Things to Do in Seoul

Things to do · By Frank Adam Burns · Updated 5 September 2026

Seoul is the most modern city in Asia with the oldest palaces in the country inside it, and the two sit a walk apart. This page is the city district by district, then the DMZ and the day trips, then by interest, then the apps, the beds and the shape of a Seoul day.

Seoul is a city of ten million on both banks of the Han River, ringed by granite mountains you can hike before breakfast, and the base for four or five nights on every Korean route. It is the most modern city in Asia with the oldest palaces in the country inside it, and the two sit a walk apart: the five Joseon palaces and the hanok lanes in the old north, the glass towers of Gangnam across the river, and between them the markets, the mountain, the student quarter, the bathhouses and a food culture that arrived in Australia through screens before anyone booked a flight. This page is the city district by district, then the DMZ and the day trips, then by interest, then the practical layer of the apps that work, where to sleep and what a Seoul day should look like.

Seoul at a glance

The palaces and Bukchon

Gyeongbokgung is the grandest of the five Joseon palaces, rebuilt on its Ming-influenced axis under the mountain, with the guard change at ten and two, the Gyeonghoeru pavilion on its pond, the National Folk Museum in the grounds, and free entry for anyone in a rented hanbok, which is why the courtyards are full of Australians in silk. Changdeokgung, ten minutes east, is the loveliest: the palace the kings actually lived in, with the Secret Garden behind it — a valley of pavilions, ponds and old trees seen only on the guided tour, booked ahead and worth the booking. Between them, Bukchon is the hanok village on the hill: 900 traditional courtyard houses in lanes that are still lived in, with the guesthouses, the craft workshops and the view over the tiled roofs to the towers. Samcheong-dong for lunch and the galleries; Insadong for the tea houses, the brushes and the celadon; Jogyesa for the temple in the city and the lanterns in May. Two days for the old north, and Gyeongbokgung at nine before the coaches.

The markets

Gwangjang is the lunch and the dinner: the bindaetteok mung-bean pancakes fried in oil on the griddles, the mayak gimbap (“narcotic” rolls, for the addiction), the raw beef yukhoe, the tteokbokki, all at stalls run by ajummas who have made the same dish for forty years and were on television for it. Namdaemun is the wholesale market of everything, with the hotteok and the kalguksu alley; Noryangjin is the fish market where dinner is chosen from the tanks and eaten upstairs; Dongdaemun is the fashion market that runs all night; Tongin has the coin-for-food stalls; and the Mangwon market is the neighbourhood version. A market a day, and Gwangjang twice.

Namsan, the mountain and the river

Namsan is the wooded hill in the middle of the city with N Seoul Tower on top, reached by cable car or the walk up from Myeongdong, for the view at dusk and the padlocks; Bukhansan National Park is the granite range inside the city limits with proper peaks (Baegundae, 836 m) and a weekday-morning hike that Seoulites do before work; Inwangsan is the smaller mountain behind Gyeongbokgung with the shamanist shrines and the fortress wall; and the Han River is the parks along both banks, the bicycles, the picnics with delivery fried chicken, the cruise boats and the Banpo bridge fountain at night. A hike before breakfast is the Seoul habit and Bukhansan is the reason.

Hongdae, Itaewon and the nights

Hongdae is the student quarter around Hongik University: the buskers on the street, the fried chicken and beer (chimaek), the noraebang karaoke rooms, the clubs, and Yeonnam-dong’s cafes along the old railway park; from five on any night. Itaewon is the international quarter with the bars and the restaurants of every nation, gentler than its reputation and with the Leeum Museum and the War Memorial up the hill by day. Euljiro’s alleys are the hipster version, the pojangmacha tent bars are the late one, and a jjimjilbang at midnight is where the night ends for those who miss the last train.

Gangnam and the south

South of the river is the Seoul of the towers: COEX with the Starfield library and its ten-metre bookshelves, Bongeunsa temple facing it across the road with a thousand years of history and a lantern festival in May, the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil (the Seoul Sky deck at 500 metres, and Lotte World theme park beside it), the K-pop agencies’ headquarters and the HYBE museum when open, Garosu-gil’s boutiques, the Apgujeong plastic-surgery strip, and the restaurants of Cheongdam. Half a day for the visitor and the whole trip for the teenager.

The DMZ

Ninety minutes north by pre-booked tour with a passport on the day: Imjingak’s park and the Bridge of Freedom, the Third Tunnel dug by the North under the line (a steep walk in a hard hat, a hundred metres into the hill), the Dora Observatory’s binoculars into Kaesong and the propaganda village, Dorasan station with its platform for the Pyongyang train that has never run, and, when the security situation allows, the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom where the blue huts straddle the line and a soldier stands with one foot in each country. A dress code (no ripped jeans, no military-style clothing), a morning that stays with people, and back in the city by two. The JSA tour opens and closes with the news and we book whichever is running.

