Seoul Trip Highlights
For an insight into Seoul’s former glory, we visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, a royal palace originally built in 1395. It was systematically destroyed by the Japanese but has since been rebuilt in its original style. It now houses a series of museums and a reconstruction of the royal court.
One part of the city that’s well preserved is the Bukchon Hanok Village, a 600-year-old collection of traditional Korean houses that line a warren of narrow, cobbled lanes. Its residents are used to visitors wandering their streets and are likely to invite you in to peek inside.
After exploring the city, I suggest joining your guide for the Korean national pastime: hiking. Seoul is cradled by mountains — so much so that walls were built between the valleys to protect the city. You can walk along the city walls or venture out into the mountains themselves.
What I love about Korean food is that it hasn’t had a massive boom worldwide, so you’ll get a chance to try dishes you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. There’s everything from traditional Korean barbecue to niche (and often for the brave) seafood.
Again (and I’ll bang this drum for the whole country) you’ll have the best experience if you’re accompanied by a local food enthusiast who can help you navigate the innovative food scene. For example, bindaetteok, savory mung bean pancakes, sound simple. But, it’s a competitive industry, so you’ll find a line of chefs competing to make the best, most creative dish. Your guide will know which chefs are the real deal.
If you’re after a traditional tipple, ask your guide to take you to a local bar for a glass of soju, a clear rice wine that’s surprisingly drinkable (especially if you’re used to the Southeast Asian equivalents).
Seoul, South Korea is a complex city. It's full of history and culture both new and old. From the complicated dynamics between the two Koreas to the super modern youth compared to the traditional older folks, Korea is full of experiences and opportunities to be had. When we hopped on a place to Korea back in October 2022, we knew enough about Korea to be really really excited to finally visit this country, but we were also pretty unsure what that to expect. Personally, the mystery is half the fun to me! I love being surprised by a destination and approaching with little to no preconceived thoughts or ideas.
While Korea is a safe, modern, and friendly country to visit, you'll want to go prepared, especially if you've never been to Asia before. If you're traveling from the USA or another western country, Korean is the perfect Asian country to visit. It clearly had lots of western influence as it rebuilt after the Korean War, so it's familiar but also completely foreign. It's hard to explain, but if you're nervous about this big leap across the Pacific Ocean, just go in knowing that you'lre going to be FINE and you're going to have so much fun! The people are kind, the city is clean, and no matter what happens, you're never far from wi-fi and a kind person to help you find your way again.
