Neighborhood 48H guide
Jongno & Bukchon: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Gyeongbokgung, hanok lanes and Ikseon-dong.
Jongno is Seoul’s historic core: Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun Square, Bukchon’s hanok houses on the slope between the palaces, Ikseon-dong’s alleys and the Cheonggyecheon stream.
Photo gallery
Photo: Brady Bellini · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: S h y numis · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Palaces, hanok streets and Insadong on foot, with Myeongdong a short ride away.
Who it's for: First-timers and history lovers.
Pros
- Palaces on foot
- Hanok streets
- Central
Cons
- Bukchon is residential: keep quiet
- Hilly lanes
- Busy by day
48H in Jongno
Palace, hanok, stream.
09:00 – Gyeongbokgung Palace
Opens at 09:00; closed Tuesdays.
11:30 – Bukchon Hanok Village
Walk the hanok lanes quietly; people live here.
18:30 – Ikseon-dong and Cheonggyecheon
Dinner in the alleys, then a walk along the stream.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Eat
Eat
Ikseon-dong Hanok Village
Donhwamun-ro 11ga-gil
Hanok alleys packed with small restaurants, cafés and craft shops.
Photo: S h y numis · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
See / do
See / do
Gyeongbokgung Palace
161 Sajik-ro
The main Joseon palace; walk to Gyeonghoeru Pavilion on its pond. Closed Tuesdays.
Photo: Brady Bellini · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Bukchon Hanok Village
Gyedong-gil
Hundreds of traditional hanok houses on the hill between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung.
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Cheonggyecheon Stream
37 Mugyo-ro
Restored stream below street level, lit at night, running east to Dongdaemun.
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Somerset Palace Seoul
Jongno
Serviced apartments in Jongno near Gyeongbokgung.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Jongno & Bukchon.
In Korea, a home rented to travellers must be registered. In Seoul, most private-home rentals fall under the Foreign Tourist Urban Homestay category of the Tourism Promotion Act: the host must live in the home, guests must be foreign tourists, and the home must be registered with the district office. Officetels and one-room units cannot be registered. Book only listings that show a registration, or a licensed hotel or guesthouse.
Browse vacation rentals in Jongno & Bukchon on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Seoul
- Myeongdong & Namsan — Street food, the cathedral and N Seoul Tower.
- Hongdae & Mangwon — Buskers, the Gyeongui Line park and Mangwon Market.
- Itaewon & Yongsan — Global food, Leeum and the National Museum.
- Gangnam & COEX — Starfield Library and Bongeunsa temple.
- Jamsil — Lotte World Tower, Seoul Sky and Seokchon Lake.
- Yeouido — Han River park and The Hyundai Seoul.
- Seongsu & Seoul Forest — Warehouse cafés, pop-ups and Seoul Forest.
- Dongdaemun — DDP, late-night fashion malls and Gwangjang Market.