1.Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace
I highly recommend visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace. This Palace is the largest palace in Seoul. The Palace was burned during the Japanese invasions of Korea but the Palace was later restored during the reign of King Gojong.
Make sure to also visit the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and Hyangwonjeong Pond.
2. Visit Changdeokgung Palace
Changdeokgung is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was the second royal palace that was built after Gyeongbukgung Palace. Changdeokgung is one of the five big palaces in Seoul and it was one of the residences of the Jeoson dynasty kings. There is also a secret garden at the back of this palace.
Deoksugung Palace is the only palace in Seoul with Western style buildings inside the premises. It's Western influence sets it apart and makes it a unique palace in Seoul. Deoksugung Palace was a temporary residence for King Seonju after he fled from the Japanese army. He returned later to Seoul but had nowhere to stay because all the other palaces had been burned down by the Japanese during the war. King Seonju used Deoksugung Palace as a temporary palace. It is interesting to watch the the changing of the guards at this palace. The guards wear a special uniform, play instruments, march and beat a drum.
If it is a clear day (no smog and not cloudy) you can see a nice view of the city. I also liked the padlocks that visitors attach to the surrounding gates. There are many love notes written in Hangul (Korean language) on the padlocks. It is said that by attaching a padlock to the gate with your significant other you are "locking your love."
Lotte World is a major theme park in the heart of Seoul that welcomes more than 6 000 000 visitors a year! It is divided into an Adventure land indoors and a Magic Island theme outdoors. The beautiful blue and white magic castle is located outdoors in Magic Island. There are many amusement rides to enjoy. The best rides are the Gyro Drop and the Gyro Swing where you drop down from an altitude of 70 meters or you can experience the sensation of being inside a tornado. There is also the Spanish Pirate Ship which is a swinging ride and there are also lake cruises, swan boat rides, rollercoasters, an ice-rink, parades and laser shows. Around 200 performers sing and dance in the World Carnival Parade which is fun to watch.
Itaewon is the "foreign" district in Seoul. You will find a mix of foreigners from around the world who have set up their businesses and restaurants here. You can find food and items from around the world here. There is even a South African restaurant called 'Braai Republic' that sells springbokkies and boerewors. It is a good place to find foreign sized shoes (Korean shoe sizes are known to be small) and foreign sized clothing, possibly some of the food items you miss from back home and Halloween costumes.
Cheonggyecheon is a river that runs through downtown Seoul. It is part of an urban renewal project that was started to beautify Seoul as part of Korea's post-war development. There used to be a highway built over the stream but the highway was removed to restore the stream. It is now a pleasant place to take a stroll in Seoul.
There are so many Korean foods to try! My favourite Korean food is bibimbap (pictured below). It is a mix of rice and vegetables and it's not too spicy. I also love galbi and Korean barbeque. I also enjoy Korean desserts like patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans) and hotteok. Koreans also know how to make really good fried chicken!
One of my favourite trips to Seoul was when I went there to watch the Lantern festival. This annual festival is held in Seoul every November. It was such a beautiful and magical festival. There were processions, floats, millions of lanterns and I even got to make my very own lantern to take home and hang up in my apartment in South Korea.
Coex is a huge shopping mall and exhibition centre in Gangnam in Seoul. It is shopping heaven. It has a large range of stores and brands. There is also an aquarium, an events hall, a movie theatre and a kimchi museum.
The national Folk museum of Korea is very close to Gyeongbukgung Palace. You can easily visit the museum after you visit the palace. The entrance to the museum is free and there are many interesting exhibits including plastic food exhibits to see. Visiting the Folk museum is a great way to learn more about the history of Korea and to get a better understanding of Korean culture.
Myeong-dong is a really good shopping district in Seoul. You can find many fashionable clothing stores, skincare and makeup stores, a cathedral and a 600 year old market in this area. Korea is known for its excellent skin care and cosmetics stores such as Etude House, Tony Moly, Skin Food, Nature Republic, Innisfree, Sulwhasoo and more. Koreans are really into skin care.
13. Go shopping in Insadong
Insadong is a great area to go shopping for cultural items, paintings, pottery, tea sets, hanji (traditional Korean paper) and other traditional Korean arts and crafts. You can even buy a Hanbok (Korean traditional dress) here. Insadong is also a good area to enjoy some tea at a traditional tea house.
14. Walk around Olympic Park
Olympic park was build to host the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. It is a very nice place to walk around and relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are walking, jogging and cycling paths as well as cultural performances that take place in the park.
15. Visit a Jimjilbang
A jimjilbang is a Korean public bathhouse (it's kind of like a spa) and it is very popular in Korean culture. There are different kinds of baths and herbal waters you can soak in and enjoy that are meant to give you different health benefits. It's similar to an onsen in Japan.
16. Go on a DMZ tour
If you are feeling brave you might want to go on a DMZ tour. The DMZ is the demilitarized zone on the border between South Korea and North Korea. As these two countries don't exactly see eye to eye on things it is one of the most heavily guarded and ammunated borders in the world.
17. Sing your heart out at noreabang!
Noraebang is the Korean version of karaoke. It's nice because you rent your own private room to sing in so you don't sing in front of total strangers in public like the way it is sometimes done at bars. In South Korea you hire your own private room with a TV displaying the song lyrics and music videos and microphones and you can order drinks and food. You can turn on the nightclub lights in your room and sing along while shaking maracas and tambourines. There is also usually English songs available that are classic English pop songs and at some places you can also find English rock and rap songs. You get a score and one time I managed to get a score of 100 with my friend. It's really fun to do with a group of friends.
18. Visit a themed cafe like the Hello Kitty cafe or a cat cafe
Asia in general has plenty of amazing restaurants based around themes, characters, books or movies. I've also been to a few themed cafes in Tokyo. You can visit cat cafes in both Tokyo and Seoul. A cat café is a place where you can drink coffee and play with cats so don't worry, cats are definitely not on the menu!
Oppa Gangnam style! Gangnam is an upper class district in Seoul which was made even more famous by the Psy song 'Gangnam style.' Gangnam offers great shopping but the stores are more luxurious so if you want to look for fashionable but less expensive brands I recommend Myeongdong for shopping. There is also Bonguensa temple in Gangnam district and the Olympic park as well as Coex Shopping Mall.
20. Go partying in Hongdae
If you are looking to party then look no further than Hongdae. Hongdae has plenty of bars and clubs. Gangnam also has clubs but they are more spaced out, so it is much easier to go club hopping in Hongdae.
21. Visit Namdaeman market
This is a more traditional market. If you are looking for fashion then I recommend shopping in Myeongdong and if you are looking for traditional items then I suggest visiting Insadong or Namdaeman market. Namdaeman market dates back to 1414 when it was used as a government-managed marketplace. It was opened to the public in 1964. It is the biggest traditional market in South Korea and you can find many interesting items for sale there.
