The lively Gwangjang Food Market is packed with authentic Korean goods and tasty treats. Try the popular street food snack, Bin Dae-tteok Korean mung bean pancake. Over 100 years old, this is one of Korea's largest traditional markets and is renowned for its quality silk goods, linen bedding and hand-made goods.
Visit a beautiful Buddhist temple in the heart of the city known for its lotus lanterns and plants. Built in 1395 and one of the most important Buddhist temples in Korea and a symbol of Korean Buddhism.
Head back in time by wandering the streets of this charming village and enjoying historic sights such as the carefully preserved hanoks (traditional Korean houses). A historic village dating back almost 600 years to the Joseon Dynasty which is made up of hanok (Korean traditional houses).
Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace and hear stories from a local
Depending on your host and their chosen route for the tour, this stop might also be included in your route.
Depending on your host and their chosen route for the tour, this stop might also be included in your route.
Jimmy is a very efficient guide & very knowledgeable. Showed us the old residential area, palaces, shopping & food area. Great company & relaxed & asked us what we liked & did the guiding on that basis. Introduced us to Korean teas which were really good & lime beer also very good.
Rossi was a great guide! We had such a fun day and got to see many different sides of Seoul. Highly recommend!
Rossi was a very kind and generous tour guide. In addition to showing us the important sites, he took us to his favorite cafe where he introduced us to a refreshing omija berry beverage, and showed us his recommended spots in the Gwangjang Market.
Our private tour with Jin was absolutely fantastic. Jin was excellent at telling all about Seoul & showing us sights we could also return too. We never felt rushed and could ask any questions & Jin could answer them.
Although it was a very hot day and we weren't so interested in the palace, we really enjoyed Bukchon Village and our guide, Jin, showed us some very nice views off the beaten path. He was also informative about the sights he took us to
One of the best walking tours I’ve ever done and that’s sort of my travel obsession! Jason was incredible. Warm, friendly, knowledgeable and so much fun. Lively conversation, local finds and it all goes so fast. Do yourself a favor and book Jason for a one of a kind Seoul experience!
We had the pleasure of having Ho Jin as our tour guide during our trip to Seoul, and he truly made our experience unforgettable! He took us through the many facets of Seoul, from its rich history to its vibrant modern culture, highlighting his personal favorite spots along the way. Ho Jin was incredibly attentive to our interests and made sure we got the most out of every stop. What really stood out was how approachable and engaging he was. We felt comfortable asking him any questions, and he was always happy to answer, providing us with insights that went beyond the typical tour. If you're planning a visit to Seoul, we highly recommend Ho Jin as your tour guide. He will make your trip truly special!
Personable, friendly and knowledgeable! We Look forward to our second booking with him tomorrow on another adventure.
Camille is a delightful person who is ever so dedicated to what she is doing, she has a wealth of stories and information to share. Very attentive and flexible on what was my demands. Her bubbly and enthusiastic personality makes for a very interesting time, I would highly recommend Camille.
My tour guide was Cristina and she was absolutely lovely! She took into consideration everything I was interested in and showed me all the place. I loved the tea place that we visited (it was a filming location for "Goblin"), and she was very knowledgable when it comes to history facts, which I greatly appreciated as I'm a history fan. Highly recommended!
We had been so looking forward to our first trip to South Korea for many months. Having done lots of research of what we wanted to see and do in our time in the city we shared our list with Sanghee. She came up with a great itinerary and we saw soooo much of the city. THANK YOU! C+J
We signed up for a Kickstart to Seoul. Ho Jin showed how to use the subway along with taking us to various parts of town. Afterwards we were amazed how much we covered. He did an excellent job describing what we were seeing. At the end he dropped us off at a small restaurant for gimbap. It was a great way to start our first day in Seoul. Highly recommend.
In my short 3hr walking tour,I,a first timer in S Korea, got a glimpse of it's hardworking people, it's tradition, the way they lived, the vibrant economy .
