What to see and do in Seoul, 25 plans to discover it + restaurants!

If you are going to visit soon South Korea, in this article you will be able to discover which are the essential ones what to see in Seoul. This immense city hides so many cool neighborhoods and places to visit that you will need several days to explore every corner. Don't worry, In this guide we will group the tourist places in Seoul by area to make it easier for you to organize your daily routes. The city is huge, it has around 10 million inhabitants, so you have to plan well and we have already done it for you!

Below you can see the index of contents that we share throughout this post. We recommend the restaurants by area, so pay attention.

What to see in Seoul, tradition and modernity

Without a doubt, the best thing we can do for you is tell you what to do in Seoul by zone. We stay in the center, in the Ena Suite Hotel, we believe that the best area where to stay in Seoul. From here we moved everywhere on foot or by subway with NaverMap. As we tell you in our article on what to see in south korea, Google Maps does not work in the country. Therefore, we are also going to mention the restaurants in Seoul we recommended our friend José, a Canary Islander who lived in the city for 10 years.. We will give you a link de Naver with address because we know, from our own experience, that you will go crazy.

1. Gyeongbokgung Palace, the oldest palace to see in Seoul

El Gyeongbokgung Palace es the largest and oldest royal palace to see in Seoul (and in all of Korea actually). If you visit with the traditional Korean “hanbok” costume, admission is free.

• ⏰ TIMETABLE Gyeongbokgung Palace: open from 9:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m., except from June to August when it is until 18:30 p.m. (access up to one hour earlier is allowed). Note that closes every Tuesday.
• 💵 Price (if you don't go with Hanbok): 3.000 won per adult (€2). It will probably cost you more to rent a Hanbok considering these prices.

2. Buckchon Hanok Village

Bukchon Hanok Village It is located in the old town of Seoul. Here you can see the old traditional Korean houses called Hanok. Keep in mind that to explore this neighborhood you must keep silence so as not to disturb those who still reside in the area. For this same reason, you must keep in mind that There is a limited time to visit it. It is the following:

• ⏰ TIMETABLE Bukchon Hanok Village: Only allowed from 10:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Sundays closed.
• 💵 Price: free

🍽️ Restaurants Seoul, Anguk area: To eat nearby we recommend the Vietnamese Nhahang Anguk. SPECTACULAR! It is also very close Oreno Ramen, with several restaurants in Seoul and that we visited in the Hongdae neighborhood.

3. Insadong, an old neighborhood to see in Seoul

Insadong It is a street in Seoul where you can buy traditional korean crafts. They also have other types of shops and a good range of restaurants in the surrounding streets. In fact, we ate here very well in a typical korean restaurant that our friend José recommended to us.

???? ️ Seoul Korean restaurant: Gaeseong Traditional Dumpling House. We leave you the Naver maps address in the link.

4. Jogyesa Temple, one of the best places to visit in Seoul at night

This Buddhist temple is one of the plans to do in Seoul at nightsince it is full of lotus lanterns of different colors. Jogyesa Temple is the main temple of the Jogye Buddhist order, the largest in South Korea.

• ⏰ Jogyesa temple schedule: The main hall of the venue is open 24 hours a day and visitors are welcome at any time.
• 💵 Price: Free access

5. Changdeokgung Palace and its Secret Garden

El Changdeokgung Palace and its Huwon Garden are a UNESCO heritage site and a beautiful example of traditional Korean architecture. This one they say It is the most beautiful thing to see in Seoul. We decided to visit only one palace so as not to get "cloyed" to palaces.

• 💵 Changdeokgung Palace Price: The entrance costs 3.000 won if you go to the palace alone and 5.000 if you want to visit the Garden as well (about €3,70).
• ⏰ Palace Hours: Opening hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 17:30 p.m. In high season (June-August) until 18:30 p.m. and access is only allowed up to one hour before closing. Closed on Mondays.

6. Myeongdong, the best street food in Seoul

One of the things to do in Seoul is to enjoy street food. Myeongdong It is street food paradise and we recommend you go at night, since at midday we did not see the stalls. We recommend you try the Korean pancake Hotteok and the Croffle (croissant + waffle or waffle). Below, you can see a photo we took while recording the video of the trip and which you can see at the end of this article.

