I planned three neighborhoods before lunch.
I’d even scheduled ten minutes for getting lost.
Then it rained. I checked the forecast again, as if it might apologize.
My yellow raincoat was ready. I was still negotiating.
Seoul, South Korea / Rainy days / Episode 01
A rainy day
in Seoul.
I had a plan. Seoul had weather.
National Museum of Korea · Photo: Tristan Surtel, 2019 · CC BY-SA 4.0
01 / THE DETOUR
One place.
For once.
Inside, I opened the museum map.
My finger was already drawing the most efficient route.
I folded it before I could assign the galleries time slots.
One museum. No stopwatch.
I checked my watch. Habit.
National Museum of Korea ↗
Yongsan · Free permanent exhibitions
02 / LUNCH, THEN TEA
My lunch reservation was imaginary.
My hunger was becoming quite specific.
Pagoda Restaurant by Doore → Sayu Tea Room
03 / A SMALL NEGOTIATION
Tomorrow can wait.
Over tea, I opened tomorrow’s itinerary.
Three neighborhoods. Again.
I deleted one stop.
Then added it back in brackets.
“Optional,” I wrote beside it.
Then underlined the word twice.
I like my spontaneity clearly labeled.
The pond outside the museum
An optional last look, if the weather allows.
Your rainy-day plan, at a glance.
Best for: a slower afternoon with art and history. Allow: 3–5 hours including food and tea. Area: Ichon / Yongsan, not Anguk.
Rain cover: galleries indoors; arrival involves some exposure; the pond is outdoors and optional. Bring an umbrella even for this museum day.
Choose a pace: two hours or half a day
Two hours: choose a small number of galleries, take a break, and leave the pond for another visit.
Half a day: arrive around 11:00 → galleries → lunch around 12:30 → more galleries → tea around 15:00 → optional pond stop. These are our suggested time allowances, not a scheduled tour.
Sayu Tea Room is on East Wing 3F, with listed hours of 09:30–16:45 and last orders 15 minutes before closing. Do not leave tea until the end of a late museum visit. Official café details ↗
For lunch inside the building, Pagoda Restaurant by Doore is on East Wing 1F behind the ten-story stone pagoda. Check restaurant service and last-order times ↗
Budget and opening-day checks
Permanent galleries are free; paid special exhibitions are separate. As an editorial planning allowance, set aside ₩20,000–35,000 per adult for lunch and a drink, plus transport. This is not a verified restaurant price or package; check the menu before ordering.
Listed museum hours: 09:30–17:30 on Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun; 09:30–21:00 on Wed/Sat. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Holiday and maintenance closures apply; the next scheduled first-Monday gallery closure is December 7, 2026. Check official hours, fees and closures ↗
Get there—and know what stays outdoors
Use Ichon Station on Line 4 or the Gyeongui–Jungang Line. The museum lists the Museum Nadeulgil underground connection and an Exit 2 approach toward Yongsan Family Park. Follow current signs; do not assume the entire journey is sheltered. Official station approach ↗
If the museum is closed
Change neighborhoods rather than arriving at a closed gallery. Seoul Museum of Craft Art near Anguk is one alternative when open: regular hours 10:00–18:00, last admission 17:30; normally closed Mondays and January 1, with public-holiday exceptions. Check its own calendar before travelling.
This is a separate outing with a transfer, not the next stop on the museum route. Pair it with our Onion Anguk café story if you want a Jongno afternoon.
Planning notes checked November 14, 2026. Budgets and suggested visit lengths are editorial estimates; Yuri’s scenes are fiction.
IN YURI’S NOTEBOOK
“Tomorrow: be spontaneous.
After breakfast.”
A little less itinerary.
A little more Seoul.