South Korea has always been on my bucket list to travel, and I finally went in May and I wanted to share my adventures and also give a quick guide if you plan to travel there anytime soon. When I arrived, I immediately fell in love with the city, especially their old villages. If you're trying to plan the for the perfect one week itinerary in Seoul, I put together a list of some of my favorite cafes, historical sites, and local gems. Since this was my first time visiting Korea, take my guide with a grain of salt haha. I am just telling from my what I learned and how I got around the city. If you're wondering how long you should stay in Seoul to experience most things, I would say a week is enough. I did want to make a trip down to Busan, but I wasn't sure if a week was enough, so I opted to stay in the city for the whole week.
I will say that I was able to check most things off my bucketlist and still have some time to relax during my trip. I will share some of my favorite tools I used to get around the city. The weather when we went was sunny for most of the days, but there were like 2 or 3 days that were raining which was a bummer. Seoul is known for their cafe culture, so I will also be sharing a few that I went to. It was super hard to narrow it down since we couldn't hit up all of them. If this is your first trip to Seoul, I highly recommend visiting their historical sights and appreciating the architecture as you walk thorugh the city.
What to know before going
If you're okay with a little rain, I would recommend going in May because it's not super cold and not scorching hot. There also wasn't a lot of tourists when I went, so the crowds were smaller at touristy spots and most of the cafes didn't have any lines. As for packing, I recommend having one carry on and one checked luggage if you plan on bringing back a lot of gifts which is what I did. I packed all my clothes and skincare/makeup in my carry on.
Getting around Seoul efficiently
As for transporation, I mainly took the bus and subway. I took the taxi only once, I would advise against it because the public transporation in Korea is really good and you don't get stuck in traffic which is what happened when I took the taxi which ended up being the same amount of time or even longer than if I were to just take the subway. The subway and bus's are pretty easy to navigate and if you download Naver Maps, it tells you exactly which line to take and estimated time of when the subway or bus arrives which was super helpful. The subway and bus's also arrive pretty often, I usually didn't have to wait longer than 10 minutes for the next line to arrive which was nice.
Apps to use
Accomodation
I stayed at one hotel and one airbnb during my stay. The reason I did two different accomodations was because we wanted to experience staying at a hanok for the last few days which was a pretty cool experience.The first hotel we stayed at was called Midcity Hotel which is located in Myeongdong. The hotel as comfortable and was pretty close to everything we wanted to see. The rooms were a bit small since I was going with my family and in total, we had about 8 luggages, but surprisingly, we were still able to move comfortably even with all our luggages. The highlight of this hotel was the foot massage that was included in the room. It was perfect after a whole day of nonstop walking and beign able to get a free foot massage to end the day haha!
Our hanok was really beautiful and comfortable to stay at. We booked it through Airbnb and the good thing about our Hanok was that it was located right in the Bukchon village, so that was convenient. The Hanok we booked was pretty spacious and had two seperate rooms with their own bathrooms which was nice and had a hot tub. They also provided a washer/dryer so it was nice that we could do our laundry during our stay.
Cafes and Restaurants
Korea has so many good places to eat, it was hard for me to choose. Honestly, I feel that you can't go wrong with any of the cafes or restaurants here. You definitely need to try kbbq, jjajangmyeog(black bean noodles), and tteokbokki(spicy rice cake) when you go. Unforuntely, I don't remember the spots I went to eat those, but what I did was search up restaurants through Naver Maps since Yelp doesn't work well over there. For Jjajangmyeon, any spot you go to will be good. I went to a random spot in the food court at a mall and it was really good. For tteokbokki, I would recommend going to a street food stall, a good place would be the Gwangjang market. :)
Jayeodo Salt Bread
If you happen to go to the Ikseon-dong Hanok Street, you should check out the Jayeodo Salt Bread.
They have two location there which are fairly close to each other. If you want to take photos, I recommend
coming before they open. I went around 9:30AM and the street was pretty empty. Once it hits 11AM, that's
when the crowd shows up, and this cafe can get a pretty long line. There was already a short line before they
opened, so make sure to get your spot early if you don't want to wait too long The bread was really good, it
was very soft and fluffy on the inside and was freshly made. Probably one of the best breads I've had, I still think
about it to this day haha.
Tongue Coffee
This spot is located in a mall in Gangnam. The address is 518-11 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul. I ordered the peanut latte and that was really good. The interior of the cafe was also really nice, I was in love with the pieces they had and the overall aesthetic. They also sell pastries, I think they are known for their croissant, but I didn't end up getting that. I only ordered their drinks. I love that the space was so big which makes it a nice place to relax during your trip when everyone is tired and wants to just chill. They have a lot of seating and it also makes for cute photos!
Dalim Bread
I love the bread here! This is located in Seongsu and the line can get pretty long, but it moves pretty quick. I think I waited about 15-20 minutes to pick get my food. After your order, they have seating at the top of their building which you can chill and enjoy your bread. I ordered their signature cream buns. Of course I had to snap a few cute photos of the bread. We also ordered an orange juice and iced latte with our buns. The cream was very soft and whipped and wasn't sweet which is nice because it doesn't mmake it too heavy.
Gwangjang Market Knife Cut Noodles
If you've watched Street Food:Asia on Netflix, you will know this place. It was one of the places featured in the show and when I visited Gwangjang market, I had to make a stop to try her noodles. I ordered the kalguksu noodles. When we arrived in the morning, the line was already pretty long. We waited about 30 mins to get seated, but once you order, it comes out pretty quick. Since you're seated around the stall, you get to watch how the noodles are made and the process of making each order which was cool. The was not disappointed when I tried the noodles, it was nice and chewy and the broth was really refreshing and clear.
