Top Things to do in Seoul
FUN AND INTERESTING THINGS TO DO IN Seoul, Korea
We weren’t quite sure what to expect when we entered Seoul. It was a place on our list only because a number of friends had visited and because we thought it might be some type of tech mecca because of companies like LG and Samsung that call it home. We had also read about some travelers being disappointed with their Korean experience - especially those that had just come from Japan...like us.
We spent around 10 days in Seoul. Longer than expected because we came to know about a lantern festival only after we had landed. We extended our trip, shuffled some of our downstream plans, and made sure we didn’t miss the chance to celebrate this festival in the biggest city in Korea. A handy resource is the https://korea4expats.com website. It’s been put together by expats for expats to help them adjust and assimilate into Korean life and culture. I would definitely recommend combing through this!
> WHERE TO STAY
We stayed in Hongdae, Hongik, Seoul. Our Airbnb wasn’t particularly nice, but the location was great. Just a couple blocks away from a subway station and a few streets away from the main Hongdae drag. We ended up spending most of our days in central and southern Seoul. In hindsight, Insadong might’ve been a better place to stay given its central location, but Hongdae did have a great night scene with plenty of bars and restaurants.
> GETTING AROUND
To get around, we bought tmoney cards. Unfortunately, at the airport, the people at the desk for the ArEx (airport express) train sold us their “Korail Cards” which are similar to, but definitely not the same as the tmoney cards. From the airport, just buy one-time tickets for the ArEx train. Wait until you get to the subway station in Seoul or go to a 7-11 to buy a tmoney card. You’ll see the tmoney logo on the card (a little square with a ‘t’ in it). It costs about $4 and then you load it up with cash (literally, you can’t use a credit card to load it). You can then use this to tag on and off whenever you ride a bus or subway. You can even use it to buy things at small convenience stores and vending machines. It’s really convenient.
> NAVIGATING
Google doesn’t work in Korea. You’ll need to download Naver Map. There’s an English version. To search for places in the app use snippets of addresses (usually the first part) or phone numbers that you find from Google Maps or websites. Then star the place, add it to your favorites, give it a nickname, and it’ll be much easier to find next time. Or, if you’re online, head to http://map.naver.com!
Here are some of our highlights from Seoul:
> CoEx Craft Beer Festival - There happened to be a craft brew festival happening at CoEx (this is the big convention center in Seoul in the Gangnam area). There was live music and about 10 different craft breweries were represented. Each had little stalls, was serving beer, and sometimes some snacks as well. It was a great way to relax in the afternoon in the sun enjoying a beer. The festival happens a few times a year, it’s worth checking to see if it’s going on while you’re there. Also, it’s worth checking what’s happening at CoEx as well. There were about four or five different exhibitions open during our stay - from your standard medical conference to more interesting electric vehicle shows and animation galleries. Naver Maps: http://naver.me/Ig2cdLeB
> Bonguensa Temple - This temple happens to be right next to CoEx. We walked by a couple of other temples, but this one was by far our favorite. The juxtaposition of the city with the peacefulness of the temple was really neat to see. Also, the huge buddha statue nestled along the hillside just oozed tranquility. It’s so convenient to get to that you should definitely stop by even for a few minutes the next time you’re in Seoul. Naver Maps: http://naver.me/5CEABsNH
> Insadong Ssamziegil (@ssamzigilpage) - One of the common areas to visit in Seoul is Insadong. Along the primary shopping street is this multi-story shopping complex filled with a bunch of local craft vendors. We found a number of really neat things there, including someone selling these super tiny succulents in equally tiny pots! You can then affix the pot to a wall or a cabinet door to add a little greenery to your space. It’s a fun place to walk around and shop knowing that your money is going back into the local community. Naver Maps: http://naver.me/GJYtDP3Q
> Osegye Hyang - In Insadong, we also happened to find one of our favorite vegetarian restaurants in Seoul. It’s got asian-style seating (cross-legged on the floor) and a full Korean menu, but all vegetarian! The menu is huge, but the few items we tried were really tasty. They don’t speak English here, but with some pointing and hand gestures you’ll be just fine. Naver Maps: http://naver.me/G3aUQJuH
> 류지혜 (Ryu Ji Hye) - She's a up and coming musician in Seoul. You can find her on Instagram at @jhrrryu and message her to find out where she's playing! More generally, you'll find street music all over Seoul as local artists chase the K Pop dream. We saw 류지혜 at the Hongdae Free Market (홍대앞예술시장프리마켓). Walk the streets of Hongdae and find your favorite musician. Naver Maps: http://naver.me/5fTaHHPt
> 타코벨 Taco Bell Korea - TACO BELL! Yes! After visiting タコベル ジャパン Taco Bell Japan, we were excited to visit the Taco Bell branch in Gungnam! They have beans (unlike TB Japan), but they're only available in select items. We had a couple of burritos and they were oh so delicious! For any TB lover, it's a must visit! #tacobellkr for the win!
> Korean Baseball (KBO) - You have to go to a Korean baseball game while you're in Korea. They're so much more than games in the US. You've got singing, dancing, food, and of course, baseball! The singing and dancing is constant throughout the entire game. We were lucky enough to watch the LG Twins vs the KT Wiz at 잠실야구장 (Jamsil Baseball Stadium). Naver Maps: http://naver.me/5Zw9lvF3
Another vegan restaurant we really liked was the Lovinghut Cafe. It’s part of the international Loving Hut chain, but they served a few different local Korean foods. The other nice thing is that they have a little attached store as well. You can buy some vegan snacks and cooking ingredients in case you happen to be in Seoul for some time.
There’s also a “tempur theater” in Seoul. Instead of standard movie theater seats, they’ve got tempurpedic matresses! They also serve food and drinks. It’s pricey (~$30-40/tickeft), but looks like a lot of fun. It was completely sold out while we there. You need to buy tickets a few weeks in advance.
We stopped by Itaewon one of the days we were in Seoul, but didn’t think much of it. It’s a lot of shops and bars and is full of foreigners (expats and tourists alike). If you’re looking for a taste of the West, then it’s not a bad place to go, otherwise it’s definitely a skip.
Finally, we were also lucky enough to attend a Sofar Sounds Seoul concert! Got to see some awesome artists and spend a bit more time basking in the local music scene. Don't forget to find a Sofar Sounds in whichever city you're traveling to! We've now attended sofar concerts in five different countries!
Like some other travelers, we also felt that traveling to Korea from Japan led to some initial feelings of disappointment. Japan is just really amazing and unique in a number of ways and the initial reaction is to compare Korea to Japan. In that framing, of course Korea won’t be as amazing as Japan. It’s not an apples to apples comparison. Both countries are unique and should be thought of differently. Our recommendation would be to split the trips or head to a few other countries between Japan and Korea so you don’t fall into this trap yourself as well.
