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What you’ll do

Welcome to Insadong - a neighborhood permeated with everything artistic, eclectic and creative.

You’ll explore with one of our Seoul hosts, flitting between traditional tea houses and even more traditional porcelain and stationery shops - Insadong is actually known across Korea as the spiritual home of traditional crafts and antiques.

It’s been an artist’s neighborhood for centuries, actually. Stroll along its largest street, Insadong-gil, with your host and see street vendors throwing together mind-boggling dishes like ‘dragon's beard candy - you’ll want to try it!

Pop into a stationary store and discover ancient writing techniques; stop by Jogyesa Temple and try to choose which of the 100 art galleries you’d like to visit.

We’d recommend a stop by Ssamziegil, a market/mall hybrid - quirky, right? - where you’ll find 70 independent shops selling the works of Korean artists and craftspeople.

After all of that, you might need a break, and a traditional tea ceremony sounds like just the thing.

  • Private experience, tailored to you

  • 3 hours

  • Matched to your ideal host

  • Walking tour (may use public transport)

  • Hosted in English (On request: Arabic, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish)

  • Your hotel/apartment or any other central location

Experience outline

  • Join your host and explore the most creative neighbourhood in Seoul!
  • Visit a traditional teahouse where you’ll be transported back in time by the ancient ritual and traditional architecture
  • Browse antique stores and workshops where artisans still make traditional stationery and porcelain to this day
  • Visit one of the hundreds of galleries (really, there are more than 100!) in the area, like the Museum of Fine Art
  • Shop in a modern take on the traditional outdoor market selling arts and crafts
  • Try the local street food if you get hungry - even if you’re not hungry, we’re certain you’ll still want to try it
  • Visit historic landmarks and temples as you amble around

Things to know

What’s included

  • Private and personalised experience
  • 3 hours with a host
  • Walking experience
  • Hotel meet-up (available on request for central location)

Meeting point

Your hotel/apartment or any other central location

What’s not included

  • Food and drink
  • Tickets to any attractions
  • Transportation costs
  • Gratuities (optional)

Cancellation

  • Cancel 7 days before the experience for a full refund
  • Worry-free cancellation terms: book with peace of mind knowing that you can cancel for free up to a day before the experience and receive a full refund.

Photos taken by our hosts and guests

Travelers having fun right now!

Travelers having fun right now!

Reviews

    Paul is an excellent tour guide. He was already in the lobby when we came down to meet him. We wanted to take pictures in the traditional dress so he brought us to a very nice hanbok rental. We then walked over to the palace and had several pictures taken.. Afterwords we went to the Namendem Market for a short while.

    May 2023

    Katherine N

    I had a great tour with Yu. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and a great communicator. I appreciated him sharing his passion for Japan so easily.

    April 2024

    Todd F

    Malin was very professional and showed us different kind of food and places where the locals eat in Hong Kong. We also got to experience traveling in the subway and star ferry. The food was really good and we had a wonderful time. Malin has a very friendly smile and made us feel very comfortable. She was also very accommodating because we wanted to see the symphony of lights and she made that possible she did a fantastic job.

    April 2024

    Humberto A

    He was very friendly and a joy to be around.

    April 2024

    Curtis W

See more reviews

Meet our local hosts in Seoul. One of them will tailor this experience to your wishes!

We’ll expertly match you to your best suited host based on your interests, personality and the experience vibe you’re after.

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