???? ️ Myeongdong Restaurants: Din Tai Fung Myeongdong, Chinese restaurant with a wide variety of dumplings, among other delicacies (Jose recommended it to us). There are also several typical restaurants in the area that only serve fried chicken and beer (with huge lines).

What to buy in Seoul

This area is also famous for all the korean cosmetics stores offer. If you want to buy K-Beauty, go to the franchises Olive Young. To buy gifts and different things at VERY good prices, we recommend you visit the Daiso stores, there is one in this neighborhood Myeondong. It's like an Aliexpress in store. We catch the typical ones small bottles to carry travel liquids, makeup items and some more gifts for the family. You will also see some huge shops called HBAF, sound of flavored almonds (wasabi, honey, corn, garlic...), one dirty very rich to give as a gift.

7. Namdaemun, one of the places to visit in Seoul – downtown area

El namdaemun market It is the largest in Korea. Here you can find others things to buy in Seoul, from clothes to street food. Us We bought some souvenirs, like the typical large Korean visors and some Marvel stuff for the nephews.

• ⏰ Schedule Namdaemun marketMost stalls are open practically 24 hours a day, although each stall can have their own schedule and almost all of them close on Sundays.

8. Seoul Tower, N-Tower or Namsan tower, in Namsan Park

The Seoul Tower You will have panoramic views of the city. You can go up by cable car (cable car) or on foot. We walked up and down, something we do not recommend if it is very hot. If the day is cloudy, we do not recommend climbing the tower. A few steps from the tower you can also visit the old wall of Seoul that runs through part of Namsan Park.

• 💵 Price N Seoul Tower 2024: 15€ per person (21.000 won)
• ⏰ Seoul Tower Hours: open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. On weekends and holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 23:00 p.m.

We can say that this was one of the most expensive activities we did during the entire trip. For example, access to the Busan tower costs 12.000 won (€9), so you can see the difference. By the way, if you are going to travel to this city, you can read our post about: what to see in Busan.

9. Itaewong

El Itaewon neighborhood is known for his nightlife, bars and international restaurants. They told us that it is cool to go at night for whoever likes it go partying. The atmosphere is touristy, yes. By the way, this was where on a tragic Halloween night a "human stampede" took place and more than 150 young people died. There are more things to do in Itaewon, such as go shopping, its cafes and restaurants. In fact, we have two super recommendations.

☕ Café, we recommend you Anthracite Coffee Hannam, on the main shopping street.

???? ️ Taiwanese restaurant Itaewon Uyukmien. If you have never tried Taiwanese food, this option that José recommended to us seemed incredible. The fried chicken and pork are essential.

10. Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a futuristic building to see in Seoul

La Dongdaemun Design Plaza It is a building with a futuristic design where different collections of art and design are exhibited. We recommend you go at night, when it is illuminated.

???? ️ Two two chicken restaurant: fried chicken with Korean Terra beer. It is one of the most famous fried chicken franchises in Seoul. Can order it with different levels of spiciness or just traditional fried chicken. This one is on Eulji-ro 20-gil street, we can't find it on Naver maps either... This thing about Korean names and maps is a mess!

11. Cheonggyecheon Stream, a cool and relaxing plan to do in Seoul

El Cheonggyecheon Stream It is a rehabilitated stream that has about 6 meters long and is very close to Dongdaemun Design Plaza, so you can combine it. It is an ideal place to cool your feet and disconnect from the hustle and bustle of Seoul.

12. Seoul Markets: Dongdaemon and Gwangjang Market

A few steps from the stream another great plan what to do in Seoul is visit the Gwangjang Market, famous for its street food. We didn't have time to go, but it is essential. In fact, there are a number of Netflix it's called Street Food which was recorded here. Another market relatively close is Dongdaemon, dedicated to local wholesalers who want to buy textiles which we couldn't visit either.

13. Hongdae neighborhood, youth area to see in Seoul

If you're looking for what to see in Seoul in 3 days, hongdae It is one of the neighborhoods that you should include. It is full of shops, themed cafes, karaokes and restaurants. Many compare it to Harajuku in Tokyo, but nothing to see. One of the best things what to do in Hongdae is to enjoy a good ramen, we will tell you after this photo of one of its main streets.

