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Seoul Free Walking tour with Seoul-Mate

SEOUL FREE WALKING TOUR: 7 Reasons to Book With SeoulMate

Posted on April 4, 2020July 5, 2022 by Fiona Mai

If you’re looking for a Seoul Free Walking Tour with enthusiastic local guides who take you out for lunch, chat with you excitingly like a long-lost friend and eagerly help you take photos while ensuring you’ve got the best pose, READ ON! πŸ˜‹

What is SeoulMate?

SeoulMate consists of college students in Seoul who take visitors on well-designed tours for free. “We offer international tourists the opportunities to not only experience Seoul and its culture but also befriend Korean youngsters”, wrote SeoulMate on their website.

During my trip to Seoul last year, I booked a tour with SeoulMate to explore the lesser-known Jongno area. The tour went so well that I felt determined to recommend them to anyone looking for authentic experiences in Seoul.

Below are 7 reasons why you should book a Seoul Free Walking Tour with SeoulMate next time you visit this bustling city πŸ˜€.

7 reasons to book a Seoul Free Walking Tour with SeoulMate

Just google “Seoul free walking tour” and you’ll find dozens of options from established tour companies as well as volunteer local groups. While many of them provide great tours, there are 7 reasons why a Seoul free walking tour with SeoulMate is your perfect choice.

1. SeoulMate offers cool & offbeat tours you can find nowhere else

Most Seoul free walking tours take you to as many major attractions as possible with little time spent at each place. There can be 15+ attractions squeezed into a 3-hour walking tour, in which you simply walk by some and then hurriedly catch up with the group before even remembering what they are about.

Unlike most free tours out there, SeoulMate tours allow you to explore fewer attractions so that you get to know more deeply about each place. In addition, SeoulMate designs each tour with a specific theme, making it easy for people with different interests to select the most suitable one.

Take a look at some of their offbeat Seoul tours below. Aren’t you thrilled to book immediately?

Old Memories in Seoul – Jeong-dong Tour

Date at Seoul, Now and Then -Jamsil Tour

Sacrifice For the Independence – Seodaemun Prison Tour

Modern alley, where souls of old artists remain – Seochon Tour

2. If you want to know the best local places to eat, ask SeoulMate

Lunch with Seoul-Mate tour guides | Seoul Free Walking Tour
Lunch with Seoul-Mate tour guides | Seoul Free Walking Tour

There’s no better way to discover culinary hidden gems in a foreign city than asking a local.

During my Seoul free walking tour with SeoulMate, the guides took us to the Gwangjang market in Jongno – one of the best alternative Seoul attractions for curious travellers. We then had lunch at an eatery right inside the market as the guides recommended.

Restaurant at Gwangjang market in Seoul
The eatery at Gwangjang market in Seoul

From the outside, the place looked like any other eatery you might find anywhere else in Seoul. When we came inside, however, I realized the place was nowhere near as touristy as those I had found on the main streets. Had it not been for SeoulMate’s recommendation, foreign travelers like me would never have known of such a place.

When it came to ordering food, the menu was in English but the staff mostly spoke Korean. The tour guides then showed us how to call for attention from the waiters in Korean and how to properly pronounce the names of Korean food. So interesting!

Inside the local eatery at Gwangjang Market
Inside the local eatery at Gwangjang Market
Dishes here are not at all expensive
Dishes here are not at all expensive

We ordered a bottle of rice wine and some other traditional Korean dishes such as kimbap (one of the best I’d ever had), kimchi, raw beef with egg yolk, and Korean pancakes with half seafood and half beef toppings. A good meal does not necessarily cost an arm and a leg, as each of us only had to pay 8000 won (around US$ 6.5).

Our delicious lunch with the tour guides from Seoul-Mate
Our delicious lunch with the tour guides from SeoulMate
Best kimbap I'd ever had
Best kimbap I’d ever had

3. SeoulMate guides love taking photos for and with you!

Much as I love solo traveling, I often end up with very few photos of myself during the trip. Of course, I can always ask passers-by for help, but not all of those photos look the way I want them to be.

