15 Seoul Temple Tours for the Shortlist

1.Mt Seorak + Naksansa Temple or Nami Island Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 422 reviews · 13 - 14 hours · from $68Our pick

Leave Seoul for Mt Seorak with an English, Chinese or Korean-speaking guide, then choose Naksansa Temple or Nami Island. Expect a long coach ride, several hours to explore at your own pace, and a full day out. Guides vary, with Han, Sally, Lucia and Eric among the tour leaders. The cable car costs extra and is paid for in cash on site.

“Very friendly and helpful guide. Even tho it was not one of the mentioned options we had enough time to hike up to Ulsanbawi. Would totally recommend.”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 190 reviews · from $38Top rated

This three-hour Seoul tour pairs Jogyesa Temple with a royal palace visit, a changing of the guard ceremony and Cheongwadae Sarangchae, near the Blue House. An English- or Chinese-speaking guide leads the way by air-conditioned coach, with hotel pickup offered. The route also includes a ginseng shopping stop, so allow for some sales talk as well as sightseeing.

“Judy was fantastic, she was knowledgeable and interesting without being boring. Her energy level and enthusiasm made the tour wonderful.”

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3.Mount Seorak and Naksansa Temple One Day Tour from Seoul

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 167 reviews · from $71

Spend a full day beyond Seoul, with about three and a half hours at Seoraksan National Park and 90 minutes at Naksansa Temple. An English- and Chinese-speaking staff member accompanies the air-conditioned coach or minivan. Choose your own park outing, from a cable car ride to a demanding hike; the cable car costs extra and can close.

“Wonderful trip with Mr. Han. Very informative and and prompt. Very nice group and good bus driver. Excellent”

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4.Day Tour of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Starfield Waujeongsa Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · from $54

Spend 10 to 11 hours outside central Seoul with an English-speaking guide and driver, visiting Waujeongsa Temple, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Starfield Library. The day also includes kimbap-making and a hanbok-wearing experience. Guides have included Andrew, SB and Sean Kim, though your guide may vary.

“Lots of walking and some steep steps. Take your walking sticks. Plan on visiting some very interesting and unique sites.l”

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

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

Start with hotel pickup at 8:30 am, then visit Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbok Palace and the National Folk Museum with an English-speaking guide. The four-hour outing also passes the Blue House and stops at a ginseng museum before ending in Insadong. Palace admission and transport are included.

“This was a very interesting tour- I learned a lot and was able to see a lot of very neat and historical sites. I am a big K-Drama fan, so seeing a Korean palace up close and personal was very interesting. I was quite surprised at ow large it was and the tour guide did a great job showing us around and explaining things.”

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

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

Leave Seoul by bus for a guided hike on Bukhan Mountain, where steep trails, temple visits, mountain folklore, and sweeping views fill a six-hour outing. The group is capped at six, lunch and drinks are included, and guide Shawn is praised for his trail knowledge and storytelling. Expect a challenging early climb and a four-to-five-hour hike.

“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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7.Korean Palace and Temple Tour in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace and Jogyesa Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · from $40

This 3.5-hour Seoul tour pairs Gyeongbokgung Palace and the National Folk Museum with a visit to Jogyesa Temple. An English-speaking guide leads the way, and an air-conditioned vehicle provides hotel pickup. Expect a compact history lesson, moderate walking, and a 30-minute ginseng-center stop before drop-off at City Hall.

“Great tour. The tourguide Yeoni was excellent, knowlegeable and fun. I would recomment this tour.”

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8.Private Seoul City Tour Palace, village, temple, market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · from $261

Spend 7 to 8 hours with a private English-speaking guide and driver, visiting Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, Insadong, Namsan and Gwangjang Market. The day includes a Hanbok walk, a planned guard ceremony stop and a cable car ride; admission fees and lunch are extra.

