If you're planning a trip to Soeul, here are some must see places, as well as my food & drinks recommendations!
Sightseeing
Most important thing to see are the 2 biggest palaces! There are also many hanbok rental places around! If you wear hanbok the entrance is free! Changdeokgung is lovely to visit in spring, as it has a beautiful secret garden! Between the two, you can find the traditional hanok village!
Another place worth visiting is the stream 15 min walk away from the Palace! Just walk towards Cheonggye Plaza where the stream begins!
If you're not tired of walking I recommend going to Naksan Park, which is on top of a hill. The walk down south of the hill is very lovely and can be seen in many dramas. Don't be surprised if you see one being filmed there!
Since you're already there, might as well walk a bit further towards the famous Dongdaemun Design Plaza!
When in Seoul you have to go see the river. Han river is bigger than you think and it's a popular spot to hang out and have a picnic! The best place to sit and enjoy the river is Yeoeuido Park!
If you come during autumn you might be able to see the famous pink grass! Haneul Park is a great spot for that! It is also lovely during any other season, but only in autumn you'll be able to see the pink grass!
Another great place to go to in autumn in the Bukhansan! If you like hiking it is the best place to see all the beautiful autumn leaves! You don't have to climb to the top to enjoy the view!!
Great place to see the view of Seoul is also the Seoul Tower! There's usually a very long queue, but even if you just go to Namsan Mountain, on which it's located, you can see the stunning view of Seoul. Especially at night!
A quicker, but more expensive way to see the panoramic view of the city is Lotte World Tower. It has 123 floors and a very fancy restaurant on top for those, who have some money to spare!
While you're there, might as well go to the popular adventure park! Don't forget to rent school uniforms to join the trend! No, all these people there aren't students! Renting the uniform to go to Lotte World is a popular trend among Koreans!
Places to eat
While in Korea of course you'll want to try some delicious Korean food! There are a lot of street food stalls and markets where you can find traditional food. Here is one of them.
You can also try to go to some franchise restaurants/pubs where they serve Korean food and lots of soju! Here are my two favourite ones! They can be found all over Seoul!
Breakfast/Brunch
If you had enough of Korean food, or want to eat something not spicy for Breakfast here are some of my favourite western style Brunch places!
Dinner
If you want a fancy night out, I recommend Schedule, which has multiple branches and lovely decor!
If you're vegetarian/vegan it can be really hard in Korea! Here is the most popular vegetarian restaurant (with vegan options!)
There's also vegetarian restaurant with traditional Korean food!
But if you're a fan of meat and want to try the famous Korean chicken, you can go to a chain restaurant that is Gordon Ramsey approved!
Cafe
Of course, you can't go to Korea without going to any cafes. And I mean it. They are EVERYWHERE, eventually you'll end up in one. Although all of them are absolutely stunning, here are some worth going out of your way for.
The last one is located in a beautiful area full of cafes, so even if it's too busy you can find a different, just as beautiful one!
Weather
Korea has very hot summers and really cold winters! Be prepared for the weather! In summer bring a tiny portable fan and an umbrella! In winter bring warm clothes!
Transport
Buy a T-money card at a convenience store and top it up on a machine inside any metro station. With this card all you need to do is tap in and out when you enter and exit the bus or metro!
It is also worth downloading Naver maps, as Google maps don't work that well in Korea!
If you need a taxi you can use Kakao T app, or just find an empty one on the street!
For more specific Seoul and Korea guides, check out my profile!
If you're planning a trip to Soeul, here are some must see places, as well as my food & drinks recommendations!
Sightseeing
Most important thing to see are the 2 biggest palaces! There are also many hanbok rental places around! If you wear hanbok the entrance is free! Changdeokgung is lovely to visit in spring, as it has a beautiful secret garden! Between the two, you can find the traditional hanok village!
Another place worth visiting is the stream 15 min walk away from the Palace! Just walk towards Cheonggye Plaza where the stream begins!
If you're not tired of walking I recommend going to Naksan Park, which is on top of a hill. The walk down south of the hill is very lovely and can be seen in many dramas. Don't be surprised if you see one being filmed there!
Since you're already there, might as well walk a bit further towards the famous Dongdaemun Design Plaza!
When in Seoul you have to go see the river. Han river is bigger than you think and it's a popular spot to hang out and have a picnic! The best place to sit and enjoy the river is Yeoeuido Park!
If you come during autumn you might be able to see the famous pink grass! Haneul Park is a great spot for that! It is also lovely during any other season, but only in autumn you'll be able to see the pink grass!
Another great place to go to in autumn in the Bukhansan! If you like hiking it is the best place to see all the beautiful autumn leaves! You don't have to climb to the top to enjoy the view!!
Great place to see the view of Seoul is also the Seoul Tower! There's usually a very long queue, but even if you just go to Namsan Mountain, on which it's located, you can see the stunning view of Seoul. Especially at night!
A quicker, but more expensive way to see the panoramic view of the city is Lotte World Tower. It has 123 floors and a very fancy restaurant on top for those, who have some money to spare!
While you're there, might as well go to the popular adventure park! Don't forget to rent school uniforms to join the trend! No, all these people there aren't students! Renting the uniform to go to Lotte World is a popular trend among Koreans!
Places to eat
While in Korea of course you'll want to try some delicious Korean food! There are a lot of street food stalls and markets where you can find traditional food. Here is one of them.
You can also try to go to some franchise restaurants/pubs where they serve Korean food and lots of soju! Here are my two favourite ones! They can be found all over Seoul!
Breakfast/Brunch
If you had enough of Korean food, or want to eat something not spicy for Breakfast here are some of my favourite western style Brunch places!
Dinner
If you want a fancy night out, I recommend Schedule, which has multiple branches and lovely decor!
If you're vegetarian/vegan it can be really hard in Korea! Here is the most popular vegetarian restaurant (with vegan options!)
There's also vegetarian restaurant with traditional Korean food!
But if you're a fan of meat and want to try the famous Korean chicken, you can go to a chain restaurant that is Gordon Ramsey approved!
Cafe
Of course, you can't go to Korea without going to any cafes. And I mean it. They are EVERYWHERE, eventually you'll end up in one. Although all of them are absolutely stunning, here are some worth going out of your way for.
The last one is located in a beautiful area full of cafes, so even if it's too busy you can find a different, just as beautiful one!
Weather
Korea has very hot summers and really cold winters! Be prepared for the weather! In summer bring a tiny portable fan and an umbrella! In winter bring warm clothes!
Transport
Buy a T-money card at a convenience store and top it up on a machine inside any metro station. With this card all you need to do is tap in and out when you enter and exit the bus or metro!
It is also worth downloading Naver maps, as Google maps don't work that well in Korea!
If you need a taxi you can use Kakao T app, or just find an empty one on the street!
For more specific Seoul and Korea guides, check out my profile!