide. Good English, and very knowledgeable. Great day. He provided all kinds of information, cultural, popular, historical, and political. Kept the tour interesting and varied.

An Awesome day in Seoul.

Mark_S, Feb 2024

Brian was a great ambassador for Seoul. He gave us some great history and made sure we saw the major sites. Since we had gone to the N Tower the day before, he pivoted from the planned itinerary and took us to a massive indoor market which was a highlight with countless food and other vendors. We would definitely recommend this tour.

Great day at Seoul!

Benjamin_S, Feb 2024

This was a wonderful introduction to Seoul. Brian, our guide, spoke perfect English, was very knowledgeable, and planned a great day for the five of us. The van was clean and safe. We were very pleased and highly recommend this tour.

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