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Seoul is a spectacular city, but its sheer scale can be daunting for even the most experienced traveler. Instead of scrolling through endless TikToks and Reels, here is a curated itinerary for a first-time visitor to the city. These are all of the non-negotiables you need to add to your shortlist to experience the very best of the city.
1. Historical & cultural immersion
- Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace; wander the vast grounds and watch the changing of the royal guard ceremony. It is closed on Tuesdays and tickets cost ₩3,000 (roughly $2 USD).
- Visit Changdeokgung Palace; a UNESCO site known for its Secret Garden. It is closed on Tuesdays and tickets cost ₩3,000 (roughly $2 USD).
- Wander around Bukchon Hanok Village; stroll around the neighborhood to admire hanoks (traditional houses) and browse small, unique tea houses and art stores.
- Rent a hanbok; these traditional dresses are often rented for several hours and worn while visiting the palaces. There are plenty of hanbok rental stores situated around Gyeongbokgung Palace and you can simply walk in to rent one.
- Enjoy scenic spots like a stroll along the restored Cheonggyecheon Stream or a walk/picnic by the Han River.
- Visit the Mangwon street market & Myeongdong night market for some delicious, cheap food!
2. Museums & galleries to visit
- National Museum of Korea
- Leeum Museum of Art (a personal favorite of mine)
- Audeum Audio Museum
- Gallery Hyundai
- Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
- Samsung Innovation Museum
3. Get cheap beauty treatments
As we all know by now, Seoul is renowned for its advanced beauty treatments and their relatively fair price points, so a trip to the city would not be complete without indulging in at least one. I won’t recommend certain treatments here because everyone’s priorities are different, but here is a previous article I’ve written about what I personally have had done during my many trips.
4. Make personalized products
In addition to beauty treatments, you can also get several personalized makeup and skincare products around the city.
- Make a customized Laneige foundation or Hera lipgloss at Amore Seongsu. Reservations are difficult to get and must be made roughly one month in advance here (Laneige) or here (Hera).
- Make a customized perfume or diffuser based on one of your memories at Rettre Seoulsup in Seoul Forest. You can make a reservation on their website or by DMing them on Instagram.
5. CAFE HOPPING!
The cafe scene in Seoul is absolutely the best, bar none – it is the bar. the cafes in Seoul are almost all outrageously themed (in the best way) and are so much fun to visit.
If you are looking for cafes with unique aesthetics, here are a few that I would recommend:
- Low Coffee (Hannam)
- Anthracite (Hannam)
- Pan Honesta (multiple locations)
- Rain Report (multiple locations)
- House of Vinyl (multiple locations)
- Nudake (multiple locations)
- Cheongsudang (multiple locations)
- Sinleedoga (Mapo)
- Grey Lab (Mapo)
- Nuldam Space (Jongno- Gyeongbokgung)
- Leedorim (Jongno- Gyeongbokgung)
- Eero (Seocho)
- Flour Artisan Bakery (Sinsa)
- Scène (Seongsu)
- 1in1jan Hanok Cafe (Eunpyeong)
- Cafe Highwaist (Ikseon)
Here is an interactive map of each of these cafes (as well as a few of my other favorites) in Seoul.
6. Obscure gems & other fun itinerary additions
- Visit Tongin market; a traditional market where you can experience the dosirak coin-system lunch. This is a fun and unique activity that can easily be done alone in which you exchange cash for brass coins before filling a lunch tray with small servings of Korean dishes
- Visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ); you can book a tour through Get Your Guide or Visit Korea
- Explore the Lotte World theme park & Lotte Tower
- Have a picnic on the Han River or visit the Banpo Rainbow Bridge at night!
