The ultra modern capital of South Korea. It has a rich ancient history and a very unique recent history with their cousins to the north only 74km away. It has the worlds fastest Wi-Fi, the highest density of robot workers per 10,000 human workers, Korean BBQs, somaek, and enough coffee to drown a smug of hipsters (the collective noun according to the Urban Dictionary).

Getting There

It is unlikely that you will arrive by train (unless from Busan) as that would involve coming through North Korea which is currently not possible, leaving flying as the more probable option. Seoul is fed by two airports, Gimpo and the more modern Incheon which is regularly voted as being one of the best airports in the world. Both offer more or less the same services to get into the city.

Airport Express Train to Seoul Central Station – The best all round option for speed and cost
Taxi – The most expensive option. Cost depends on when in Seoul you are travelling to and if you have jumped in a “Deluxe” taxi. The toll road charge will also be added to the fee and depending on the size of your luggage you may only get two or three of you in one.
Bus from Incheon – Between ₩10,000 to ₩20,000 depending on the destination and services run between 4:30 to 00:30 in both directions depending on the service.
- o No. 6001 to Dongdaemun
- o No. 6006 to Cheongnyangni Station
- o No 6005 to City Hall
- o No. 6015 to Myeongdong Station
- o No. 6030 to Crown Ho Telephone
Bus from Gimpo
- o 6021 to Central Station
Hotel Shuttle Bus - Some hotels have them, some don’t. Check with your hotel before you leave and where to find it.

Getting Around

Seoul is huge, so unless you are in the Jongno-gu district where all the palaces are a relatively easy stroll from each other, walking will not be a viable option and you will use alot of valuable time so don’t be a hero and get a taxi.

Taxis – Very cheap, especially if there are three or four of you. They are clean, comfortable and plentiful. To find a taxi, just stand next to the road and put a hand out New York style to any passing by with a red light on in the windscreen. If there is no read light that means it is occupied. Aim for the silver or yellow taxis and make sure you have the destination written down in Korean or on the Naver Map app.
Buses – Very cheap but slow and may take the long way round to get to your destination. The bus stop signs and destinations are all in Korean as well.
Metro – Clean, quiet and cheap. Single journey tickets will cost you ₩1,350 or you can purchase a ‘T-money’ card which is Seoul’s transport stored value card, like London’s Oyster or Hong Kong’s Octopus card. These can be obtained from T-money ticket machines or convenience stores and give you a 10% discount on the fare price. Certain destinations may still require you to get a taxi from the nearest metro station.
Uber – Uber X has a presence in Seoul but is not worth it when taxis will provide a near identical service for a fraction of the price.

Money

South Korea uses the Korean Won (KRW) which is indicated by a “₩” sign. It is roughly £1 to ₩1,300. Notes come in ₩1,000, ₩5,000, ₩10,000 and ₩50,000 and coins are com in ₩10, ₩50, ₩100 and ₩500 denominations.
Most bank cards are widely accepted and work without issue but can be hit and miss with Mastercard. Contactless transactions are not a thing. They will use the chip rather than the magnetic strip and will require a signature instead of a pin. Some will ask for a signature, some don’t. ATMs are frequent and available in English but withdrawals will be charged.
Tipping is not a thing and not expected.
Haggling is not a thing either.
When it gets to the smaller denominations of coins, which you will probably only find in taxis, most Koreans with either round up or down to the closest figure to make life easy instead of fiddling about with small change. They will expect you to do the same.

Attractions

Gyeongbokgung Palace – The largest and most popular palace complex in Seoul and one of the crown jewels of the Joseon Dynasty. The complex is also home to the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea.

Changdeokgung Palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Changgyeonggung Palace – Separated by a wall and an unmanned ticket office are these two Joseon Dynasty palace complexes. They are not as busy as Gyeongbokgung, have a more homely feel to them but not quite as imposing and grand.

Jongmyo Shrine – The oldest Confucian shrine in Seoul and still hosts traditional ceremonies. Do not walk on the cobbled paths. They are for the spirits only.

Themed Cafes – Themes vary from cat, raccoon to poop cafes. All depends on what you are into really.

The DMZ – About an hour drive from Seoul is the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea and one of the most fascinating places on earth. If participating in a tour, make sure you have your passport with you and splash out a little bit more for one that includes the Joint Security Area (JSA) or Panmunjon where you can see the North and South face off with the blue UN huts in-between. This will need to be booked several days in advance as they only allow a certain number per day to access this area.

