A guide on what sights to see, where to wander, and things to do in Seoul, South Korea

Seoul has been on my bucket list for so long after being an avid watcher of Korean dramas (kdramas). In this guide, I will share some of my personal experiences during my travel to Seoul when I was there for about 6 days.

Seoul Districts Worth Checking Out:

Disclaimer: While I was unable to see everything I wanted to see, I wanted to share my research with you in case you wanted to discover it for yourself! If you see a point of interest highlighted like this*, it means that I personally didn’t get to experience it.

Mapo

Located on the western end of Seoul, Mapo contains Hongdae & Sinchon which are filled with exciting, young, and free-spirited energy. It is located near the Hongik University, an art university.

Hongdae Street

At night, we would often venture to Hongdae Street filled with vibrant energy and many groups of young people. Huge crowds would be gathered around buskers singing and dancing.

We also walked past food stalls selling candied fruit skewers, rice cakes, and other street foods would be set up. There were also plenty of shops to explore including those selling cosmetics, jewelry, clothes, and much more. There were also plenty of restaurants and bars to choose where to eat from.

Points of Interest:

• Hongdae Street– buskers, hangout spot
• Haneul Park* – photographic park to walk around

Jongno

Centrally located with one of the largest attractions for Seoul, Jongno is also surrounded by offices so you will see office workers walking to lunch, or out on smoke breaks. It is also home to historical landmarks and an area that has traditional Korean houses called hanok.

Gwanghwamun Square

Gwanghwamun Square is located right in front of the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace and has the statue of King Sejong, an important figure in South Korean history. For those of you who are kdrama fans, it was the filming location of a few noteworthy Korean dramas, including The King: Eternal Monarch.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Right in front of Gwanghwamun Square lies the palace. At Gyeongbokgung Palace, they have a ceremony showing the changing of guards twice a day, one at 10 AM and the other at 2 PM. When we visited, we opted for the morning one and while I thought it was cool to hear the instruments blaring and observe the ceremony, all my friend could think about was a Suga’s music video that was shot at this same palace.

My favorite photo ops were of the pavilions. It was beautiful to see the reflection of buildings against the water. They are not to be missed.

I recommend checking out the gift shop when you are done if you are interested in purchasing souvenirs and cute stationery. Visiting the palace at night is another experience that is available on limited days, so check out Travel Stained’s blog for more information.

Insadong-gil

Insadong-gil is a fun pedestrian street to walk around, especially if you’re into artsy things. We wandered into a market that was selling some trinkets and dry food. Then we went into an alleyway and saw a fortune dispenser. Knowing fully well that it was a tourist trap, we put our cash into a machine to get a coin for the vending machine. We decided to put our coins into our respective zodiac signs and pulled our fortune. Then after you get your fortune which comes out in a red ball, you are to smash it with a mallet nearby to open the shell.

The fortune was entirely in Korean and Google Translate was having a tough time, so I ended up having to send a picture to one of my friends fluent in Korean to translate. After we were done taking our photos, we returned the empty red shells into a hole that was in the wall.

Ikseon-dong Hanok Street

Nearby Insadong, Ikseon-dong Hanok Street is a narrow street filled with traditional-looking shops. It was pretty crowded but super cute. One of the shops had a wall that reminded me of Sophie’s hat shop in the anime Howl’s Moving Castle. Many people were trying to take the perfect Instagram picture on the street, but that was no easy task with how narrow and crowded the streets were. At Ikseon-dong, there are many adorable cafes so we walked into a random one to try their dessert. If I had more stomach to try more than one cafe, I would’ve!

Points of Interest:

• Gyeongbokgung Square
• Gyeongbokgung Palace
• Bukchon Hanok Village
• Insadong-gil
• Ssamzigil – great place for those who like crafts
• Ikseon-dong Hanok Street

Jung

Jung is also near the central part of Seoul. One of the most popular tourist destinations in this district is the Myeong-dong neighborhood. There are a lot of Korean beauty products, clothes, and souvenirs sold up and down the street. If you want to go after some higher-end products, there are plenty of department store options too.