SeoulMate helped me solve this problem as their guides all LOVE taking photos. We also took many group photos, as the guides wanted us to preserve good memories of Seoul even after we left.

Group photo with Seoul-Mate | Free Seoul Walking Tour
Group photo with Seoul-Mate | Free Seoul Walking Tour

4. More tour guides for fewer tourists

How other free walking tours are like

I’ve joined dozens of free tours around the world before. For most of them, one tour guide can be in charge of up to 30 tourists. It’s therefore impossible for the guide to make adjustments to the tour or stop midway to answer specific questions about certain attractions.

During one such free tour in Europe, the tour guide talked non-stop while hurrying tourists to the next destination on the list. At each attraction, he briefly introduced some general information before continuing the tour by politely asking “Any more questions?”. That left an awkward silence because people only remembered 50% of what he’d said πŸ™

What was worse, many people including myself still left a 5-star review on TripAdvisor for the tour, because we thought it was fair to reciprocate after benefiting from a free service.

How a Seoul free walking tour with SeoulMate is different

That was a long story, but it made my point. Now you’ll understand how great a Seoul free walking tour with Seoul-Mate is.

On the tour I took with SeoulMate, there were 5 guides and 3 tourists! Needless to say, we all had plenty of chances to talk about lots of things. I believe not only do the tourists learn from the tour guides but the opposite is also true. It was mutual communication at its best, rather than us tourists passively listening and following suit.

Our group photo at Jongmyo Shrine
Our group photo at Jongmyo Shrine

5. No pushing to book paid tours afterward

Typically, most free tours are organized by travel companies with the aim of introducing their paid tours.

I have been on one such free tour before in which the tour guide constantly advertised how great their pub crawl was and tried to sign people up. While it’s normally not mandatory to proceed with a paid tour afterward, such irrelevant and repetitive persuasion could be quite annoying.

Since all of SeoulMate’s tours are free of charge, there is zero pressure to book a paid tour after taking their free tour.

6. Discover fascinating local insights you won’t find in typical guidebooks

During my tour with SeoulMate, we visited the Jongmyo Shrine – a UNESCO World Heritage – and learned about Korean history and rituals at that time.

The tour guides not only told us various stories behind these sacred rituals but also discussed matters such as how young people nowadays perceived history and why traditional customs had gradually disappeared in modern Korean society.

To be honest, I would never find such stimulating insights like these in typical travel guidebooks. Even if I did, I still would not have the chance to ask questions, discuss further or put forward counterarguments as when I joined a Seoul free walking tour with SeoulMate.

Jongmyo Shrine - Seoul free walking tour with Seoul-Mate
Jongmyo Shrine – Seoul free walking tour with SeoulMate

Jongmyo is the oldest and most authentic of the Confucian royal shrines to have been preserved… Ritual ceremonies linking music, song and dance still take place there, perpetuating a tradition that goes back to the 14th century.

According to UNESCO

7. SeoulMate’s tour guides are young, passionate, energetic & super FUN

If you like fun (who doesn’t?!), free walking tours with SeoulMate are perfect for you.

Their tour guides were all good-natured and open-minded college students, so it was easy for me to chat with them about our personal lives. They willingly shared with me what major they were taking at university, what they wanted to do after graduation, and why they wanted to work in those fields.

One guide told me how she’d met her boyfriend and explained to me the dating culture in Korea. We then laughed our heads off as another guide told us about his funny incidents when he first moved to Seoul. It was lots of FUN!

Seoul Free Walking tour with Seoul-Mate
Seoul Free Walking tour with Seoul-Mate

Seoul Free Walking Tour with SeoulMate

Are you persuaded to book a Seoul free walking tour with SeoulMate right now?

