Things to Do in Seoul: Palaces, Markets, Museums and Night Views

On a first visit, start in the royal old town with Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village, eat at Gwangjang Market, and go up Namsan to N Seoul Tower for the view. Add a day around Seongsu-dong or Hongdae and you’ve got three good days. Seoul is easiest in areas. The old town and its palaces sit north of the river, shopping and food run through the middle, and Gangnam and Jamsil are across the Han. Pick one area a day and use the subway between them.

Then check what’s on while you’re here, because that’s what changes a trip. The events page lists festivals, exhibitions, concerts, performances and sports from the organisers’ own pages, and this weekend has its own list.

Prices below are adult prices in Korean won, taken from each place’s own page or an official listing. Each place page has its hours and the source it was checked against.

The short list for a first visit

The map shows every place in this guide with its nearest station and exit.

What’s on this weekend and this month

Most guides can’t tell you this part. Roam Seoul reads exhibition, festival, performance and sports calendars from the venues and organisers themselves and puts them on one list. More than 400 upcoming events are on it now.

• This weekend in Seoul: everything dated Friday to Sunday.
• Live music: more than 900 upcoming gigs, from the calendars of more than 70 venues.
• Festivals, free events, exhibitions, street markets and sports: the same list sliced by what you’re after.
• Month by month: the links under this guide open each month’s page, from what’s on now to next spring’s festivals.
• The map shows the same events by date, so you can see what’s on near your hotel tonight.

The palaces

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the largest of the five grand palaces and the one to start with. It’s closed on Tuesdays, an adult ticket is ₩3,000, and you can walk in free if you wear hanbok. It opens at 09:00 and closes at 17:00 from November to February, 18:00 in March to May and September to October, and 18:30 from June to August. The guard-changing ceremony at the gate runs at 10:00 and 14:00, except on Tuesdays, according to Visit Korea. The ₩6,000 combined ticket is valid for six months and covers four palaces and Jongmyo, so it’s worth a look if you’ll see more than two.

Changdeokgung Palace is closed on Mondays, the opposite day, and costs ₩3,000. Its rear garden, Changdeokgung Huwon (Secret Garden), can only be visited on a guided walk with its own ticket, so pick the Huwon slot first and fit the palace round it. Deoksugung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace stay open into the evening with last entry at 20:00, and both cost ₩1,000. Both are closed on Mondays. Jongmyo Shrine is the UNESCO-listed Confucian shrine for the Joseon kings, closed on Tuesdays.

The one most people skip is Gyeonghuigung Palace, a reconstructed palace west of Gwanghwamun. Entry is free, it’s open 09:00 to 18:00 Tuesday to Sunday, and the Seoul Museum of History sits next door. On the way, Gwanghwamun Square is free and open 24 hours. Read the Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun guide.

Hanok streets and old lanes

Bukchon Hanok Village is a living neighbourhood, so Seoul limits tourist visits to the lanes of Bukchon-ro 11-gil between 10:00 and 17:00. Outside those hours a ₩100,000 fine applies. Come in the morning, stay on the lanes and keep your voice down, because people live here. For a quieter hanok experience, Ikseon-dong Hanok Street is a narrow alley of cafes and restaurants, and Unhyeongung Royal Residence is a free former royal home near Anguk Station, closed on Mondays.

Namsangol Hanok Village is a village of Joseon-era houses moved to the foot of Namsan. It’s free and open 9:00 to 21:00 from April to October and to 20:00 from November to March, closed Mondays. A little further on, Insadong-gil is a pedestrian street of craft shops, galleries and tea houses that’s car-free on Sundays. Ssamzigil has a spiral walkway up to a rooftop garden and is open 10:30 to 20:30 daily. Jogyesa Temple, the main temple of the Jogye Order, is the only traditional temple in central Seoul. Its hours follow the ceremony schedule, so check its site before a special date. Read the Jongno and Insadong guide.

For a different look at the old city, climb to Naksan Park, a free hillside park along the Seoul City Wall that’s open 24 hours. Next to it, Ihwa Mural Village is a residential neighbourhood covered in murals. People live in these lanes too, so keep your voice down.

Markets and shopping

Gwangjang Market has a food alley open 09:00 to 23:00 daily, though the main market is closed on Sundays. Namdaemun Market is a wholesale and retail warren by the old gate, and Dongdaemun Market is the fashion cluster that keeps late hours. On Saturdays from March to November the Hongdae Free Market sets up for the afternoon, from 13:00 to 18:00, and it’s cancelled in rain.

Tongin Market in Seochon is known for the yeopjeon dosirak. You buy brass coins at ₩500 each, and about ten feeds one person, then fill a lunch box from the stalls. It’s open 07:00 to 21:00 daily, though hours vary by shop, and the whole market closes on Sundays in every third week. Mangwon Market is a traditional market in Mapo-gu, open daily 10:00 to 21:00, and a few stalls don’t take cards. Many people take their food to Mangwon Hangang Park nearby.

