History and Culture of Seoul Walking Tour

I only had a day in Seoul and booked this tour since it was one of the few that allowed booking for just one person. I was so pleasantly surprised by the tour! Ben was extremely knowledgeable and caring. It was pouring rain the day of the tour, but he still covered all the spots and had so much to share about each place. I learned a lot about Korean history and culture. Highly recommended!

We booked this tour and another tour in the afternoon Namsan Mountain and Myeongdong Walking Tour, requesting for Ben Kim. We spent all day with Ben, as these tours became a private tour for my husband and myself. We changed our itinerary and went to places we wanted to go and to places that Ben recommended. We learned Seoul's history in depth as Ben is very knowledgeable. We had morning coffee at the Old Seoul City Hall and had a panoramic view of Seoul and Deoksugung Palace. We had lunch at Seoul Museum of History and Patbingsu dessert at one of the coffee shops. We went to Jongmyo Shrine and Gwangjang Market which weren't part of the itinerary. Then we started with our afternoon tour and took the bus to Namsan Cable Car Station before going up to N Seoul Tower. We had fun with this tour and we highly recommend this tour with Ben Kim.

A truly enjoyable visit to important places that help understand Seoul's culture and tradition. It left me so impressed that I hope to visit Seoul again in the near future to take more tours and visits in and around the country. All my questions were answered in a detailed, informative way by guide Ben Kim, showing a sensitive expertise. First rate, and an excellent tour indeed.

Seoul Morning Walking Tour - Deoksugung Palace, Jeongdong-gil and the Seoul Museum of History This is an excellent tour that begins by walking through the Daehanmun Gate into Deoksugung Palace, maintaining its historical presence among the modern-day buildings of Seoul. Once inside, you will see Junghwajeon, the main throne hall at Deoksugung Palace, and Gwangmyeongmun Gate, once the south gate at Deoksugung Palace, that contains a water clock a true engineering marvel at the time of its construction, a hanging bronze bell from 1462, and a rocket cannon. Also located within the palace grounds is Seokjojeon Hall, a Western-style building constructed in 1910, which is very unique compared to the traditional architecture of the palaces. Jeongdong-gil runs along the stone wall of Deoksugung Palace and flanked by numerous historical buildings, and embassy row, leading to an extra stop at the Sungjeongmun Gate at Gyeonghuigung Palace, and then the Seoul Museum of History. Most impressive was the City Model Image Hall consisting of a 1:1,500 scale model of Seoul and the surrounding area. Nearby is the statue of King Sejong the Great, the fourth King of the Joseon Dynasty. A golden statue of him is located on Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul. Additional exhibits are located in the lower levels of Gwanghwamun Square that tell the story of his introduction of Hangul, the native phonetic alphabet system for the Korean language. There is also, a 4-D movie visual, air, water and moving chairs about Admiral Yi Sunshin, a Korean naval commander who created the Turtle Ship and is honored for his victories against the Japanese navy. My tour guide, Ben, provided an excellent historical overview, and assisted me with writing my name on a scroll as a souvenir using traditional Korean calligraphy. All admission fees were covered by cost of the tour. These half-day tours are ideal if you are visiting Seoul for the first time.