Cristina was a great guide. Very informative of the history and culture. She is also flexible at changing plans and pivoting to make sure everyone has a good time, which is a God send with jet lagged kids. She asked my kids lots of questions to get to know them and got them talking to her like a buddy. She is also very efficient! We went to a castle on a national holiday so the lines were long, but she knew how to maneuver our family to get us in quicker. Overall I would highly recommend!
Cristina is an excellent guide and very pleasant to tour Seoul with. She is knowledgable and will personalise your tour so you can see what interests you
Cristina took care of us in the best way. She answered all our questions and gave us a personal, fascinating and memorable walking experience.
Had a great tour with Christina! She was very knowlegeable, friendly and down to earth. She will accommodate you if you want to make a change to the itinerary. I highly recommend her!
I had a great time with Ho Jin of Withlocals as my guide during my layover in Korea. He perfectly adjusted the tour to fit my schedule, keeping things relaxed while still teaching me a lot. It was so enjoyable that it made me want to see more of Korea. The tour was definitely worth the money, and I highly recommend it as a great way to kickstart your stay in Korea.
Sarah was really engaging and full of local Knowledge. Very good orientation on our first day in Seoul. Did 15k steps before we knew it .. so make sure you wear comfy shoes. Would highly recommend.
One of the worst tours we have ever been on. Learned nothing, no facts or backgrounds were given about the places we went (only two places out of four listed and tour “guide” walked so far ahead of us the entire time we didn’t speak), unresponsive on the Viator app, and only lasted 2 hours yet we paid for 3 with no refund given. Do not book this
Excellent tour. We learnt a lot about the city and the culture from our guide. Strongly recommend if you're only visiting for a short time.
We travel 3-4 times a year and have taken countless walking tours and this had to be the worst ever. Our guide Cristina was rude, impatient and lacked knowledge. She couldn’t answer basic questions like giving us an overview of Korean dynastic history. She didn’t talk unless prompted and kept walking 1-1.5 blocks ahead and not wait for my elderly parents. She also had a bad attitude - she raised her voice when my wife stopped to take some pictures or asked about the next destination (“I told you before, why do you ask again”). She also constantly swore in Korean (that we didn’t understand). I texted Viator 15 minutes into it to ask for cancellation and refund but was rejected. Our experience was horrible and we don’t recommend this at all
Ho Jin was fantastic; provided us with alot of options for an itinerary, but also open to customizing based on what we were looking to do/learn about Seoul. Was done at our pace, and in between stops he spent time explaining and/or discussing the how and why of the items we were exploring.
My last trip to Seoul was in 2011, so it was important for me, during this trip, to have a proper guided tour of Seoul’s highlights. I didn’t want the run-in-the-mill type of tour, so I tried out with locals offering. Booked a solo tour with Ho Jin, and the tour experience with him is definitely one of the highlights pf this trip. He shared with me tidbits and perspectives of the places that only a well traveled local would know. It was also awesome that we avoided the crowds of tourists during my tour with him. Ho Jin is a warm, friendly, great communicator and well informed about the highlights of his city, even sharing his favorite spot in Seoul. If you are looking for an awesome guide make sure to book a tour with Ho Jin!
The entire tour was amazing. This is the best way to experience the best parts of Seoul in one day. The guide was awesome and very accommodating. The tour is very flexible allowing for a personalized experience that went above and beyond my expectations. I can not recommend this enough.
We had a wonderful afternoon with Sanghee. We met up at Gyeongbokgung Palace for the changing of other guards. After the ceremony, Sanghee guided us through the palace sharing details about the history and design. We then headed to Gwangjang Market for the most delicious bites (kimbap, pancake, blood sausage, mandu, hand pulled noodles, and tteobokki). It was so much fun experience and highlight of our visit to Seoul!