Myeongdong Shopping Street is a web of pedestrian lanes rather than one street, and it’s Seoul’s best-known cosmetics and fashion district. The street-food stalls on the main lane tend to appear in the afternoon, so come after lunch and expect crowds on weekend evenings. Myeongdong Cathedral, the first Gothic building in Korea, is nearby. Visit Seoul lists it open 9:00 to 19:00 Tuesday to Saturday and 7:00 to 21:00 on Sundays, closed Mondays, and you can’t go in during Mass. Read the Myeongdong guide.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the Zaha Hadid building above Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, opened on 21 March 2014. It’s open 10:00 to 20:00, though that varies by space, and it’s closed on 1 January, Lunar New Year’s Day and Chuseok. Exhibitions charge separately. Read the Dongdaemun guide.

Museums

National Museum of Korea has free permanent galleries. Some galleries were temporarily closed in October 2026, so check its notices before you go. War Memorial of Korea is free too and closed on Mondays. Leeum Museum of Art keeps its permanent Korean antique art display free and charges for special exhibitions, and it’s closed on Mondays. Seodaemun Prison History Hall is a heavier visit on the site of a colonial-era prison, with adult tickets at ₩3,000. It’s closed on Mondays.

Two free ones sit near the palaces. The National Folk Museum of Korea is inside the Gyeongbokgung grounds, with three permanent halls on Korean daily life and a children’s museum, and it doesn’t need a palace ticket. The Seoul Museum of Craft Art is a free city-run museum near Anguk, closed on Mondays.

Parks, streams and the river

Cheonggyecheon Stream is an 11 km restored stream through central Seoul, from Cheonggye Plaza to the Han River. It’s free and open 24 hours, though access can be restricted in rain. The main entry is at City Hall station exit 4.

Namsan Park covers the lower slopes of Namsan with walking trails and is free. Seoul Forest is a large park in Seongdong-gu with an Eco-Forest, a butterfly garden and a ground fountain. The park is open around the clock and free, but the insect and plant garden and the butterfly garden close on Mondays, and the butterfly garden opens May to October only.

On the river, Yeouido Hangang Park has bike rental and a summer outdoor pool, and it hosts the fireworks festival each autumn. Ttukseom Hangang Park has an outdoor pool in summer and water sports from May to October. Both are free and open 24 hours. Read the Yeouido guide.

Seongsu-dong and Hongdae

Seongsu-dong is the converted-factory district. Scene is a large cafe with a select shop above it, open 10:00 to 22:00 daily, under 200 m from Seongsu Station exit 4. Seongsu Yeonbang is a cultural complex in a former chemical factory with a cafe, restaurant, brewery pub and bookstore, and each venue keeps its own hours. The free Seongsu Pedestrian Overpass looks over the river. Read the Seongsu-dong guide.

Hongdae is the student district, with buskers, cafes and the Saturday Free Market. Read the Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong guide. Further afield, Itaewon and Hannam-dong and Sinchon have their own guides.

Gangnam and Jamsil

Starfield Library is a free public library in the middle of Starfield COEX Mall, with a 13 m wall of shelves and roughly 70,000 books. Most of the books are in Korean, so people come for the space. It’s open 10:30 to 22:00 daily and fills up on weekends and early evenings. The mall links underground to Samseong Station, which makes it a dry stop on a rainy day. Across the road, Bongeunsa Temple is a Seon Buddhist temple open 05:00 to 22:00 daily, though times can shift around services. Read the Gangnam and Sinsa guide.

In Jamsil, Lotte World Tower Seoul Sky has an observatory on floors 117 to 123, about 500 m up, with a glass-floored Sky Deck. It’s open 10:30 to 22:00 Sunday to Thursday and to 23:00 on Friday and Saturday, with last admission an hour before closing. Read the Jamsil guide.

Views

N Seoul Tower sits on Namsan. It’s open 10:00 to 22:30 on weekdays and to 23:00 on weekends, and Visit Seoul lists the observatory at ₩29,000 for adults. Older pages show lower prices, so check the tower’s own site before you buy. You can reach it by Namsan Cable Car from the Myeongdong side. Visit Seoul lists the cable car at ₩15,000 round trip for adults, running 10:00 to 23:00. For something cheaper, the Seongsu Pedestrian Overpass looks over the river and it’s free, and so is Naksan Park, which has a lit wall path at night.

A different kind of evening

A jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse with saunas and shared sleeping floors. Riverside Spa Land is open 24 hours with no closing days. Visit Seoul lists a daytime jjimjilbang ticket at ₩15,000 for adults and a night one at ₩17,000, while VisitKorea lists lower prices, so check the page for the current figure. Spa Lei is women only.

Day trips

The DMZ is the one most visitors ask about. Individual visits aren’t allowed on the tunnel tours, so go through official channels and bring a passport or alien registration card. Imjingak in Paju is free to enter, and Dora Observatory is reached only on the DMZ Peace Tour and closed on Mondays. Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon is a UNESCO-listed wall you can walk for free, and Nami Island has an adult ticket at ₩19,000 that includes the round-trip ferry. Fees, closing days and what to bring are in the day trips from Seoul guide.

