Get in touch with Korea’s history
One of the best things about Seoul is that because of it being the country’s capital, you’ll find an abundant number of historic sites and attractions in the city. Gyeongbokgung Palace, for example, is an absolute must-visit when in town. The palace was built in 1395 and served as the home to Kings of the Joseon dynasty, the Kings’ households, as well as the government of the Joseon Dynasty. You can also visit more recent historic sites, such as the War Memorial of Korea, dedicated to those who gave their lives during the Korean War. There is also a vast museum with over 10,000 artifacts on display at indoor and outside exhibition halls.
Experience Seoul’s nightlife
Seoul is a vibrant city – even more so when the sun has set and its population is eager to go out and have fun. In fact, South Koreans truly know how to have fun, as the local nightlife culture has developed a “station system” with a restaurant for dinner being the first station followed by bars, pubs, karaoke rooms, and more food and drinks as subsequent “stations.” It’s not rare that night in Seoul ends after five or six – or more – different “stations.” Seoul has a multitude of fun nightlife areas, including Itaewon, Hongdae, and Gangnam.
Appreciate culture and tradition
Seoul is doing a fabulous job of keeping Korean culture and traditions alive. Take the National Museum of Korea, for instance. It displays over 12,000 artifacts in six permanent exhibition sections, including medieval and early modern history, calligraphy and painting, sculpture and crafts and Asian arts. You can also experience culture first-hand when wandering through areas like Bukchon Hanok Village, a lovely neighborhood made up of traditional Korean houses, or hanok. Here, you’ll find lovely craft shops, art galleries, and even traditional teahouses for the local experience.
Experience in high technology
South Korea is known for being an extremely technologically advanced country. Seoul, in particular, has shown an incredible passion for innovation in both technology and the architecture of its cityscape. Lotte World Tower, for example, opened in early 2017 and is now the tallest building in the country. What’s even more fascinating is its elevator. Traveling at ten meters per second, the double-decker elevator is the fastest of its kind worldwide. On top of that, it’s the world’s first elevator with animated screens on all sides and the ceiling projecting the development of Seoul from the Joseon Dynasty until today.
Admire Buddhist temples
While the number of Buddhist believers in the country has been shrinking, making up under 20% today, Seoul’s temples are still shining as bright as ever. Spiritual at heart, the locals appreciate the traditional customs revolving around Buddhism and visit a temple regularly, especially the older generation. Foreigners will find that the local staff and monks living and working at the temples are open for discussion. So-called Templestay Programs are available throughout the country and even in the city of Seoul. Visitors can stay one or multiple nights, living like a monk at the temple partaking in Buddhist rituals and ceremonies.
Go shopping all day long
Each year, millions of tourists from neighboring Asian countries come to Korea for one big reason: shopping. They want to pick up the latest trends in Korean fashion, get their hands on high-quality Korean skincare products, and visit one of the many large department stores for the ultimate shopping experience – tax-free. In general, visitors can receive a tax refund at the airport when submitting their receipts at the tax refund booth. However, more and more tax-free stores are popping up in Seoul allowing foreign customers to get immediate tax refunds below a certain limit.
Taste the authentic Korean BBQ
While you may think you have you had great Korean BBQ before, you won’t know what you are talking about until you’ve had authentic Korean BBQ in Seoul. BBQ restaurants in the city are served high-quality marbled cuts of meat seasoned with light salt. There is a local favorite restaurant is Seocho Myeonok, specializing in galbi jjim. This dish refers to meat slow-cooked in a beef broth. The dish is then served in clay pots with veggies.