During my recent visit to Seoul, I was only able to spend 48 hours in the bustling capital of South Korea. However, even with limited time, I was able to appreciate the wealth of cultural experiences, delicious food, and stunning views that this vibrant city has to offer.
One attraction that I highly recommend is Dongdaenum, the largest market in South Korea. This market is filled with mid to high-end shops featuring fashion outlets and international brands. Another cultural hotspot that I visited was Insadong market, where I was able to enjoy a unique blend of art galleries showcasing architecture, sculptures, calligraphy, and paintings.
Seoul is home to an impressive 115 museums, including a former prison turned museum and a war memorial that covers the history of the Korean War. These museums offer an in-depth look into the daily life of historical Koreans.
Religious buildings are also worth exploring, as they provide a unique insight into Korean culture. Visitors can also gain further insight into the country’s culture by attending one of the four yearly festivals that take place every spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Nature lovers, like me, will appreciate Namsan Park, which is one of Seoul’s most famous parks. The park offers stunning views of the city skyline and recreational hiking, which we thoroughly enjoyed. For a more elevated perspective, visitors can take a cable car ride up Nansam Mountain or visit the Seoul Skygarden, a kilometre-long walkway lined with 24,000 plants.
Foodies will delight in exploring the Gwangjang Market, the largest food market in Korea, which is filled with the tantalising aromas and flavours of authentic Korean street food. The heritage village of Bukchon, which dates back 600 years, is also worth a visit, with 900 traditional Hanok houses, including two palaces, and you’ll see lots of visitors dressed in Hanboks (traditional dress) which you can rent locally.
For those who are interested in Seoul’s nightlife and shopping scene, Gangnam is the place to be. This vibrant district is home to a bustling market with four floors of retail shopping, a large library, and an aquarium. Visitors can also catch a match or see K-pop performances at the Olympic Park.
We stayed in the Lotte Executive Tower Hotel, the perfect choice for a luxurious stay in a great central location. Our hotel rate gave us access to the hotel’s Club lounge ‘Le Salon’ where we enjoyed a lovely breakfast, afternoon tea and a light dinner with drinks. The gym was also excellent, and our room with views of the mountains and the city was stunning.
We only had 48 hours in Seoul as we were joining an 11 night cruise to Japan. On hindsight I wished we had at least a day longer in the city to enjoy more of the city’s nightlife and to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – the strip of land that separates South from North Korea. However, this is something you can only do on an organised tour and you need at least half, but ideally a full day.
Our time in Seoul was the start to an amazing 3 week tour of Korea and Japan. We joined Oceania’s Riviera cruise ship, and enjoyed an incredible cruise with stops in both Korea and Japan. Cruising is a wonderful way to get a taster of what destinations have to offer, however, for a more in-depth tour of Korea and Japan I’d recommend a tailor-made land tour by train!