UltimateCity Guide Seoul
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Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall of Gyeongbokgung, across its empty stone courtyard under a blue sky

18 of the best · Seoul, South Korea

Seoul’s Great Sights, from Gyeongbokgung to Lotte World Tower

The five palaces and Jongmyo, Bukchon and Insadong, the city wall, N Seoul Tower, the DDP, the temples and the view from Seoul Sky.

Our 18 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026

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Insiders' picks

Three Seoul moments we keep going back to: Gyeongbokgung at opening time, a bowl of naengmyeon at Woo Lae Oak, and the city wall over Naksan at dusk.

  1. The great palace of Joseon

    Gyeongbokgung

    Gwanghwamun·Royal palace

    The principal palace of the Joseon dynasty, below Bugaksan: the throne hall, the lotus-pond pavilion of Gyeonghoeru and the gate at Gwanghwamun.

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  2. UNESCO, 1997

    Changdeokgung and the Huwon

    Jongno·Royal palace

    The palace that follows the hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its rear garden of ponds and pavilions, seen on guided tours.

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  3. 18.6 km over four mountains

    Seoul City Wall (Hanyangdoseong)

    Seoul·City wall

    The wall of the Joseon capital, walked in four sections over Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan and Inwangsan.

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The full list: Sights, A–Z

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Neighbourhood
More areas 5

The back story 2

Reading the palaces, the shrine and the wall.

  1. The back story

    Five palaces and a wall: reading Seoul’s great sights

    Seoul·In depth

    Gyeongbokgung below Bugaksan, the gardens of Changdeokgung, the ancestral halls of Jongmyo, the 18.6-kilometre city wall over four mountains, and the towers of the new city: how to read Seoul.

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  2. History & heritage

    Seoul: from Hanyang to the city on the Han

    Jongno·In depth: history and heritage

    Hanyang, capital of the Joseon dynasty, its palaces and wall; the alphabet of 1446; the twentieth century told plainly; the miracle on the Han and the design city of today: Seoul’s heritage.

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The palaces 5

Five palaces and a shrine.

  1. UNESCO, 1997

    Changdeokgung and the Huwon

    Jongno·Royal palace

    The palace that follows the hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its rear garden of ponds and pavilions, seen on guided tours.

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  2. The palace with the glasshouse

    Changgyeonggung

    Jongno·Royal palace

    The palace beside Changdeokgung, with a pond and a white-framed glasshouse from the early twentieth century.

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  3. Stone halls by City Hall

    Deoksugung

    City Hall·Royal palace

    The palace by City Hall, where wooden halls stand beside the neoclassical stone hall of Seokjojeon.

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  4. The great palace of Joseon

    Gyeongbokgung

    Gwanghwamun·Royal palace

    The principal palace of the Joseon dynasty, below Bugaksan: the throne hall, the lotus-pond pavilion of Gyeonghoeru and the gate at Gwanghwamun.

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  5. UNESCO, 1995

    Jongmyo Shrine

    Jongno·Royal shrine

    The royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon dynasty: inscribed by UNESCO in 1995.

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The old city 6

Hanok, lanes and the stream.

  1. Tiled roofs and lived-in lanes

    Bukchon Hanok Village

    Bukchon·Historic quarter

    The hillside of hanok houses between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung: lived-in homes with visiting hours on its busiest lane.

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  2. A stream through the city

    Cheonggyecheon

    Jung-gu·Urban stream

    The restored stream that runs for kilometres below street level through the business district, lit at night.

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  3. A curve of silver

    Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

    Dongdaemun·Design centre

    Zaha Hadid’s silver curve beside the old east gate: exhibitions, design shops and an LED rose garden.

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  4. The avenue of the kings

    Gwanghwamun Square

    Gwanghwamun·City square

    The great avenue before Gwanghwamun gate, with Gyeongbokgung behind and Bugaksan above.

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  5. Cafés in old houses

    Ikseon-dong

    Jongno·Hanok lanes

    A small grid of hanok near Jongno 3-ga, now full of cafés, bakeries and small restaurants.

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  6. Galleries, tea and paper

    Insadong

    Jongno·Shopping street

    The old street of antique dealers, galleries, tea houses and hanji paper shops, between Anguk and Jonggak.

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The views 2

From the towers.

  1. Seoul from Namsan

    N Seoul Tower

    Namsan·Observation tower

    The tower on the summit of Namsan: the city in every direction, reached by cable car or on foot.

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  2. The view from the top

    Seoul Sky at Lotte World Tower

    Jamsil·Observatory

    The observatory near the top of Lotte World Tower, above Seokchon Lake.

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Temples and the wall 3

Faith and fortifications.

  1. A temple opposite COEX

    Bongeunsa

    Samseong·Buddhist temple

    A temple on the slope opposite COEX, with a great standing Buddha and a Templestay programme.

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  2. Lanterns in the old city

    Jogyesa

    Jongno·Buddhist temple

    The head temple of the Jogye Order, in the old city near Insadong, hung with lanterns before the Buddha’s Birthday.

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  3. 18.6 km over four mountains

    Seoul City Wall (Hanyangdoseong)

    Seoul·City wall

    The wall of the Joseon capital, walked in four sections over Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan and Inwangsan.

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The modern city 2

Libraries and museums.

  1. Shelves to the ceiling

    Starfield Library

    Samseong·Library

    The open library in the middle of COEX mall, its bookcases rising two storeys.

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  2. A national museum of military history

    War Memorial of Korea

    Yongsan·Museum

    A large museum of military history in Yongsan, with outdoor displays of aircraft and vehicles.

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Explore more of Seoul

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