50 Things to do in Seoul, Korea Travel Guide

Welcome to Seoul, South Korea! With this video, we wanted to take you on a tour of one of our favorite cities in Asia. Seoul is a place where street food abounds, where cafe culture is taken to a whole different level, where ancient palaces sit next to towering glass constructions, and where pockets of art and creativity give the city its pulse. In short, it's a place you have to see for yourself. In this video, we'll be showing you 50 things to do in Seoul. We realize this is a pretty long travel guide, so we've listed all of the sites, attractions, and foods to try in the description box to make it easy for you to navigate to places you're most interested in. We hope you'll enjoy this tour of Seoul. Now let's get started. Let's start at Gwanghwamun Square, which is home to two important figures. First up, you'll see the statue of Yi Sun-shin. He was a Korean Navy commander responsible for many victories at sea and is still revered today. Then just a few steps north, you'll come across a seated statue of King Sejong the Great, who was the 4th King of the Joseon Dynasty. He is best known for promoting literacy by creating the Korean alphabet, known as Hangul. From there, you can continue to Gyeongbokgung Palace to watch the changing of the Royal Guard, which takes place twice a day and is a pretty cool ceremony to witness. Uniforms, weapons, and live music included. Once the changing of the guard is over, you can then purchase your tickets to Gyeongbokgung and tour the grounds. Gyeongbokgung Palace is the largest and most impressive of the five grand palaces in Seoul. Yes, there are a lot of palaces in this city. So this morning we're visiting the Bukchon Hanok Village. And Hanok is a traditional type of house that dates back to the Joseon Dynasty. So it is pretty cool. You don't really see this type of construction anymore so we're going to be wandering around the neighborhood checking out these homes. But wherever you go you see these signs reminding you to keep quiet because the families do still live here and I mean you've got tourists coming around with their cameras. Ourselves included. So let's try and keep quiet. So we're going to try not to be too annoying. Yes, but let's go take pictures. If this sounds like your kind of thing, you can pick up a free map of Bukchon Hanok Village outside of Anguk Station and go on your own self-guided tour from there. Now let's talk about food for a second. We'll be giving you lots of recommendations throughout this video but one of our favorites that we want to mention right away is Galbi. So for today's lunch we're actually first at the restaurant. This place is empty. It is about eleven AM but we were super hungry. So we are going to be having something called Galbi and that is marinated short ribs. You can get pork or beef. We've ordered pork because it is a little bit cheaper and it comes in a really sweet marinade which we really enjoy. So we're going to be cooking those at the table. And another thing that sets Galbi apart from say Samgyeopsal or another meat is that it is cooked over charcoal. So they're going to be bringing that soon and just putting it right there. So yeah. I'm super excited. This is like the ultimate Korean grill barbecue experience. That smells great. Like you can already smell the sweetness coming off of the meat. That is so good. I know. I'm like we had this I have to admit we had this like maybe five. Two days ago? No, I think it was more like four or five days ago. Was it? But like it was so good and coming back here again and filming it like we know what we're getting. Oh yes. This is going to be. Our mouth is watering. Yeah, I feel like the Pavlovian dog here. You know I'm just salivating at the sight of this meat. This looks incredible. Okay, so Sam is ready to assemble his first piece. Oh man, you better believe it. Ready for the Galbi. I just can't believe how kind the people are here. The service is incredible. Like they just. Yeah, they cooked it for us. Yeah, they didn't have to do that and they did. Which was so nice of them. I think like I mean we could have done it by ourselves but you know it is always nice to have a local doing it because they really know the ins and outs of cooking it. So I'm basically I've got my piece of Galbi. Yeah. And I've dipped it into some Ssamjang sauce here. Yeah. I'm going to put a little bit more on. I've got onions. I've got lettuce. And look you're So it has all been assembled here. It is time to pop it in my mouth. You really taste the marinade and then what I love is the Ssamjang gives it a bit of a kick. That has the red pepper paste and also the soy paste. And then when you combine it with lettuce and onion it is just. It is amazing. The meat is really tender. Next we have Namsan, which offers an easy hike in the middle of the city. So to reach Seoul Tower you basically have two options. You can take the cable car which is the lazy route or you can hike up Namsan Park and