Recommendation of Itinerary for Short Trip around Gyeongbokgung in Seoul

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Inside of Gyeongbokgung.



  As I mentioned often in this blog, the reason why we seek to travel in early morning time is to avoid heavy traffic and the big crowds, because Soo is disabled and passing through the crowds pushing the wheelchair and riding a car for long time is a challenge to her and us as well.


  However we love to travel, even though ordinary travel is not easy to us. So we always try to figure out the way to enjoy the trip and deliver our know-how to other people, which would be helpful to others, we think.


  Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace is one of the most popular tourist spots in one of the biggest downtown in Seoul, called Gwanghwamun. Gwanghwamun area is always busy and crowded with tourists and office workers. Now we give you some tips of making an itinerary for Gyeongbokgung tour, which is what we followed while touring the palace. 


  Our Gyeongbokgung area tour took only five hours from arrival to leaving. But bear it in mind that not all places we visited were friendly to the disabled. Even the palace is not 100 percent accessible to a disabled person alone. But people will help you with willingness, if you need and ask help.


Itinerary for Gyeongbokgung Tour 


Paris Baguette, Sambaekjip, Flash Coffee, Seochon Geumsang Potato Croquette.


1. 8:30 am Breakfast at Paris Baguette Gyeongbokgung Subway Station Branch

  Paris Baguette is the most common bakery cafe brand in South Korea. You can find easily the store in any city. They produce all kinds of bakery food and beverage, and mostly they bake bread right at the store, some products are from the factory though.


  Opening hours are different depending on stores, but mostly they open early in the morning like 7 or 8 am.


  The location of Paris Baguette Gyeongbokgung Subway Station Branch is in Sejong Village’s Food Street(세종마을 음식문화거리), the special tourism district by Exit No.2 of Gyeongbokgung Subway Station.


  It opens 7:00 am and prices are good that you can have a small sandwich and coffee at around 5,000 won.


  We had a sandwich, a hotdog, a small sponge cake, coffee and hot chocolate. We should’ve just pick chocolate milk in the fridge instead of ordering hot chocolate. It was so hot for Soo to drink. There were many processed drink products for kids such as chocolate milk and juice. You can also have various sandwiches, salad or soup there.


  There are doorsteps at its two entrances, excepting that, this place was good to move the wheelchair.


  Opening hours of Paris Baguette Gyeongbokgung Subway Station Branch is from 7:00 to 23:00.


Products of Paris Baguette.



2. 9:30 am Gyeongbokgung Tour

  After finishing breakfast at Paris Baguette, we walked toward Gyeongbokgung slowly, because the street was so beautiful with yellow gingko trees. While crossing the road, I could take this beautiful picture, because there was no car and the pedestrian signal time was long.


  It was a nice sunny day that we could walk around the gardens within the palace taking photos.


  If you don’t want to miss Changing of the Palace Guard Ceremony, one of the hottest attractions in Gyeongbokgung, it is held at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, only twice a day at the main gate.


  Gyeongbokgung is the old heritage, so some parts of the palace are inconvenient to move by a wheelchair. But its gardens and National Falk Museum of Korea has no problem to move pushing the wheelchair.


  Here is a good tip about National Falk Museum of Korea I really want to share with you that there are free mobile phone chargers next to the reception desk. We literally used it. We needed to charge up Soo’s phone, while touring the museum. It is safe. The phone is locked with pin number. And it was charged fully in incredibly short time. Admission of the museum is free, and one of its two gates is outside of the palace, the other gate is connected to the palace, so you don’t need to buy a ticket and enter the palace to go to the museum.


  And National Falk Museum of Korea is very friendly to the disabled.


  We left Gyeongbokgung and National Falk Museum of Korea around 11:20 am. We visited the palace last summer and this time we went there to appreciate its autumn beauty, so it didn’t take a long time for us to finish tour. If it is your first time to visit Gyeongbokgung, it will take more time to tour the whole palace.


  More information about Gyeongbokgung and National Falk Museum of Korea is on the previous post. https://tnb4earlybirds.blogspot.com/2022/11/no-1-historical-tour-place-in-korea.html


Leaving Gyeongbokgung.


3. 11:50 am Lunch at Sambaekjip Gyeongbokgung Subway Station Branch

  After tour of Gyeongbokgung and National Falk Museum of Korea, we headed to Sambaekjip, the beansprout guk-bap restautant located next to Exit No.4 of Gyeongbokgung Subway Station.


