---
title: "Things to Do in South Korea"
url: "https://viatravelers.com/things-to-do/south-korea/"
type: "archive"
---

# Things to Do in South Korea

> 12 curated places in South Korea, with what makes each one worth your time.Planning the trip? Read the South Korea destination guide →

- [Gyeongbokgung Palace](https://viatravelers.com/places/gyeongbokgung-palace/) — Gyeongbokgung took three hours and I still missed half of it. Go for the guard change, stay for Gyeonghoeru Pavilion.
- [Myeongdong Shopping Street](https://viatravelers.com/places/myeongdong-shopping-street/) — Myeongdong moves fast — K-beauty haggling by day, tteokbokki smoke and neon by night. Budget an extra hour you didn't plan for.
- [Deoksugung Palace](https://viatravelers.com/places/deoksugung-palace/) — Deoksugung is the only royal palace in Seoul where a neoclassical stone hall sits steps from a Joseon throne room. That tension is the whole point.
- [Insadong Culture Street](https://viatravelers.com/places/insadong-culture-street-seoul/) — Insadong's side alleys do more work than the main street — small galleries, hanji shops, and teahouses that tourists walking straight through entirely miss.
- [Sungnyemun Gate](https://viatravelers.com/places/sungnyemun-gate/) — Burned down by arson in 2008 and rebuilt by hand using Joseon-era methods — Sungnyemun isn't just old Seoul, it's Seoul refusing to disappear.
- [Bukchon Hanok Village](https://viatravelers.com/places/bukchon-hanok-village/) — Bukchon is still a working neighborhood — locals actually live here, which makes wandering its alleys feel less like a tour and more like trespassing in the best way.
- [Changdeokgung Secret Garden](https://viatravelers.com/places/changdeokgung-secret-garden-seoul/) — The Secret Garden reveals itself slowly — 78 acres of lotus ponds, 300-year-old trees, and royal pavilions tucked behind Changdeokgung Palace.
- [Changgyeonggung Palace](https://viatravelers.com/places/changgyeonggung-palace/) — Changgyeonggung gets overlooked for Gyeongbokgung, but its residential scale and lotus pond make it the more human palace of Seoul's five.
- [N Seoul Tower](https://viatravelers.com/places/n-seoul-tower/) — N Seoul Tower sits 236m above the city on Namsan Mountain — the views alone justify the climb, but the lock tradition keeps you longer.
- [Bongeunsa Temple](https://viatravelers.com/places/bongeunsa-temple/) — A 1,200-year-old Buddhist temple sitting directly across from COEX Mall in Gangnam — the contrast alone makes it worth the detour.
- [Jongmyo Shrine](https://viatravelers.com/places/jongmyo-shrine/) — Jongmyo is the quietest place in Seoul — no color, no crowds, just stone courtyards and 600 years of Joseon ritual still intact.
- [Jogyesa Temple](https://viatravelers.com/places/jogyesa-temple/) — A 500-year-old pine, golden Buddhas, and paper lanterns at Buddha's Birthday — Jogyesa is Seoul's most accessible temple and actually worth your time.