Seochon Lanes 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.
- Browse courses
- 2 stops
- Total
- 1h 44m
- Travel time
- 4m
Getting to the start
Gyeongbokgung Station
경복궁역
5 min walk from Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3) Exit 2 to the Tongin Market entrance. The market closes on Sundays and for one week each month — check the day before you go.
The route
- 1
Tongin Market
Seochon / Gyeongbokgung · 1hA covered market at the heart of Seochon, the neighbourhood west of Gyeongbokgung. Side-dish stalls and snack counters line a narrow arcade; the market is known for a lunchbox system where you buy brass tokens and take a little from several stalls. It closes on Sundays and for one full week each month.
- Walk4m
Leave the market by the north exit and walk a short way up the lanes off Jahamun-ro. Almost flat, but the lanes are narrow and the sign is easy to miss — keep a map open.
2Sangchonjae
Seochon · 40mA restored hanok tucked into the Seochon lanes, laid out as a Joseon-era home would have been. Free, and small enough to see in half an hour. A cutaway display shows how the underfloor heating actually worked, which makes it a good first hanok for anyone who has not seen one.
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
- Samcheong Museums Half-DayJongno, Seoul · Half day
A contemporary art museum, a folk museum and a craft museum strung along one road. All three are within a ten-minute walk of each other, so bad weather does not break it.
- 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.
Guides that cover this
Seoul on a Tight Budget
Transport and food in Seoul are cheap enough that they are not the problem. Accommodation is. Here is where the money actually goes and what costs nothing.
Three Days in Seoul: The Complete Itinerary
Three days is enough to see Seoul properly if the days are shaped around geography rather than a list. Old city, modern city, and one day out.
Photo credits
- Tongin Market — Republic of Korea from Seoul, Republic of Korea / CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Admission prices and opening hours change often. Check the official site before you go.