Day trips

Suwon, an hour south: the Hwaseong fortress walls, walked in two hours, the Korean Folk Village nearby. Everland, an hour: the country’s biggest theme park, on a weekday. Incheon, an hour west: Chinatown, the Songdo new city, the Wolmido waterfront. Nami Island and Gapyeong, ninety minutes: the tree-lined island of the K-dramas and the Garden of Morning Calm. Bukhansan, inside the city. Jeonju, three hours by KTX and better as an overnight: the hanok village and the bibimbap. The things to do in South Korea page has the country beyond, and Busan is two hours fifteen by KTX.

By interest

Food

Barbecue at a Jongno alley table (samgyeopsal, galbi), Gwangjang’s stalls, chimaek in Hongdae, samgyetang ginseng chicken at Tosokchon by the palace, naengmyeon cold noodles in summer, bibimbap done properly, the Noryangjin fish, the pojangmacha tents, and a fine-dining scene — Mingles, Jungsik, Onjium — that is Michelin-starred and booked. Korea drinks more coffee per head than almost anywhere and the cafe culture of Yeonnam and Seongsu is a destination. The Asia food guide has the Korean section.

K-culture

K-pop dance classes at the studios in Gangnam and Hongdae, the HYBE museum when open, the K-drama filming locations (Nami Island, the Bukchon lanes, the Ihwa mural village), the Dongdaemun fashion markets, Olive Young for the skincare, a noraebang night, and the concerts if the dates land. The reason teenagers ask for Korea and the reason the parents enjoy it more than they expected.

History

The five palaces, the Jongmyo royal shrine, Bukchon, the fortress wall walk on Inwangsan and Naksan, the National Museum of Korea (the finest collection in the country, free), the War Memorial, the Seodaemun Prison Museum for the occupation, and the DMZ for the present. A guide for the first palace morning is worth the money.

Wellness

The jjimjilbang: Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan or Spa Land in Busan, 24 hours, saunas of five temperatures, the scrub if you dare, the sleeping hall, a bowl of noodles in a robe, AUD 15. A temple stay at Jogyesa or Bongeunsa for a night of meditation and the 4 am bell. The Bukhansan hike. The skincare shops.

Families

Lotte World and Everland, the Seoul Grand Park zoo, the Trick Eye Museum, the Han River bicycles and a delivery-chicken picnic, the hanbok photographs at the palace, the Namsan cable car, Gwangjang’s pancakes, and the trains. Korea is safe at any hour and the hotels are larger than Japan’s for the money; the Asia family holidays guide has the Korean section.

The seasons

Cherry blossom at Yeouido and along the Han in the first week of April; the ginkgo gold of the palace grounds and the Deoksugung stone wall in late October; the lantern festival at Jogyesa and Bongeunsa in May; the Seoul Lantern Festival on the Cheonggyecheon in November; the Han River fireworks in October; the illuminated winter at the DDP. July is monsoon and August is hot; the South Korea travel guide has the calendar.

A night in a hanok

The Korean counterpart to the ryokan: a traditional courtyard house in Bukchon with timber and paper walls, ondol underfloor heating, bedding laid on the floor, a courtyard to sit in with tea, and a breakfast of rice, soup and side dishes. The Bukchon guesthouses are minutes from the palaces and a night in one changes the trip’s sense of the city; some have Western rooms for those who prefer a bed, the walls are thin and the lanes are quiet after ten. Jeonju’s hanok village, three hours south, has dozens and the bibimbap to go with them. Book the popular Bukchon houses a month ahead; they have four or five rooms and the September holidays fill them. One night is the experience; two is the habit.

Seoul for older travellers

An easy city at a gentle pace: lifts at most subway stations, cheap honest taxis through Kakao T, the palaces on level ground with benches, the Namsan cable car instead of the walk, the National Museum with its cafes, a guide for the first palace morning, a hotel in Myeongdong with the airport bus at the door, and the DMZ tour’s tunnel as the one optional exertion. Korean food is spicier than Japanese and the barbecue is not; the banchan gives control and every stew comes mild on request. The Korea tours page has the Seoul-in-depth shape built for the pace.

The second visit

The fortress wall walked in sections; the Ihwa mural village on Naksan; Seongsu’s warehouses and the Seoul Forest; Euljiro’s alleys and the print-shop bars; the Tongin and Mangwon markets; a temple stay at Bongeunsa; the Leeum’s collection properly; Seodaemun Prison; the Han River cruise at night; Bukhansan’s Baegundae peak; Nami Island in autumn; a baseball game at Jamsil with the choreographed cheering and the beer brought to your seat; and the city in a month you have not seen it in, which for most is the autumn they missed.

Beyond Seoul

The KTX puts Gyeongju two hours south and Busan two hours fifteen; Jeju is an hour by air on the busiest route on earth; Jeonju is three hours by train for the hanok village and the bibimbap; Sokcho and Seoraksan are three hours east for the mountains and the autumn colour; and Japan is two hours by air from Incheon or three hours by ferry from Busan. The things to do in South Korea page has the regions and the Japan and Korea itinerary has the pairing.