Myeong-dong Night Market

After you’ve shopped til you dropped, you can indulge yourself at the Myeong-dong night market.

At the Myeong-dong night market, I loved that stalls of food were set up everywhere and you could try so many different things from skewers to fresh fruit smoothies. I was set on trying their grilled cheese lobster tails, which was one of the things bloggers online swore by. Although I enjoyed it, I would say it’s a little steeply priced for what you get. My favorite was actually the egg buns but they were gone in two bites. The last thing I tried was hotteok which is a Korean sweet pancake. My friend said it’s usually popular in the winter but I did not have a problem eating it in the summer.

Namsan Tower

Sometimes also referred to as N Seoul Tower or officially as the YTN Tower. Namsan Tower is a popular attraction with a view of the city and is referenced in many Korean dramas. There is an area where there are many “love locks”, where couples will be filmed locking their love with a padlock and throwing the key away. There’s a great panoramic view of the city at the top.

Fair warning — be prepared to wait in a long line if you’re trying to get up there at sunset. This was not a must-visit for me so when I took the tram part of the way up and saw how long that line was… I decided I didn’t have the energy for it, and went home.

Alternative skyscraper: Lotte World Tower *

Not feeling Namsan Tower but want to get a great view of Seoul? Check out the Seoul Sky Observatory at Lotte World Tower! We never went ourselves but had heard from a local that it was the “new” place to visit with glass walls and glass floors to give you that 360-degree view.

Points of Interest:

• Myeong-dong Night Market / Shopping Street
• Namsan Tower*

Yongsan

Yongsan is located on the northern side of the Han River and is home to a few attractions, headquarters for HYBE, and department stores. While Itaewon is a part of this district, we did not get a chance to see what Itaewon is like after the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

HYBE HQ

Since one of my friends is a fan of the kpop group BTS, we went to the HYBE HQ to check it out. When we got there, there were protest vans parked outside with LED messages on them, and a group of upset fans over rumors of one of the idols dating a model. Other than that, there was not much to see at HYBE as it is a place of business.

National Museum of Korea

While I did not explore every room at the National Museum of Korea, I enjoyed their immersive digital galleries. My favorite one had beautiful artwork showing the transition to different seasons. The music that accompanied it amplified your experience as you watched the different scenes. If you like visiting museums, this is one to consider checking out… and it’s free!

Points of Interest:

• HYBE HQ – only if you’re a kpop fan
• National Museum of Korea

Gangnam

Gangnam was a more upscale area than where we were staying in Hongdae, based on some of the higher end shops that there and the cleaner smelling air. From what I heard from my friend, it also is also home to some lively clubs to dance the night away at. We weren’t able to see much of Gangnam with our limited time, but weren’t too upset about it either.

Points of Interest:

• Gotomall Underground Shopping Mall – for budget shopping
• Starfield Library* – a picturesque library in the middle of COEX mall

Han River

Tired of the heat, we decided to head out to the Han River as one of the last things to do for our trip. There were some buskers at the Han River, some with better voices than others. The music was much sultrier out by the river.

As you are walking towards the Han River, you will see people holding flyers. When you see them (unless you want the flyer), avoid making eye contact, and keep walking no matter how close they get to you.

Ramyeon at the River

When you go into the convenience store, you can pick your ramyeon of choice, extra toppings, and they will give you a bowl for you to cook the ramyeon right on the spot! You take the bowl outside of the convenience store where there is a ramyeon cooking station that boils your noodles for you at optimal timing and temperature.

You’d think that ramyeon tastes the same everywhere and it seems like a silly thing to go out of your way to do. However, I highly recommend having this experience as this might have been the best ramyeon I’ve had. While slurping your ramyeon, you can feel the breeze by the river, while enjoying the beautiful Han River before you.

Trust me, you won’t regret it!