Insadong Cultural Street (인사동 문화의 거리)

11.6Km 2023-12-26

Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul Metropolitan City

Insadong Cultural Street is a popular tourist destination for visitors from all around the world, thanks to its numerous art galleries, restaurants serving Korean table d’hote, traditional teahouses, and street vendors lining the streets. Its most recognizable feature is the use of Hangeul (Korean script) in storefronts, which allows the visitors to really see just what makes this place so special. Unlike the nearby Ikseon-dong Hanok Street, Insadong Cultural Street has larger streets with wider stores, so it is much easier to traverse. On evenings and weekends, one can find buskers performing on the side of the road.

Theatre Changdeokgung (창덕궁 소극장)

11.6Km 2021-12-07

88-1, Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-742-7278

Theatre Changdeokgung is located across from Changdeokgung Palace in the Gugak-ro Special Cultural Zone of Seoul. To recreate the traditional Korean entertainment setting and offer a better view of the stage, the theater is designed with floor seatings facing a platform stage. The theater offers a wide array of performances including samulnori (traditional Korean percussion quartet), traditional Korean music, and madanggeuk (a play infused with traditional music and performances). First time visitors often find the creative and cozy experience create a lasting memory of Korean culture and arts. Also nearby the theater are a number of tourist attractions including Changdeokgung Palace, Unhyeongung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine, and Insa-dong.

Seoul Art Center Gongpyeong Gallery (서울아트센터 공평갤러리)

11.6Km 2021-06-19

24, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-70-4214-0070

Opened in 1992, Seoul Art Center Gongpyeong Gallery is a 17,791㎡, two-story building with four exhibition halls. It is one of the main galleries of Insa-dong, displaying diverse artwork ranging from Western and Korean paintings to sculptures. Due to the great interest in Korean paintings, 2~3 of the annual long-term exhibitions focus solely on them.

Kimchigol Well-being Bapsang(김치골웰빙밥상)

11.6Km 2024-10-14

22-5 Insadong-gil, Jongro-gu, Seoul
+82-2-720-6436

A restaurant where you can try kimchi, a Korean traditional dish, and meat. The representative menu is kimchi cabbage wraps with pork. This is a Korean cuisine located in Insa-dong, Seoul.

Bugeogukjip (북어국집)

11.6Km 2024-12-27

38, Eulji-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-777-3891

Bugeogukjip (formerly “Teojutgol”) is a restaurant behind City Hall in Seoul that has been serving up authentic dried Pollack soup since 1968. Despite a name change, the restaurant has proudly stood in this same location for decades, earning a strong reputation for its dried Pollack soup made using traditional cooking methods.

Since the restaurant only serves one thing—dried Pollack soup—there are few preparations to be made and the meal arrives on your table in minutes. Customers are free to serve themselves basic side dishes such as kimchi and can have as many servings of rice as they’d like, allowing diners to enjoy a hearty meal at a low price. While the restaurant’s design and menu may be simple, Bugeogukjip takes pride in its long history and the careful efforts that have earned it a reputation as one of the most notable restaurants in Seoul.

K-Pop Cover Dance Festival World Final (K-POP 커버댄스 페스티벌 월드 파이널)

11.6Km 2025-10-23

110 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2000-9324

The K-Pop Cover Dance Festival World Final brings together K-pop fans from around the world, offering them a chance to become the main stars on stage. Going beyond just dance, the festival provides a platform where K-pop fans worldwide can share their culture, build a global network, express their passion through dance, and connect the entire world through Korean culture and K-pop.

Nakseonjae Hall (낙선재)

11.6Km 2021-09-30

99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2148-1822

Located inside Changdeokgung Palace, Nakseonjae Hall is a one-story structure built in ikgong style (bird wing-shaped eaves placed on top of the pillars) with a hip tiled and gable roof. It has 6 kan in the front and 2 kan (traditional unit of measurement of the space between pillars) to the sides. It originally belonged to the nearby Changgyeonggung Palace, but came to be considered a part of Changdeokgung Palace in more recent years.

The hall was constructed in 1846 (12th year of King Heonjong’s reign) and it is collectively called Nakseonjae together with the adjacent Seokbokheon Hall and Sugangjae Hall.

Behind the building is a flower garden made of stacked large stones. The chimney, the flowers, and the oddly shaped stones harmoniously blend into one another to create an outstanding landscape gardening.

Korean Museum of Straw and Life (짚풀생활사박물관)

11.6Km 2022-09-15

45, Sungkyunkwan-ro 4-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-743-8787

Korean Museum of Straw and Life is a private museum dedicated to the collection, research, and display of materials and historical accounts of diverse straws and their uses in Korea. As Koreans' lifestyle in the past heavily depended on agriculture and cultivation of crops, straws and grasses were easily found and had many uses. The museum aims to educate the general public of how different straw were produced and used by Korean ancestors as well as their significance in connection with today's lifestyle.

Seoul Metropolitan Library (서울도서관)

11.6Km 2022-12-14

110, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2133-0300

Seoul Library provides access to a wide range of documents and materials about Seoul Metropolitan City. Visitors will find diverse resources related to the city including history, culture, urban planning, transportation, environmental issues, administration, reports on outbound visitors, research documents, video clips, and e-data.

Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

11.6Km 2025-07-11

99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-2-737-6444

Deoksugung Palace has held a guard changing ceremony since 1996 after thorough historical research by leading historians. The ceremony, which is held in front of Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung Palace, is a tradition similar to the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and offers a rare opportunity to experience royal culture. The royal gate is opened and closed at pre-determined times, and the gatekeepers in charge of guard duty and patrols hold a shift ceremony three times a day.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a highly recommended event for tourists. It is held three times a day, with each ceremony following the same procedure and lasts for forty minutes to an hour, and the ceremony is free of charge. There are no ceremonies on Mondays as well as on severely cold or hot days.

As the ceremony begins, the changing of the guards commences replete with traditional musical instruments, and exchanges a password for verification. An eight-minute guard ceremony ensues, followed by a seven-minute change ceremony, and finally a patrol that completes the ceremony. The procedure takes a dramatic turn when 18 guards in six official positions beat a drum and bellow some orders.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene. The guards’ splendid costumes, with their brilliant primary colors, are a pleasure to view. Once the ceremony is over, visitors can take pictures with the gatekeepers.

Insadong Cultural Street (인사동 문화의 거리) - Area information - Korea travel information