The Beginner’s Travel Guide to Seoul: Where to Visit & Where to Avoid
안녕하세요 Annyeonghaseyo! Malaysians love to visit South Korea, especially Seoul, and I count myself one of them. As someone who has researched the city extensively for nearly a decade and visited it three times, I’ve compiled a list of tips, places to visit, and apps you should download before visiting Seoul.
Tips
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- 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
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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
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Jongno
You can spend a day or two exploring this historic district, which is home to a multitude of royal palaces, traditional alleyways, and ancient temples. Here are some of the spots you should consider:
- 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
This was a hot place back in the day, but it’s lost its former vibrance after Covid. I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you’re only looking for make-up. Also, the street vendors here are costly and commercialised.
Hongdae
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Known for its youthful ambience due to its proximity to universities, you’ll find everything from clothing and cosmetics here. There’s something to discover in every nook and cranny. There’s also a busking area with K-pop dancers and live performers.
- 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
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This is THE in-place in Seoul right now, even according to the locals we spoke to. You’ll find the coolest cafes and brands here, and stop every few steps because there’s just so much to see. Shops in Korea are also on another level, and some appear more like galleries (we went into one called Adererror, which was like a spaceship rather than a retail store).
- 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
Others:
- 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
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To see Asia's top elite and affluent lifestyle, visit the Apgujeong district in Gangnam (the same place as the famous song). It is known as a fashion mecca. You can also get your hair cut here and other services such as Personal Colour Analysis. Also, maybe some Botox if that’s what you’re into.
- Shopping Brands: Supreme, Wiggle Wiggle Zip, Jordan, Nike
- F&B: Samwon Garden
Others:
- 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
Besides Seoul, you’ll probably want to consider going to Busan (3 hours by train) or Jeju Island (1-hour flight). If you don’t want to venture so far, you can also consider day trip tours from Seoul to locations such as:
- 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.
I recommend using packages from Klook (no, this article is not sponsored) because they are too complicated to navigate on your own.
Where to stay
As with any city, there are, of course, a variety of accommodations to suit every budget, including the hotel at Lotte World Tower, which is the sixth tallest building in the world. The best thing to do is to book one a stone’s throw away from the main subway stations on Line 2, Seoul’s most heavily used line, so you can get around quickly. I’ve stayed at Myeongdong and Hongdae in the past, but I find the latter more vibrant at night.
You can also book a stay at one of the charming hanoks or traditional Korean houses, such as Rakkojae Seoul Bukchon Village Hanok Hotel. However, these are pretty costly, and it’s best to book months in advance because they get booked up relatively quickly.
Food
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Many Malaysians have the misconception that Korean food “is all the same” because we’re used to the KBBQ offerings here and dishes such as bbibimbap and kimchi jjigae. However, you’ll find that there are many more varieties in Seoul such as:
- 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)
Korean fried chicken from brands such as BHC is also a must-try because it tastes completely different from the ones here—we promise!
SIM Card
Instead of buying local SIM cards, Malaysian providers such as CelcomDigi now offer cheaper roaming packages than SIM cards. However, if you still want to get a Korean SIM card, Klook has many options, such as LG U+, which comes with a free T-money card (transportation card for public transport)
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!
We hope you found this helpful. Have a lovely trip to Seoul!
Featured Image Credit: Alicia Corbett