Introduction
Here we have listed some of our favorite places in Seoul so make sure to check them out. Please let us know if you have any questions or need more recommendations. We are more than happy to share our opinion with you.
Hope you’ll have a wonderful time in Seoul 🗺️
Hyunjin and Jakob, 2025
Overview map
Restaurants
사대부집 곳간 (Sadebujip Gotkan)
Please go here! Our favorite restaurant. This building is known as a sustainable building, having solar panels surrounding the entire building, as well as having a rooftop garden. You can enjoy authentic Korean traditional food with a side dish salad bar on the 55th floor. You can also drop by The Hyundai department store after having lunch/dinner here 🙂
Recommend menu: 전복갈비찜 60,000 won
Link: Sadebujip Gotkan
목멱산방 남산타워점 (Mokmyeok Sanbang)
One of the best places in Seoul to get a traditional bibimbap. The restaurant is inside an old temple on the Namsan mountain where you can also get a beautiful view of the city. The price is surprisingly affordable for the high-quality food and amazing location.
Recommended menu: Bulgogi bibimbap (12,500 won)
Link: 목멱산방
역전회관 마포본점 (Yeokjeon Hoegwan)
Yeokjeon Hoegwan is a popular spot famous for its grilled flat bulgogi and makgeolli rice wine. It's a casual place where you can enjoy perfectly grilled beef paired with a chilled glass of traditional rice wine. Plus, a nearby park makes for a lovely walk afterward!
Recommend Menu: 바싹 불고기 38,000 won, 역전주 5,000 won
Link: 역전회관
영천영화 (Yeongcheon Yeonghwa)
Yeongcheon Yeonghwa is one of the best raw beef bibimbap restaurants, famous for its fresh raw beef bibimbap also known to be a go-to spot for local foodies. Of course, they also serve high-quality beef BBQ 🐮
교촌필방 (Kyochon pilbang)
This is the best chicken delivery place. My favorite menu is Honey Combo 😃
Recommend menu: 필방 시그니처 플래터, 꾸븐 떡볶이
Link: 교촌필방
황생가 칼국수 (Hwangsenga Kalguksu)
칼국수 (Kalguksu) is Korean traditional food made in a husmanskost style that people eat as everyday food. It is similar to Udon but using a beef broth. This restaurant is listed in the Michelin guide as an affordable restaurant where one dish costs around 11,000 krw. Even if you go there as one person, I would like to recommend eat two dishes which are noodle and dumpling. It is like a set in Korea to eat 칼국수 noodle together with Kimchi and dumpling.
Recommend menu: 사골칼국수 (Sagul Kalguksu) 11,000 won, 왕만두 🥟(Wangmandu) 11,000 won together as a set.
Link: 황생가 칼국수
맘스터치 (Mom’s Touch)
We know it sounds weird. Hyunjin’s favorite student food 🍔. It is a really tasty hamburger franchise. I love chicken burgers and it is impossible to find a chicken burger as good as this one in Stockholm. If you want to have just McDonald's, then please rather go here. They have many different locations all over Seoul. 🙂
Recommend menu: 싸이버거 (thigh burger) 6,900 won
Location: Anywhere close to you
Fika/Bar
차마시는 뜰 (Chamasinun Tul)
Hyunjin’s favorite tea house 🍵. Tea house with traditional Korean architecture. Really cozy and you can also learn the traditional Korean tea ceremony 🙂
Recommend Menu: Anything you want to try
Link: 차마시는 뜰
한남 작업실 (Hannam Workshop)
Where do the locals actually go for fika? This trendy café is a favorite among locals in their 20s and 30s, offering a perfect spot to enjoy a quality of coffee. What makes it truly special is its use of 옻칠 (ottchil)—a traditional Korean lacquer technique—on its serving ware, adding a refined cultural touch to the experience. On the ground floor also features a shop showcasing handcrafted ottchil trays, and tableware, making it a great place to discover and purchase these pieces.
Link: 한남 작업실
청수당공명 (Chongsudan Gongmyong)
Jakob’s memorable cafe. This area is a typical neighborhood where people in their 20s hang out. It is a little bit similar to Södermalm. It’s really fun to just get lost in the narrow streets and walk down some random alley. Jakob enjoyed the indoor small garden in this place 🙂
Recommend menu: 공명3단 트레이 15,000 won
Link: 청수당공명
설빙 (Sarbing)
Korean traditional dessert place for 팥빙수 (Packpingsu). 팥빙수 (Packpingsu) is Korean style ice cream which is basically sliced ice with red bean paste. 설빙 (Sarbing) offers more modern variations popular with young people. They have tastes like Mango 빙수, Strawberry 빙수, etc. 🙂
Recommend Menu: Anything you want to try
Location: Anywhere close to you
텔러스 9.5 (Tellus 9.5)
Another bar with a great view 🍷! There are a lot of good bars with beautiful views in Seoul, so please check them out! This place works as a cafe during the day, so it can be an option to come here for a fika 😊
Menu: Coffee 8,000 won, Beer 15,000 won
Link: 텔러스 9.5
공간 (Gonggan)
The bar features traditional Korean architecture and offers a unique selection of cocktails made with local ingredients. It’s a great spot to enjoy creative drinks in a beautifully authentic setting! 🍸
Link: 공간
Stores to Visit
더 현대 (The Hyundai Department Store)
The Hyundai Department Store is the go-to place for shopping in Seoul 🛍️. This place has been open for a few years and quickly become the go-to place for shopping, especially for people in their 20s and 30s. They have a variety of stores and not only for clothes but also it’s really fun to look around the huge food section. Highly recommend visiting here, especially B1 where there are a lot of food stores and B2 where there are a lot of pop-up stores. Vezzly is Jakob’s favorite bakery located in The Hyundai. His favorite is a fika bread caEverland (w. Caribbean Bay).urllled ‘멜론빵(Melon pang)’ 🙂
Recommend stores: Vezzly (bakery), Andar (unisex clothing)
Link: The Hyundai Department Store
올리브영 (Olive Young)
Olive Young is a super popular store for skincare, makeup, and even health supplements. I think it’s pretty hard to find Korean girl in her 10s to 30s who hasn't bought something from Olive Young! 💄 You'll find all the top K-beauty products here, and it’s a must-visit if you're looking for good skincare product. Recommend items: Gudal pad, Round lab skin care
Link: The Hyundai Department Store
디앤디파트먼트 (Ddepartment)
They have many items that are either traditional or widely used or trendy.
