For my first trip to Korea, Seoul was obviously my first stop. The country’s lively capital is a place not to be missed whether you love history or living in the modern era. It’s such a lovely city!

A Brief History of Seoul

On the outside, Seoul is a modern marvel but it has such a long and rich history. The area of Seoul has been inhabited for thousands of years and it got its start as a central city early. A few years BC, the area was a place called Baekje and it’s believed that their capital of 500 years, Wiryeseong, was at the location of present day Seoul. For a short time in the 11th century, it was called Namgyeong which was the secondary capital of Goryeo.

But its history as the city of Seoul we know today starts a bit later. It was planned as the capital city in 1394, and you’ll see below that many of the historically important buildings date to the years shortly after. Since it was planned, there were set rules and designs for the palaces, shrines, altars, walls, and roads. For the next few centuries, the city would continue to grow more organically. A lot of the buildings were destroyed by wars but the most important ones were rebuilt.

Around the turn of the 20th century, Seoul began to grow differently. Korea opened up to international influence which included Western countries and their architecture. In the 1960s began a new population and economic boom that called for an update with the city. Apartment buildings started to be built rather than single family homes. In the 1980s, Seoul hosted the Asian Games and the Olympics which really put it on the international map and it became an even bigger city to live and to visit.

The Five Grand Palaces of Seoul

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace is full of history, dating back to 1395. It was destroyed and rebuilt over the years, with many additions in the 19th century. One of the more interesting aspects of Korea’s history is the history of Korean and the Hangul alphabet which was actually “invented” in 1443, rather than coming about organically. It’s said that Gyeongbokgung Palace is where Hangul was originally written and distributed. It’s also where Empress Myeongseong was assassinated in 1895.

It’s also a very popular place to visit – the most popular of the five palaces. There’s a lot of grounds to the Palace but most of it is outdoors. You can see Gyeonghoeru Pavilion here but to go inside, you need to book a separate tour in advance. I can’t find a place to do so online so you probably have to go to the palace ahead of time to make arrangements.

Deoksugung Palace

At a lot of the palaces, you’ll notice the similar style of painting called dancheong that uses red and green to cover its buildings. The most diverse of the palaces is definitely Deoksugung Palace, which has its fair share of dancheong but also has a beautiful natural wood building and some neoclassical Western style buildings.

The palace is a lot newer but still old, dating back to 1593. It was secondary to Changdeokgung until 1897 when it became the primary palace. The Western style buildings were added around the turn of the 20th century to host foreign diplomats. One of those buildings is the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and even though I’m not a big modern art fan, I did like their exhibition on art after the Korean war. The museum requires an additional ticket to be bought but you don’t need to purchase it in advance. I was also lucky enough to visit when the palace had an art exhibit on display.

Changdeokgung Palace

Another palace called Changdeokgung Palace was built in 1405, and served as the primary palace from roughly 1610 to 1867. It’s also quite large but also has some plainer wooden style buildings in addition to dancheong, plus the buildings are more residential and more enclosed (I guess I’d say?) than Gyeongbokgung where it feels so large and open. In this way, it felt more beautiful to me and I felt more captivated by the architecture.

When it was built originally, it included a Secret Garden or Huwon which can be visited today with a separate ticket. Like the pavilion at Gyeongbokgung, these tickets sell out and apparently need to be bought at the palace ahead of time. I would’ve loved to go but unfortunately tickets were sold out.

It’s currently the only of the 5 palaces that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Changgyeonggung Palace

Changgyeonggung Palace dates a bit later, to 1483, and is where the royal family actually lived. It’s a much less visited palace but it’s very large, spreading out over several buildings. It doesn’t have any secret gardens or pavilions but it also doesn’t have that many crowds.

Since the two are close, after visiting Changdeokgung Palace next door, I thought I had seen Changgyeonggung Palace as well but that was not true. There’s a completely separate entrance with a separate admittance fee, so I had to trek back to see Changgyeonggung.

