Banhadang (반하당)

14.6Km 2024-02-15

36 Seongbuk-ro 5-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Banhadang is a café located 20 minutes from the UNESCO World Heritage site Changdeokgung Palace. Renovated from a hanok, it preserves the charm of hanok with open spaces, leaving only the pillars of the original structure. The signature menu includes a Strawberry latte made with homemade strawberry syrup and milk. During the summer season, the jeontong pat bingsu (traditional shaved ice with red beans), made with domestically sourced jujube and red bean, is also popular.

Seoul Art Center Gongpyeong Gallery (서울아트센터 공평갤러리)

14.6Km 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.

Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

14.6Km 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.

Beautiful Tea Museum (아름다운 차박물관)

14.6Km 2022-07-26

19-11, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-735-6678

Located in Insa-dong, The Beautiful Tea Museum aims to promote Korean tea culture. It preserves and exhibits tea related utensils and items, featuring those from the ancient Gaya and Joseon period as well as items from abroad such as China and Tibet. The museum also displays original tea pots and other ceramics made by young artists and ceramists. Inside the museum is a tea house named "Tea Story," serving a wide variety of teas. Visitors can also purchase tea leaves from all over the world at the Tea Shop.

Seoul Street Art Festival (서울거리예술축제)

14.6Km 2024-07-26

Taepyeongno 1(il)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-758-2036

Seoul Street Art Festival is held throughout Seoul and introduces high quality street performances.

Areumdaun Cha Bangmulgwan (Beautiful Tea Museum) (아름다운차박물관)

14.6Km 2019-08-02

19-11, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-735-6678

In addition to gourmet restaurants, traditional tea houses are a popular destination in Insa-dong. Among them, we recommend Areumdaun Cha Bangmulgwan, where you can taste more than 100 types of tea, including Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Taiwanese. The shop also serves as a museum and gallery. Enjoy a leisurely cup of tea as you appreciate the art that is on display.

Seoul Metropolitan Library (서울도서관)

14.6Km 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.

Theatre Changdeokgung (창덕궁 소극장)

14.6Km 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.

Kimchigol Well-being Bapsang(김치골웰빙밥상)

14.6Km 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.

Chamsutgol (참숯골)

14.6Km 2019-08-01

16, Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-774-2100

Located in Mugyo-dong in Jung-gu, Seoul, Chamsutgol (참숯골) is an upscale restaurant serving hanu beef dishes. The restaurant uses only top quality hanu beef from young cattle (two years old or younger) raised on farms in Jeolla-do Province. For freshness and tenderness, the restaurant serves only fresh meat (not frozen) of A+ grade or higher. To bring out its juiciness and tenderness, the meat is grilled on a charcoal fire.

The elegant ambience and décor and the variety of rooms in different sizes make the restaurant a favorite choice for special events. It is also regularly visited by international tourists. Popular dishes are the sirloin steak and marinated ribs, doengjang soup, and yeongyang dolsotbap (rice served in a hot stone bowl).

Banhadang (반하당) - Area information - Korea travel information