One of the most popular attractions for both locals and travelers in Korea is to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. In the middle of Seoul, Gyeongbokgung Palace is the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty. This palace was founded in 1395 and faced Japanese invasions in 1592, the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910, and the Korean War. Beginning in 1990, the Gyeongbokgung Palace restoration project began. The palace is in possession of the Government of the Republic of Korea’s Culture Heritage Administration. The restoration project plans to restore major pavilions throughout Korea by 2045.
Around the palace, there are various cafes, museums, and event locations. When I went to visit, it was Hanbok Culture Week, where various hanbok businesses had their own booths, selling their products. Some hanboks were traditional and others were modern takes on the hanbok.
While there is an admission fee to enter the palace, you can skip the fee by wearing hanboks. Around the palace, there are various hanbok rental shops that let you wear the hanboks for a set amount of hours. For my hanbok I paid 18,000 won for 4 hours; this is about 14 US dollars.
When walking around you can visit the various sections of the palace and read about what each building within the palace was used for.
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