Recommendation of Itinerary for Short Trip around Deoksugung in Seoul
From 9:00 am to 1:30 pm on Sunday, November 20th, 2022, we had Deoksugung(덕수궁, 德壽宮) tour. The tour story of inside of Deoksugung in detail is on the previous blog post. This blog post is about where we visited to sightsee other than Deoksugung and what we had for breakfast, lunch and dessert.
We searched information about the area for days to make the itinerary for this short trip, because this was our first visit to Deoksugung with a wheelchair. Most places we visit are wheelchair accessible with a little help.
Deoksugung area is less busy and crowded than Gyeongbokgung(경복궁, 景福宮), but it is a hot touristy spot in Seoul too. In lunch time streets started to be crowded(not that much though) with tourists, residents and people who just finished to worship at churches near by. There are two big churches near Deoksugung, Seoul Anglican Cathedral of St. Mary & St. Nicholas and Chungdong First Methodist Church, which were also famous touristy places. Additionally office workers rush out to have lunch in weekdays. At some popular restaurants such as LePul, the trendy sandwich restaurant, tables are full quickly in lunch time, so I recommend to get those restaurants before noon.
Itinerary for Gyeongbokgung Tour
We are not affiliated with any of stores below and it is 100% our expense.
 |
| Starbucks Hwangudan Branch. |
1. 9:00 am Having Breakfast at Starbucks Hwangudan Branch
So so many Starbucks stores are in South Korea. Even every block has a Starbucks store in downtown. Then why I recommend Starbucks? This store is different. Of course Starbucks stores are all different. But the theme of Starbucks Hwangudan Branch is the Korean historical structure Hwangudan(환구단), which was the altar where King Gojong hold rituals.
Behind this cafe, there is one of top hotels in Korea, Westin Josun Seoul. Hwangudan was restored and it is located inside of the hotel. The site is opened publicly.
The exterior of the cafe is unique with the Korean traditional styled roof. The interior of the cafe has also Korean decorations with tables on the floor like Korean traditional residences.
We ordered Basil Tomato Cream Cheese Bagel(5,300 won), Truffle Mushroom Soup(4,200 won), a banana(1,500 won) and coffee. It was my first time to eat the bagel, because Starbucks in my neighborhood doesn’t have it. It was so delicious. I think I need to find other stores supply this bagel. And their mushroom soup is my all time favorite thing. But this time the soup and banana was for Soo. Me and Alex shared the bagel. It was quite late time for us to have breakfast, so we ate a small amount to save rooms for lunch.
The location of Starbucks Hwangudan Branch is Exit No. 6 of Seoul City Hall Subway Station on Line No. 1 or 2 of Seoul Metro. The address is 112 Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. Or just find Westin Josun Seoul hotel.
The cafe’s side gate is accessible to the disabled.
Opening hours of the store is from 7:00 to 20:00 in weekdays, from 8:00 to 20:00 on Saturdays and from 8:00 to 19:00 on Sundays.
2. 9:40 am Tour of Deoksugung
Deoksugung in autumn was so beautiful. Old buildings were standing with yellow, red and brown trees. We took pictures more than ever, walking on the paths covered with fallen leaves.
Some foreign tourists wearing hanbok, the Korean traditional costume, were taking photos, and some were listening to a docent. A couple and their toddler played with fallen ginkgo leaves. Some groups of children on a field trip were doing note-taking.
There is a coffee and souvenir shop called Sarang(사랑) which means ‘love’, next to the main gate of the palace. By the shop there is a pond and tables for having coffee or tea are beside the pond. The price of hot americano is 3,500 won, relatively cheap. They also serve Korean traditional tea such as jujube tea and sikhye(식혜, sweet rice drink), and tteok(떡, rice cake) and yugwa(유과, deep-fried sweet rice cake) as dessert. Prices are mostly reasonable, so some workers from offices near the palace often go to the shop only to relax with coffee or tea during lunch time, because admission fee of the palace is only 1,000 won.
While looking around the shop, we heard the announcement that Changing Ceremony of the Royal Guards would begin in 10 minutes, so we hurried out to see the ceremony.
3. 11:00 am Watching Changing Ceremony of the Royal Guards
Once you get out, you cannot enter the palace again. Changing Ceremony of the Royal Guards is held outside of the palace. So it would be good that watching the ceremony is the last thing you do at the palace. The performance time is about 10 minutes.
Every part of the ceremony is performed with Korean and English narration.