that is exactly what we're doing. That is how it is done. That is how it is done. That is how you earn those views of Seoul. We're going up N Seoul Tower. We got our tickets. It was 10,000 Won per person. We made it to the top. Now time to enjoy the views that we get. But you know what? It has gotten a little bit hazy since earlier this morning. See? On top of Namsan you'll find N Seoul Tower, which is a major landmark. If you ride the elevator to the top, you can get 360 degree views of the city. Aside from that, they also have cultural performances on the square directly below the tower, so be sure to check out the schedule while you're there. For a taste of where Seoul's youth hang out, hop over to Hongdae. The area gets its name from Hongik Daehakgyo, which is one of the leading art universities. That translates into an area full of creativity and it's also a great area for nightlife. Which brings us to our next point. Noribang! So if there is one thing you need to try while you're in Seoul it's Noribang. And that is a singing room. Yeah, these Korean singing rooms are awesome. Like there is so much fun. We didn't even enjoy singing before we came to Korea and now we're really into it. So that is how cool it is. How it works is that you rent a room with a few friends for an hour and then you can sing your heart out complete with tambourines. It's a lot of fun and we both got into it. Another experience not to be missed is visiting a Jimjilbang. This is a sauna, bathhouse, and communal space where you can either crash after a late night out, or go to relax and pamper yourself a little bit. Jimjilbangs have different spaces where you can sleep, watch movies, read, work out, eat, play video games, and so much more. We went to Shilom Sauna, which is one of the best in the city and is also conveniently located across from Seoul Station. So we're heading inside the charcoal room. It is only 22 degrees and that is the coldest room we've been able to find aside from the ice room. The others are like 50 or 60 degrees which is just unbearable. Yeah, that would be bad for the camera. So let's go in. One neighbourhood to tack on to your itinerary is Insadong. This area is home to antique stores, art galleries, and souvenir shops where you can pick up traditional Korean gifts to take back home with you. If you wander down Insadong's side streets and back alleys, you'll also discover lots of cute teahouses, which brings us to our next point. Insadong's teahouses offer a quiet escape from the buzz of the main street, and dropping by for some tea is a great way to unwind in between all the shopping and sightseeing. Many of the teahouses are set in old Hanok buildings where you sit on mats on the ground. We have arrived. Tell us what we're having. Yeah, so the one that I ordered is called Gyebijja and you can have a look at it down here. It comes in a nice like kind of fancy traditional cup. It is almost like a soup bowl. Yeah, it really is. And this is a Korean cinnamon tea so I'm really excited about this. I love anything with cinnamon so this should be great. Okay, so for mine I got the Maesilcha which is a green plum tea and it has got ice cubes in it. Much needed today. You can actually see behind you there is the air conditioner guys. That huge air conditioner. It is so hot. And this is so good. It is like juice. It is like a sweet syrupy plum juice. Refreshing? Mmmhmm. So good. And we also ordered some sweets to go along with the tea. So can you tell us what are we having there? Yeah, so this is really exciting. We've got persimmon slices. They've been dried. And then we have some special tteok which is the Korean rice cakes. And they appear to have looks like rice krispies around them. Yeah, they're actually instead of cakes they're more like rice crisps. And I think we've had these ones before like several years ago and they're really airy. They're almost like rice puffs but they're sweet. From Insadong, it's only a short walk to another cool neighborhood called Samcheong-dong. This is a very artistic neighborhood with lots of indie boutiques, coffee shops, and galleries. And it's one of my favorite parts of the city. So for today's lunch we are going to be having Samgyeopsal and that is a Korean pork belly that you cook yourself at the table. It is like really fatty pork so it is going to be nice and crisp. Yeah, it kind of reminds me a little bit of Canadian bacon except more thickly sliced. Bacon for lunch. So they came and helped us out a little bit and they basically cut the meat into little pieces so they can cook a little bit further and get nice and golden. Also I should mention this meat isn't seasoned at all and they didn't add any oil to cook it either. I think the idea is just that the fat is going to start melting and that will allow it to cook. You can give it more flavor. So yeah, we're just waiting now. Waiting for it to turn golden and crispy. I like mine really burnt. Yeah, me too. Which is kind of strange because like if I'm