Next time you visit Seoul, don’t forget to check out the tour schedule from SeoulMate’s website. Taking a Seoul free walking tour with them is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture. You’ll be able to discover hidden gems not found in travel guidebooks, as well as enjoy mouth-watering Korean food the way locals do.

Pin this for future reference!

Pin this for future reference!

14 thoughts on “SEOUL FREE WALKING TOUR: 7 Reasons to Book With SeoulMate”

  1. Ashley says:
    April 5, 2020 at 12:05 am

    What a great idea! I love this idea for solo travelers. It’s so nice to tour with others and with locals.

    Reply
  2. Mariuca says:
    April 9, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    My God, this sound like an amazing tour! The photo part hit me hard, as a fellow solo traveler I know the struggle is realπŸ˜‚. I am a big fan of free walking tours, so now I can not wait to go to Seoul and try this.

    Reply
  3. Kay says:
    April 9, 2020 at 3:28 pm

    That’s such an amazing program to have! Especially in large cities that are usually crowded with tours that don’t offer much local flare! I am signing up for this the next time I am in Seoul!

    Reply
  4. Chelsea says:
    April 9, 2020 at 11:54 pm

    What a great idea from a group of young people! I have taken many free tours around the world and I throughly enjoy them!

    Reply
  5. Amy says:
    April 11, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    This is such a great idea, especially if you are travelling by yourself! Great post, very informative! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  6. Rachel Day says:
    April 11, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    Great idea walking tours definitely allow you to see parts of a city you may miss if you go in your own.

    Reply
  7. Paula Martinelli says:
    April 11, 2020 at 9:27 pm

    I love this Fiona, thanks for sharing. It looks a great opportunity for a very authentic experience around Seoul. I have been once and I loved it and cannot wait to go back and explore more. I am saving your post and I will for sure contact you next time. Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Amy Aed says:
    April 15, 2020 at 3:51 am

    I want to visit Seoul so much! I can’t wait to visit when the quarantine is over.

    I hope you’re doing well during this quarantine, and that its treating you relatively okay!

    Reply
    1. Fiona Mai says:
      April 16, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      Thank you Amy! I’m doing ok. Let’s hope this epidemic will go away soon so that we can hit the road again!

      Reply
  9. Linda (LD Holland) says:
    July 21, 2022 at 1:17 am

    SeoulMate sounds like a great choice for doing a walking tour of Seoul. I like the idea of less places so you can enjoy each one more. And that the local guides offer fascinating insights into places you visit. A great recommendation for a free tour in Seoul.

    Reply
  10. Jennifer says:
    July 21, 2022 at 1:59 am

    Taking a guide on an adventure like this is a great idea- so many insider suggestions and recommendations.

    Reply
  11. Jan says:
    July 21, 2022 at 1:51 pm

    Seoul Mate sure sounds like the perfect way to look around Seoul. I like that they are good with taking pictures of you too! Is it only for college kids or for older people too? Seoul is definitely in my bucket list and I will look into taking this Seoul Mate for the walking tour. πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Fiona Mai says:
      July 21, 2022 at 2:04 pm

      Hi Jan, the tours are led by college students but they welcome visitors of all ages and nationalities to join. I’ve seen photos of happy families who join their Seoul free walking tours while visiting this city. Don’t forget to book a tour with them on your next visit!

      Reply
  12. Robin says:
    July 22, 2022 at 7:42 am

    This is seriously so cool! I wonder if more cities have options like this! It is perfect for solo travelers, but also for anyone who just wants a local perspective and a small group. Thanks for sharing! This was very well-written and loved all the pictures.

    Reply

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Welcome to Fiona's blog!

A 20-ish Vietnamese travel blogger who has been to 21 countries so far, Fiona was lucky enough to call herself a past resident of Helsinki, Berlin, Brisbane, Hanoi, and Kingston upon Hull. Even more fortunate right now to be back to where she comes from: Saigon, Vietnam. Read more about her journeys here.

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