- Hike Bukhansan National Park just north of Seoul; it offers stunning views of the mountainous area and the city
7. Neighborhoods to stroll through & shop in
It would be difficult for me to choose a single favorite neighborhood in Seoul because I love so many of them for different reasons, but Hannam, Seongsu, and the Anguk/ Bukchon areas are the neighborhoods I gravitate towards most days. They all feel extremely chic (particularly Hannam) and have a plethora of unique cafes and concept stores to visit. The neighborhoods that are most popular with other foreigners (Hongdae, Myeongdong, & Itaewon) are actually not my favorites, and I usually only visit them if I have a specific reason to do so; however, they are popular for a reason, and just because they are not my cup of tea doesn’t mean that they won’t be your favorite neighborhoods. Here are a few of the most popular neighborhoods that you need to stroll through during your trip to Seoul.
Anguk/ Bukchon/ Seochon: these are all separate neighborhoods that are right next to one another, so for the purpose of this newsletter, I am going to combine them and state that you should definitely spend a whole day exploring this area. This is the home of Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and several hanok villages. There are also amazing little novelty stores littered throughout these neighborhoods and quaint tea houses that are worth visiting. I feel like I brushed past this area during my first two trips to Seoul, but throughout my past several visits I would say that I have spent the most time here.
- Where to shop: Fibreno, Tamburins, Sulwhasoo, Hetras, Zero Space, The Ilma, Verish
- My favorite cafe here: Osulloc Tea House
- (note- Cafe Onion Anguk is a hanok cafe in this area that is extremely popular on social media and I would personally skip it. It is always extremely busy and, quite frankly, overrated. It is popular because of its traditional building, but there are so many other hanok cafes to visit in the city that I believe are even more beautiful and are so much less crowded – my favorite is Sinleedoga)
Hannam: this is an upscale neighborhood that is home to several celebrities and is one of my favorite areas to window shop.
- Where to shop: Understanding, Loeuvre, Rolarola, Rockfish Weatherwear, Glowny, Marithé + François Girbaud, Nylora, Mardi Mercredi, Musinsa, Tamburins, Cos, For She Vintage
- My favorite cafe here: Anthracite or Low Coffee
Itaewon: this neighborhood is adjacent to Hannam and is one of the most popular with foreigners; you will find lots of delicious international food here.
- Where to shop: Amuse, Atelier Nain, Nonfiction, Overdue Flair
- My favorite cafe here: Rain Report
Seongsu & Seoul Forest: home to endless industrial-chic cafes and unique concept stores that are great to stroll through.
- Where to shop: Rockfish Weatherwear, Matin Kim, Tamburins, Empty, TirTir, Marhen J, Ader Error, Hince, EQL, Re Rhee, Blue Elephant, Gentle Monster, Kinfolk, Samo Ondoh, Taskforce, Marge Sherwood, Scène, Amore Pacific
- My favorite cafe here: Scène
Sinsa: this is a small neighborhood within Gangnam, but I love to shop here before heading to Gangnam proper to get facials and other esthetic treatments.
- Where to shop: Sappun, Polene, Cotton, White, Vintage Paris, De Vaha, Still Nice
- My favorite cafe here: Cheongsudang or Nudake
Hongdae & Mapo: another foreigner-heavy area that is popular with international students and has more budget-friendly shopping options.
- Where to shop: Or Musea, CLO Studio, OYOI, Lune, Carlyn, Vansell, Rodeo Jeans, Hemeko
- My favorite cafe here: Sinleedoga
- Myeongdong (& Insadong): a lively neighborhood full of street performers (buskers) and the famous night market.
- Where to shop: Rockfish Weatherwear, Root, Butter, Kodak Center Shop, Sinoon, Nyu Nyu, Emis, Covernat, Another Awesome, Juuneedu Pajamas
- Cafe Highwaist Ikseon
Please note that I didn’t include Olive Young in any of these neighborhood shopping lists because they are quite literally everywhere. It is the one-stop shop for all K-beauty products and you will likely run into about 50 of them without even meaning to!
For more information on how to best spend a trip to Seoul, please visit my complete destination guide to the city on my Substack.
