Seoul is a little Korea – has everything you can imagine compacted into one city. Palaces, Temples, Financial District, Hip neighbourhoods, Hanok Village, Trekking nature parks – you name it! Minimum 3 days is what you will need to just scratch the surface of this bustling city.

What to do in Seoul

A combination of culture, tradition, hip, luxurious – just pick whatever suits you best!

• Visit the main Palaces in the city, with or without wearing a traditional outfit (this will get you free entrance). You can buy the combo ticket if you plan to visit more than one palace – this will cost around 6€. There are free guided tours every 20 minutes.
• Wander the city’s Hanok village for a glimpse of the traditional Korean houses, now amidst cute cafes and stores.
• Hike up to N Seoul Tower (~20 minutes) for great views of the city. You can also ride the cable car.
• Walk along the Cheonggyecheon river – a park following the river crossing the city centre.
• Visit the modern Zaha Hadid building which is a museum, store, exhibition hall and cafe – Dongdaemun Design Plaza.
• Wander the hip streets of the Itaewon neighbourhood, with endless hipster cafes and stores.
• Visit the Leeum Museum of Art – book ahead!
• Indulge on the luxurious lifestyle of the Gangnam district, and visit the Gangnam Style statue.
• Get lost in the many city markets: Gwangjang Market – famous for Netflix Street Food -, Namdaemun Market or Noryangjin Fish Market.

For these and other sights pinned to your google maps click here.

Where to eat in Seoul

There will never be enough time to taste everything that Seoul has to offer. Chaotic markets, michelin-guide hotspots and contemporary cuisine. Most restaurants close for lunch at 15h and markets are more interesting at lunch time.

• Hyodo Chicken for the crispiest chimaek: korean fried chicken with beer. $$
• Myeongdong Kyoja Main Store for the quickest dumpling soup ever served. The menu only has 3 items. $
• Gwangjang Market for the best hand-cut noodles at Cho’s $. Other delicatessens you can find in the market: Tteokbokki, Gimbap, Blood Sausage, Mug Bean Pancakes and any other traditional Korean food you can think of. $
• One Degree North for Singaporean michelin rated food $$
• Onion Cafe for enchanting sugar-coated desserts in an Hanok setting $$
• Hyundai Department Store food hall – yes, this is right! High-end department stores in Korea have amazing food halls! $$
• Korean BBQ is a must experience in Seoul! There are several recommended places and one for every budget. We tried the one at Saemaul Restaurant Hongdae Seogyo Branch $$
• Koreans love toast! Funny right? Local favourite branches are Isaac Toast and Eggdrop. They are all over town $$

For these and other recommendations pinned to your google maps click here.

For up to date recommendations on the best eats of the city look for the Seoul Michelin guide!

Moving around in Seoul

Seoul has a very efficient Subway system – payable only in cash. You can buy a T-Money rechargeable card that can be used also on public buses. Otherwise, you can also pay in cash when boarding the bus. Make sure to have small change. A single ride will cost around 1€.

Forget about Google Maps, in Korea Kakao is the app to lean on for orientation and public transportation planning. For ride hailling download Kakao T.