eating steak or something else like that I tend to like it a bit more rare. Yeah. A bit more raw. But with Samgyeopsal I find it is the optimum when it is like charred a bit. Yeah, it is so fatty that you kind of want it to be golden and crispy otherwise it is just like chewing fat. And I'm not a huge fan of that. Okay, so time to make this happen. Let's assemble your first bite. It sure is time. I can't wait for this. So I'm grabbing my piece of Samgyeopsal. The Korean pork belly. And you know what? I am going for a super super one here. So I'm putting my garlic, my mannol on here. A little bit of ssamjang. Put that right like that. And a little bit of some salad. Wow, that is going to be a big bite. It's going to be a huge bite. And now I'm going to roll that all up. Gamsahamnida. Scrunch it up into a ball. And one shot. One bomb. So I think tonight we're going to try and show you the nightlife in Seoul. Champagne! Champagne! A typical night in Korea could start out with chicken and beer or barbecue and soju, and you can go bar hopping from there. As the evening progresses, you can end up singing the night away at a noraebang or documenting your adventures at a photo booth. So we're having a photoshoot after some soju and beer. How do we do this? Oh, what background do you want? Uh, cutesy? I don't care. We've never done this before. I don't know what's going on. Okay, so now we get to decorate our pictures. As far as museums go, we really enjoyed visiting the National Hangul Museum, which focuses on the history of the Korean alphabet. Just a short walk away, you also have the National Museum of Korea, which is the largest museum in the country and covers Korea's history from ancient times to the modern era. Lastly, for a more sobering museum, you have the War Memorial of Korea. This museum is located in the Old Army Headquarters, and the exhibitions showcase military equipment and war memorabilia. So we're at Jogyesa Temple right now and we can smell the incense burning in the air. So Jogyesa Buddhist Temple is a really cool temple located basically in the heart of Seoul. Yeah. Very close to Insadong. And what is really cool here is that you can do a tea ceremony and you can also do a temple stay for like a couple nights. Korean street food is a good idea any time of day as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, so we're at the Mangwon Market. This is a really cool market here in Seoul. It is not one of those popular touristy markets. It is very much a local market. It is nearby Hapjeong and also Hongdae area. And so we're just going to go check it out. We're going to show you guys what you can find here as well as sample a whole bunch of different Korean street food here in Seoul. So let's do it. Exciting times. Let's start eating. We can't speak of visiting Korea without mentioning all the delicious Korean street food there is to try. You could easily turn a visit to the market into a full meal by wandering from one vendor to the next. Okay, so Sam is pretty pumped about today's outing. Tell us what are we doing? This is the one thing I've been looking forward to doing in Seoul more than just about anything else. We are going to a baseball game here in Seoul. A Yagoo game. So baseball in Korea is about much more than just a sport. You come here with friends to eat chicken, drink beer. Yes, and you can even get dried squid. So we are going to load up. We're basically going to have our dinner here before the game starts. Exactly. Let's go. Let's go find food. So we're currently at the Dongdaemun History and Cultural Park and this place is super futuristic. Check it out. The most eye-catching element is Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which looks straight out of space and is used for exhibitions that range from architecture and design to fine art and fashion. Then right across from the Dongdaemun History and Cultural Park, you have Dongdaemun Market, which is a commercial district made up of shopping centers and a few traditional markets. Gwangjang Market is the place for foodies. A few dishes to look out for include Bindaeddeok, which is a mung bean pancake, Kimbap, which is a seaweed rice roll filled with fresh and pickled veggies, and Sundae, which is a sausage made with pig's blood and noodles. For a day out in nature, Bukhansan National Park is a reasonable commute away. There's a vast network of trails that vary in length and level of difficulty, and you could easily turn this into a half-day or full-day outing. As a little tip, there are lots of restaurants at the base of the mountain, so you can finish the excursion with a big meal. So it is time for yet another delicious meal here in Korea. Today we're having Sundubu Jjigae, which is a tofu stew. And this is probably my favorite Korean dish. It is so tasty and I can't wait for it to get here. Anyways, the food is here. We're having our Sundubu Jjigae. So if you take a look here, it comes in this earthenware pot. And when it first came out it