10 Amazing Places to Visit in Seoul, South Korea!
Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. It has a population of around 10 million. It’s higher than New York City, but Seoul is smaller. Moreover, over 12 million people travel to Seoul every year. Seoul is a beautiful city where historical and modern architecture blend together. Therefore, you can experience various aspects of Seoul.
1. Gyeongbokgung(경복궁)
Gyeongbokgung is one of the “Five Grand Palaces” built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul. Gyeongbokgung served as the home of Kings from the Joseon Dynasty. Behold this traditional Korean architecture! Tourist Tip: It is closed every Tuesday.
Check this out for more information: http://www.royalpalace.go.kr:8080/html/eng_gbg/main/main.jsp
2. Changdeokgung(창덕궁)
Changdeokgung is one of the “Five Grand Palaces” built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. It is located east of Gyeongbok Palace, it is also referred to as the “East Palace.” Changdeokgung was the most favored palace of many Joseon princes because it blends with the natural topography. Also, Changdeokgung is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Korea. Tourist Tip: It is closed every Monday.
Look here for more detail: http://www.cdg.go.kr/eng/
3. Namsan Seoul Tower(남산서울타워)
The Namsan Tower, officially YTN Tower, is located on Nam Mountain in Seoul. This tower is famous to go on dates because many couples buy a lock and write romantic notes on it. After attaching the lock to the fence, couples throw away the key. Also this is a good place to see Seoul‘s skyline.
Visit this website for more detail: http://www.seoultower.co.kr/en/.
This mountain has a cable car so you can get more information here: http://www.cablecar.co.kr/eng/
4. The War Memorial of Korea(한국전쟁기념관)
The War Memorial of Korea highlights all the wars Korea has been involved with. Also, it is the largest war and weapon museum in Asia. This museum displays various aircrafts, armored vehicles, and canvases outside. In addition, inside the museum are video recordings of the Korean War and a narration in various languages.
Look here for more detail: https://www.warmemo.or.kr/LNG/main.do?lan=en
5. The National Museum of Korea(국립중앙박물관)
The representative structure of South Korea is The National Museum. Also, it is one of the largest museums in Asia. The first floor of the museum has prehistory and an ancient history gallery; the second floor contains the donation gallery, the calligraphy, and painting gallery; the third floor contains the sculpture and crafts Gallery.
Check out this website for more information: http://www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/home
6. Gangnam(강남)
When you hear the name Gangnam, most people will think of the “Gangnam style” song. This area is the wealthiest town in Korea. So, it has a lot of shops, restaurants, and department stores. Gangnam’s big tourist areas include Gangnam Station, Garosu-gil Road, and COEX.
Look here more infomation: https://www.coexcenter.com/
7. Han River(한강)
The Han River is a major river in South Korea. The lower stretches of the Han River are lined with walkways, bicycle ways, parks, camping places, and restaurants. The Han River has 27 bridges and some bridges have fountains. Also, it has cruise ships so you can see a beautiful night view of The Han River and bridge fountains.
Check out this website for cruise ship information: https://www.trazy.com/experience/detail/han-river-cruise-e-land-ferry , https://www.indiway.com/en/search?keyword=cruise&search_nation_id=1&search_area_id=2&search_start_date=&search_end_date=
8. Bukchon Hanok Village(북촌한옥마을)
Bukchon Hanok Village is a Korean traditional village in Seoul with a long history. This village is located on the top of a hill between Gyeongbok Palace and Changdeok Palace. Also, it is composed of a lot of alleys and Hanok is preserved to show a 600 year old urban environment.
Look here more detail: http://hanok.seoul.go.kr/front/eng/index.do
9. Insadong Street(인사동 거리)
Insadong Street represents the Korean traditional culture and crafts. Many stores and restaurants have traditional things, for example: Hanbok (traditional clothes), hanji (traditional paper), traditional korean teas, pottery, and folk crafts. Insadong Street is a great place to find souvenirs.
Check out this website for more information: http://www.hiinsa.com/eng/
10. Itaewon Street(이태원 거리)
Itaewon Street is the most international place in Seoul. This street has a variety of different country’s cuisine. Also, this place is famous for nightlife. For example, many restaurants, bars, clubs are open very late.
Look here for more information: http://www.itaewon.or.kr/