* Price : 55,000won / $55 (minimum 3person)
               69,000won / $69 (minimum 2person)

* Itinerary

Day	location	Time	Itinerary	Meal
Day 1	Seoul	9:00 12:30	Hotel Pick-up Jongmyo Royal Shrine (Namsan Hanok Village on Tue) Changdeok Palace & Secreat Garden (Gyeongbok Palace on Mon) Drop off at Insadong Alley

* Conditions : English Speaking Guide
                       Hotel pick up Service, Transportation 
                       Entrance fee
                       Taxes

* Remarks : Namsan Hanok Village on Tuesdays
                    Gyeongbok Palace on Mondays
                    Shopping : Ginseng Center or Amethyst Center


* Description


Seeking for a chance to know Korean history deeply? This is the WORLD HERITAGE TOUR!

- Changdeok Palace(World Heritage) : Meet the secondary main palace from Joseon Dynasty where you can feel the last royal’s hard life. 
- Jongmyo (Royal shrine) : Memorial services are performed for deceased kings and queens in here. We will see our respectaion for predecessors and the elderly.
- Insadong Alley : This is the home of Artists from the Joseon Dynasty till the present days. There are many antique shops and contemporary art galleries where you can get old and modern arts of Korea.


Jongmyo Shrine
Jongmyo Shrine was built by Lee Seong Gye (1335-1408), the first king and founding father of the Joseon Dynasty. It was a primary place of worship for kings throughout the Joseon Dynasty and has been registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site for its well-preserved ancient customs such as memorial services and traditional music.

One of the many unique characteristics of Jongmyo Shrine is the 3-forked path of slightly raised roads that starts from in front of the main gate. The middle path is in honor of kings of the past and leads to Jeongjeon, where mortuary tablets of kings are preserved and memorial services are held. The tradition of enshrining successive kings was originally handed down from China, and has been well maintained. Jeongjeon has 19 different rooms in all, honoring 19 different kings.

The east road of the shrine’s forked path is for the living king and the west is for the living prince. These two paths connect to a room where the king and the prince used to go for ceremonial cleansing and to prepare for memorial services. After preparations had been complete, the king and the prince would then move into Jeonsacheong, a square-shaped room with a yard where the food for the service would be prepared.

The memorial service, called ‘Jongmyo Jaerye,’ is said to be the oldest complete ceremony in the world. It is annually reenacted on the first Sunday of May. Jongmyo Jaeryeak, the musical part of the ceremony, is produced by instruments, songs, and, dances that originated over 500 years ago.


Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon (Secreat Garden)
Changdeokgung Palace was the second royal villa built following the construction of Gyeongbukgung Palace in 1405. It was the principal palace for many of the Joseon kings and is the most well-preserved of the five remaining royal Joseon palaces. The palace grounds are comprised of a public palace area, a royal family residence building, and the rear garden. Known as a place of rest for the kings, the rear garden boasts a gigantic tree that is over 300 years old, a small pond, and a pavilion.

The palace gained in importance starting from the time of 9th king of Joseon, Seongjong, when a number of kings began using it as a place of residence. Unfortunately, the palace was burned down by angry citizens in 1592 when the royal family fled their abode during the Japanese Invasion of Korea. Thanks to Gwanghaegun, the palace was restored in 1611. Even today, it holds a number of cultural treasures such as Injeongjeon Hall, Daejojeon Hall, Seonjeongjeon Hall, and Nakseonjae.

Changdeokgung’s rear garden was constructed during the reign of King Taejong and served as a resting place for the royal family members. The garden had formerly been called ‘Bukwon’ and ‘Geumwon,’ but was renamed ‘Biwon’ after King Kojong came into power. The garden was kept as natural as possible and was touched by human hands only when absolutely necessary. Buyongjeong, Buyongji, Juhabru, Eosumun, Yeonghwadang, Bullomun, Aeryeonjeong, and Yeongyeongdang are some of the many pavilions and fountains that occupy the garden. The most beautiful time to see the garden is during the fall when the autumn foliage is at its peak and the leaves have just started to fall.

Though it has been treasured by Koreans for centuries, the Changdeokgung Palace was not designated a World Cultural Heritage by the World Cultural Heritage Committee until December of 1997, at the committee meeting in Napoli, Italy.
(Click here for more information on Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site)

The Changdeokgung Palace was one of the places visited by the "first ladies of the Seoul G20" during the G20 conference in Seoul in November 2010. It is one of the historic attractions that represent the beauty of Korea.