Best 5 Places To Visit In Seoul

Seoul is an amazing place to visit. The city has become very popular over the years not just because of its rich culture but also because of its celebrities, who have become favourites of most people all over the world. 

If you want to experience excitement and vibrancy in one place, then Seoul is your best bet. The city combines ancient heritage with modern technology. It is also famous for the variety of delicacies found on the street and in restaurants. You cannot also rule out the countless fashion and beauty stores found in this city. Seoul is, in fact, a beehive of activity. 

As a first-time visitor, you need to plan your trip effectively so that you can get the most out of your stay in the city. Tourists flood the city at different times of the year, so you can choose a period that is convenient for you and plan your trip. 

Seoul is filled with some of the best spots and views in Korea. It is very large, and you can get confused about where to begin touring.

We will highlight the 5 best places to visit in Seoul to ensure that you have an amazing time and, of course, build memories.  

1. Appreciate the beauty and sophistication of Gyeongbokung Palace 

Photo Credits: Hotels

There are five grand palaces in Seoul, but the Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most astounding of all five. As a first-timer, this palace is a must-visit location. 

The palace was erected in 1395 during the Joseon dynasty. When compared to other palaces, it is situated toward the north of the city hence this name, “Northern Palace”. The architecture and environment of the palace will leave you in amazement. Be sure to come along with your camera to capture beautiful spots and structures. 

If you want to experience rich Korean culture, then you should go during any of their auspicious holidays like Chuseok. During this time, a lot of native events take place there. There are cultural performances including singing and dancing. 

Interestingly, you can take part in local crafts, games, and art. The entry fee into the palace isn’t much but here is a fun fact. You can be granted access to the palace if you are putting on a hanbok. Cool right?

You can locate any hanbok rental shop around the vicinity to get yourself one. When you put it on, you can take amazing pictures of the palace. This way, you get to feel Korean heritage. 

There is a museum in the palace that has various items on display, each from the Joseon era. These items include cleaning and cooking utensils, fascinating pieces of art, etc. All these items show what life looked like in Korea in ancient times.

The palace is open every other day of the week, except Tuesdays, from 9 am to 6 pm. The individual admission fee is 1500 KRW for children and 3000 KRW for adults. Group admission for children is 1200 KRW and for adults is 2400 KRW. 

Gyeongbokgung Palace is located at 161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

2. Have your mind blown away at Lotte world tower 

Photo Credits: Lera

This skyscraper stands tall as the tallest building in the country. It is among the new and coolest interests in Seoul. The tower was built to look like native Korean ceramic fragments. It also ranks number five on the list of tallest buildings in the world. 

The view from the top of the tower is incredible both day and night. From there, you can see the whole of Seoul. You can find a lot of outdoor and indoor observation areas on the highest floors. 

Movement within the tower is very fast and efficient because of the use of fast and double-deck elevators. These elevators can comfortably carry about 54 passengers at the same time.

Lotte World Tower has the highest glass skywalk in the world, measuring about 478 meters located on the 118th floor. The tower has a lot of offices, shops, luxury apartments, a hotel, an observatory, restaurants, an art museum (the Lotte Museum of Art), an aquarium (Lotte World Aquarium), Lotte Concert Hall, and a cinema (the Lotte Cinema), etc in the same building. You can have a really good time in any of these spots alone or with family and friends. 

To have access to the tower, you have to buy an entry ticket of 27000 KRW for adults and 24000 KRW for kids. 

The tower is located at Songpa-gu, Jamsil 6(yuk) – doing, Olympic-ro, 300, Seoul.

 3. Visit Seoul city from a different angle at N Seoul tower

Photo Credits: Klook

The N Seoul Tower has been a national landmark and center of attraction since it was opened in 1969. The tower is on Mount Namsam and is also commonly called Namsam Tower. The N in the name stands for nature, Namsan, or new. 

The tower is actually a communication and observation tower, Korea’s first general radio wave tower. Located at 105 Namsangonwon-gil, Yeongsan-gu, Seoul, N Seoul Tower marks the second highest point in Seoul, measuring a height of 236-meter (774 ft). 

The tower was made open to the general public in 1980 and ever since then, thousands of tourists and locals are attracted to this iconic site every year. 

At first glance, the clouds seem to meet with the tower. You definitely would want to visit N Seoul tower during night time, when the tower lights up. The latest LED technology is used to light it up, giving the viewers a digital, cultural art experience through ‘light art’. The view of the lit-up tower is breathtaking. 