Dotori Cafe
If you like studio ghibli, I recommend checking out Dotori Cafe. It's near the Bukchon village and the aesthetic is very similar to studio ghibli. They have two floors, the first floor is where you order your food and the second is for seating. They have a lot of pastries, sandwiches, coffee, and soups. It's a good place to have breakfast before you start the day. I ordered their corn bread and a corn pottage soup, and they also have merchandise for sale.
One Week Itinerary/Must Visit Spots
I'm going to lay out a rough itinerary on places I really enjoyed visiting for each day. I tried to visit each spot depending on the district I was going to be at that day. For instance, if I was staying in Myeongdong that day, I try not to plan any other activities that require me to go too far otherwise I would end up wasting time on transportation. I would love to know your tips when you travel and how you fit everything in your schedule. Honestly, everywhere in Korea was nice to visit and especially all their cafes and shops were very aesthetic! Most of the spots I visited were kind of touristy, but it was a good experience to learn more about the history and culture of Korea, so I highly recommend if your enjoy that type of stuff.
Day 1 - Insadong/Ikseongdong
Ikseon-dong Hanok Street
I recommend visiting the Ikseon-dong Hanok Street first because it can get pretty crowded later on
in the day. If you want cute photos without the crowd, going around 8AM-9AM is perfect, and you
can walk around and determine which cafes you want to try before the crowd hits. The Jayeodo Salt
Bread is in the Hanok street, so if you can't decide, I would recommend giving this a try.
Insa-dong Antique Art Street
After the Hanok street, you can do a 20-30 minute walk to the Antique Art Street which has a bunch of
cute souvenir shops. While I was there, I made a stop at the Jogyesa Temple which had beautiful and colorful
displays. If you enjoy visiting temples, I recommend checking this one out.
Namsan Park/N Seoul Tower 105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan District
In the evening, we went to the Namsan Park which is also where the N Seoul Tower is. It was a bit of a walk
and some uphill to get to the gondola that brings you to the ticket booth. There is also stairs to the side that take
you all the way up if you don't want to wait. When you get off the gondola, you will see a ticket booth. After you
buy your tickets, you follow the signs to next gondola that takes you all the way up to the park. They also have a
gift shop where you can buy heart lock to put at the tower, but if you want to save money, you can buy it at any
convenient store on the walk up towards the park. You get a good view of Seoul from the tower, but to be honest,
you can also a pretty good view from outside in the park if you don't want to pay the extra fee to go into the tower.
Day 2 - Gwangju
Hwadam Forest 278 Docheogwit-ro, Docheok-myeon, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
If you enjoy nature, you should make a trip to the Hwadam Forest if you don't mind traveling a bit further from Seoul. This is the only spot on my list that's not in Seoul, but it was probably one of my favorite activities. The forest is about a 40 minute drive, and this was one of the only days we opted to take Uber which wasn't too pricey, I think round trip was around 80 bucks. I spent pretty much half they day there, so if you end up making a trip to Gwangju, it'll be almost an all day thing. They forest also has a mini tram that takes your around the forest. There are three stops total, and for each stop, you will need to buy separate tickets which you can get at the ticket booth at the entrance of the forest. After the first stop, I walked the rest of the way through the forest which was really nice because I got to take in the sights and lots of photos. I hear that this forest looks the best during Fall because all the trees become red and yellow.
The forest also has a restaurant at beginning, so you could grab some lunch before leaving. They sell seafood pancakes, pork blood sausages, and galbi tang which were pretty good!
Olympic Park/Lone Tree
After the Hwadam forest, during the evening, we walked Olympic park to check out the famous lone tree. The park was pretty big, so we spent a bit of time there and got lost trying to find this tree haha. But this park is perfect for picnics and going for a stroll. If you want some downtime to relax during your trip, I would recommend visiting Olympic park.
Day 3 - Gangnam
Starfield Library/Coex Mall
Another popular destination is the Starfield Library which is located in the Coex Mall. If you want to get some shopping in, I would add this to your list. We arrived around noon and the library was already packed. If you want to skip the crowd, I recommend going super early around 8AM. There is also a % Arabica coffee shop located in the library on the second floor which could get pretty busy.
Day 4 - Seongsu
Seongsu shopping street
If you're looking for hip and street style clothes, Seongsu, is the place to be. They have a whole neighborhood/street filled with little shops that seem the cutest clothes and cafes. They have a bunch of shops ranging from cute and feminine, to hip and street style. Be prepared to spend a lot of money here because every shop had the cutest clothes. I pretty much spent a whole day shopping there.
Day 5 - Bukchon Village
Changdeokgung, Secret Garden
If you enjoy learning about history and appreciating architecture, I highly recommend going to the Changdeokgung palace and
booking a tour of the secret garden. In order to walk inside the palace and look at the garden, you have to reserve a tour. The tour is a great
way to learn more about the history of Korea and get access to walking around the palace. The tour also let's visitors take photos at each
stop and you get to learn more about life in past. You can book your tickets here. You also need to book general admission tickets which
let's you enter the palace grounds which can be booked at the enterance.
Bukchon Village
After you visit the palace, I will wind down by walking the Bukchon village in the afternook until evening. Most of the
shops and cafes close around 8pm. There are so many cute boutique shops there and is the perfect place to buy gifts
or if you just want to admire the traditional architecture.
Day 6 - Jongno District
Gyeongbokhgung Palace
This is a super popular spot for tourists because it's the royal palace. Be prepared for large crowds, but it you want to experience it with lesser people, you would probably need to get there early in the morning. However, the palace doesn't open until 10am. They also do a changing of the guards which runs two times, one at 10am and another at 2pm and usually lasts 20 mins. I also recommend renting a hanbok for the day to explore the palace. You get free admission and cute photos! The rental studio I went to was called Daehan Hanbok.
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