Seoul travel guide

Gyeongbokgung Palace

The main palace of the Joseon kings, founded in 1395, was burned during the Japanese invasion of 1592, rebuilt in the 1860s and largely torn down under colonial rule, so much of what you walk through has been carefully restored. Beyond the throne hall, the Gyeonghoeru banquet pavilion stands on stone pillars in a square pond, with Bugaksan mountain rising behind. The changing of the guard takes place at Gwanghwamun gate at 10 AM and 2 PM. The palace is closed on Tuesdays, and entry is free if you wear hanbok, which you can rent near the station.

Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden

Unlike Gyeongbokgung’s grid, this palace’s halls follow the folds of the hill, which is one reason UNESCO listed it, and Joseon kings lived here longer than anywhere else. Behind it the Secret Garden winds through old woods to Buyongji, a square pond whose pavilion stands with two legs in the water, where kings read, wrote poems and held exams for scholars. You can only enter the garden on a guided tour: English tours run several times a day; half the places are booked online and half sold on the day. Closed on Mondays.

Bukchon Hanok Village

Hundreds of hanok, tiled wooden houses built round small courtyards, cling to the slope between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, in a district once home to court officials and nobles. From the top of the steepest lanes you look over curving grey rooftops to the towers of downtown, old and new Seoul in one frame. People live here: tourists are limited to set daytime hours in the busiest lanes, so check the signs, keep your voice down and don’t photograph doorways.

N Seoul Tower

From the observation deck, nearly 480 metres above sea level, the city spreads out to its ring of mountains with the Han River curling through, and the size of Seoul finally makes sense. On the terraces below, railings are layered with padlocks left by couples. Walk up through the park on Namsan or ride the cable car, and time it for dusk to see the lights come on.

Myeongdong

Korea’s skincare habit is on full show here, with shop staff on the pavement handing out samples and a cosmetics store every few doors, alongside the city’s main fashion shops. At the top of the hill, the red-brick Gothic cathedral, finished in 1898, sheltered student protesters during the 1987 democracy movement. Evening is the busiest time, when food stalls fill the streets with egg bread, spiral-cut potatoes on sticks and skewers of every kind.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Zaha Hadid’s huge curving building, opened in 2014, seems to have no straight edges, and its silver skin is made of tens of thousands of aluminium panels. Digging the foundations uncovered part of the old city wall and Joseon-era remains, now laid out in the park beside it, with exhibitions and design shops inside. Open daily from 10 AM, except New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and Chuseok; after dark the walls are lit.

Gyeongui Line Forest Park

When the Gyeongui railway went underground, Seoul turned the old track bed into a 6.3-kilometre ribbon of grass and trees, keeping a few stretches of rail, and the Yeonnam-dong section near Hongik University Station became the neighbourhood’s back garden, nicknamed “Yeontral Park”. On warm evenings people picnic on the lawns with takeaway chicken and beer. Good for a slow walk among cafés and small restaurants.

Hongdae

Hongik University’s art school gave this neighbourhood its creative streak, and since the 1990s it has been home to Seoul’s indie bands, with small live-music clubs, and street dancers and buskers drawing crowds on the pedestrian streets. Vintage shops and young designers’ studios fill the side streets, and the bars and clubs stay busy long past midnight. It wakes up late, so go in the afternoon and stay into the evening.

Gwangjang Market

Opened in 1905, one of Seoul’s oldest markets keeps its best for the food alley, where you squeeze onto a bench at a steaming counter. Watch mung beans being ground and fried into thick, crisp bindaetteok, then try mayak gimbap, little rice rolls so moreish they’re named after a drug, and yukhoe, raw beef with sesame and slivers of pear. The food alley is open daily until 11 PM; much of the rest of the market closes on Sundays.

Korean barbecue

Thick slices of pork belly (samgyeopsal) or marinated beef short rib (galbi) sizzle on a grill set into your table, and you wrap each bite in lettuce or perilla leaf with garlic, chilli and a dab of ssamjang, a punchy bean paste. The spread of side dishes, kimchi among them, is refilled for free. It is a meal for sharing, and staff often handle the grilling.