was still bubbling. So it was fresh off the stove. So it was like piping hot. It was still boiling. But anyways, here is the dish. So look at all of those massive chunks of tofu. Yeah, this is all of the fresh tofu. The soft tofu. And they are so generous here. Like they give you so so much. We've already mentioned Enseo Tower, however, another option for views of Seoul is the 63 Building. This skyscraper sits on Yeouido Island overlooking the Han River, and it was once the tallest building in South Korea. Yeongdong is synonymous with shopping. It's a bit of a zoo if you visit on weekends, but if you're willing to brave the crowds, you can find everything from Korean beauty products to the latest fashion. Another fun activity you can do in Seoul is rent a hanbok, which is a traditional Korean dress. So we just got here and now we're waiting for our turn to pick out some outfits. Yeah, so we did come on the weekend so it was quite busy. So we'll just wait and eventually get to try it on. Yeah, but you know what? It would be better if we had made a reservation. You can do that online. We were just a bit lazy. No, no. So Sam has to choose two outfits he likes. Yeah, and it is basically a three piece set. So you choose your long shirt and then you get your vest over here. Yes. And then finally the pants down there. So this is kind of cool. They have like a beauty counter with straighteners. We have deer here. Headbands. This is awesome. And I feel like a true princess. I went for some autumn colors. So some gold, some deep reds, some creams. I feel girly. What can I say? I don't know. And because wearing a hanbok gives you free admission to the palaces in Seoul, this is the perfect time to do so. We took this as an opportunity to visit Jangdeokgung Palace, Cheonggyeonggung Palace, and the Jungmyo Shrine, all of which are within walking distance of each other. So we have arrived at our first palace of the day feeling pretty royal in our outfits. Yeah. So what is this one? We're at Jangdeokgung. Yes. And it is just incredible to be walking around in hanbok. I mean how often do you get to do this? So this afternoon we are visiting Namsangol and this is a Korean folk village right at the base of Namsan. And it is free to visit. Which is amazing. Theme cafes are very popular in Seoul, so we made time to visit one of Sam's favorite cat cafes in the city. He's like what? He's like no it is not caviar. It's just chicken. Being the dog lover that she is, we also made time to visit a dog cafe where Audrey could befriend all the dogs, and she didn't even have to bribe them with treats. As you can probably tell we're at a puppy cafe. And I am very happy surrounded by my new friends here. And this is the Sangsang Puppy Cafe in Hongdae. Oh, it just licked you. And for something rather unusual, we also went to a raccoon cafe. Yes, you heard that right. A cafe where you can enjoy a beverage and then watch raccoons run amok in a crawl space. So right now we're visiting the Cheonggyecheon. This is our favorite place to go walking in Seoul and we're going to show you why. The Cheonggyecheon was once a neglected stream forgotten beneath an overpass, but today it's a modern urban park that runs through the city. It's a nice spot for a lunch break or a stroll. So Namdaemun Market is the oldest market in Seoul and it's also one of the best places to get Korean street food. So we're just going to go on a rampage and eat as much Korean street food as we possibly can. A rampage. You heard it here first. Let's go eat. Again, this place is home to some delicious street eats. So we basically hopped from vendor to vendor in search of fish cakes, corndogs covered in crinkle fries, and fried pancakes filled with sugar and cinnamon. Yum all around. So we are currently in the National Folk Museum of Korea and the best part is free admission. The Folk Museum of Korea is located within the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The museum showcases everyday artifacts that would have been used in Korea from prehistoric times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty. Ewha Women's University is a private university for women in Seoul and it has a beautiful campus with a rather unique design. You can visit the main grounds even if you're not a student, so if you enjoy architecture it's worth the detour. One place that we'd recommend checking out on a weekend is the Hangang or the Han River. If the weather is nice, you'll catch people enjoying water sports, biking, longboarding, picnicking, or just camping out in tents for the day. In the middle of the Han River, you'll also find Seonyudo Island, which was once an industrial area that today offers a little oasis. Another cool place to feel close to nature is Seoul Forest, which was once a royal hunting ground for kings. Next up, let's talk about Gangnam of Gangnam style world fame thanks to Psy. This is Seoul's ritzy district and while you can find good restaurants and nightlife here, you can expect the price