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South Korea

Seoul

Ancient palaces behind glass towers, and dinner that never stops.

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Understand

What it's like to be in Seoul

Seoul moves at a speed that makes Tokyo feel leisurely. It is a city of extremes living comfortably side by side: a thousand-year-old royal palace sits behind the glass towers of Gangnam; a Buddhist temple occupies a hillside inside the city limits; teenagers queue for fried chicken at midnight in a district that didn't exist twenty years ago.

The city is divided by the Han River into a rough north-south axis. The north holds most of the history — the old palace district of Gyeongbokgung, the sloping tile-roofed lanes of Bukchon, the market warrens of Jongno. The south, Gangnam included, is where Seoul imagines its future: K-beauty flagships, glass-box restaurants, and the world's fastest internet in every café.

Korean food culture runs deep and wide. A meal here is almost always a shared affair — banchan arriving in small dishes around a central pot or grill, the table filling until there's no room left. BBQ is the iconic image, but the real range spans raw crab marinated in soy, silken sundubu-jjigae, cold buckwheat noodles on a summer day.

Context adapted from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
At a glance
LanguageKorean
CurrencyKorean Won (₩)
Best monthsApr–May · Sep–Oct
Getting aroundMetro & on foot; T-money card
TippingNot customary; service included
The library

Places worth saving in Seoul

Real places in Seoul, pulled from the public library. Tap Add on anything that appeals — it lands in your list, no account needed.

Restaurants

Mingles

Gangnam · Seoul

Korean fine dining, boundary-pushing.

Restaurants

Gwangjang Market Yukhoe

Jongno · Seoul

Raw beef bibimbap, market stall.

Restaurants

Jungsik

Gangnam · Seoul

Modern Korean, Michelin two-star.

Cafés

Fritz Coffee Company

Mapo · Seoul

Seoul's best roaster, long queue.

Cafés

Anthracite Coffee

Itaewon · Seoul

Converted factory, strong espresso.

Cafés

Onion Anguk

Bukchon · Seoul

Hanok bakery, courtyard seating.

Landmarks

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Jongno · Seoul

Joseon dynasty, guard ceremony.

Landmarks

Bukchon Hanok Village

Jongno · Seoul

Tile-roofed lanes, go early.

Landmarks

N Seoul Tower

Namsan · Seoul

City panorama, cable car up.

Museums

National Museum of Korea

Yongsan · Seoul

Korea's history, beautifully staged.

Museums

Leeum Samsung Museum

Itaewon · Seoul

Korean and contemporary art.

Markets

Gwangjang Market

Jongno · Seoul

100-year-old food market, unmissable.

Markets

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Dongdaemun · Seoul

Fashion, design and night market.

Parks

Bukhansan National Park

North Seoul · Seoul

Granite peaks inside the city limits.

Parks

Cheonggyecheon Stream

Downtown · Seoul

Restored canal, lunchtime walks.

Stays

Signiel Seoul

Lotte World Tower · Seoul

Top of the city's tallest tower.

Stays

The Hanok Guesthouse

Bukchon · Seoul

Traditional house, courtyard stay.

Parks

Olympic Park

Songpa · Seoul

Sculptures, paths, open air.

Markets

Namdaemun Market

Jung-gu · Seoul

24-hour traditional bazaar.

Stays

Hotel Naru Seoul

Mapo · Seoul

Riverside design hotel.

Museums

National Folk Museum

Gyeongbokgung · Seoul

Daily life through history.

Eat & drink

How to eat like you live here

The experiences worth planning a day around — not a restaurant list, a way to eat the place.

01

Korean BBQ at the grill

Samgyeopsal over charcoal, scissors, lettuce wraps, soju shots. The most sociable meal on earth.

02

Late-night pojangmacha

A street tent with plastic stools, tteokbokki, and odeng broth. Seoul's answer to the after-party.

03

Jjigae breakfast

Kimchi jjigae is ordered like coffee elsewhere — deeply savoury, red, served boiling in a stone pot with rice.

04

Banchan spread lunch

A dozen small dishes arrive before you've ordered. Pickled, fermented, braised — the supporting cast is the meal.

From the community

Lists that feature Seoul

Curated routes through Seoul from Sunday's editors and well-travelled members. Open one to see every place — or save the whole list at once.

Sample lists
Sunday Editorial

48 hours in Seoul

The high-impact first-timer route — nothing padded.

14 placesOpen list
MMaya's list

Where Seoul actually eats

Neighbourhood tables, no tourist traps. Built over three trips.

22 placesOpen list
Sunday Editorial

Slow mornings in Seoul

Cafés, parks and a market — the unhurried half of town.

9 placesOpen list
TTheo's list

Seoul after dark

Wine rooms, viewpoints at dusk, the last tram home.

16 placesOpen list
See it come together

3 easy days in Seoul

A starter itinerary built from the city's most-saved places. Make it yours, then reshape it however you like.

Sample itinerary
Editing, maps and timings unlock when you make this trip your own.
9:00
Slow start
Fritz Coffee Company
Mapo
10:30
The big one
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Jongno
13:00
Market lunch
Gwangjang Market
Jongno
20:00
Dinner
Mingles
Gangnam
Know before you go

Seasons & a few words

The two things every trip starts with: when to come, and what to say when you get there.

When to go
Spring
10–22°C
Apr–May

Cherry blossoms at Yeouido, warm light, the entire city outdoors at once.

Summer
24–34°C
Jun–Aug

Hot, humid monsoon season; survival strategy is air-conditioned cafés and cold noodles.

Autumn
12–24°C
Sep–Oct

Crisp air, red maples in Bukhansan, the city's sharpest and most beautiful weeks.

Winter
-4–6°C
Nov–Mar

Bitter cold, but hotpot restaurants are packed and ski resorts an hour away.

A few words of Korean
안녕하세요ahn-nyong-hah-seh-yo
Annyeonghaseyo
Hello
감사합니다gam-sa-ham-nee-da
Gamsahamnida
Thank you
계산서 주세요gye-san-suh joo-seh-yo
Gyesanseo juseyo
The bill, please
건배gun-beh
Geonbae
Cheers!
괜찮아요gwen-chan-ah-yo
Gwaenchanhayo
It's okay / No problem

Seoul is a good place to start.
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