There are fun activities to indulge in at Seoul tower. On the second floor of the tower, there is a wishing pond. Here people make a wish and toss a coin into the pond. The coins collected from the pond are donated to help develop schools in underdeveloped areas. 

The favorite activity tourists look forward to experiencing is hanging named padlocks. The “Locks of love” is located on the second floor of the N plaza. Here people hang locks with the names of loved ones inscribed on them, on the tower fence. The keys to the padlocks are thrown away, in the belief of everlasting love with your loved one. 

To experience a breathtaking 360* view of the city, there is an observatory on the third floor. Here there are also 36 LCD screens displaying over 600 years of Korean history. 

There is a wonderful French restaurant called N Grill, on the fifth floor, where one can enjoy a tasty meal. 

The highlight of the tour is taking a fun ride from the foot of the mountain to the base of the tower, in the Namsan cable car. Foreigners will enjoy their tour of the tower as interpretations are offered in English, Chinese and Japanese. There are also Audio guides, pamphlets, leaflets, and maps offered in the three languages. 

The tower is open all year round. It operates every day

Sundays – Fridays (10:00 – 23:00)

Saturdays (10:00 – 24:00)

 4. Enjoy tasty street food at Gwangjang Market 

Founded in 1905, Gwangjang Market is arguably the city’s most popular street food market. There is no Korean delicacy that you will not find in this market. Most tourists and first-timers fall in love with this market at first sight because they get to enjoy exquisite Korean dishes.

An interesting feature of the market is its authenticity and preservation of Korean ancestral style and charm.

There are different food stalls with chairs and tables where visitors can sit and enjoy a nicely prepared meal. You get to have a taste of food samples before you decide on what you want to eat. Isn’t that exciting? You get to indulge your taste buds.  

The food stalls in Gwangjang market have quite a list of popular foods like the following:

• Korean sushi (gimbap) 

Mung bean pancake (bindaetteok): There are various stalls selling this delicacy and you can enjoy it with sauce and kimchi. 

• Rice and barley combined with vegetables (boribap)
• Rice rolls (mayak kimbap): When translated it means narcotic rice rolls because they can be addictive. It is made up of rice and pickled vegetables all combined into seaweed and then topped with sesame seeds and sesame oil.
• Spicy rice cakes (tteokbokki): This is another popular dish on most menus in the market. It consists of rice rolls immersed in Korean chili sauce. It is mostly loved by the younger generation. It can’t also serve as a snack.
• Bibimbap
• Korean spiced-up raw beef (yukhoe)
• Fish cake soup (eomukguk)
• Blood sausage (sundae): It is an incredibly moist dish that leaves you wanting more after the first bite.
• Chicken feet
• Fresh seafood like live octopus (sannakji).

There are also different types of noodles available in the market. 

You can also locate shops selling home commodities and clothes like silk and linen bed sheets. Some couples visit the market when planning their wedding and gathering items for their homes.   

Gwangjang market is located at 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno 4(sa)-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Due to its location (central Seoul), it is always open between 9:00 – 22:00.

Last but not least…

5. Have cultural immersion at Jingwansa Temple

This is one historical place most tourists visit in Seoul. A temple rich in culture, it is one of the four major temples in Seoul.

Jingwansa Temple is centuries old, built during the Goryeo Dynasty. The temple was erected in honor of the great Buddhist priest Jingwan, who saved the life of the then King Hyeon-jong. The temple was named after the priest. 

Although the temple was destroyed during the Korean War, it has been restored to its former glory. The temple is not just one building but is made up of several buildings, notable among which are the Nahanjeon Hall, Daeungjeon (Hall of Sakyamuni), and Myeongbujeon (Hall of Judgement).

The serenity of the temple is calming. One should come along with a camera to capture the beauty of the vast gardens and the architecture of the buildings. The temple provides training facilities for female monks, and one could see them while visiting. 

Temple stay programs are made available. Children will find a tour of Jingwansa Temple good as there are programs made available for them. 

If there is still time after your tour at the temple, you could always spend quality time at Bukhansan National Park.

 Bonus location 🙂

Bukhansan National Park

This is a beautiful national park that allows you to either take a walk, run or hike. Surrounding the park are waterfalls, gorges, trees with a variety of birds, granite peaks, etc. You can enjoy a splendid view of the environment from the park. 

The trails in the park are mostly wooden and each has a peculiar surface. 

The park is the perfect spot for a quiet day out. The natural environment of the park creates a serene and soothing atmosphere, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Without a doubt, Seoul is a beautiful city filled with numerous places for adventure. We are certain that the places listed above will help you get started on your tour around the city.