Gyeonghuigung Palace

Of all the palaces, Gyeonghuigung Palace is probably the smallest and least visited. It doesn’t even require an entry ticket. Once it was a large palace with over 100 halls, but it burned down over the years and wasn’t reconstructed like the other palaces. When I visited, there was a children’s event and also a small market on the grounds of the palace as it’s currently used for community ventures.

Despite that, it’s nice and enclosed and feels more relaxed. The hall still has the tradition dancheong decoration. If you have more time to spend in the city, or want to get away from the crowds, Gyeonghuigung Palace is a place to keep on your radar.

Which palace(s) should you visit?

If you’re visiting Seoul for a limited time, or get palace’d out, I wouldn’t recommend trying to see all 5 palaces. They all have distinct differences but since they’re all painted with the traditional dancheong, they are also very similar. Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most popular place to visit but I have to dissent from this. While it’s beautiful, it felt like it was on such a large scale and was also quite crowded.

My favorites were Changdeokgung Palace and Deoksugung Palace. The former is quite large but is a bit cosier, and I just found it the most charming. Plus if I could have seen the Secret Garden, I think I would have loved it. The latter I liked because it had a larger array of architecture than the others, plus an art museum. So that’s my two cents on the subject.

You might notice that a lot of people choose to rent a hanbok. We did and it was quite fun! The palaces offer free entry to people wearing hanbok, no ticket required, so wearing one to the palaces is a great way to skip the line and potentially save a bit of money.

Other Things to See in Seoul

Seoul is a very modern city, but you can see remnants of its rich past here and there.

One of the most iconic places in Seoul is Sungnyemun Gate, which was completed in 1398 when the city was just being developed. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. You can go inside it and see a beautiful painting on the ceiling.

Seoul had 8 city gates originally and 6 remain; Heunginjimun is another impressive gate and the other gates are Sukjeongmun, Changuimun, Hyehwamun and Gwanghuimun.

Jongmyo Shrine is another building with origins to 1395 though its current form dates to the 16th century. It holds spirit tablets of Korea’s former kings and queens, and the ancestral rites are still performed here for them. You are advised not to walk in the center of the walkways as that’s reserved for the spirits. Jongmyo Shrine is a very large area and also has a nice forest and garden as a bit of a respite from the hustle of the city. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

But one of my absolute favorite places in Seoul is Jogyesa Temple which is the center of Korean Buddhism. It’s also one of the city’s original buildings dating to the 14th century but it was also reconstructed over the years. It’s an active temple, so photos weren’t allowed inside, but it’s absolutely gorgeous. The inside has impressive gold Buddhas and the exterior is decorated with stunning carving. It is just such a beautiful place to see and you should absolutely have it on your list.

Sajikdan Altar is another founding part of Seoul, dating back to 1395. It’s where sacrifices were made to the gods for a good harvest. But I did make the trek there and honestly, it was a bit boring since there’s not much there.

One place I cannot recommend enough is the War Memorial of Korea. Outside there are beautiful art installations and a wide array of military equipment, some you can even go inside. The war museum itself is absolutely excellent. The upper levels are about the Korean War of the 1950s and the lower levels discuss earlier wars through centuries past. I myself am not into military history but the museum is a lot more holistic, covering the cultural aspects of the time period. It’s also still a fresh wound for Koreans and something felt today so it’s absolutely worth a visit.

Actually, I think if you have to visit any one place in Seoul, it should be the War Memorial.

Another place I highly recommend visiting is the National Museum. This museum has a large collection of art that takes you from prehistoric Korea to more modern centuries, with an emphasis on earlier and medieval centuries. The art is absolutely beautiful and they did a wonderful job of providing information and context so you can learn how Korea started and how it evolved over time.

However I was absolutely gutted that the painting section, which is 1/6th of the museum, was closed when I visited! Still so upset about it. I’ll have to go back.

Another place I really liked was the Gahoe Folk Art Museum. It wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s a room in a basement and when I visited, none of their collection was on view but rather an exhibit of winners of a Korean folk art contest. It was still really lovely! It looks like they otherwise have a small selection of their collection on view in this room at other times, so it’s quite small. But I love Korean folk art so it was definitely a nice stop that I recommend for art lovers.

