Winter in Seoul means festivals, street food and many, many layers. But even though the threat of frostbite is ever-present, there’s so much to do and see in the city of lights. Here are our favorite activities and events in Seoul, South Korea.
Check Out the Lantern Festival
The lantern festival is a longstanding tradition in Seoul that takes place every winter. This year, the lantern festival is being held in its original location on the Cheonggyecheon Stream.
Once you’re done, you can head over to Gwanghwamun Square to see more exhibits there or do some shopping at the Christmas Market! Check out our guide to the Seoul Lantern Festival in you want to learn more!
Go Ice Skating in Front of City Hall
Every winter, the city sets up an ice skating rink outside of City Hall in Seoul which gets visited by thousands of people a day. The rental price is only 1,000 KRW a person (roughly 0.70 USD) and it’s one of the best things you can do on your trip.
It helps if you can make a reservation online, but you can also arrive a bit early and reserve a time slot for later. There’s also a snack shop for tteokbokki or you can visit one of the hundreds of cafes and restaurants in the area. For more information, check out our blog post.
Explore a Christmas Market
There are multiple Christmas Markets all around Seoul in the month of December, but they’re all a lot of fun to visit. There are two Christmas markets that’re hosted until the end of December: the Gwanghwamun Square Maket (December 13 – January 5) and the Lotte Christmas Market (November 20 – January 5).
The Gwanghwamun Square Christmas market is great because it’s located close to the Lantern Festival so you can do both in one trip. The Lotte Christmas Market is located all the way in Jamsil, but that means you can check out the Samsung COEX mall or head over to Lotte World proper.
For more, check out our list of Christmas Markets in Seoul.
Seoul DDP Light Show: VIVA WINTA
Every season, the DDP hosts a new light show projected on the side of the building in the center of Seoul. The show is completely free and it’s a nice little bonus for anyone who’s already in the area shopping for deals in Dongdaemun.
This year, the light show will be shown from December 19th to January 1st at night. The show lasts about 10 minutes and runs every 30 minutes from 8 PM to 10 PM at night.
Indulge in the Winter Street Food
Winter is when street food in Korea is at its best. There’s nothing better than a hot sweet potato from the convenience store, fresh tteokbokki from a tent, or munching on some freshly fried hotteok to warm your bones.
This winter, there’s everything from butter mocha buns to dango covered in cookie crumbs. There’s plenty to choose from, but check out our Seoul Snack Tour post to get an idea of what’s popular right now.
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