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Seoul

South Korea travel guide

What to see in Seoul

Joseon palaces, night markets, trendy neighbourhoods and the border with the North on a day trip.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 6 must-see places
  • Best time: June and from September to April
  • Stay in Myeongdong
  • Typical food: Tteokbokki
Photo: Eunmi Park · CC BY-SA 4.0

Seoul highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Gyeongbokgung Palace

    A royal palace with a changing of the guard.

  2. Changdeokgung Palace

    A UNESCO-listed palace with the Huwon secret garden.

  3. Bukchon Hanok Village

    A neighbourhood of traditional hanok houses.

  4. N Seoul Tower

    A lookout tower on Namsan mountain.

  5. National Museum of Korea

    The largest museum of Korean history and art.

  6. Dongdaemun Design Plaza

    A design centre by Zaha Hadid.

Where to stay in Seoul

The handiest areas for getting around and going out.

  • Recommended areas

    Myeongdong · Hongdae · Insadong

Day trips from Seoul

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to Seoul

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Seoul are June and from September to April.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May with warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings
  • May

    Golden Week

    From 29 April to 5 May half of Japan is on the move: bullet trains packed, hotels expensive and queues everywhere.

    What to do: Book reserved shinkansen seats and your hotels as early as possible.

  • July, August

    Monsoon rains (jangma) and the odd typhoon

    In July and August it rains a lot and it’s hot and humid; a typhoon may pass through in late August.

    What to do: Keep an indoor plan for every day (museums, covered markets, palaces with covered areas).

Book ahead

Tickets that sell out or have long queues, and closing days.

  • Opening hours National Museum of Korea

    Open daily, except for a few Mondays a year when the galleries close.

Typical food of Seoul

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Seoul from your kitchen).

Tteokbokki
Photo: Popo le Chien · CC0

Tteokbokki

Cylindrical rice cakes in a red, sweet and spicy gochujang sauce. It’s Seoul’s most popular street food, at market stalls and outside schools.

  • Serves 2
  • 30 min

Ingredients

  • 400 g tteok (cylindrical rice cakes)
  • 2 sheets of fish cake (eomuk, optional)
  • 500 ml anchovy and kombu stock (or water)
  • 2 tablespoons of gochujang
  • 1 tablespoon of gochugaru
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 of sugar
  • 2 spring onions
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs

How to make it at home

  1. If the tteok are hard, soak them for 20 minutes in warm water.
  2. Bring the stock to the boil with the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce and sugar.
  3. Add the tteok and the fish cake cut into triangles and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
  4. Add the spring onion and the hard-boiled eggs.
  5. Serve hot, when the sauce is glossy and sticky.

The trick: With melted cheese on top, it’s Koreans’ favourite modern version.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a restaurant with banchan. The dishes you can’t miss are in the South Korea guide.

Frequently asked questions about Seoul

What to see in Seoul?

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, N Seoul Tower, National Museum of Korea and Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

What to see in Seoul in one day?

Don’t miss Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, N Seoul Tower, National Museum of Korea and Dongdaemun Design Plaza. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

Where to stay in Seoul?

The handiest areas to stay are Myeongdong, Hongdae and Insadong.

What’s the best time to travel to Seoul?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Seoul are June and from September to April.

What day trips can you take from Seoul?

Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), Gyeongbokgung Palace and Street food.

What is the typical food of Seoul?

Tteokbokki. Cylindrical rice cakes in a red, sweet and spicy gochujang sauce. It’s Seoul’s most popular street food, at market stalls and outside schools.

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More in South Korea

Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.