tag to match. Another neighborhood to visit is Itaewon, which is kind of a global village. There are lots of international restaurants and it's a popular area with foreigners and expats. Alright, so time for another delicious lunch in Seoul. Yeah, exactly. So today we're going for a very classic Korean dish. We're having Bulgogi, which literally means fire meat. And we've placed our order. We've also ordered something else that is a bit of a mystery and we'll show it to you when it arrives. We had Gongbul, which is a mix of Bulgogi and bean sprouts. We also got a second order that was heavy on the spice and covered in cheese and it was absolutely delicious. The Olympic Park is located on the fringes of the city and it's a bit of a long ride, but it has some really interesting sculptures and lots of open spaces, so it can be worth the visit. While in Seoul, we also made time to visit the Noryangjin Fisheries Market, where you can buy your fish to take it home or eat it at one of the many restaurants on the second floor. We went for the latter. So we finally settled on a restaurant there. I mean there is a lot to choose from. So we're just walking around and we're like okay finally let's make a decision. So we saw that this place had some people and it had some nice traditional seating, so we're like yeah let's give it a shot. And it had a relatively affordable menu because seafood here appears to be quite expensive. Well, you can get really expensive seafood. The stuff that we're getting isn't as expensive. We're getting Chobap, which is kind of basically the best way to explain it. It is kind of like Korean sushi. And we're also getting Hoedopap, which is basically sliced raw fish with rice. So we've got those two dishes coming and man I can't wait to have them. Okay, so my meal has arrived. Sam actually chose this because I had no clue what to get. But this is called Hoedopap and it is basically rice with vegetables and raw fish on top. Yeah. The rice actually comes here on the side in this separate little bowl. So what makes Ddeokbap different from say Bokkeumbap, which is the mixed rice, is with Ddeokbap you get your ingredients and then you get your rice. So they're not mixed together. They're not. Yeah. So yeah, lots of veggies here. Oh, look at all of the sesame seeds. I know so many sesame seeds. Some cabbage, some carrots, seaweed. That looks delicious. Cucumbers and apparently I need to add this. Yeah, you need to put the gochujang sauce. That looks like it is in a ketchup dispenser. It is not ketchup guys. Do you think that is enough? Yeah, that is good. Give it a try. Try it with a little bit of rice. Try a bit of fish with some vegetables and rice. Let's grab a spoon. This is my first time having this. Ever. Exciting times. There. Make sure you get your fish. It will probably be easier with chopsticks. Trying to get vegetables as well. Yeah. Rice, fish, vegetable, sauce. Big bite. That is good. How is that? The fish is very mild. Like it is a white fish. It is not very fatty so it doesn't have a strong flavor. It is like having sashimi with rice and veg. It is good but it needs the sauce for sure. Otherwise it would be a little bit bland. Maybe I should be adding wasabi to this. Just mix it all in. So your food is here now. Yeah, my dish has now arrived. Yours came first. So I'm having chobap which is the Korean sushi. So take a look down here. I have ten nicely displayed pieces and as you can see you have of course the sushi kind of the Korean chobap appearance. It has got the rice and then the fish on top. So I'm just going to grab a piece. And let's take it for a dunk in the soy sauce. Let's take it for a swim. No wasabi. Come on. I need to put a bit on. Yeah? How is it? It is good. This is a really it is not. It is a very chewy fish. It doesn't disintegrate in your mouth like I'm really having to power through it. It is very light. I think we're both having the same fish. Yeah, it is very light. It tastes good but as you said it is the kind of fish that it needs a strong sauce to go with it. Either the gochujang or the soy sauce with the wasabi. Wow, there is some rice flying out of your mouth there. Lotte World is a massive indoors theme park. Here you can enjoy rides, go ice skating, play video games or dance your heart out. And wrapping things up with a rather quirky attraction, why not drop by a poo themed cafe. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. And here is the evidence. Wearing poo hats. And my poo just fell off of my head. Is that your poo? Is that your poo Sam? It is a very sad poo. And that's a wrap for this rather massive guide to Seoul. We hope that you enjoyed watching along and that you picked up a few ideas of things to do on your upcoming visit. As always, if you've been to Seoul before and are familiar with the city, we'd love to hear some of your suggestions of fun things to do, see and eat around there, so feel free to share those in the comments below. Happy travels and until next time!