The Beginner’s Travel Guide to Seoul: Where to Visit & Where to Avoid

Image credit: Alicia Corbett

• Learn how to read Hangul, the Korean alphabet, the world’s best writing system, because it’s so easy to learn. Although it sounds daunting, you can quickly learn it in about an hour (at least the basics), and this will help you greatly as many store signs don’t have their names written in the Roman alphabet. Although they find speaking English daunting (most locals can’t speak it or know only a few words), Korean people are generally friendly and helpful when asking for directions.
• Koreans eat earlier: 12 pm to 2 pm for lunch and 6-7 pm for dinner. Make sure not to miss these times, as you might have to resort to convenience stores for meals otherwise, as restaurants close early.
• Also, unfortunately, most restaurants require you to order one main course per person, so go hungry!
• Apply for your K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation) at least 72 hours before your trip. It costs about KRW 10,306 (RM35).
• Seoul is pretty safe overall, and you don’t have to worry about snatch thefts.
• Get a card such as the Tmoney card, which is affiliated with numerous stores and can be used for public transport and most taxis. This way, you won’t have to worry about counting your cash and converting it into ringgit.
• Make sure not to sit on designated seats for the elderly and pregnant women on public transport because this is a huge no-no.

Navigating Seoul

Image credit: Seoul Metropolitan Government

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a massive city with countless stops for sightseeing, shopping, cafés, restaurants, and more. The Han River divides it into its northern and southern parts, so plan your itinerary based on the neighbourhoods and locations so as not to waste time.

NORTH

Image credit: Alicia Corbett

Jongno

• Gyeongbukgung: largest royal palace in Seoul from the Joseon dynasty. You can also rent a hanbok (traditional attire) nearby from one of the many shops, giving you free entry into the palace.
• ​​National Palace Museum of Korea: located in Gyeongbukgung, this museum houses some 40,000 relics from the Joseon dynasty. Entrance is free.
• Changdeokgung: another gorgeous palace nearby that has a small pond and a pavilion. They also have moonlight tours here.
• Bukchon Hanok Village: here, you can see traditional houses and many cafes offering traditional Korean desserts.
• Jogyesa Temple: this colourful Buddhist temple dates back to the 14th century
• Gwangjang Market: Seoul has many traditional markets, but it is one of the largest. Here, you can try different types of food and shop for traditional souvenirs.
• Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House): a former presidential residence, this attraction only opened to the public in 2022. It boasts stunning grounds and is an interesting look inside Korean history.
• Cheonggyecheon: an 11 km long stream that runs through Seoul city, so keep an eye out for it. It’s a lovely bit of nature in the city.
• F&B: Tosokchon Samgyetang (an extremely popular traditional restaurant for ginseng chicken soup, so expect long queues here), Osulloc Tea House.

Myeongdong

Hongdae

• Shopping brands: Musinsa, Kakao Friends, Daiso (it’s much cheaper in Korea with the exchange rate), Ducky World, The Nine Mall,
• ​​F&B: Damsot Yeonnam Branch, Mandong Bakery, Doma Hongik University Main Branch, Samoyed Café (yes, you can play with doggies here).

Seongsu

• Seoul Forest: Consisting of four themed parks spread over approximately 595,000 ㎡ of land, this is marked to be like London’s Hype Park in the future.
• Shopping Brands: Tamburins, Gentle Monster, StandOil, Martin Kim,
• F&B: Rain Report café, Cinderella Bar

• National Museum of Korea: the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea. It’s housed within a magnificent building and has gorgeous grounds.
• Jjimjilbang: make sure to visit a jjimjilbang or bathhouse. Just find the nearest one near you.
• Photobooths: numerous photo booths throughout the city have accessories for you to wear, so make sure to snap pictures at one for a memorable souvenir.
• Food delivery: if you're staying in for the night, ask your hotel concierge for help ordering chicken or jjajangmyeong.

SOUTH

Gangnam

• Shopping Brands: Supreme, Wiggle Wiggle Zip, Jordan, Nike
• F&B: Samwon Garden

• Han River Cruise: whether you’re on a romantic vacation or not, this is a lovely way to enjoy Seoul’s night view.
• Lotte World: the spot of numerous K-drama filmings, it consists of a large indoor theme park and an outdoor amusement park.
• Charlotte Theatre: if you have time, try to go to a Korean musical. Some have big-name celebrities, although not all have subtitles.

Places I wouldn’t recommend

• Namsan Tower: although this is a much-hyped tourist spot, there’s little to see besides the view.
• Starfield Coex Mall: besides the famous Instagrammable Starfield Library, the shopping options here are underwhelming. We’d recommend The Hyundai Seoul Instead.
• Dongdaemun Design Plaza: it's a stunning modern landmark designed by the late world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, but there’s not much to see here otherwise

Outside of Seoul

• Garden of Morning Calm: this arboretum transforms according to the seasons and is a lovely place to relax.
• Everland: Korea’s largest theme park, also the background of numerous K-dramas. You’ll find insane roller coasters here, along with incredible parades.

Where to stay

Food

• Bindaetteok (Mung bean pancake)
• Jokbal (Pig’s trotters)
• Gomtang (Korean beef bone soup)
• Street food (such as Hotteok, a savoury pancake)
• Gopchang (Small intestines from pork or cattle)
• Yokhoe (seasoned raw beef)
• Sannakji (live octopus)

SIM Card

Useful Apps To Download

• Papago (App Store | Play Store): I find this AI translator app more accurate than Google Translate since it’s a Korean app. If you're having trouble communicating, you can use the audio to speak to business owners.
• Seoul Subway (App Store | Play Store): Seoul’s subways are easy to navigate but are still less straightforward than the ones in the Klang Valley due to the stations' signs. This app will let you easily navigate the different lines.
• Naver Map (App Store | Play Store): This app works better than Google Maps when travelling throughout Korea. It has an arrow that handily points you in the direction you are walking towards. It will also give you bus arrival times, including the subway. I used this to plan my itinerary by saving different spots to see which places on my list were near me at a glance.
• Kakao T (App Store | Play Store): This is basically Korea’s version of Grab, and you can use it to book a taxi. Otherwise, I found that flagging down passing taxis with your hand works, too!