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Things To Do In Sindang, aka the ‘Hip’dang of Seoul
A mix of old-Seoul rice vendors and newtro bars and restaurants, Sindang, aka “Hipdang” has a unique mix of things to find. Centered around one of the three largest traditional markets in Seoul, Korea, young people are flocking to the old alleys of this unassuming area where it’s not so neat and tidy but that’s what makes it fun. The area around Sindang Station has a lot to find and the exteriors of most of them are gritty and will leave you wondering where the door is, but that’s what makes finding cafes, restaurants, and shops in Sindang fun. Get ready to dive in. Get ready to see more and…
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Donuimun Museum Village: Explore Seoul In The 1960s
When people think about traveling back in time in Seoul, they often think of visiting the traditional Bukchon Hanok Village and walking down alleys still resembling time during the Joseon Dynasty. There’s another historical village area that you can visit though called the Donuimun Museum Village (돈의문박물관마을). This historical neighborhood will have you picturing Seoul in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Visit living museum spaces, eat lunch, and experience the nostalgia of the period. Visit this historical village in the heart of Seoul: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you…
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Buramsan Butterfly Garden: A Beautiful Hillside of Azaleas To See In Seoul
There are beautiful places to see flowers all around Seoul, well all around Korea for that matter. The cherry blossoms burst into bloom all around Korea in April and then it’s just flower after flower from azaleas to tulips and daffodils saying hello. There are so many beautiful places to find flowers in Korea. I think azaleas are an underrated spring bloom. When these bushy flowers cover a hillside though, they are gorgeous! Here is one of the most beautiful places in Seoul to find those lovely light purple azaleas. Don’t miss Buramsan Butterfly Garden (불암산나비정원) in northern Seoul in the spring if you’re a flower lover like me. Here’s…
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Pil-dong: The Arts & Culture District Near Myeongdong
If you travel like I do, then you’re constantly staring out bus or car windows until something catches your eye and then you quickly tag it on the map to come back to later. That’s how I found the Pil-dong Arts and Culture Street. Located just outside of the Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung-gu up the road from the popular Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, Pil-dong is a hidden gem of colorful facades and artistic installations in backstreets where you’d never expect to find them. I love that Seoul has so many of these arts and culture areas. Some of them are much more popular like the Ihwa Mural Village…
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8 Things To Do At Dongdaemun Design Plaza
The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (동대문디자인플라자), often referred to as DDP by locals, is one of those cool things to see in Seoul that is on numerous list after list of the architectural must-see’s in the capital city of Korea. Seoul was even named the World Design Capital in 2010 because of the DDP. The building is iconic and is actually the world’s largest atypical architecture. Often the home of artistic exhibitions, like TeamLab, but also home to Seoul’s fashion week, there is always something to see… if the building itself isn’t enough. But really, it is. There are a ton of things to do in Dongdaemun but this is definitely…
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Cheonggyecheon Stream: A Guide To One Of The Top Things To See In Seoul
Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천) is one of the top things touted on lists of things to see in Seoul, South Korea. The river which starts near Gwanghwamun Square and eventually ends at the Han River is where the Seoul Lantern Festival is held each year among other popular annual events. Whether it’s summer or autumn, if you want to take a walk in downtown Seoul, this where you should go. I’ve had a goal to walk the entire length of the Cheonggyecheon Stream for a few years now and finally got around to it this year. After 15 years living in Seoul, yes, I have odd goals, but there it is.…
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The Best Places To See The Sunset In Seoul
Last summer, as part of the Global Seoul Mates there was a mission to showcase Seoul’s gorgeous sunsets and oh how many beautiful sunsets did I enjoy. We were sharing sunsets for the whole month of August and this summer as August rolled around again, I was thinking back to some of the best places to see the sunset in Seoul. Do you want to see pink and orange skies over skyscrapers? Or want to see the sunset while you picnic along the Han River? Ever wondered where the best places to see the sunset in Seoul? Well, let me tell you! There are just a ton of beautiful places…
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Yeouido: A Guide For The Must See Island In Seoul
Yeouido Island in Seoul, Korea is one of those places that gets on a lot of lists for where to go in Seoul and things to do in Seoul but it took me awhile to figure out why. Sure, there are some awesome things to see like the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival or the only fireworks festival in Seoul. BUT, what is there TO DO in Yeouido? Well, I’ve got the list if you’re like me and went and wondered where you were supposed to go in the business district in the center of Seoul. From the Yeouido Han River Park to the 63 Building a few spots in between,…
