Korea's national museum, and it's free to get in. The collection is huge and genuinely world-class, and you can cover the highlights in a half day even if you don't read Korean.

Admission: Free (special exhibitions paid)
Booking: Not required for the permanent galleries
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (Wed & Sat to 21:00), closed some holidays
Getting there: Ichon Station (Line 4 / Gyeongui–Jungang), Exit 2
Nearby food: Cafes along the Ichon riverside, with Itaewon's international food strip one stop away

Full guide, map & nearby shows →Official site ↗

Photo: Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace

경복궁

The grandest of Seoul's five palaces. Rent a hanbok at one of the shops nearby and you walk in free.

Admission: ₩3,000 (free in hanbok)
Booking: Not required; time your visit for the changing-of-the-guard ceremony
Hours: 09:00–18:00 (varies by season), closed Tuesdays
Getting there: Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 5
Nearby food: Tongin Market's lunch-box alley and the tea houses around Insadong

Full guide, map & nearby shows →Official site ↗

Palace

Changdeokgung Palace & Secret Garden

창덕궁 후원

The UNESCO-listed palace, quieter and more wooded than Gyeongbokgung. The Secret Garden out back is the highlight, but it is a separate timed ticket with limited spots, so reserve before you go rather than hoping at the gate.

Admission: Palace ₩3,000; Secret Garden a separate ₩5,000 timed ticket
Booking: Secret Garden is timed-entry and limited, so book online ahead, it sells out on weekends
Hours: 09:00–18:00 (shorter in winter), closed Mondays
Getting there: Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3
Nearby food: Ikseon-dong's alley cafes and the Bukchon tea houses are a short walk

Full guide, map & nearby shows →Official site ↗

Museum

War Memorial of Korea

전쟁기념관

A huge, free war-history museum with tanks and aircraft out front, right by Itaewon. Easy to pair with an Itaewon stay, and a solid rainy-day option since most of it is indoors.

Admission: Free
Booking: Not required
Hours: 09:30–18:00, closed Mondays (last entry ~17:00)
Getting there: Samgakji Station (Lines 4 & 6), Exit 12
Nearby food: Itaewon's international food strip is one stop over on Line 6

Full guide, map & nearby shows →Official site ↗

Temple

Bongeunsa Temple

봉은사

A working temple sitting right across from COEX in Gangnam, free to wander, with a giant Maitreya Buddha statue. An easy calm hour between the malls, and a good pairing with a Gangnam or COEX stay.

Admission: Free
Booking: Not required (Templestay and English temple-life programs are bookable)
Hours: Grounds open early until about 22:00; the Templestay info desk runs daytime hours
Getting there: Bongeunsa Station (Line 9), Exit 1, across from COEX
Nearby food: COEX Mall and Starfield right across the road, plus the Gangnam cafe scene

Full guide, map & nearby shows →Official site ↗

City walk

Cheonggyecheon Stream

청계천

A restored stream running right through downtown, sunk below the traffic so it is a quiet flat walk. Free and open all night, an easy stroll near Gwangjang Market if you are staying central.

Admission: Free
Booking: Not required
Hours: Open 24 hours
Getting there: Jonggak (Line 1) or City Hall (Lines 1 & 2), steps from the stream head
Nearby food: Gwangjang Market and the Euljiro bar alleys are a short walk downstream

Full guide, map & nearby shows →Official site ↗

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