Link: 디앤디파트먼트
오브젝트 (Object)
We Koreans love small cute stationery! You will find small design goods here.
Link: object
다이소 (Daiso)
Daiso is a dollar store famous for its wide variety of affordable products. From home essentials to stationery and kitchen items, Daiso offers everything you need at very reasonable prices. I love visiting and picking up small goods to stock up my home. With so many branches, especially near metro stations, it’s fun to stop by and shop without feeling much of a dent in your wallet💸!
Link: 다이소
도토리 캐리커쳐 (Acorn Caricature)
Cute small store where they draw your pictures. They draw you in a few minutes for only 7,000 won. Unfortunately, Jakob does not look at all like what they drew, but it's a fun experience you can have at an affordable price. 🙂
Price: 7,000 won
Link: Acorn Caricature
Touristy Places
국립 중앙 박물관 (National museum)
Great museum which covers the history of Korea. 🙂
Link: https://naver.me/5eGTvcXC
전쟁 기념관 (The war memorial of Korea)
Well-made museum, mainly about the Korean war. Recommend the guided tour in English. You can check out tanks, flights and many different items that were used in the war.
Link: https://naver.me/5PS2bSN8
경복궁 (Gyeongbokgung Place)
The main palace. If you plan to visit any palace this should be your top priority. 🙂
Link: https://naver.me/FLBKTWSB
국립현대미술관 서울 (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary art)
Modern Art museum. Some of the exhibitions are free, so good to check out. The stores inside and cafe (Terarosa) are nice so have a quick sneak peek when you are walking by.
Link: https://naver.me/5eGTvcXC
Hotels
아원고택 (Ahwon Gotaek)
Ahwon Gotaek is a Korean traditional hotel that truly preserves authentic Korean architecture. They’ve put a lot of effort into maintaining the traditional style while adding modern facilities, ensuring guests experience the stay just as it should be, with all the charm and beauty of a hanok. We went with my parents, and they absolutely loved it. The serene atmosphere and authentic hanok experience made it the perfect getaway!
Link to Offical site: 아원고택 Link to Naver map: 아원고택
Activities
바지락 캐기 (clamming)
You can go clamming 🐚! The east coast of Korea, with its high tidal range, offers the perfect opportunity to dig for 바지락 (clams) along the shore. Just wait for the tide to go out, grab a small shovel or use your hands, and start looking for the clams buried in the sand. It’s a fun and rewarding outdoor activity! In different times of the year, you might come across various types of clams, such as 바지락 (bajirak) in spring and summer. We went togheter with clamming workshop. Link is shared below.
Workshop link: Clamming Workshop Good hotel closed by link: Resom Island Resort
인왕산 (Inwang san mountain)
This is a place Jakob went for hiking ⛰️. You get a really good view over Seoul. As far as I remember, I hiked through Inwangsan section which is the purple color in the map below. The section starting from the site of Donuimun and passing through Woram Neighborhood Park and Inwangsan Sunseong-gil to Changuimun Gate.
Link: Inwang san mountain
에버랜드 (Everland w. Caribbean Bay)
Everland is the largest theme park in Korea, a place I spend a lot of good time during my youthful years with my friends and family. There are both rides and a zoo in Everland and right beside it lies Caribbean Bay, a water park. It's possible to buy a single ticket for access to both parks. I would like to recommend try hop on a safari bus for an up-close look at lions, bears, and giraffes!
Recommend rides: T익스프레스(T Express), 사파리 월드(Safari World), 로스트 벨리(Lost Valley)
씨메르 찜질방 (Cimer Sauna)
A Korean-style spa is called a "jjimjilbang" (찜질방), which is a traditional Korean bathhouse that combines hot baths, saunas, and relaxation areas. Cimer is a Korean-style sauna and water park located close to Incheon Airport, making it a perfect place to relax before or after a flight! 💦✈️
Map Link: [https://naver.me/G386sFCW) Official site Link: Inwang san mountain
설화수 스파 (Sulwhasoo Spa)
Located in Gangnam, Seoul, this spa is run by Sulwhasoo, Korea’s luxury skincare brand. It combines modern spa treatments with traditional Korean herbal medicine (Hanbang, 한방) for body and skin care. 💆♀️
Map Link: Sulwhasoo Official site Link: Sulwhasoo
Good to Know
Visa requirements
- Swedish citizens: No visa required (as of March 2025)
Naver Maps
Koreans don’t use Google Maps. There is not as much information available on Google Maps, especially if you’re looking for a review. Also, the maps in Google Maps are not updated frequently due to national safety reasons. We recommend using Naver Maps if you are searching for anything.
Link to Naver Map: Naver Map
Kakao taxi
Uber but Korean version. Uber is not available but Kakao taxi is the most common way to catch a taxi 😊
Airalo e-SIM
Airalo is an App for e-SIM. Jakob bought an e-SIM card from the app. Good price, easy to use not only for Korea but also anywhere abroad.