Deoksugung & Jeongdong Half-Day
Starts at the one palace where Western stone buildings stand among wooden halls, then follows the stone-wall road to a museum of art and a museum of the city. All three connect on foot, and most of it is free.
- Browse courses
- 3 stops
- Total
- 3h 39m
- Travel time
- 19m
Getting to the start
City Hall Station
시청역
City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2) Exit 2 comes out directly in front of Daehanmun, the palace gate. If you want the changing of the guard, check that day's times on the official site first.
The route
- 1
Deoksugung Palace
City Hall / Jeongdong · 1h 10mThe only palace where Western stone buildings stand among the wooden halls. The changing of the royal guard happens a few times a day at Daehanmun, and the stone-wall road leads straight on into Jeongdong. City Hall Station puts you at the main gate.
Official site → - Walk7m
Leave by Daehanmun and follow the stone wall west, then up a short slope to the Seoul Museum of Art. The preserved façade of the old Supreme Court makes it easy to spot from a distance.
2Seoul Museum of Art
City Hall / Jeongdong · 1hA museum built behind the preserved facade of the old Supreme Court building, a short climb up from the Deoksugung stone-wall road. The collection displays are free; ticketing for special exhibitions varies by show.
Official site →
- Walk12m
Keep going northwest along Jeongdong-gil until you reach Saemunan-ro; the Seoul Museum of History is across the road. The old streetcar in the yard is outside the building, so you can see it without going in.
3Seoul Museum of History
Gwanghwamun / Seodaemun · 1h 10mOne floor laid out to show how Seoul changed from the Joseon capital to now, free to enter. In the yard sits a real streetcar from the line that ran until 1968 — some people come just for that.
Official site →
Map
Also close by
Other places close to this route's stops — useful if you have time left or want to swap something out.
Good to do next
- Gwanghwamun & GyeongbokgungJongno, Seoul · Full day
The square, the palace, and the museum beside it. All three are adjacent, so there's almost no travel between them.
- Anguk & Insadong in a DayJongno, Seoul · Full day
A temple, a craft market, a hanok neighbourhood and a palace — all on foot. After you arrive you never touch the subway again.
- Seochon Lanes Half-DayJongno, Seoul · Half day
The lanes west of Gyeongbokgung. Quieter than Bukchon, and still dense with people who actually live there. A market and one hanok fill a half day.
Photo credits
- Deoksugung Palace — lumoplank / CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Seoul Museum of Art — Ollie Palmer / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Seoul Museum of History — LERK / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Admission prices and opening hours change often. Check the official site before you go.