Contrary to popular belief, while Seoul is the capital of South Korea, it isn’t technically a city. It’s actually categorized as a “special metropolitan district” which explains why it’s so HUGE. There are countless districts, neighborhoods and townships to visit within Seoul’s borders and it’s impossible to experience them all in one go. However there are a few tips to help make sure you get the most out of your trip.
(1) Stay in a hotel on the north side of the Han River
The south side of the Han River has a lot of attractions including Lotte World, Gangnam, Seoul COEX and more. But the north side has Myeongdong, Seongsu-dong, Gwanghwamun, all the Korean palaces, Hongdae, Mangwon Market and so much more.
For your first time in Seoul, a day or two in or around the south side is more than enough to get your taste of “Gangnam Style”. And unless you want to overspend on drinks and the nightlife, you’re more likely to end your nights in the north side of Seoul. So we always recommend staying somewhere near Hongdae, Anguk or Myeongdong your first time around.
(2) Avoid the taxi drivers and use Kakao Taxi (or Uber)
Taxi scams are a daily and nightly occurrence in Seoul. Tourists and foreigners are easy targets, but just about everyone has to deal with taxi scams at night. The best way to avoid it altogether is to use Uber or Kakao Taxi while you’re in Korea. Both can be used with foreign phones and credit cards and are a must while you’re in Seoul.
When you use these apps to hail a taxi, it is charged to the card attached to your account. So you DO NOT need to pay the taxi driver directly. It doesn’t happen often, but there have been occasions where taxi drivers try to get the passengers to pay them outside of the app as well. Don’t be fooled.
If you want more information on the essential apps for traveling in Korea, check out our blog post here.
(3) Arrange your itinerary by region
While the public transportation is great in Seoul, it can quickly wear down your feet to be walking up and down the countless stairs in and out of stations. It can be a real shock to the system, particularly if you’re used to driving everywhere. If you’re planning on being in Hongdae for shopping, then stick around Sinchon, Hapjeong or Yeonnam for a cafe and lunch while you’re at it.
The same goes for Insadong, Myeongdong and Seongsu-dong. All the major neighborhoods in Seoul have a mix of food, coffee, and shopping to fill out a full-day or half-day. If you can comfortably walk from one area to another, without use of public transportation, that’s your sweet spot.
The biggest mistake a traveler can make is over-walking their feet. Jumping from subway station to subway station, up and down stairs, through crowds of people will only slow you down and add to your exhaustion. Plan smart and leave room to explore.
(4) Avoid rush hour
Rush hour is 8 AM to 10 AM in the morning and 6 PM to 7:30 PM at night on weekdays. During these days, street traffic slows down immensely and the subways pack up, like sardines in a can (not an exaggeration).
To be honest, there’s not much reason to be out earlier than 10 AM, most places open between 10 AM – 11 AM and breakfast isn’t really a sit-down meal people eat out of their homes. It’s also easy enough to schedule dinner at 6 PM to avoid the late-night rush, or better yet, check out the places around your hotel. This takes us to our next tip…
(5) Early mornings are for locals and office workers, not tourists and travelers
Living in the Hongdae area, I’ve gotten used to seeing tourists sitting on curbs and on benches during my morning walk to the subway station. They all have the same look in their eyes. The “why did we wake up so early when nothing is open” look.
Obviously, some pop-ups, cafes and restaurants do open early, but they are few and far between. So unless you’ve checked opening times in advance, or have a set reservation time for something, there’s likely no reason to wake up and get your day started early in Seoul.
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