  It started to be crowded with tourist on the streets at the moment. There are many hanbok rental shops near the restaurant, so many foreign tourists wearing hanbok were on the street taking selfies. But it was not the peak time of lunch yet.


  It is two storied building, there is a small doorstep and the door is automatic.


  Sambaekjip is the famous franchising restaurant brand especially for Jeonju congnamul guk-bap(콩나물국밥, beansprout guk-bap). Basically congnamul guk-bap is one of the most representative foods in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, and the brand Sambaekjip is based in Jeonju.


  Unlikely many other Korean guk-bap, stock of congnamul guk-bap is made with dried pollack. which means it is not meat based food. Dried pollack, we call it hwangtae(황태), is used for only making stock. Other basic ingredients of congnamul guk-bap are beansprouts, laver, eggs, green onions, etc.


  We ordered two congnamul guk-bap(8,000 won), a rice bowl(1,000 won) and fried dumplings(6,000 won). Congnamul guk-bap is put in a hot ttukbaegi, the Korean traditional pot, topped with an egg. Before eating, you have to break down dried laver and put it in the pot, and stir well. And to make your guk-bap salty as much as you want, add salted shrimp or soy sauce braised beef little by little. Bon appetite!


  Congnamul guk-bap is one of our favorite Korean foods, and its nutrition is well balanced. Especially it is good to recover from hang-over, because of beansprouts.


  Opening hours of Sambaekjip Gyeongbokgung Subway Station Branch is from 10:00 to 21:00(last order 20:30).


Sambaekjip’s congnamul guk-bap.


       

4. 12:30 pm Coffee Time at Flash Coffee Gyeongbokgung Branch

  After lunch, it’s coffee time! Right next to Sambaekjip is the brand new coffee store, Flash Coffee. It is just right in front of Exit No.4 of Gyeongbokgung Subway Station.


  It is Singapore based coffee brand, and recently they have increased stores in South Korea. Interestingly Flash Coffee Gyeongbokgung Branch was designed like a hanok, the Korean traditional house, which goes well with its basic color, yellow. It is a very Instargrammable cafe.


  Their signature coffee is Avocream Latte(5,800 won). It was so so delicious! I am willing to visit the store again for this. Its Earl Grey Milk Tea(5,500 won) was also good.


  Their coffee prices are very reasonable, and they supplies snacks, sandwiches and salads.


  One downside of the cafe is that its doorsteps are a big challenge to a wheelchair. A gentle man who was sitting at the outdoor table, helped us. We really appreciate it.


  Opening hour of Flash Coffee Gyeongbokgung Branch is from 8:00 to 21:00 on weekdays, from 10:00 to 21:00 on Saturday, and from 10:00 to 20:00 on Sunday. So you can have breakfast with a sandwich and coffee at this cafe in weekdays.


Inside of Flash Coffee.



5. 1:30 pm Snack Time with Croquettes of Seochon Geumsang Potato Croquette(서촌금상고로케), Walking around Seochon

  We needed time to digest all the food we had and some takeout snack for Min at home. So we walked on the street of Seocheon heading to Geumsang Potato Croquette.


  Seochon is a beautiful and peaceful village. At the moment the street was comparatively quiet than near Gyeongbokgung Station. It takes about 20 minutes from Flash Coffee to Seochon Geumsang Potato Croquette by walking. The street along the broad road is busy, but alleys on the other side of the street are not crowded that you can stroll and take pictures with small cute stores in the village. You can see often a long waiting line at some popular restaurants in the village.


  Seochon Geumsang Potato Croquette is famous for healthy ingredients. They make croquette dough only with potatoes, no flour, which means it is gluten-free. They have been on TV for that. Basically croquette is crispy, because it is fried, but Geumsang Potato Croquette is very soft, and crispy as well.


  We bought a box set of five flavors(potato, meat, mozzarella, wasabi, sweet red bean) at 17,000 won. The seller gave one more free for Soo. Thank you! The potato croquette(3,000 won) is very soft and good for Soo to eat.


  Opening hour of Seochon Geumsang Potato Croquette is from 11:00 to 20:30.


Seochon Geumsang Potato Croquette and Seochon Street.