what to do in seoul, south korea for FIRST-TIME visitors

it would be nice to have the name of the markets where to eat somewhere written on the comments

This Video Changed My Life! Thank You!!

Thank you, this was very useful!

I am traveling with family 2 teen should I just buy one t card and use it or each family member need to get one t card? Thank you

very helpful

annoying boring woman but, some things to learn

This is so useful!!! Can't wait to visit in 2 weeks :)

Great tips! Thanks for sharing. How many days would you recommend staying in Seoul for the first timer?

1N seoul Tower /Nansam tower
-cable car.
2.street food /shopping district Myeongdong
3.Gyeongbokgung palace
4.Gwanghwanun square
5.Bukchon Hanok Village
6.Insadong
7.Ikseondong( tradicional tea shops)
8.Cheonggyencheon(light at night)
9.DDP , dongdaemmun desing plaza (cheap shopping and design)
10.Hongdae(theme cafés)
11.Gangnam
-Garosugil and Apgujeong
-Go-To small
12.Coex Mall
-Starfield library
13.Han river
14.Yeoido park

15.Banpo Bridge

thank you for mentioning jongno as one of the recommended spot to stay, that is where we are going to be on our spring trip. :)

원룸 가게 집단 노래도 down 울긴 닫다.

I will be at 13.03.24 in alone seoul, thank you for the video it helps a lot🥰

Awkward Amy, gamsahamida for this informative video… I plan to take a solo trip to Korea soon. I’m working on my Korean… annyeong 👋

Really enjoyed the map! Kinda wish it was more detailed though but that might just eb me. Super nerdy about clustering Things-to-do so I can do as much as possible haha

for fall the best time to go there october mid week last week or first week of nov? were planning also to go to nami island

hi ive watch your video and do you recommend dog cafe there coz i love dogs

wow!!! thank you. helped so much for a first time planner~ so much to think about! Is there a guide on how to travel around seoul? like a super idiot guide from airport to around the spots? thank you

I appreciate the displaying the names in English because it helps know what you are saying, so I can look up places

Walking distance?
If not which bus numbers . I am going to Korea next month.thanks my dear ❤🎉

thank you so much for sharing this very important information. My husband and I will be in Korea this Thanksgiving weekend 2023. You have given so much information and I hope these help us navigate the places that best interest us.

Hi, what street(s) exactly would you recommend to go at night to see buskers/ performances in Hongdae? Also, i heard about there being university concerts that people can enter for free and i'm assuming this is also in Hongdae that you can find them? (If these aren't open to tourists then nvm haha)

This is by far the most helpful video ever! Thank you for the crash course!

Hi! Do you have any recommendations for your fav Local Guides in Seoul?

Which area would you recommend for a family with younger teens? Ideally, I'd like a place that is close to most of the tourist spots and food, but quieter at night.

Hung ching money is?

Tnks for this detailed video... Now I'm ready to visit Seoul tomorrow 😁

Great break down!

We don't need to see you in every frame !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Amy ! And to everyone else in the comments 😅
I downloaded Naver maps to navigate my way in Seoul, I also out it in English to help me, but whenever I look for cafes or restaurants around me, it's not translated at all, so I don't really know what is good or bad, and what they offer. Am I doing it wrong or is that a thing I have to deal with ?

This was so helpful. Thank you!! 💖

Oh I miss korea anneoyong haseyo pogosippo korea I been in Seoul tower namSan tower and in woobang tower in taegu

Selamat siang mbaku kekasihku sayang dan ❤️❤️ c i n t a k u untukmu sayangku.

