OLD SEOUL TOUR – 10K

The 10k tour is a compact guided tour of Seoul’s most popular sightseeing hotspots. It will be a two-hour time travel from the Joseon Dynasty to the post-war era. You will run along the stone walls of the palaces of late Kings and Queens, up towards the hills of scenic Hanok Village, and through the aged back alleys and lively marketplaces.

We will meet at Seoul Plaza, where the old and new buildings of Seoul City Hall stand over grassed ground. The new glass structure is now the current City Hall and the old stone building is operated as the city library. We will jog along the stone wall of Deoksugung Palace, then we hop on the wide avenue of Sejongno which will lead us to Gwanghwamun Gate, the south gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace–the first and main palace of the Joseon Dynasty. Along the way, we will stop to take photos by the statues of Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-sin.

As we follow the stonewall walkway of Gyeongbokgung, once the home to the great Kings of Joseon, we will stumble upon Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential residence also known as the Blue House. Our path takes us uphill as we get closer to Bukhansan, the mountain that hugs Seoul from the north. The route takes a turn in Samcheong Park and takes us down to beautiful alleyways of Bukchon Hanok Village, where we will trot downhill amidst rows of hanok–the traditional Korean housing.

Our run stretches along the walls of Jongmyo, the Confucian shrine dedicated to the royals of Joseon. We cross over Jongno, the name of the district but also the name of the once busiest main road where the horses and carriages of the nobles came and went. We leap over Cheonggyecheon Stream, a restored natural stream that flows across downtown Seoul from west to east, to merge into historic Euljiro–another major street in Seoul. We quickly tour the narrow back alley of Euljiro then jump back onto the walkway of Cheonggyecheon Stream where we continue towards the City Hall, back to our starting point to finish up the loop.

There’s so much history to cover in this short 10k route, so we’ve picked the best, must-see parts for the Old Seoul tour. Bring your camera and be ready to enjoy the stories of Korea’s then and now.