We had Ho Jin as our guide for a customised tour over 2 days in Seoul and Suwon. Ho Jin is very relaxed and friendly. He was happy to answer all our questions and managed to put together a great itinerary from the overabundance of ideas we had. Everything followed together really well and we were surprised by how much we were able to see and do. In Seoul we went to Gwanghwamun Plaza, Gyeongbokgung Palace, including a great hanbok place to get dressed up, Bukchon Hanok Village, Jogyeosa Temple, Insadong, and took the cable car to Namsan Tower. In Suwon and we visited Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, and Korean Folk Village. We loved the traditional music and performances. Ho Jin pointed out the best places for photos (and often played camera man), and was patient with the shopping stops too! We loved seeing Korean history from both ends of the scale - palaces to homes of commoners, and enjoying traditional clothing, music, performances and food. Thanks Ho Jin for making our time together in South Korea so amazing!
Our guide Cristina was very professional, knowledgeable and very helpful. She is very people friendly and guided us to lot of places. It was very worth using. Thank you Cristina.
We loved the chill and friendly vibe of Cristina! She is forthright, honest and candid in the information she shares which I really appreciated. Yes, she takes you to 'tourist spots' but provides a lens on what you're seeing in a way only a local can. I liked her pace and energy and found chatting with her was like visiting with a friend. At the end of our tour she left us in the good hands on a wonderful Korean BBQ and we had one of the top meals of our life!
I am so grateful for my incredible tour guide, Cristina. She made the few hours I was able to spend in Seoul on a long layover very worthwhile. We were able to see the palace, have tea, and even go shopping! Thank you, Cristina. You are awesome!
Ho-Jin introduced us to Korean history, city and food. very friendly, easy going and helpful. look out for him! gamsahaeyo!!
We spent 2 days with Ho Jin, doing both the DMZ day trip and the Highlights & Hidden Gems of Seoul. Ho Jin transformed what could have been a standard tour into a deeply personal and enriching journey, diving deep into the heart of Seoul and the DMZ’s history and cultural significance. The flexibility of the tours was terrific. Ho Jin was more than willing to tailor our journey to our interests, proving that his primary goal was our satisfaction and enrichment. This adaptability, combined with his warm and approachable demeanor, made us feel like we were exploring with a friend rather than just following a guide. Ho Jin also has flawless English and brings rich perspectives from having lived around the world. I cannot recommend Ho Jin enough to anyone looking to truly understand Korea and its significance to both the past and present. His passion for sharing his knowledge and stories, along with his attentiveness to our interests, made for an unforgettable experience
Ho Jin is a genuine professional. Knowledgable and relaxed. Immediately felt comfortable. It is like visiting a friend who walks you through his city. We touched a lot of Seoul highlights and it never felt rushed. Great conversations as well in which I learned some more about the nuances of South Korea’s culture. Because his bandwidth is far bigger than just Seoul’s history and landmarks, your questions will get you a lot more insights than expected. Hence, he is great listener as well and will definitely pick up on your preferences and interests. Certainly not “one size fits all” tours but very personal. I highly recommend Ho Jin.
Highly recommend as a good way to see a snapshot of Seoul in a short time. I enjoyed the insights and chatting with Christina, and it was a good mix of history and food!
My group and I spent 3 days with Ho Jin (from 'With Locals') as our tour guide in South Korea and we had the best time ever! He took us on a tour of one of the palaces, the DMZ, different temples, brought us to 2 authentic Korean restaurants for lunch, and took us on a relaxed walking tour of various spots in Seoul that I'm sure many other organized tour groups wouldn't even know about. He was very knowledgeable about every place he took us and educated us on Korean culture, language, and history along the way. We had originally planned to do a hike one day but when one of my friends in the group wasn't feeling well enough to do it, he was extremely flexible and accommodating to change up our plan without hesitation. He was quick to come up with some other cool places to take us that didn't require as much walking as the hike would have. He was also very responsive to answering my questions via messaging/email while planning prior to our arrival in Seoul. If you're looking for a top-notch and fun experience, I would highly recommend choosing Ho Jin as your tour guide in South Korea. If I ever return to South Korea, I would definitely choose him as our tour guide again!! One of the best tour guides we've had in any country!