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The Agricultural Museum: A FREE Thing To Do In Seoul
We are always on the hunt for awesome things to do with kids in Seoul so we pretty much have every museum, small or large, on our list to check out. Doesn’t matter what subject the museum is devoted to, we are there to learn something new and inevitably do. Right downtown near Seodaemun Subway Station is the small but interesting Agricultural Museum (농업박물관) and on top of being a learning opportunity, it’s great for the budget because it’s FREE! There isn’t a lot of English information, but there is enough to get by and if you have some knowledge of agriculture yourself, you’ll be able to help the kiddos…
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Tea Therapy: The Cafe and Foot Bath To Find In Bukchon
There’s never a bad reason to head downtown to Jongno in Seoul. I often find myself there when I want to spend time in a tea house, get a view of Hanok rooftops or just take a stroll and find something new to see. Tea Therapy (티테라피) is one of those wonderful spots I visited some months back on a stroll in the area. If you like tea or you just want a lovely place to take a break near the Bukchon Hanok Village, this is most certainly a spot to get on your list. Looking for a tea house in Jongno? Here’s more information about Tea Therapy: (This post contains…
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How To Rent Bikes In Seoul: Bike On The Han River Or Just Get From A To B
Do you want to see Seoul, Korea in a different way? Wonder how easy it is to rent a bike in Seoul? Getting around the city can be super fun. I know for me, when I want to make a day of traversing around the city, I want to make it more memorable. Of course walking is a great way to explore any city, but sometimes you want to put the pedal to the metal. Korea has so many different options for biking and scooter rentals to ride around the city and parks. The ones I’ll be telling you about in this post are located in Seoul but there are…
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Teamlab Is Finally Back In Seoul With teamlab:LIFE!
After quite the hiatus from Seoul, Korea, teamLab is finally back! If you missed it a few years ago, there was actually a long term exhibition in Jamsil’s Lotte World Tower called teamLab: World that was awesome. Unfortunately, after a couple years, it closed. Anyone in Korea hoping to visit teamLab were relegated to taking a trip to “nearby” Tokyo to see teamLab: Borderless or Shanghai’s teamLab: Borderless. If you like teamLab, you should still probably go, BUT before teamLab: World ends here in Seoul, go go go! This is NOT a long term exhibit like Borderless or World, this exhibition is only running until April so NOW is most…
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What To Do At The Sulwhasoo Dosan Flagship Store In Seoul
Sulwhasoo (설화수) is a Korean luxury skin care brand that is renowned for high quality herbal medicine based products and the Sulwhasoo Flagship Store (설화수 도산 플래그십 스토어) is an absolute must visit for not only KBeauty lovers but any tourist in Seoul interested in unique experiences that you can only have here. After trying my own collection of Sulwhasoo products, I can honestly say they are worth the money and I’ll be a loyal customer forever more. Not only that, but the flagship store is just stunning so any reason to go back there again and again… and maybe again. The flagship store is gorgeously Instagrammable and did you…
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Deoksugung Palace: The Most Unique Palace In Seoul
Deoksugung Palace in Seoul, Korea is the smallest of the five palaces in the capital but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be visited. It’s the most unique palace with various architectural styles and is the only palace to feature a western style garden, fountain and building. Deoksugung Palace means ‘palace of virtue and longevity’ and it is a beautiful palace to visit in downtown Seoul. If you’re in downtown Seoul, it’s easy to visit sitting centrally located and right next to a subway station. It’s a where to see a changing of the guard ceremony if that’s what you’re looking for as so many often are. Looking for some specific…
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Cool Architecture To See In & Around Seoul, Korea
There are new and improved buildings around Seoul and Korea being built all of the time. Not all of them are beautiful or interesting. In fact, most of them are high rise apartments BUT, there are some that are quite distinctive and for all of the right reasons. If you’re coming to Seoul and want to find the architectural highlights, the buildings that embrace the future with sleek lines, interesting facades, and staircases for days, here is a great start to making an awesome itinerary with the architecture highlights. Want to take some epic photos in Seoul? Don’t miss these Instagrammable places in Seoul. These are some of the must…
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The Seoul Derby: The Summer Scavenger Hunt Event 2019
The Seoul Derby is an event I have been putting together for at least five years now… maybe six. When I started it was all about planning a fun way to get people out and about and see parts of Seoul that maybe haven’t and do it in a competitive way. Since it’s debut, there have been between 15 and 20 teams that rock up each time. Some years there is just one event in the beginning of the summer and some years there has been two. Teams of four (or more) get together and run around with a scavenger hunt clue list of items that can really only be…