In the art vein, I kept hearing that the Leeum Museum of Art, owned by Samsung, was a must-visit and of course I had to go there. It was OK. If I remember correctly, their building for older art has only a few hundred pieces in it. To be fair, the pieces are quite beautiful and there’s a lot of celadon. But it’s a small collection. The contemporary art building has a Rodin but is otherwise too modern for my tastes. The thing is, the whole museum collection costs 2000 won, which is really expensive for Seoul and I felt it wasn’t worth the money.

The Daelim Museum is a modern art museum that I went to but they did have some excellent photography exhibitions, albeit not by Korean artists. It dealt with being a teenage girl so I think it was something I just connected to, having once been a teenage girl. They’re another museum to keep on your list.

The Seoul Museum of Craft Art has a smaller collection but is more informative about the different types of art and movements that you’re looking at. It’s also free and something to consider if you have an extra hour or so to spend in the city.

Again, I got to see the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Deoksugung Palace and actually enjoyed the exhibition they had. Deoksugung Palace is lovely and for art lovers, both are worth a visit.

Near, but not in, Gyeongbokgung Palace is the National Folk Museum, easily located by its stunning tall pagoda. I think it’s an excellent museum on Korean folk culture but it is a bit basic, covering things like Korean holidays and such. I didn’t know much about Korea when I went there so I found it educational but someone who is more familiar with the culture might not benefit that much from it.

Another museum I really liked is the Seoul Museum of History. It’s free and gives an excellent overview of Seoul’s history from its founding about 1000 years ago to more modern decades. Even though I’d learned a lot about Seoul by the time I visited, it was still educational and was able to give a good visualisation of how Seoul was in the past.

One place I quite liked is Namsangol Hanok Village. Unlike a lot of other hanok villages, Namsangol is more of an open air museum with hanoks, a pavilion, and a garden. The buildings date to around the 19th century and were moved to their current location in the 1990s. The hanoks belonged to people of upper ranks so they’re quite large and lovely. The village also has some information on the buildings and rooms you’re looking at, plus some games and activities. It’s a nice little respite from the city and a good look at life from the 19th century.

Some similar places for history lovers that I missed out on were Amsa-dong Prehistoric Site and Goguryeo Blacksmith Village.

The Bukchon Hanok Village is a lovely area and it’s a more traditional hanok village in that people live and work there; it’s not a museum. The hanok village is quite large with quintessential Korean architecture. However, the area is a bit touristy, lined almost completely with souvenir shops. There’s also a tourist curfew of 5:00pm so as not to disturb the residents. However it is absolutely worth a stop because it’s beautiful.

There’s also a nice culture center as well as the home of Bae Ryeom, a Korean painter of the 20th century. You can walk in and visit both for free.

Something I really loved about Seoul was the variety of vegan food. There were so many vegan restaurants in Seoul that I was able to try a large array of Korean staple foods that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to try! I absolutely love that the people there cared enough to make that happen for us who don’t eat meat.

If you’re looking to get around Seoul via public transport, you should download Naver Map. It’s Korea’s version of Apple or Google Maps, which both don’t work for public transit in Korea.

Like any large city, I recommend taking some time to walk or ride the bus around to see parts people might normally miss. Go to a shopping mall or a food market to see the local life. Cities like Seoul are quite big but they become less intimidating and more intimate once you get to know the streets and recognise certain places. I spent a week there with 5 full days dedicated to the city, and there was a lot to see and do.

What was interesting for me is that, despite being a large city, a lot of the buildings in Seoul are lower to the ground rather than skyscrapers. Surrounded by views of the mountains, it doesn’t feel as big as it actually is.

I really enjoyed my time in Seoul and, rather unsurprisingly, it was probably my favorite place in Korea. So far it’s definitely one of the best cities I’ve been to in Asia. If you’re going to South Korea, I highly recommend spending a few days in Seoul to get to know the city. If you’re looking for another trip, South Korea is absolutely lovely and has so many great things to see.

Whenever you choose to go, I hope you enjoy your time in Seoul!

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