Booked this 3 hr solo walking tour for an evening I had free during a business trip to Seoul. Ho Jin is a very nice and friendly person who speaks at least 3 languages and has a deep understanding of the culture and history of Seoul. We visited markets, residential neighborhoods, cultural sites, and eateries. This was not a eating or shopping tour but we had time to stop for coffee and some shopping. I enjoyed getting to know Ho Jin and his city better.
We had a great time with Ho Jin. Über very experience Tortas a lot about the soul culture the curian culture and gave us some general Tipps regarding food and places to visit
Great local guide, made exploring the old part of the city smooth and a lot more informative! Tour guide was flexible and knowledgeable
We had a wonderful time with Camille. She was very friendly and considerate. She showed us some highlights of Seoul in the 3hrs and give us good tips. The weather was awfully hot. Camille adapted the tour a little bit because of the heat. This is a good basic tour to see Seoul. Recommend.
Ho Jin at With Locals was friendly and informative, without doing a lot of lecturing or didactics, which was much appreciated by our 2 daughters, ages 18 and 20. He answered all of our questions and felt like family after just 3 hours together. We are really enjoying beautiful Seoul, and much of it is thanks to him. Thank you, Ho Jin!
Walking through the markets was interesting. We missed the palace that day as it was closed. Ho Jin speaks excellent English and was very happy to change the program to suit our interests.
Our local guide Ho Jin, spoke excellent English and had great local knowledge. He accommodated out needs and changed to meet us at the hotel to assist in using subway for the first time and was generally accomodating.and helpful.
Ho Jin is a professional guide, he shows Seoul and its beauty with a zen passion. You never get bored during the visits because you can interact with him sympathetically. Always on time and precise , he can be flexible as well adapting to the circumstances. Absolutely fluent (perfect) both in english and spanish. Open minded person who travelled a lot and lived in different countries . When back there, will book the excursions we could not do because he was already “taken”. Thank you!
The experience I remember most from the tour was the visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace, I received many nice explanations and stories about the place.
Could have been better. I think the guide was doing the second tour of the day and was probably tired. What was missing was the romanticization that a guide ought to bring on a heritage tour like ours. Also, while tea/ tasting was included in our package, we ended up paying for it( to be honest, i didn’t recall it was included). Overall, it didn’t feel like value for money. Of course the guide was helpful in other areas such as fixing appointments for skin treatments, so we overall gave a 3 star review.
What a waste of money. Tour guide walked us around but provided very little information. If we didn't ask questions, she said very little. Even the walking route was a disappointment since we did not walk into the traditional streets of Bukchon Hanok Village as described in the description.
I really enjoyed my time with Ho Jin. He is very knowledgeable, friendly and flexible. My favorite part of the walking tour was wondering the markets and sampling the local cuisine. I ate a number of new dishes that I had never tried before. I also enjoyed walking through the old town and the winding streets full of coffee shops, restaurants and boutique stores. I feel like I got a good taste of Korean life in a short period of time.
Didn’t get a chance to go on the tour. I was messaged earlier in the week by the guide saying they were unavailable on Friday. I replied saying, ok, my tour is scheduled for Saturday, not Friday. Two days go by, I get charged for the tour ONLY THEN do I get a message while I am in the air saying, they’re not available Saturday now either. I can’t cancel without getting charged—seems ridiculous you still get my money, but I get no tour. I’d avoid this tour, seems like a pretty convenient way to steal tourists money.
Great tour, Ho Jin (Jimmy) was outstanding! Many thanks! Great English, very knowledgeable and fun to be with.
We had a great experience w/ Ho Jin. He was very knowledgable and was never rushed. He also accommodated a couple add'l requests to visit k-drama filming sites as well. Along w/ the major sites such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwangjang Market, and Bukchon Hanok Village, he took us through a couple other very quaint and interesting neighborhoods. Highly recommended and will reach out to again next time we're back.
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