Other Points of Interest

Gyeonghuigung and Deoksungung Palace – Two more palaces Joseon Dynasty palaces in the Jongno-gu district and well worth a visit.
VR Cafes – Virtual reality cafes are spread out across Seoul and offer you the opportunity to experience parachuting, hacking zombies with chainsaws or my personal favourite, Beat Saber, where you slice at blue or red blocks with the appropriate coloured lightsabre.
Namsan Mountain Seoul Tower – Arguably some of the best views in the city
Bukchon Hanok Village – A scenic neighbourhood of traditional houses.
Cheonggyecheon – A small but pleasant urban park that runs along a canal.
Gangnam Style Horse Riding Statue – A giant statue of golden hands in homage to the legendary K-Pop song at the East Gate of the Coex Mall.
Starfield Library – Within the Coex Mall is a library designed to make Instagrammers go weak at the knees.
K-Pop Experiences – This could be in the form of watching some up and coming K-pop acts at a show or watching the big names such as BTS in concert via a VR headset.

Restaurants and Bars

Very few restaurant and bars have signs in English with their name on them, only signs to clarify that they are a bar or restaurant. Something you would be able to more often than not work out with your eyes. With this in mind I will try my best to direct you towards certain places or list areas where you will be spoilt for choice.

Jonggak Street of Youth – In the Jongno-gu district on the north side of the Cheonggyecheon is a lively area of Korean BBQ establishments, sports pubs and underground bars.
Hongdae Geotgo Sipeun Street – Hongdae, one of the trendier and more lively neighbourhoods in Seoul. This street has you covered for various dinning and drinking experiences. Take your time walking along it, watching the numerous street performers or exploring the side streets for quirky phone cases. I highly recommend Saimaeulsikdang Hongda. Easily identifiable with its que of people waiting for a seat and the sound of staff shouting out a welcome when you come in or if someone presses the service buzzer.
Common Ground – Not far from Gangnam. If you need a fix of hipster quirkiness, look no further. Several stacks of containers that make up shops selling unique clothes, camping gear, books and my personal favourite, marimos (a ball of algae you keep in a jar that you can customise). On the “roof” you can find restaurants and cafes overlooking the central square.

Accommodation

With a city the size of Seoul it would be impossible to have a hotel in a location close to everything so try not too over think too much when scrolling though the seemingly endless lists of hotels and hostels the city has to offer.

ENA Suite Hotel – Walking distance to all the Palaces, right next to City Hall and a short taxi ride to the Central Train Station. The beds are huge and comfortable and you have a bar, a couple of restaurants, a coffee shop, a juice bar and a convenience store right outside.

Zzzip Guesthouse in Hongdae – One of the highest rated guesthouses in Seoul. A short walk to the Hapjeong Metro station.

Hotel The Designer Samseong – In the heart of Gangnam, a stones throw from the COEX centre and the Bongeunsa Temple.

The Shilla Seoul – A 5 Star hotel on the eastern end of Namsan Park which is home to the National Theatre of Korea and the Namsan Mountain Seoul Tower.

Other Bits

Obey the pedestrian crossing lights. Jaywalking in South Korea is illegal and if caught you could be slapped with a fine. Crossing the road where there is no zebra crossing will result in a larger fine.
Taxis. They come in black, silver and yellow. The black taxi is a “Deluxe” taxi where the fare will start higher, increase quicker and is no more comfortable than the others. The yellow taxi was introduced to be the foreigner’s taxi and drivers were required to pass a languages test but in 2013 the service was scrapped and it joined the ranks of the silver taxis as the standard taxis in Seoul.
Drink soju. This is a Korean spirit made from rice and is usually between 17-20%. If you want to blend in with the locals even more, mix it with beer to create “somaek” (pronounced so-meh). Pour it with two hands, play a game where you take it in turns to finger flick the metal tail from the lid or guess the number underneath it.
Google Maps does not work in South Korea. Download Naver Maps. It is the South Korean equivalent and it will save you a lot of hassle. It can sometimes take a while for the GPS dot to catch up with your movements on the map.
The language barrier is a regular hurdle in South Korea. You will find some that will be proficient in English but otherwise be prepared for a game of charades.
Hanbok – Just around the corner from Gyeongbokgung Palace are plenty of shops to provide you with a hanbok, the traditional costume of Joseon Dynasty Korea which will get you free entry into the Palaces of Seoul. At around ₩25,000 for two hours rental for two costumes, it costs more than paying the entrance fees of ₩2,000 but you won’t look as snazzy.
Changing of the Guards. Three times a day at each of the Seoul palaces is a changing of the guard’s ceremony. They will even give you time to take photos with the Guard Captain.
There are the odd blind spot but generally Seoul has city wide free WI-FI. Even on the metro.