The back story
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Neighbourhood guide
Jongno and the palaces
Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, the hanok of Bukchon and Ikseon-dong, Insadong’s galleries and tea houses, and the noodle houses of the old city.
Neighbourhood guide · Seoul
Jongno, palace by palace
Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, Bukchon’s hanok, Insadong and Ikseon-dong, Seochon and the noodle houses of the old city.
What's onThis week in Seoul
What to see and do
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The great palace of Joseon
Gyeongbokgung
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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UNESCO, 1997
Changdeokgung and the Huwon
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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UNESCO, 1995
Jongmyo Shrine
The royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon dynasty: inscribed by UNESCO in 1995.
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The palace with the glasshouse
Changgyeonggung
The palace beside Changdeokgung, with a pond and a white-framed glasshouse from the early twentieth century.
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Tiled roofs and lived-in lanes
Bukchon Hanok Village
The hillside of hanok houses between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung: lived-in homes with visiting hours on its busiest lane.
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Cafés in old houses
Ikseon-dong
A small grid of hanok near Jongno 3-ga, now full of cafés, bakeries and small restaurants.
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Galleries, tea and paper
Insadong
The old street of antique dealers, galleries, tea houses and hanji paper shops, between Anguk and Jonggak.
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The avenue of the kings
Gwanghwamun Square
The great avenue before Gwanghwamun gate, with Gyeongbokgung behind and Bugaksan above.
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A stream through the city
Cheonggyecheon
The restored stream that runs for kilometres below street level through the business district, lit at night.
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A curve of silver
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
Zaha Hadid’s silver curve beside the old east gate: exhibitions, design shops and an LED rose garden.
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Lanterns in the old city
Jogyesa
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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18.6 km over four mountains
Seoul City Wall (Hanyangdoseong)
The wall of the Joseon capital, walked in four sections over Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan and Inwangsan.
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Modern art by the palace
MMCA Seoul
The Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, beside Gyeongbokgung.
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The court of Joseon
National Palace Museum of Korea
The treasures of the Joseon court, in the grounds of Gyeongbokgung.
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Everyday life in Korea
National Folk Museum of Korea
The museum of Korean daily life and custom, in the grounds of Gyeongbokgung.
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The story of the city
Seoul Museum of History
The story of Seoul from Hanyang to today, beside Gyeonghuigung.
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On Samcheong-ro
Kukje Gallery
One of Seoul’s leading contemporary galleries, on Samcheong-ro by the palace.
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A pioneer of Korean modern art
Gallery Hyundai
A gallery on Samcheong-ro that has championed Korean modern and contemporary art.
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On Gwanghwamun Square
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
The city’s performing-arts centre on Gwanghwamun Square.
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On foot
The city wall over Bugaksan
The Baegak section of the city wall, from Changuimun over Bugaksan to Hyehwamun: 4.7 km, about three hours.
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On foot
The city wall over Naksan
The gentlest section of the wall, over Naksan to Heunginjimun and Gwanghuimun: 3.2 km, about an hour and a half.
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On foot
The city wall over Inwangsan
Rock outcrops and city views on the Inwang section: 4.0 km, about two and a half hours.
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On foot
Bukchon to Samcheong-dong
From Anguk through the hanok lanes of Bukchon to the galleries of Samcheong-ro, within the visiting hours.
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On foot
Cheonggyecheon to Dongdaemun
Along the stream from Cheonggye Plaza east to Gwangjang Market and the DDP.
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On foot
Seochon and Tongin Market
The lanes west of Gyeongbokgung: small galleries, cafés and the old Tongin Market.
Where to eat
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One MICHELIN Star
Yu Yuan
Cantonese and Chinese cooking at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 guide.
11F Four Seasons Hotel, 97 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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One MICHELIN Star
Onjium
Korean cooking in Jongno. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 guide.
4F, 49 Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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One MICHELIN Star
JUEUN
Korean cooking in Jongno. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 guide.
8F Gyeonghuidang, 36 Gyeonghuigung-gil, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Mijin
Buckwheat noodles in Jongno. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
#116-2 le Meilleur Jongno town, 19 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
ANAM
Dwaeji-gukbap, pork and rice soup in Jongno. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
10 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Yonggeumok
Chueotang, loach soup in Jongno. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
41-2 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Hwangsaengga Kalguksu
Kalguksu, knife-cut noodles in Jongno. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
78 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Gaeseong Mandu Koong
Mandu dumplings in Jongno. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
11-3 Insadong 10-gil, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Samcheongdong Sujebi
Sujebi, hand-torn noodle soup in Samcheong-dong. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
101-1 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Jaha Son Mandu
Mandu dumplings in Jongno. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
12 Baekseokdong-gil, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Mung-bean pancakes and noodles
Gwangjang Market food alleys
The covered market by Jongno 5-ga, its food alleys lined with stalls frying bindaetteok and slicing gimbap.
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Bagels since 2021
London Bagel Museum
The bagel bakery that opened its first shop in Anguk in September 2021 and set a new fashion for bakeries in the city.
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Scones since 2017
café Layered
Scones and cakes in a vintage, European room: the brand began in Anguk in 2017.
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Jeju green tea
Osulloc Tea House Bukchon
Green tea from Osulloc’s Jeju fields, served in a tea house in Bukchon.
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Tea by the palaces
Afternoon tea at the Four Seasons
Tea in the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, a few minutes from Gwanghwamun.
Bars
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The Four Seasons’ speakeasy
Charles H.
The cocktail bar of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, below Gwanghwamun.
Shopping
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Silks and street food
Gwangjang Market
The covered market of fabrics, hanbok silk and food stalls by Jongno 5-ga.
Where to stay
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By the palaces
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
Floor-to-ceiling windows over Gwanghwamun, the starred Cantonese Yu Yuan, the Charles H. bar and a year-round pool, a short walk from Gyeongbokgung.
97 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
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Facing the great gate
JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square
A JW Marriott on Cheonggyecheon-ro looking out over Heunginjimun, the great east gate, and close to the DDP.
279 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, SeoulExplore View on map
Share your Jongno & the palaces tips
Spent a morning in the palaces? Tell the next visitor which one, and which noodle house after.
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