Jongmyo Shrine

An excellent place in Seoul to see the ancient heritage of Korea - so we'll preserved. The shrine is situated on sprawling grounds with thousands of trees with well laid out trails leading the visitors from one building to the next. In popular belief - the middle stone "median" is not meant for humans to walk on since it is believed that spirits of ancient royalty walk there. This heritage site deserves a good couple of hours. A very peaceful experience. Entry is 1000 Won - from the ticket booth located to the outside right of the main gate.

Highly recommended if you are interested in Korean history and culture. You must join one of the tours upon visiting and we happened to arrive just about 5 minutes before the English tour started, which was lucky. The tour guide was very friendly and bubbly. But she was speaking at breakneck speed (less would be more) and the loudspeaker system she used didn't help much. I hardly understood a word (confirmed by my wife). Still, the grounds themselves are astonishing and I'm super glad that we visited.

Recommend visiting here if you are into visiting historical landmarks or of significance. Joseon Dynasty’s shrine for royal family, it is well maintained, preserved, and shows the height of Confucianism in Korea. The main attraction/building of the shrine (Jeongjeon) finished its 5 year repair and maintenance work, so it is now fully open and there are no scaffolds barring entry. Good time to visit now. Tip: If your schedule allows while visiting, I recommend visiting here on the last Wednesday of the month, as entry fee is waived and you can walk around the site freely and tour around at your pace (on regular days, you have to pay to enter and be on a scheduled tour that a guide leads you through).

Very beautiful place I recommend The "Seido" is the main building of the ancestral shrine. It appears to have evolved into this long, narrow building through numerous expansions. The main hall is located in the center of the shrine and has 19 rooms lined up side by side.

Lovely peaceful shrine complex of about 10 different buildings. Delightful walk through the grounds. Plenty of explanation provided and there are free guided tours regularly during the day. The day I visited it was free entry but it was included in my combination ticket anyway. Great value to see the five palaces of Seoul for only 6000 won.

The English tour at 12pm on Wednesday was excellent. Our tour guide was very animated. Some parts are under renovation currently. Best time to visit is the first Saturday in November this year when the rituals will be performed. Usually they are performed twice a year now on first Sunday of May and first Saturday of Nov. They used to be performed 5 times a year in the beginning. The exhibition hall offers lots more information about the spirit tablets of the kings and officials as well as the rituals and foods of the ceremonies. Well worth visiting the exhibition hall to understand in greater detail what was explained in the tour. There is even a Lego model set created by Colin Jin who used 20,000 blocks to create musical instruments and figurines performing Jongmyo royal ancestral ritual.

The place is good and full of historic. There is a local tour available as this place needs the guide to take u to all parts of the shrine. The best time to visit is when there is a ceremony which is available twice a year in May and November. One thing I don't like is it's hard to access as the entrance is quite confused on the map.

Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest Confucian royal shrines, dedicated to the memorial services for the deceased kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. Its serene atmosphere and well-preserved architecture offer a tranquil retreat from the city’s bustle. Guided tours provide insightful historical context, enhancing the visitor experience. While the shrine’s simplicity may not captivate all tourists, it’s a meaningful destination for those interested in Korea’s cultural heritage. Make sure you buy tickets in advance, on certain days you won’t be allowed to go in by yourself but only through a guided tour!