Yongsan-gu has two stops that fit well into one day: N Seoul Tower on Namsan hill and the National Museum of Korea. One is an outdoor view. The other is a large indoor museum with free general admission. This guide gives you the reasons to go, a lunch idea near the museum, and a half-day order that works with the opening hours.
All facts below come from Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) listings and the official museum and tower websites, as checked on 11 Oct 2026. Where we could not confirm something, we say so.
Quick answer – Tower: a hilltop city view. Open daily, 10:00 to 22:30 on weekdays and 10:00 to 23:00 on weekends (KTO). – Museum: a long indoor stop. General admission is free; special exhibitions cost extra. – Lunch: Ichondong Myeonok, a restaurant listed as open every day from 11:00. – Order: museum first, lunch, then the tower. On Wednesdays and Saturdays you can swap, because the museum stays open until 21:00.
Where to Go: Tower and Museum
N Seoul Tower (남산서울타워)
KTO describes N Seoul Tower as Korea’s first integrated broadcast tower, built to combine radio-wave transmission with a sightseeing function. It says the tower can be seen from all over Seoul and has been a symbol of the city for more than 40 years.
The address is 105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu. KTO lists parking as available and the tower as open all year. Opening hours are 10:00 to 22:30 on weekdays and 10:00 to 23:00 on weekends. KTO’s information line for the tower is 02-756-2486.
The photo above shows a lookout deck with padlock fences and heart-shaped signs, and the city and hills behind it. KTO’s text does not describe this particular spot, so we cannot tell you exactly where it is on the hill. We also could not confirm the price of an observatory ticket on an official page. Check the tower’s website before you go.
National Museum of Korea (국립중앙박물관)
KTO lists seven permanent galleries, a special exhibition hall, a children’s museum, and education programs. It says 9,884 artifacts are on display in the permanent galleries, and that objects are rotated from time to time.
General admission is free, except for paid special exhibitions. The indoor galleries are open 09:30 to 17:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, with last entry at 17:00. On Wednesday and Saturday they are open 09:30 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:30. The outdoor exhibition area (the garden) is listed as open 07:00 to 22:00.
The museum is closed on 1 January and on the days of Lunar New Year and Chuseok. KTO also lists a regular closing of exhibition rooms on the first Monday of March, June, September and December. We could not confirm which rooms are affected, so check the museum’s notices before you go. The museum’s website lists temporary gallery closures from time to time, so check its notices for the gallery you most want to see. The information line is 02-2077-9000.
What to Eat: Ichondong Myeonok
Ichondong Myeonok (이촌동면옥) is listed in the KTO restaurant data for Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu. Its address is 17 Ichon-ro 54-gil (이촌로54길 17). KTO says it is a 10-minute walk from Ichon Station Exit 4, and its description mentions the National Museum of Korea and N Seoul Tower as nearby places.
KTO lists galbitang (갈비탕), a beef short rib soup, as the main dish. It also lists cold noodles, a beef rib patty, boiled pork slices, dumpling hot pot and other dishes. Side dishes include kimchi, kkakdugi (radish kimchi, 깍두기), stir-fried mushrooms and braised black beans.
To order, say the dish name and then 주세요 (juseyo), for example 갈비탕 주세요 (galbitang juseyo). For cold noodles, 물냉면 (mul naengmyeon) is noodles in a chilled broth and 비빔냉면 (bibim naengmyeon) is noodles mixed with sauce.
Here is what KTO lists:
- Hours: 11:00 to 21:00, last order 20:30.
- Closing day: none listed.
- Card payment, reservation, takeout and parking: all listed as possible.
- Phone: 02-796-7775.
We could not confirm prices, waiting times or whether there is an English menu. If you have an allergy or dietary need, ask staff about the ingredients, broth and sauces. We do not make any halal or vegetarian claim for this restaurant.
The restaurant is about 1.0 km from the museum in a straight line (our estimate from the listed coordinates). We did not verify a walking route, so use a map app.
Plan Your Visit: A Half-Day Order
This is our suggested order. The times are not official; only the opening hours are.
- 09:30, National Museum of Korea. The museum’s website says to take Line 4 or the Gyeongui-Jungang Line to Ichon Station, leave by Exit 2 and walk about 150 m. It also lists an underground passage from Ichon Station to the museum, open 07:00 to 23:00. Allow as long as you like; the website gives no suggested visit length.
- About 11:00, lunch at Ichondong Myeonok. It opens at 11:00, so lunch fits after a morning at the museum.
- Afternoon, N Seoul Tower. The tower’s website lists a route from Myeongdong Station Exit 5 on foot to an escalator and then the cable car, with an estimate of about 15 minutes. The cable car is listed as running 10:00 to 23:00. The tower’s website also lists Namsan buses 01A and 01B, running 06:30 to 23:00 and accepting transit cards only (no cash).
We did not verify how to travel between Ichon and Myeongdong by transit, or how long it takes. The tower and the museum are about 3.4 km apart in a straight line (our estimate), so use a map app and allow extra time.
Swap the order on Wednesday and Saturday
Because the museum’s galleries stay open until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with last entry at 20:30, you can go up the tower first and visit the museum in the evening. The garden is also listed as open until 22:00.
What We Could Not Confirm
- The price of an N Seoul Tower observatory ticket.
- Menu prices, waiting times and English menus at Ichondong Myeonok.
- Walking route and time between the museum and the restaurant.
- Transit route and time between Ichon and Myeongdong, or between the museum and the tower.
- Which galleries are temporarily closed on your day. Check the museum’s notices.
- Any special events or exhibitions on your date.
Before You Go
Pick the tower for the view and the museum for a long indoor stop. Check opening hours on the day, especially for the museum’s regular closing Mondays. The Instagram version of this plan is a set of short cards at @rolo.koreaguide.
Related guides
Sources
Checked on 11 Oct 2026 unless noted.
- Korea Tourism Organization (TourAPI): N Seoul Tower, National Museum of Korea and Ichondong Myeonok listings.
- National Museum of Korea (English), home page and subway directions: https://www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/home and https://www.museum.go.kr/ENG/contents/E0105010000.do
- N Seoul Tower official website, visit pages (cable car and bus): https://www.seoultower.co.kr/visit/cablecar and https://www.seoultower.co.kr/visit/transfers