Great video. I was in S. Korea this Spring time, done all your recommendations and spots/food apart from the Han River and the Animal/Themed cafes( consider them to be cruel to animals). There is a number of activities that you did not mention but are a must or very interesting in my opinion to add:

1. Outdoor activities/Hiking- Seoul offers an amazing variety of fantastic trails and hiking opportunities. Would recommend to anyone to have a day in Bukhansan Mountain on any of the trails they are all spectacular, beautiful and interesting. Baegundae Peak is great. Also, hikes along the city walls or Ansang mountain, etc.
2. Seoul offers a fantastic set of museums where you can spend all day and it's also a great option for a rainy day. The War Memorial, The Kimchi Museum, the National Museum of Korea, The National Folk Museum of Korea, etc. Fantastic expositions
3. Day trip to Suwon- So much to explore, there is a Hanok village that is less crowded and less touristy, Unesco World Heritage Hwaseong fortress/Haenggung palace, cute areas and parks, and fantastic local markets not far from Paldalmun (Paldal Gate).
4. Bongeunsa Temple that could be combined with COEX mall/library also on the way there is Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market ( one of the metro transitions at least for me coming from north of Han River), Lotte tower also is not far on the same metro line.
5. In Combination with N-Seoul Tower and Namsan Park, in that area you have Namsangol Hanok village as well is fantastic
6. Day trip to the DMZ it's a fantastic experience with tours in the tunnels, observation decks and very informative about the tragedy of the Korean War and separated people on both sides.
7. Definitely visit all 5 palaces. They all have different energy, and atmosphere and are all worth visiting and a must-do when in Seoul. You can get an affordable combined ticket for all 5.
8. Get lost in any random charming neighbourhood, catch a but to a random unknown destination. Just feel free to go around and have a spontaneous experience, so much and so different places to see and explore offering different architecture, vibe and energy.
9. Anything in between- two weeks honestly are not enough to scratch the surface of what Seoul can offer, a place to offer so much to any interest, any character and any type of traveller. Just take your time.
10. If you do have the time and the means definitely travel to Busan, can easily spend a week or two exploring there as well. I had 4 nights there but was a way too intense and concentrated program(overly ambitious) and still so much that I did not manage to do or experience from my pre-prepared list of activities. Would be back one day :) So charming and beautiful

These are just some of the activities that I did and had an absolute blast, fantastic time in South Korea, by far my favourite destination and country( but that was the case even before I visited so a bit biased I guess). I had such high expectations about Korea before my visit and I have to say they were surpassed by a large margin.

Today is Aug 21, 2023. I would love to visit in March 22, 2024 because I will celebrate my 63, Birthday, I love to travel, I have never been to Korea, I also speak Spanish but not Korean, sorry I am learning.

Are there seniors citizen bedrooms or Bed and breakfast to rent for 3 weeks or a month?

Is my life time dream to visit Korea for 3weeks or over. I would like to rent a bedroom near the subway

Hi how many days I need to cover those places if we move in normal to fast phase

Heyy!! Thank you so much for this useful compilation!! 😁 though I wish the mapping part was clearer, this video is extremely well put together, and just what I needed to plan a trip to Seoul Korea (first time). I also thought about location, vibe of each areas, and FOOD while planing too! 😊

That's a lot of different "dongs" to remember. But I'll definitely visit some of those places. I'm going to Jeju, Busan and Seoul in 1 month. Can't wait to explore some places. Koreans have so far taken good care of this Norwegian awkward solo traveller in other parts of Asia. Another thing to do would be to join a Korean cooking class. The first time I tried Korean food was 20 years ago. A soviet Korean lady in Eastern Europe made me Jeyuk Bokkeum. Even if she had a heart attack and died in her 60s, she planted a seed. It's time to head over to the roots and learn more.

Thank you for sharing these info. But it would be helpful if you will also write down the places you mentioned. Say, you mentioned names of markets to go but unfortunately we didn’t get it because we don’t live in Korea. I’m not sure if I heard you right since it’s a Korean words. So at the end of the video, I still don’t know what markets to go to 😢….

Apparently in Korea they don't like even make mention about the DMZ, but that is a place I would visit.

Good vegetarian meal?😊

Hello 😊❤

Are you a teacher in Korea?

Good info❤

Do you have seoul 1-week itinerary?

I appreciate your very clear Korean pronunciations. There are so many times i hear a Korean word and try to spell it hangul only to learn that it's completely different than how it sounds 😆

I appreciate your very clear Korean pronunciations. There are so many times i hear a Korean word and try to spell it hangul only to learn that it's completely different than how it sounds 😆