☕ Deus Ex Machina Cafe. Here you can visit one of the cafes in the famous Australian fashion store Deus. We are geeks and we went to the two stores they have in Seoul. If you are missing plans to do in Seoul and you're as geeky as we are, go for both, the design of the other one is crazy.

???? ️ Hongdae Restaurants: Oreno Ramen. Only have two types of ramen, the one we ordered was delicious (non-spicy option). It is recommended in the Michelin guide.

14. Seongsu dong neighborhood, pop up shopping area to visit in Seoul

A few steps from Hongdae is the Seongsu dong neighborhood, which, by the way, we liked much more. Here you will find numerous stores pop-up ultra modern doing collaborations with brands like Dior y cool coffee shops. We couldn't resist asking for a Donkatsu, a deep-fried breaded pork fillet that was imported to South Korea from Japan. Below we tell you where to eat and have coffee and dessert in Seongsu.

???? ️ Restaurant Oreno Katsu Seongsu. Here you can even put melted cheese on top of the Donkatsu, we ask for it normal. Without a doubt, one of the dishes what to eat in Seoul.

☕ Coffee and dessert in Ongeundal, Seongsu: In South Korea there are no desserts in restaurants, so if you want to go to the typical cafe with thousands of cake and sweet options, we recommend this one in Seongsu.

15. Yeonnam dong, area of ​​bars and restaurants to visit in Seoul

As we see it, this is one of the best neighborhoods to go out for dinner and a drink. It is full of super cool cafes, restaurants and bars. We loved its atmosphere at night so much that we had a cocktail and stayed for dinner. He is one of the lugares para visitar in Seúl Less touristy, by the way.

???? ️ Restaurants in Yeonnam dong. If you want a restaurant nearby, we went to Vietnamese Little Papa, very rich and cheap.

(I.e. Heimish Bar. To have a drink we went this article, quite cozy. We have not found the address of Naver, so we give you the one from Google maps. It is two minutes from the Vietnamese.

16. Lotte Tower, the tallest building to see in Seoul (6th in the world)

Another of the places to see in Seoul in 5 days, we say five days in case you have enough days, since it is far from the center. Lotte Tower is the 6th tallest building in the world and the tallest in South Korea. The skyscraper It measures 555 meters and has 123 floors. In the area there are all the luxury brand boutiques: Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc. Also You can climb to the top to enjoy the views, although you already know that you have another option closer to the center, the N-tower.

17. Gangnam Style Statue, tourist sites in Seoul

If you plan to go to the Starfield bookstore (which we discuss below), don't miss the opportunity to take a photo in one of the Seoul tourist sites: The statue of G. This monument in honor of its famous Korean singer imitates the two large golden hands that imitate the dance of the Korean song Gangnam Style. To visit it, Naver map will give you the fastest option if you search for “COEX Mall”. The metro stop is Bongeunsa (line 9). The statue is in front of one of the main entrances to the shopping center.

18. Starfield Library, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Seoul

This two-story library stands out because it has more than 50.000 books and shelves 13 meters high. It's amazing. Furthermore, it is located within the COEX Mall, Asia's largest underground shopping mall. Therefore, if you search things to do in Seoul When it rains or is very hot, write down this plan. On the other hand, keep in mind that In January 2024, Starfield opened its second bookstore in the Korean capital: Starfield Suwon. This is larger than that of the COEX shopping center. However, it is on the outskirts and takes about an hour to get there from Seoul Station. You must take line 1 to Hwaseo Station.

19. Han River in Seoul, tourism away from the hustle and bustle

Another of the lugares para visitar in Seúl is Han River. Given its length (it crosses the city) we recommend you explore it by bike. The bikes are rented by the hour in different parts of the city. In addition, along the river there is a bicycle path, the only one we have seen without danger in all of Seoul. If you want to have a picnic by the river, we recommend the Yeouido Hangang Park. To see the sunset we choose plan 20 from this list of Seoul, what to see and do in the capital of South Korea.