4. 11:10 am Walking Deoksugung Stone-wall Road and Jeongdonggil
When you look at the main gate outside of the palace, you can see the alley on the left. That is the starting point of Deoksugung Stone-wall Road(덕수궁 돌담길) and Jeongdonggil(정동길). Generally Deoksugung Stone-wall Road is included to Jeongdonggil. Jeongdong is the name of the district Deoksugung belongs to. Gil means street or road. This 850-meter street is very famous for a dating spot for couples. It is good to walk, and good restaurants and cafes are along the street. You can see some talented people who are busking on the street.
While walking on Jeongdonggil, we took pictures. The stone-wall itself is very unique and Instagrammable. Street trees along the wall were wearing cute knit bands. And we stopped by the site where old Russian Embassy used to be. Now it became a small park for residents.
Like I mentioned the previous post, cars and even bikes are not allowed to pass the road from 11:00 to 14:00 in weekdays(lunch time for most office workers), from 10:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays and national holidays, and from 12:00 to 18:00 on Sundays(considering the worship time near churches, I think).
 |
| The Exterior of Hakgyoap Bunsik restaurant. |
5. 12:00 pm Having Lunch at Hakgyoap Bunsik on the end of Jeongdonggil
End of Jeongdonggil meets the broad car road, called Saemunan-ro(새문안로). Across the road is this old fashioned Korean restaurant.
Koreans call this kind of restaurant generally bunsikjip or tteokbokkijip. Tteokbokki is a representative street food in South Korea, made with Korean rice cake tteok and Korean spicy chili sauce gochujang. Bunsik is Korean snack or light meal including tteokbokki and gimbap.
Mostly prices of bunsik is cheap, so that students can feast with their small budget. Every Korean has good memories of bunsik. After we became grown-up, we still enjoy bunsik and tteokbokki. Now we have so many kinds of tteokbokki in Korea. Sometimes it seems new trendy things outnumbered old typed ones.
The tteokbokki of this restaurant, Hakgyoap Bunsik(학교앞 분식) is like the one, me and Alex enjoyed when we were young. Hakgyoap means ‘near a school’. Usually bunsikjips are near by a school. As soon as we had a bite of the tteokbokki, our eyes were widely opened. And we said “This is it!”
Even they have old school lunch box on menu, which is that a rice and side menu like a fried egg, fried kimchi, sausage, and others are put in one small squared lunch box. It was so nostalgic.
 |
| Tteokbokki and a school lunch box. |
We ordered tteokbokki, fried dumplings and a lunch box. Their tteokbokki is not that spicy, so everyone, even a child can eat.
Tteokbokki is 4,000 won, three fried dumplings is 2,000 won, and a school lunch box is 7,000 won. Quite reasonable prices for a restaurant in downtown.
It is two-storied. We got a table on the first floor but its doorstep was not easy to the wheelchair.
The address of Hakgyoap Bunsik is 39-1 Saemunan-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul. It is 350 meters away from Exit No. 4 of Seodaemun Subway Station on Line No. 5 of Seoul Metro. It is very close to another royal palace Gyeonghuigung(경희궁, 慶熙宮).
Opening hours is 10:30 to 19:30 everyday.
 |
| Cafe Doldamkong near Deoksugung. |
6. 12:50 pm Having Dessert at Cafe Doldamkong and Liege Waffle
After having lunch, we were back to Deoksugung area through Jeongdonggil again.
At the Jeongdonggil’s starting point, by Deoksugung’s main gate, there are two famous dessert shops. One is Cafe Doldamkong(돌담콩), the other is Liege Waffle. Two shops are almost next each other.
Cafe Doldamkong is a crepe shop. They sell banana crepe. We ordered two Oreo Banana Crepes. The price for one is 7,500 won.
They doesn’t have a table, but stools are outside of the shop where people can sit and have crepe.
The address of Cafe Doldamkong is 9 Deoksugunggil, Jung-gu, Seoul. You can find easily this yellow shop.
Opening hours is 8:00 to 21:00 in weekdays, 11:00 to 21:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.
 |
| Liege Waffle near Deoksugung. |
And Liege Waffle is the most popular dessert shop in the area. They always have a waiting line. Liege Waffle is known for one of top three dessert shop in Seoul, and they has been on TV show for that.
It is a takeout only shop. We bought Maple Cinnamon Waffle(4,800 won) and Blueberry Cream Cheese(6,800 won).
It was so delicious. I like Doldamkong’s crepe more though. Alex said he liked Liege Waffle more, probably because of the price.
The address of Liege Waffle is 5 Deoksugunggil, Jung-gu, Seoul.
Its opening hours is 8:00 to 21:00 from Monday to Thursday, 8:00 to 21:30 on Friday, 9:00 to 21:30 on Saturday, and 9:00 to 21:00 on Sunday.
Written and posted by Jamie