Free things to do

• Walk the Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun area, including free Gyeonghuigung Palace and Gwanghwamun Square.
• Stroll Bukchon Hanok Village between 10:00 and 17:00, and visit Unhyeongung Royal Residence.
• Follow Cheonggyecheon Stream from City Hall.
• See the permanent galleries at the National Museum of Korea, the War Memorial of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea and the Seoul Museum of Craft Art.
• Read in the Starfield Library.
• Walk Naksan Park, Namsan Park or Seoul Forest.
• Wear hanbok and enter Gyeongbokgung free.

The full list is in free things to do in Seoul, and the events page marks the free festivals and markets on while you’re here.

Seoul by season

Spring (March to May). The Korea Meteorological Administration’s normal for Seoul is first cherry flowering on 8 April and full bloom on 10 April, with an average high of 17.9°C in April. The trees follow the weather, so check the forecast. The Yeouido Spring Flower Festival ran from 3 to 7 April in 2026 and the 2027 dates haven’t been announced. See cherry blossoms in Seoul.

Summer (June to August). It’s hot and wet. August averages a 30.0°C high, and July is the wettest month at 414.4 mm. The central-region monsoon normally runs from 25 June to 26 July. Plan indoor stops for the afternoons, like the museums and the COEX mall. The month-by-month numbers are in Seoul weather by month.

Autumn (September to November). October has a 20.2°C high and just 52.2 mm of rain, one of the drier months of the year. The Seoul Autumn Festa runs from 18 September to 29 November in 2026, and the city’s Namsangol Night programme runs on Thursdays at the hanok village from 19:00 to 20:30 until 26 November. See autumn colour in Seoul.

Winter (December to February). January averages a 2.1°C high and a -5.5°C low. The city lists a planned Seoul Plaza ice rink from 18 December 2026 to 9 February 2027, at ₩1,000 for an hour including skates and helmet. The winter lights, the lantern festival and the Bosingak bell on New Year’s Eve are in the Seoul Christmas and New Year’s Eve guide, and events in December lists what’s confirmed.

How many days do you need?

Three days covers the list above without rushing.

1. Day 1: the palaces. Gyeongbokgung in the morning (not Tuesday), Bukchon between 10:00 and 17:00, then Ikseon-dong or Insadong, and Cheonggyecheon in the evening.
2. Day 2: Myeongdong and Namsan. Shopping and the cathedral, the cable car up to N Seoul Tower, then dinner in the Gwangjang food alley, which stays open until 23:00.
3. Day 3: Seongsu-dong and Seoul Forest in the morning, then the Starfield Library at COEX or Seoul Sky at Jamsil. Seongsu, Samseong and Jamsil are all on Line 2.

With two days, drop day 3. With one day, do day 1. With a fourth, take a day trip. Check live music for an evening show. Plan around the closing days in Seoul travel tips, find meals in where to eat in Seoul, and see where to stay in Seoul for the areas compared by subway line.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you not miss in Seoul?

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, Gwangjang Market, N Seoul Tower on Namsan, the National Museum of Korea and a day around Seongsu-dong. The short list near the top of this page has the costs and closing days.

Is 3 days in Seoul enough?

Yes, for a first visit. Three days covers the palaces and Bukchon, Myeongdong and Namsan, and Seongsu or Gangnam. Add a day for the DMZ, Suwon or Nami Island.

What is the best month to visit Seoul?

April to May and October have the most comfortable weather, with average highs between about 18°C and 24°C. October has the least rain of the three at 52.2 mm. See Seoul weather by month.

What are the free things to do in Seoul?

Gyeonghuigung Palace, Gwanghwamun Square, Bukchon Hanok Village, Cheonggyecheon Stream, the permanent galleries at the National Museum of Korea, the War Memorial of Korea and the Starfield Library are all free. See free things to do in Seoul.

Which Seoul palaces are closed on which day?

Gyeongbokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine close on Tuesdays. Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung close on Mondays.

What is there to do in Seoul at night?

N Seoul Tower is open until 22:30 on weekdays and 23:00 on weekends, the Gwangjang food alley until 23:00, and Seoul Sky until 22:00 or 23:00. Cheonggyecheon and Riverside Spa Land are open 24 hours. For shows, see live music.

What is there to do in Seoul with kids or when it rains?

The National Folk Museum of Korea has a children’s museum, and the National Museum of Korea and the War Memorial of Korea are free. The Starfield COEX Mall links underground to the subway. More in Seoul with kids and rainy day Seoul.

Can you visit the DMZ from Seoul?

Yes, through official channels only, and you need a passport or alien registration card. See the day trips guide.

What is there to do in Seoul this weekend?

The this weekend page lists every exhibition, festival, performance and game dated Friday to Sunday, from the organisers’ own calendars, and it’s updated every day.

Places in this guide

Photos show the actual places, licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their photographers.

Gwangjang Market Jongno and Insadong · near Jongno 5-ga Station Photo: Ken Marshall National Museum of Korea Itaewon and Hannam-dong · near Ichon Station Photo: Jinah78 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) War Memorial of Korea Itaewon and Hannam-dong · near Samgakji Station Photo: Gage Skidmore Cheonggyecheon Stream Jongno and Insadong · near City Hall Station Photo: bobbsled