6 Temple Tours in Seoul to Build a Day Around

1.Best Things to Do – Half Day Seoul Trip (Seoul Palace & Temple)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 190 reviews · from $38Our pick

Spend about three hours touring central Seoul by air-conditioned coach, with hotel pickup, an English or Chinese-speaking guide, Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Changing of the Guard, and Cheongwadae Sarangchae. Guides such as Judy, Henry, Lynn, and Sunny have been praised for clear explanations. Expect a commercial ginseng stop, and no hotel drop-off.

“Great brief tour. Our guide knows her stuff and helped us to quickly get perspective about the temple and palace.”

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2.Half day Morning Seoul City Tour(Temple & Gyeongbok Palace)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · from $32Best value

Start with hotel pickup at 8:30 a.m. and explore Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum, and Gwanghwamun Square with an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Cathy, Molly, Rose, and KC have been praised for clear history and useful Seoul tips. Expect a fast pace and a short ginseng-shopping stop before drop-off in Insadong.

“Our tour with Lee (spelling?) was terrific. She was a great host and shared a lot of tips about the temple and palace we visited. The tour host and driver were very prompt and gave us a good lunch and shopping recommendation for after the tour. I would use Viator again on my next trip to Seoul!”

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3.Seoul Mountain Hike: Temples, Folklore & Traditional Meal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · from $141

Join guide Shawn, or another professional guide, for a six-hour Bukhan Mountain hike capped at six people. Expect a steep opening climb, forested valleys, wide views, Buddhist temples, shamanic folklore, and a Korean mountain meal with drinks. The trail can be adjusted, but moderate fitness is required.

“Shawn is ab amazing tour guide who is very experienced on this trail. Taking this tour you can expect a fun climb, spectacular views, interesting heritage sites and absolutely amazing stories told in a great way by Shawn.”

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4.Korean Palace and Temple Tour in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace and Jogyesa Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · from $40

Spend about three and a half hours exploring Seoul’s royal past and Buddhist traditions. Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum, and Jogyesa Temple with an English-speaking guide such as AJ, Katie, or Grace. Air-conditioned transport and hotel pickup are included, but expect a ginseng shopping stop and no hotel drop-off.

“Our guide changed the itinerary and had us go to the Zen Buddism temple first instead of last. This made the time left for the rest of the tour short and rushed since we needed to get through the rest of the tour in order to not miss the changing of the guards. It was to be a 3.5 hour tour that at best was squeezed into 2.5 hours”

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5.Danyang Tour:Guinsa Temple & Bobaljae & Cheongpung Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $105

Travel from Seoul with an English or Chinese-speaking guide to Guinsa Temple, Bobaljae Observatory, and Cheongpung Hoban Cable Car. Expect temple architecture, free vegetarian temple food, mountain roads, autumn views, and a cable car ride above Cheongpungho Lake. Guides may include Yohan, Jun, Michael, Mario, Edward, or K.

“The tour was wonderful. We were a small group, which made the experience even better. We visited the temple and had the opportunity to eat like the monks. The cable car ride was also an unforgettable experience, offering beautiful views of the landscape. Our tour guides, Michael and Mario, were fantastic. They provided us with lots of interesting information.”

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6.4-Hour Guided Tour to Palace, Bukchon, Jogyesa Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 4 hours

Spend four private hours with English-speaking guide Paul Koo, visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Insadong. Paul explains Korean culture through Confucian ideas, points out strong photo angles, and connects palace design with daily life in Joseon Korea. Admission, transport, food, and insurance cost extra.

“We did the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Jogyesa Temple tour on April 16th, 2025, and it was excellent. Our guide, Paul, gave clear and thoughtful explanations of Korea's cultural, historical, and religious background--especially through the lens of Confucianism--which really helped us appreciate the places we visited on a deeper level. Paul's approach made everything easy to understand and super engaging. It was a great way to experience the heart of Seoul. Highly recommend this tour, and Paul was outstanding!”

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