Paths of Power: Walking Tour Through Historic Seoul

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Seoul Plaza

  Start your journey in Seoul Plaza, the city’s symbolic heart and gathering place for everything from royal ceremonies to major public events. Surrounded by iconic landmarks — the futuristic City Hall, the Imperial Deoksugung Palace, the distant outline of Gyeongbokgung, and even the remains of the Joseon Dynasty’s Temple of Heaven — this open space reveals the layers of Korea’s past and the enduring spirit of its people.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2
  Seoul City Hall

  Step inside Seoul’s New City Hall — a sweeping glass structure that symbolizes transparency and civic renewal. Its curved facade, inspired by a hanbok sleeve, an ocean wave, or whatever else your imagination suggests, reflects the city’s future-facing identity. Inside, you’ll find a striking vertical garden — officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest indoor green wall. Just in front, the stone building of the former City Hall stands as a quiet echo of the Japanese colonial era. Together, these buildings embody Korea’s shifting centers of power — from imperial domination to democratic self-governance — and show how architecture can express both control and openness. Note: Access to the interior of City Hall may occasionally be restricted due to official events, but this is rare.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• (Pass by)

  As you pass by the Seoul Anglican Cathedral, note its striking Romanesque architecture — a rarity in the heart of old Seoul. Today, it stands both as a place of worship and as a stone witness to Seoul’s layered cultural and spiritual history.

  Admission ticket free
• 3
  Cheonggyecheon Stream

  At the head of Cheonggyecheon, water spills over a sculpted waterfall — the symbolic rebirth of a stream once buried beneath concrete. As you stroll along its banks, you might catch a heron fishing in the current — a scene of perfect calm in the city’s restless heart. But just ahead stands Gwangtonggyo Bridge, holding a quiet, unsettling trace — the kind of memory that clings to stone long after names have faded.

  20 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4
  Gwanghwamun Square

  From silent stones to towering bronze, you now pass two giants of Korean memory: Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who faced foreign fleets with iron calm, and King Sejong, who shaped a nation with words, not weapons.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5
  Gwanghwamun Gate

  Just ahead, the gate to the royal city rises — bold and symmetrical, the face of Gyeongbokgung. Here, the Changing of the Guard ceremony awaits: bright silks, stern faces, choreographed steps. Note: The ceremony may be canceled in bad weather.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6
  Gyeongbokgung Palace

  Inside Gyeongbokgung, more than majestic architecture awaits. This palace was the centerpiece of a new dynasty — and a family divided. Let’s talk of intrigue and assassination, of brotherly betrayal and fatherly hatred. Power was claimed here not just by bloodlines, but by the blade.

  1 hour • Admission ticket included
• 7
  Bukchon Hanok Village

  We end just beyond the palace walls, at the entrance to Bukchon Hanok Village — where the city’s memory softens into winding alleys and quiet rooftops. From here, you might continue uphill into Bukchon’s traditional hanok homes, pause in a hidden café, or head south toward Insadong’s art-lined streets. The official tour ends here — but the story, of course, does not.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Tour requires walking for up to 3 hours with breaks. Comfortable shoes are recommended.

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