“Our tour guide Julie Parks was such a pleasant and sweet person. She was on time and guided us to navigate through with the Hanbok costume part and Palace Tour. We really enjoyed dressing up in the Korean Hanbok dresses and wandeRead more”

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9.Korea Temple & Starfield Library Gangnam K-BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $46

Join a small-group Gangnam walk from Bongeunsa Temple to the Gangnam Style statue and Starfield Library, then sit down to Korean BBQ with beer or soju included. Guides such as Min Soo, Choi, and Mio have led the tour. Expect temple stories, time to explore COEX, and a full meal, all in about three hours.

“This tour was amazing. Our tour guide Chou was absolutely incredible. He was able to explain everything clearly and professionally. He took every opportunity to explain the history behind every stop on the tour as well as things between. I Read more”

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

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

Travel from Seoul to Guinsa Temple, where you can see its extensive grounds and try vegetarian temple food, then follow scenic Bobaljae Road to the observatory. Finish above Cheongpung Lake on the Cheongpung Hoban Cable Car. English- and Chinese-speaking guides lead the trip; guide teams have included Yohan, Jun, Michael, Mario, and Edward.

“The day was wonderful, and left everyone speechless. The tour guides Yohan and Jun were a fantastic duo.”

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11.Hiking Adventure Bukhansan Highest Peak & Old Buddhist temples visit (Lunch inc)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $97

Join local guide Lee for a six-hour hike to Baekundae, Bukhansan’s highest peak, with stops at Doseonsa Temple, founded in 862, and Bukhansanseong Fortress. A seaweed roll lunch is provided before the hike. Bring your own water, wear comfortable shoes, and expect a moderate physical challenge.

“This was my first hiking experience with Lee and I had an amazing time from start to finish. She really made me feel safe and took care of everything along the way (even lunch which was delicious). The path uphill has been really taken care of Read more”

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12.Mt.Seorak & Naksan Temple Day Trip from Seoul

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $61

Spend about 12 hours out of Seoul, with stops at Seoraksan National Park, Naksansa Temple and Naksan Beach. Round transportation, parking, tolls and a Chinese- or English-speaking driver-guide are included. A guide named Mac has led the trip, though your guide may vary. The Seoraksan cable car and meals cost extra.

“Well organized tour, we were a small punctual and serious group. Our guide/driver Mac was nice, friendly and prepared. The long visited really magical especially during foliage!Auto-translated”

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13.Songnisan National Park & Beopjusa Temple UNESCO site Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $248

Set out from your Seoul hotel with a private guide for the roughly two-hour drive to Beopjusa Temple and Songnisan National Park. Choose a two-hour forest walk or a five-hour hike to Munjangdae, and expect a late lunch. Guide Kim is named for his friendly manner and flexible pace.

“This private tour was well worth the money. Mr. Kim was so knowledgeable and taught us so many new things. He is so kind and friendly. He let us determine how much time we spent in each location which is not like the group tours. He alloRead more”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 4 hours

Join English-speaking guide Paul Koo for a private, four-hour introduction to Joseon-era culture, palace design and traditional life. The route names Gyeongbokgung, the National Folk Museum, Bukchon Hanok Village and Insadong. Confirm whether Jogyesa Temple is included: it appears in the tour title and highlights but not in the stated itinerary.

“Paul’s knowledge of past history made the tour engaging…”

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15.DMZ, Eunpyeong village and Jinkwansa Temple Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $202

Spend a full day tracing Korea’s division at the Paju DMZ, then shift to the traditional homes of Eunpyeong Hanok Village and the forest setting of Jingwansa Temple. Your private group travels by air-conditioned car with an English-speaking guide. Past guides have included Daniel and Gina, and admission fees are included.

“It was so nice to visit DMZ with private car service. We don’t like a big group, so this tour is perfect. Our guide Daniel was knowledgeable and friendly, we learned so much about this place. Eunpyeong hanok village was so nice to visit. Highly recommend!”

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