Seoul is a mix of traditional wooden houses and brightly lit neon lights, of K-pop blasting out of cafes and chanting humming its way from ancient temples
. As the doorway to South Korea, you are very likely to pass through it when entering or leaving the country.
It is worth spending a few days there, for incredible culture and museums, impressive townscapes, surprisingly walkable streets and the best food in the country. Read on to discover the top ten things to do in Seoul, Korea.
1. Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace is the biggest and oldest of the city’s royal palaces and its sprawling, leafy grounds are a delightful place to explore. Intricately painted buildings are scattered across the park, and you can also visit the National Palace Museum of Korea, and the National Folk Museum of Korea, both located on the grounds.
You can see the changing of the guards on the hour between 10am and 2pm. We were lucky enough to visit on Culture Day – the last Wednesday of every month – when entrance is free. These days were designed to make it easier for locals to incorporate culture into their lives, and they are a great idea – the park was filled with people enjoying the palace, and a number of activities like making imperial hats and incense.
And there were a number of people dressed up in traditional costumes, putting on small skits in Korean. We didn’t understand a word, but it was very cool to see none the less.
2. Visit the National Folk Museum of Korea
Set in the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum of Korea is a great introduction into Korean culture and lifestyle. You’ll journey through historical and present day customs, from birth rituals to ancestral rites. You’ll see beautiful hanbok (traditional clothing), detailed replicas of historical homes, festival decorations and artworks. Exhibits are interactive and accessible, with English language signs throughout.
3. Stroll Around Changdeokgung Palace
Another of Seoul’s royal palaces, Changdeokgung has its own collection of beautiful buildings, including some exceptional temples, in a neatly organized park. It is smaller than Gyeongbokgung, but arguably more beautiful. The Changdeokgung secret garden is also a highlight, with its large area of trees surrounding Buyongi pond.
4. Eat at a Michelin star restaurant
I actually ended up doing this by accident. My friends decided we should join a queue to see where it led, a dangerous strategy for finding a restaurant, in my hangry opinion. It did end up being delicious. It was a small noodle restaurant, with a menu of four dishes – hot noodles, cold noodles, hot spicy noodles, or cold spicy noodles. Subtle and delicious broth, perfectly cooked noods, big portions, quick service: basically, everything you want from a noodle restaurant. It wasn’t until afterwards that we spotted the Michelin star certificate on the front of the restaurant.
There is a myth that Michelin stars are handed out like candy in Asian countries, but this isn’t true. Michelin says it applies the same strict standards across the world. Street food vendors in Asia earn them by using fresh, high-quality ingredients, and using excellent cooking techniques. So that myth is mainly due to snobbery. Fine-dining standards can be found at humble restaurants too!
In Seoul, you have your pick of 191 Michelin restaurants, ranging from hole-in-the-wall street food places to high-end restaurants. The one we went to is Myeongdong Kyoja in Myeong-dong.
5. Go Hiking in Bukhansan National Park
Standing out on the horizon, even larger than Seoul Tower, are the beautiful rocky peaks of Bukhansan National Park. You can reach it on the subway, and yet within a few minutes of entering the forested, mountaineous park, you feel a world away from the city.
You can go for shorter walks on the lower slopes, or climb up the taller peaks for amazing views of the city. The hike up Baegundae peak, the highest in the park at 836.5m, is very fun, but it is worth noting that the last part is basically a scramble up a rocky cliff. You can read more about it in my guide to the best hiking in South Korea.
6. Take a Walk Along the Old City Walls
A walk along the Old City Walls, which date back to 1396, takes you through centuries of history. Start at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a futuristic building that looks like a hot airballoon designed by an alien.
If you’re interested in architecture, go inside and climb onto the exterior balconies from which you can admire the strange figure. You can take a guided tour in English at 1.30pm Tuesday to Sunday (it leaves from the 1st floor M3 entrance).
From there, walk north to find the Dongdaemun gate that marks the beginning of the Old City Walls. A park lines the walls, and climbs gradually, past pretty villages that include the Ihwa Maeul. This used to be a slum, where refugees lived after the Korean war. Today it is an artsy neighborhood, with murals on many of the walls.
If you have the energy, carry on up to Naksan peak, the highpoint of the walls.
7. Visit the Hanok Village of Bukchon
The Bukchon neighborhood has some of the best preserved traditional Korean houses, or hanok, of the entire city. While they used to be looked down upon and worth tuppence, they have undergone a revival in recent years. In Bukchon, you’ll find hanok turned into workshops, cafes, shops, tea houses, and guesthouses. Be respectful as you walk around—this is a living neighborhood—but don’t miss the chance to explore one of Seoul’s most beautiful historic districts.
8. Go to Gwangjang Street Food Market
At 120 years old, Gwangjang Market is the largest and most iconic street food market in Seoul, and was even featured in Netflix’s Street Food Asia. You can get joyfully lost in the narrow alleyways filled with brightly lit stalls laden with bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes), gimbap (addictive mini seaweed rice rolls), tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and soondae (blood sausage). The best approach is to nibble at different things from different stalls. Many of them have benches in front. Most stalls take card, but make sure to ask before ordering.
9. Go to a Karaoke Room
I was skeptical about the Korean tradition of noraebang, or private karaoke rooms, until I tried it. Unlike karaoke in bars, where you have the choice of listening to people demolish your favorite songs, or do it yourself under their judgmental gaze, noraebang gives you a space with just your friends, to belt out the songs of your choice.
They have comfy sofas, tambourines, and cheap drinks. The catalogs of songs include a lot of K-pop, but also hundreds of songs in English, from Queen to Whitney Houston. You can add effects to amplify your voice, and you get a mark out of 100 for every song, but it never goes below 90. Its a blast.
10. Walk Along the Revived River of Cheonggyecheon
Once a neglected waterway buried beneath concrete, Cheonggyecheon is now one of Seoul’s most beloved urban renewal projects. This 11-kilometer stream runs through downtown and is lined with walking paths, stepping stone bridges, and greenery. It’s ideal for a leisurely stroll, or a good way of getting between the various areas of downtown. At night and during the weekends, buskers come and play on the sides of the river, adding to the experience.
What is your favorite thing to do in Seoul, Korea? Let me know in the comments below!
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