Tosokchon Samgyetang

A whole young chicken stuffed with sticky rice, ginseng, jujube and garlic arrives bubbling in a pot of milky broth; Koreans eat samgyetang on the hottest days of summer, fighting heat with heat. This long-running restaurant near Gyeongbokgung serves it in a warren of rooms in an old hanok, with a small glass of ginseng liquor on the side. Expect a queue at lunch.

Fried chicken and beer

Korean fried chicken is fried twice, so the crust stays crackly even under yangnyeom, a sticky sweet-and-spicy glaze, and it comes with cubes of pickled radish to cut the richness. Chimaek, chicken with cold beer, is the city’s favourite late-night meal, and in summer people have it delivered to the lawns of the Han River parks. Order half-and-half to try both plain and sauced chicken.

Best: Early April

Cherry blossom lines the Han River parks, such as Yeouido, and the lake at Seokchon.

Best: Late September to early November

Dry, clear weather and autumn colour on Namsan and around the palaces.

Harder: Late June to mid-July

Monsoon season brings heavy rain and humidity, so outdoor plans can be disrupted.

How do you get around Seoul?

• MetroNon-stop trains run from about 5:30 am until midnight, with signs in Korean, English and Chinese.
• BusesWith a T-money card you get a small discount on every ride and up to four free transfers between buses and the subway within 30 minutes (longer late at night).
• Airport trainAREX takes about 43 minutes by express or 56 minutes by all-stop train from Incheon to Seoul Station.
• TaxisTaxis are plentiful. From Incheon, international taxis charge a flat fare to Seoul; avoid vans marked “call van”, which don’t use a meter.
• ArrivalCheck k-eta.go.kr before you fly: many countries are exempt from the K-ETA until 31 December 2026. If you don’t have a K-ETA, file the free online e-Arrival Card, from three days before you land.
• Topping upSince March 2026 you can buy or top up a Climate Card with an overseas bank card at ticket machines on subway lines 1 to 8. Other cards still top up with cash.

Do you need cash in Seoul, and do you tip?

• CardsMost shops, hotels and restaurants take cards, but smaller stalls may not.
• Carry cashKeep some won for markets, small eateries and transport top-ups.
• ATMsLook for ATMs with a “Global” sign. Bank ATMs usually cost less than those in convenience stores.
• Pay in wonChoose won rather than home currency when a terminal or ATM offers a choice.
• TippingTipping isn’t a Korean custom. Large hotels and upscale restaurants may add a 10 percent service charge.
• Tax refundsShop at stores showing a Tax Free sign and keep your passport with you.

Useful phrases

• HelloAnnyeonghaseyo (안녕하세요)
• Thank youGamsahamnida (감사합니다)
• SorryJeosonghamnida (죄송합니다)
• YesNe (네)
• No / no thanksAniyo (아니요)
• How much?Eolmayeyo? (얼마예요?)
• Excuse me (to call staff)Jeogiyo (저기요)

Local manners

• ShoesTake your shoes off at homes, some restaurants and temples; look for the raised floor.
• TrainsKeep your voice low and phones on silent on subways and trains.
• GivingPass and receive money, cards and drinks with two hands, or one hand touching your arm.
• EldersLet older people go first. At the table, pour drinks for others and let them fill your glass.
• QueuesQueue at the marked spots on subway platforms and let people off before you board.

Useful apps

• Baemin - Food DeliveryFood delivery to your Seoul hotel
• Coupang Eats - Food DeliveryQuick food delivery across Seoul neighborhoods
• Naver MapSubway, bus and walking directions in English across Seoul
• KakaoMapDirections and transit routes, with an English mode
• Kakao TCalling taxis, with the app in English
• PapagoTranslating menus, signs and conversations

Download links for these are in the Seoul guide in the Journey app.

Before you book

Check your government’s travel advice before you book.