This tour was a perfect introduction to Seoul. Our driver/guide, Justin, arrived at our hotel exactly on time in a luxurious and spacious vehicle. Throughout the day, Justin was informative, polite, flexible and kind.
Since Gyeongbokgung, the most popular of the 4 palaces, is closed on Tuesdays, we headed instead for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage listed Changdeokgung Palace, which was interesting and very picturesque, especially enhanced by Justin’s perfectly balanced commentary – informative but not overwhelming.
First, though, Justin added an unscheduled tour of the National Folk Museum. To be honest, we wouldn’t have thought to go there ourselves but it turned out to be quite a highlight. We really recommend to add it to your schedule if you have chance – and it has free entry!
Other stops included Bukchon Hanok Village, a stroll through Insadong, a short visit to Jogyesa Buddhist temple and time at the Namsan Seoul Tower. Visibility at the tower was very good, so the views were superb.
Another highlight: Justin enthusiastically helped us to choose a very tasty authentic Korean lunch, included in the tour price, at an Insadong restaurant.
Entirely on his own initiative, Justin also took many great photos of us during the day on his Canon DSLR. He kindly uploaded these onto a sharing site for us that evening. They are a wonderful souvenir of a marvellous day.
A great start to our visit to Seoul!