Manners and the rules

Bow slightly on greeting; two hands for a business card, a glass or money; shoes off in homes, hanok guesthouses, temples and many floor-seated restaurants; at the table wait for the eldest to start, pour for others and let them pour yours (the glass held with two hands), never pour your own, and turn slightly away from an elder when you drink; no tipping; queue for everything; the priority seats on the subway stay empty even on a full train, and yours should too; and the anthem is not a thing you will meet but the flag at the DMZ is. Annyeonghaseyo, gamsahamnida and juseyo (please give me) order everything. Hangul is learnable in an afternoon and the menus repay it.

Costs and timings

The palaces are AUD 4 each (free in hanbok; the Secret Garden tour AUD 8); the National Museum is free; N Seoul Tower’s observatory AUD 22; the Seoul Sky deck AUD 30; the DMZ tour AUD 90–150; a hanbok AUD 20–40; a jjimjilbang AUD 15; a K-pop class AUD 60–120; a market meal AUD 6–10, barbecue with drinks AUD 25–45, chimaek AUD 20, a fine-dining tasting AUD 200–400; the subway AUD 2, a taxi across town AUD 15–25. A Seoul day costs AUD 60–100 on the ground before the hotel. The palaces open at nine and close at five or six, Gyeongbokgung on Tuesdays and Changdeokgung on Mondays; the guard change is at ten and two; Gwangjang runs to ten at night; the subway to one; Dongdaemun’s markets all night. The South Korea travel guide has the full budget.

Seoul in the four seasons

Spring, April and May, is blossom, azaleas and warm dry days, with the dust days from the Gobi as the caveat and an air-quality app as the tool. Summer is the July jangma monsoon — grey, humid, wet for weeks — then August heat at 30°C-plus, with the Han River parks and the jjimjilbang as the escapes. Autumn, late September to early November, is the best season in the Korean year: clear skies, 12–22°C, the ginkgo gold in late October and the maples in the palace grounds in early November, and Chuseok’s three days of full trains somewhere in it. Winter is cold and dry, regularly below zero, with the illuminations, the skiing at Pyeongchang two hours east, and the cheapest flights and hotels of the year; a coat and the subway make it workable. The city works in every month and the mountain is best in October.

Getting around

The subway is one of the largest on earth, clean, cheap (about AUD 2 a ride), signed in English and running to 1 am, with lifts at most stations; a T-money card from any convenience store covers subway, bus and taxi in every Korean city; taxis are plentiful and cheap (AUD 5 flagfall, AUD 15–25 across town) and are hailed through Kakao T, which works for foreigners with a card. Google Maps is hobbled by mapping-export rules and Naver Map or Kakao Map are what everyone uses, with English modes; Papago beats Google for translation. Incheon airport is 50 km west: the AREX express to Seoul Station in 43 minutes (AUD 13), the limousine buses to the hotel districts, or a taxi at AUD 70–90; Gimpo is the domestic airport for Jeju. Seoul Station is the KTX terminus for Busan (2 h 15 min), Gyeongju and the south.

Where to stay

Myeongdong and Jung-gu for a first visit: central, ten minutes on foot from the palaces, the airport bus at the door, and the Lotte City, Shilla Stay and L7 tier at AUD 150–280 (the Shilla and the Four Seasons above). Insadong and Jongno for the old city and a hanok guesthouse in Bukchon, where a night on an ondol floor in a courtyard house is the Korean ryokan. Hongdae for the nightlife and a younger crowd. Gangnam for the business hotels and the towers. Korean rooms are larger than Japanese ones for the money and the family-room problem eases here; an “ondol room” is a heated floor with bedding and a “Western room” is what an Australian expects, and the difference is confirmed in writing. The where to stay in Asia page has the districts.

What a Seoul day looks like

A palace at nine, in a hanbok if the party is game; the hanok lanes and lunch in Samcheong-dong; a market or a museum in the afternoon; Namsan at dusk; barbecue at seven, because Korean dinner is a table not a plate; Hongdae or a jjimjilbang after. The DMZ takes a morning and Gangnam an afternoon; the loose day is Bukhansan or Everland or nothing. Four nights is the minimum; five is right; a week with the day trips is a holiday. The Korea tours page gives it four or five on every shape and the Japan and Korea route gives it four after Kyoto.

Seoul in four days, day by day

Day one: Gyeongbokgung at nine in hanbok, the guard change, the Folk Museum, Bukchon and lunch in Samcheong-dong, Insadong tea, Changdeokgung’s Secret Garden by the afternoon tour, Gwangjang for dinner. Day two: the DMZ by tour, back by two, Namsan by cable car at dusk, Myeongdong’s street food, Hongdae for chimaek. Day three: the National Museum or the Leeum, Itaewon lunch, Gangnam and COEX and Bongeunsa, the Seoul Sky deck, dinner in Cheongdam or a barbecue in Jongno, Dragon Hill Spa at night. Day four: Bukhansan at seven or Suwon’s fortress, Seongsu’s cafes, the Han River by bicycle with a chicken delivery, the Dongdaemun markets after dark. With more: Nami Island, Everland, a temple stay, Jeonju overnight, and the KTX south.

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