We arrived in Seoul at around noon and we checked into our hotel rooms at around 2pm. We had about an hour to get a bit settled and have a quick meal before our guide arrived at our hotel for our Seoul City Tour at 3pm. Our first stop was Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon dynasty in Seoul, South Korea.
It is regarded by many as the most beautiful palace in the city and it served as the royal residence during the Joseon dynasty.
Our second stop was Bukchon Hanok. This picturesque village served as a residential area of government officials and dignitaries during the Joseon dynasty. Bukchon translates to "northern village" and was named as such because it is located to the north of Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno. Hanok is the term for these Korean traditional houses.
This place continues to be a residential area so tourists who go around this area to appreciate its beauty and to take photos are asked to keep their noise levels down.
It was winter so the sun had set by the the time we got to the third stop of our tour, the Jogyesa Temple in Insa-dong. It is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Korea.
It was pretty cool that it was dark by the time we got there because the temples and the surrounding areas looked incredible at night.
Our final stop was at the Gwangjang market where we got to try some street food, including mandu or Korean dumplings. (We would visit this place again for our street food tour in a couple of days.)
It was around 8 or 830pm when we got back to our hotel. Mitch and Ferg wanted to have some Korean barbecue so they asked the hotel receptionist for a recommendation nearby. He wrote down the name of the restaurant (in Korean of course and pointed it out on the map). A bit of a proud moment for me was when I managed to spot the restaurant based on its location on the map and by recognizing the Korean characters (even if I didn't know what they meant). It was actually on the second floor so you had to look up to spot its name. The food here was pretty expensive but really good.
Next: Seoul Food
Gyeongbokgung Palace
It is regarded by many as the most beautiful palace in the city and it served as the royal residence during the Joseon dynasty.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Our second stop was Bukchon Hanok. This picturesque village served as a residential area of government officials and dignitaries during the Joseon dynasty. Bukchon translates to "northern village" and was named as such because it is located to the north of Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno. Hanok is the term for these Korean traditional houses.
Bukchon Hanok
This place continues to be a residential area so tourists who go around this area to appreciate its beauty and to take photos are asked to keep their noise levels down.
Bukchon Hanok
It was winter so the sun had set by the the time we got to the third stop of our tour, the Jogyesa Temple in Insa-dong. It is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Korea.
Jogyesa Temple
It was pretty cool that it was dark by the time we got there because the temples and the surrounding areas looked incredible at night.
Jogyesa Temple
Our final stop was at the Gwangjang market where we got to try some street food, including mandu or Korean dumplings. (We would visit this place again for our street food tour in a couple of days.)
Mandu from one of the stalls in Gwangjang market
It was around 8 or 830pm when we got back to our hotel. Mitch and Ferg wanted to have some Korean barbecue so they asked the hotel receptionist for a recommendation nearby. He wrote down the name of the restaurant (in Korean of course and pointed it out on the map). A bit of a proud moment for me was when I managed to spot the restaurant based on its location on the map and by recognizing the Korean characters (even if I didn't know what they meant). It was actually on the second floor so you had to look up to spot its name. The food here was pretty expensive but really good.
The restaurant we visited is on the second and third floors of this building. Its name is indicated by the blue lit letters.
Next: Seoul Food
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