posted by Traveller on Feb 14

Cheap airfare to Korea : – Seoul is the capital city of South Korea for more than 600 years. Seoul has a mixture of chic shopping districts, traditional markets, historic palaces, towering office building, crowed streets and pulsating nightlife. Below are some of the suggested places you can visit when you are in central Seoul.

Myeongdong. Visit modern Myeongdone which is an area of narrow alleys. It is lined on both sides with shops that sell chic clothes and accessories such as shoes and handbags, tailor-made suits and custom-made shirts, latest fashion dresses, handcrafted modern jewelry, and cosmetics. In the evening, the alleyways will come alive when it is crowed with after-work strollers doing window shopping. You can do some shopping here. After which, pay a visit to Myeongdong Cathedral.

Deoksugung Palace. Deoksugung Palace, the Palace of Virtuous Longevity, is not the oldest surviving palaces and it was built as a villa towards the end of the 15th century. On the palace ground, you will see a status of Sejong, the great 15th-century king whom officially promulgated the distinctive Korean writing system differing from the traditional Chinese characters in 1446. Visit the Royal Museum where you can see exhibits that were once used by the royal court. If you visit the palace in Autumn, the gingko tress are aflame in gold. You will also have the opportunity witness the Changing of the Palace Gate Guards to the beat of the huge drums and elongated bugles. Do you know, Deoksu Palace is very popular venue for weeding photo sessions!

Changdeokgung Palace. Changdeokgung Palace, the Palace of Illustrious Virtue, was built in 1405, burned down in 1592 and rebuilt in 1609. It was used as the official residence of the various Joseon kings. This palace is considered as one of Seoul’s best preserved palaces. It has a throne room hall, long drafty corridors, and rooms furnished with heavy upholstered European chairs and sofas. Whereas in the private living quarters, you will see traditional Korean furnishing such as low, slatted beds, lacquered chests and tables.

At the back of Changdeokgung Palace, you can find Biwon, the Secret Garden. Access to Biwon is through Changdeokgung Palace. This garden was formerly a private park for the residence of the royal family. It is wooded and the terrain is hilly. The footpaths meander past ponds, pavilions, and over small bridges. Visit the site, Bandoji as it is considered as the most picturesque. It has a shape of the Korean peninsula.

To the east of Changdeokgung Palace is the Changgyeonggung Palace. This is another palace open to public and is the largest pubic part within Seoul. The buildings dates back to early 12th century. It functionsed as a summer palace for Goryeo royalty.

Another palace to visit is the Gyeongbobgung Palace, the Palace of Shining Happiness. Within the palace ground, is the National Museum of Korea. In this museum, you can find the finest and largest collection of Korean antiquities and the art in the world. The National Folk Museum of Korea is also here. It houses artifacts of everyday use.

Jongmyo. Jongmyo, along with the Changdeok Palace was designed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. This is a favorite strolling ground for young couple.

Traditional markets. Two traditional markets you can visit are the Namdaemum Sijang and the Dongdaemum Sijang. In these markets, you can find stalls selling watches, jewelry, kitchenware, bric-a-brac, silk, and almost everything you want. It is very crowded during weekends and you can hear hawkers shout out bargains. This is the place where you can really experience Seoul.

Insadong. If you are in antique lover, you have to visit the time-honored Insadong. There are a number of small specialist shops selling fine Goryeo celadon, Silla pottery and Joseon furniture. Art galleries, art supply stores, tea-houses, restaurants and some bookshops are there as well.

You should always try to visit Seoul teahouses. Dabang (tearoom) are popular in Korea as it is a convenience meeting place. Over here, you can find friends meet to talk, business man meet to negotiate deals, couple dating etc..

Above are just of the interesting places you can visit with you are in central Seoul. There are more places to visit such as the Namsan, Seoul Tower, Korea House, Namsangol Hanok Village, Namdaemum, Dongdaemum, City Hall Plaza, Tapgol Park, Labyrinthine arcades, and many more.

Cheap airfare to Korea.