20. Nodeul Island

If you are looking for an where watch the sunset in Seoul, have a picnic and rest after a day of , we recommend you go to Nodeul Island, in the middle of the Han River.

Extras: what to see in Seoul in 7 days or more

21. Ihwa Mural Village

If you like the street art, another of the things to see in Seoul is Ihwa-dong neighborhood, near Naksan Park (not to be confused with Namsan). In its streets you can see mural paintings by about 70 artists different.

22. National Museum of Modern Art (MMCA), what to see and do in Seoul when it rains

This plan what to do in Seoul in 5 days or when it rains, saved our lives. Suddenly it started to rain and we visited one of the 4 exhibitions on digital art. You can pay admission per exhibition or hire a pack of the different exhibitions with a special price. We combine this plan with a the matcha from Jeju Island What we tell you in our blog about what to see in Jeju and we explain briefly below.

• ⏰ Seoul National Museum of Modern Art hours: from 10:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m., on Wednesdays and Saturdays until 21:00 p.m. Tickets on sale up to one hour before closing time.
• 💵 Price: to visit an exhibition 2.000 won (€1,40), to visit all exhibitions it is 5.000 won (€3,50).

☕ Coffee and dessert en Osulloc Tea house MMCA. This cafe specializes in Jeju green tea and you can't miss their matcha latte and matcha cheesecake. Brutal. You have it right next to the museum. We visited the Osulloc museum in Jeju and we were amazed.

23. Korean War Memorial, museums to see in Seoul

If you want to learn the story about the war between North Korea and South Korea, you can visit the Korean War Memorial Museum. It's one of the free plans to do in Seoul. Outside they have several war planes and tanks, as well as a memorial monument. We only passed outside because we were exhausted from walking. We walked between 25 and 30 kilometers each day.

24. Seoul 7017 / Seoul Skygarden / Skypark

If you want more options what to see in Seoul in 7 days (or if you are going to stay longer), there is an old highway converted into a promenade next to Seoul station named Seul 7017. We have read in some blogs that it is reminiscent of the High line of New York (it didn't seem like it to us hehe). We were staying close in the Ena Suite hotel, so we passed. In our opinion, it is just uA pleasant one kilometer walk that we recommend ONLY if you are in the area.

25. What to see in Seoul surroundings – day trips

If you have days left and want to know what to visit near Seoul the excursions of Civitatis Seoul with the best ratings are the following:

• Excursion to Nami Island
• Excursion to the border between the two Koreas, the famous demilitarized zone (DMZ)

We hope this Seoul tourist guide to get to know the city on your own has been helpful to you. If you have any questions, leave us a comment, I'm sure it may be useful to other readers.

Hotels in Seoul, cosmopolitan tourism in South Korea

And if you still don't have hotel in seoul, we are super happy with the area and hotel where we stayed. Is he Ena Suite Hotel and it had an average 9,1 review on Booking (when we visited in 2023). They included you tea, coffee and they gave you two bottles of water a day with room coverage. I also had the shower separate from the toilet, something you have to pay attention to when booking your hotel in Korea. We booked it well in advance and 5 nights, a double room with bed king size It cost us €500. Anyway, you can look at all the options accommodation in Seoul by zone below.

Video with places to see in Seoul

Below we share the video of our trip with the essential things to see in Seoul where you will also see images of the restaurants we visited and tips. Gastronomy was a clear protagonist! You can subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all the videos of the trip, our stop in Busan, visit to Jeju, curiosities, gastronomy, etc.

Travel insurance for Seoul and South Korea

Finally, if you are going to travel to South Korea and you still do not have a travel insurance that covers you any illness, accident, flight delays, lost luggage, etc.. We have a 5% off in all IATI policies, with whom we reserve all our travel insurance. When searching from the previous link, all policies will already have the price with the discount applied and you can also see the price without the discount crossed out. Us For 13 days (including travel days) it cost us less than €60 per person.

5% eSIM discount for mobile data in South Korea

Holafly offers you connection with unlimited data in South Korea and we have a 5% discount for you on all their plans (depending on the number of days you are going to spend in the country). You can see all the options for their eSIM in the previous link.

Ruth González

Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.