24 Hours in Seoul
A palace built with Bugaksan Mountain as its dramatic backdrop, a hillside neighbourhood of traditional wooden houses that’s survived 600 years of the city’s history, and a shopping district that comes alive after dark, one proper day where old and new Korea meet.
Seoul packs an unusual amount into a single day, one of the grandest royal palaces in Asia, a properly preserved slice of traditional Korean life, and a street food scene that’s properly world-class. Here’s how I’d spend 24 hours here.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Start early at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the grandest of Seoul’s five Joseon Dynasty palaces, its 57-hectare grounds framed by Bugaksan Mountain. Try to time your visit around the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony, held several times daily, and consider renting a hanbok, traditional Korean dress, which grants free palace admission.
Bukchon Hanok Village
Head to Bukchon Hanok Village, a 15-minute walk from the palace, its hillside streets lined with properly preserved traditional hanok houses dating back 600 years. This is a real residential neighbourhood, not a tourist reconstruction, worth keeping noise down and group sizes small out of respect for residents.
Getting there A 15-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Palace
Myeongdong
End the day in Myeongdong, Seoul’s famous shopping and street food district, its lanes filling with vendors selling everything from tteokbokki to Korean fried chicken as the evening progresses. A genuinely lively way to close out a day steeped in the city’s history.
Getting around
Seoul’s subway is genuinely excellent, clean, efficient and covers nearly every major sight. Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon and Myeongdong are all reachable by metro or a short walk between them.
If you only have time for one thing
Make it Gyeongbokgung Palace. It’s the single most iconic sight in the city, and walking its grounds is a proper introduction to Korea’s royal history before you’ve even reached Bukchon.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
