Things to Do in Seoul, South Korea

When most people travel to South Korea, they come to Seoul. It’s the capital of the country and a very popular tourist destination. And, it’s very easy to see why! There are so many unique things to see and experience here. Temples, street markets, palaces, and some of the most amazing cafes you’ll ever find. This is a list of all the best things to do in Seoul, South Korea.

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Things to Do in Seoul

Jogyesa Temple

This was the first temple I ever visited in Seoul. There’s a cute garden leading up to the temple that’s full of beautiful flowers and photo spots. If you’re able to visit around the time of Buddha’s birthday, you’ll get to see the entire temple decorated with gorgeous, colorful lanterns.

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Bust a Move in Gangnam

Everyone knows Psy’s 2012 song ‘Gangnam Style’. And even if you don’t know how to do the dance yourself, I’m sure you would still recognize it if you saw it. Well, there is a giant statue of a pair of hands doing the Gangnam Style dance pose that you absolutely have to strike a pose with.

Kwangjang Market

Kwangjang Market has a little bit of everything but it’s definitely a great spot to come for food. There are so many vendors set up making your meals right in front of you. One of the food vendors here was even featured in a Netflix documentary on street foods!

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Shop in Myeongdong

Myeongdong is one of my favorite districts in all of Seoul and I inevitably come here every time I’m in the city. It’s one of the best spots to shop for k-beauty products as there are multiple cosmetic stores on every street. My favorites are Too Cool For School or Banila Co.

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Myeongdong also has many stores that you’ll find in the states like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M. For more info, check out my post on the Myeongdong District.

Ihwa Mural Village

Ihwa Mural Village is located in Jongno, just a short bus ride from Changgyeonggung. There are beautiful murals painted on almost all of the buildings in the village.

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Ihwa Mural Village is home to many locals and, unfortunately, some of the residents got pretty annoyed by the increase in traffic once the murals were painted. They painted over a lot of the murals with white paint in hopes to stop people from coming. However, I do believe most of the murals have been restored (or redone) and it’s still a very beautiful spot to visit.

Please just be mindful when you visit the murals that people do live here. You are basically walking in their back yards and you should be respectful of their space and their homes. Don’t be noisy, don’t take anything that’s not yours, and don’t write on the walls.

Try the Street Food

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One of the best things to do in Seoul is to try the local street food. I will choose street food over a restaurant any day. I think it’s the best way to experience some authentic, hand-made Korean food. My favorites are yaki mandu, honey butter ice cream, and tornado potatoes!

Trick Eye Museum

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The Trick Eye Museum is full of optical illusions. The best part: the museum has an app that you can use to add even more special effects to your photos and videos. So much fun! It’s located in the same building as the Love Museum and Ice Museum so you could do all three at the same time if you wanted.

For more information including hours and ticket prices, click here.

Namdaemun Market

All of the markets in Seoul are pretty big but we actually got lost in this one. We wandered around for hours trying to make our way back to one particular souvenir stall and never did find it.

A tip for shopping at Namdaemun: buy from the indoor stalls. They often will have the same things as the vendors on the street for a fraction of the price!

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1395. That’s 624 years old! It’s the largest of the five royal palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty. The palace consists of multiple buildings and it would take hours to explore the entire place.

Admission to the palace for adults is 3,000 KRW (less than 3 USD) and free for those wearing traditional Korean clothing (hanbok). The palace is also home to the National Folk Museum of Korea and the National Palace Museum of Korea.

For more information, click here.

Bukchon Hanok Village

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Bukchon Hanok Village is a traditional Korean Village near Gyeongbokgung Palace. There are workshops and studios in the village where you can experience the art of making local crafts for a small fee. Just visiting the village, however, is completely free.

Please keep in mind that people do live here and be respectful. There are multiple signs throughout the village asking you to please talk quietly. It was pretty disappointing to hear people talking and laughing as loudly as they were when we were here.

Hanbok Rental

Hanbok rentals are very cheap and are great for photos at Gyeongbokgung Palace or the Bukchon Hanok Village (or both). You can rent a gorgeous hanbok for less than 20 USD per day and that includes accessories and hair.

Themed Cafes

Don’t forget to check out my other post: The Most Unique Cafes in Seoul, South Korea.

Themed cafes are very popular in South Korea and you can find one with just about any theme. Raccoon cafe, cat cafe, Harry Potter cafe, meerkat cafe, 2D cafe, Hello Kitty cafe, etc. You name it, Seoul has it.

Go to One of the Many Arcades

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Arcades (and claw machines in particular) are very popular in South Korea. You will find tiny arcades and claw machine rooms in the most random spots all throughout the city. One of my favorites is ZZang Games which is a 3-story arcade with something different on each floor.

N. Seoul Tower

N. Seoul Tower (also known as Namsan Tower) is where you’ll get some of the best views of Seoul. And, there are tons of cool shops, exhibits, and cafes inside like Hello Kitty Island and a really cool room that projects different art displays all over the walls.

Seoul Travel Tips

1. Bring your own slippers. Many hotels will provide a pair of slippers and shower shoes for your stay but they often are reused (and likely not sanitized in any way). For your own peace of mind just bring your own. It will be worth the space in your luggage, I promise.
2. Wear comfortable shoes. Even taking the bus from place to place you’re still likely to walk quite a few miles every day. Your feet will thank you for leaving the heels at home.
3. Download the Naver app. Google maps doesn’t work the best here so Naver is the best app for navigating your way around South Korea. It provides walking, driving, and public transportation navigation.
4. Bring a bag with you for trash. Public trash cans are very hard to find in South Korea. I always keep a plastic bag with me for trash that I accumulate throughout the day (usually from all the street food! haha) and I just store it in my purse until I’m able to throw it away. Better than carrying it the whole day!

What are some of your favorite things to do in Seoul? Share in a comment below!

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Don’t forget to check out my other South Korea posts:

• Things to Do in Busan, South Korea: A Travel Guide
• Sweets and Snacks to Try in South Korea
• A Trip to Cheongpung Land in Jecheon
• Myeongdong District Travel Guide
• The Most Unique Cafes in Seoul, South Korea
• Things to Do in Buyeo, South Korea