As Autumn looms in Korea, the temperature in Seoul turned significantly much colder than its cousins in the south. So it came as no surprise that the autumn foliage started from the north before gradually progressing to the south to regions like Busan and Jeju.

Come Serenade with Me

Having read up on the best places to experience Autumn in Korea, Chandeokgung in Seoul came out tops among my searches. And when Trazy.com came suggesting they could arrange a Changdeokgung Secret Garden Tour Secret Garden tour for me, I was thrilled. For a fact, to get into the Secret Garden, you will need a 6-days in advanced online reservation bidding for a limited quantity of 50 tickets ( another 50 tickets is available via walk-in daily). Since I was travelling other regions prior to Seoul, it was inconvenient for me to log in and check the schedule for bookings. 

If you are short of time but want to have the best of Changdeokgung and Bukchon Hanok Village, this is the tour for you.

We met the guide at Anguk Station Line 3. The exit number was revealed only upon confirmation via email subsequently.

So I went to the exit on that day at 2pm and was pleased to find another 2 groups from the Philippines who joined in the tour with the same guide 

Seonjeongjeon was the King's Council Hall, marked by blue-glazed roof titles, similar to Cheongwadae also known as the government office in blue.


More residential halls for the king and queen which unfortunately we had no time to head in to explore in depth. If you are spending time on your own, try to explore.

The Secret Garden Tour Begins

For everything we had been anticipating as we headed into the garden.
Within the Gardens, there is an in-house guide who will give the tour around the premises in English. 

Autumn was just around the corner, in bloom.

Behind The Walls

First stop

We were mesmerised with Buyongji Pond. Facing the pond perched on the steps is Juhamnu Pavilion.

The leaves were not yet in full bloom but almost there.

Catch the reflection in frame.

Just on its left is the Yeonghwadang Pavilion. You can step up take off your shoes and enjoy the library of Korean books.

Last glimpse of the petite pavilion framed by the handing foilage. 

Next stop, we headed up to the servants' quarters- Yeongyeongdang Complex

As you continue to stroll along and breathe in the fresh air, be mindful there are slopes once again and may cause problems to the elderly.

We ended with sightings around Ongnyucheon Steam and the Soyoam Rock which marked the beginning of the stream, surrounded by many pavilions. 

It was a fine balancing act between listening to the guide's explanations for taking a million photos.
Sun rays warmed our hands as we headed back out to the premises of the palace out of the garden.

Having spent too much time in the garden, we hurriedly head to Bukchon Hanok Village , Just next to Changdeokgung Palace.
Okay, I was to present you this panoramic view of Chnagdeokgung Palace just over the stone walls, but unfortunately, the tour bus spoilt the scene.
This is up the hill along Changdeokgung 1-gil. 

As you walk along the stonewalls of Changdeokgung , along Wonseo-dong, there are many arts and crafts shops along the alley.

It was a long cold walk out in the chill and wind, along the outer boundaries of the Palace and it took us 15 minutes or more to reach the first sight — House of Go Hui-dong, the first Korea Western Painter. Now a museum of sorts it was closed when we were there.

More slopes to conquer.
One word of advice, there are really very steep slopes along the journey. So do take care.

K-Drama Goblin's Flim Site

More walking about 10 minutes on steep slopes before we reached another spot. 

Goblin Enutak's high school ( screams). This was not part of the tour, but we had a stopover and just so happened to be there. 

Jungang High School

Of course, I had to snap a photo there. Pity we were tight on schedule, else I would have loved to roam around the school as it was evening time and the campus looks really beautiful with its England style antique charm. 

Neighbourhood No.11 with craft workshops around

Along the route, you can spot the Namsan Tower on the horizon too.

Uphill of Gahoe-Dong

So off we walked again till we reached another famous point of the Bukchon Village, famous for its uphill scenery and top view outlook of the tower. However, there were too many tourists and locals snapping away. It was so hard to even take a decent photo.

This famous spot is point number 8.

Downhill of Gahoe-Dong

View from the top whereby you can see the Namsan Seoul Tower clearly plus the panoramic view of the Hanoks with their tiled roofs. 

As it was too cold and our noses were practically dripping, we had to cut short our tour and skip Samcheong Dong, famous for its cafes and quaint little shops.

Thus instead we had another 20 minutes walk to head back to the station and thankfully along the way, there were causes for celebrations as we were greeted with more filming locations of Goblin.

K-Drama Goblin's Flim Site No. 2

Back Alley of Jeongdok Library

The artificial cherry blossoms. This location was the scene where Sunny and Angel of Death's first kiss was filmed.  

If you walk down, you will pass by the street where Euntak first met Goblin.

Many people will be taking photos along the street. It has become so famous that many drams now filmed along these walls. 

You can also access these locations easily from Anguk Station Exit 1.Walk towards Gamgodang-gil direction and enter the narrow alley.

This officially ends the tour which surprisingly still within 4 hours. 

Last Thoughts~

A walking tour literally means you have to walk plenty and at times even quickly. 4 hours may not seem a long time for young people but may be tiresome and difficult for the older folks, or those with knee problems. If you are really keen to join walking tours, be prepare to walk at your own pace and away from the guide at points. With two areas to cover, time can be really tight. The walk within Buchon Hanok Village was very much more tedious and steep than ever and I can just imagine the older folks will not be able to climb up the routes to get to the various points of attractions in the village.
Nevertheless, the Seoul by Foot: Secret Garden and Bukchon Hanok Village was a comprehensive tour

Many thanks to Trazy.com for the unique experience.
Trazy.com is your English Friedly booking site for your travel planning needs.