36 Hours in Seoul (Published 2022) (2024)

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By Victoria KimPhotographs by Jun Michael Park

Dec. 15, 2022

Victoria Kim is a correspondent based in Seoul, her home city where she’s been hiking since childhood (at first begrudgingly, later avidly).

4.30 p.m.See the city from the river

Get oriented by hitting the bike trails that follow the Han River’s north and south banks. Ddareungi, Seoul’s bike-share program, has more than 2,600 stations across the city (1,000 KRW per hour, or 77 cents), and Bike Nara, near Hapjeong station, has nice rides (20,000 to 50,000 KRW for a daylong rental with helmets and locks). Start at the station and head to Han River Park, then ride east along the river’s northern bank toward Banpo Bridge. Cross on the lower of the bridge’s two decks, then ride west back to Yanghwa Bridge for a 14-mile loop (about 1.5 hours). Nice pit stops include a sculpture garden at Ichon Hangang Park, the willow tree-lined Banpo Hangang Park and, for a couple of weeks in April, cherry blossoms at Yeouido Hangang Park.

7:30 p.m.Go to market

Take your appetite to the 117-year-old Gwangjang Market, a sprawling complex in central Jongno-gu. (You can cycle there on the new bike lanes along Cheonggyecheon stream, which links up with the Han.) In the food alley at the market’s center, you’ll find mung bean pancakes, yukhoe (beef tartare), kalguksu (hand-cut noodles in broth) — but save your stomach for bori bibimbap, served at stalls near the end of the alley. The shopkeeper heaps barley rice in a stainless steel bowl and assembles a dozen or so ingredients from mounds of vegetables for a hearty, down-home version of the staple Korean mixed-rice dish (6,000 KRW).

9 p.m.Drink in industrial quarters

Once a varied manufacturing hub, the central Euljiro neighborhood’s labyrinthine alleyways now host a vibrant scene of bars and restaurants. Scan upper-level windows for interesting lighting to stumble upon co*cktail bars like Ace Four Club, with fin-de-siècle aesthetics, or neon-lit dives like Seendosi (co*cktails 10,000 to 22,000 KRW at both bars). If steep stairs are a deterrent (it’s always one more flight than you think), join the after-work crowds downing pints of beer at street level, at the plastic tables and chairs in Nogari Alley (named for the dried pollock available as a bar snack at any of the street’s dozen-or-so establishments). In a sign of Seoul’s rapid evolution, the area is slated for redevelopment in 2023. Some of Euljiro’s scruffy appeal may soon be paved over — experience it before it’s gone.

9 a.m.Take a hike

As built up as Seoul is, it also has dozens of verdant peaks that you can hike without leaving city limits, and all are accessible by subway or bus. To spend the bulk of the day hiking, head northeast to Bukhansan National Park, which has several viewpoints that offer unparalleled vistas of the city. Be warned, the city’s unforgiving efficiency also applies to its trails — most are strenuous climbs heading straight up, not bothering with moseying switchbacks. Alternatively, walk an hour or two along the old city wall on Inwangsan, a mountain near the city center, which offers a nice panorama. No matter the altitude, though, you’ll see locals decked out in head-to-toe hiking gear and indulging in a bottle of makgeolli (rice wine) at the top.

1 p.m.Wander back in time

To the west of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the seat of power during the five-century-long Joseon dynasty, the neighborhood Seochon — literally, “West Village” — has some of the city’s better-preserved hanok. Wandering through the winding backstreets can feel like a glimpse into a bygone century. For lunch, Patic is an unassuming bistro on a residential street where southern French inspirations meet seasonal and distinctly Korean ingredients (reservations recommended). The clam “escargot” with garlic foam is a must (18,000 KRW). There are no desserts, but the tchotchke-filled Alkimia around the corner has a delightful gelato selection with flavors including rice, red pepper and yuja, a citrus fruit (5,500 KRW per scoop).

3 p.m.See Korean abstract art

South Korea’s long-overlooked modern and contemporary art has received a groundswell of international attention in recent years. Much buzz has built up over Dansaekhwa, which translates to “monochrome painting,” a loosely defined movement of abstract artists that arose in the 1970s when the country was under authoritarian rule. Seoul’s major art museums, including MMCA, SeMA and Leeum, are reliable stalwarts, but for a more serene experience away from the weekend crowds, head to the Whanki Museum, a short bus ride north from Seochon (admission 13,000 KRW, check for closures between exhibits). The museum houses the works of Kim Whanki, a pioneer of Korean abstract art whose work is considered foundational to the Dansaekhwa movement, in a well-designed space worthy of his oeuvre.

6:30 p.m.Imbibe on long-ago libations

After decades of cheap green-bottle soju and insipid beer reigning as Koreans’ drinks of choice, there has been a recent resurgence of traditionally brewed, grain-based alcohol. Yun Seoul, a 10-seat restaurant in the Hongdae area, serves a thoughtful prix-fixe menu featuring dry-aged fish, housemade noodles, pickled vegetables and delicate sauces (150,000 KRW, reservations required). The dishes are meant to be paired with traditional drinks, including three types of Korean rice wines: the milky, opaque takju (also known as makgeolli), the filtered, clear yakju and the distilled soju (28,000 to 54,000 a bottle). Nearby, Sanullim 1992 has an almost encyclopedic selection of Korean booze (bottles 7,000 to 75,000 KRW) with a perfectly crisp haemul pajeon, seafood scallion pancake (23,000 KRW), a classic complement to makgeolli.

10 p.m.Tune into vintage vinyl

For an aural cleanse from the K-pop blasting around Seoul, head to one of the city’s many “LP bars” with robust sound systems and extensive record collections. They range from one-person operations where the owner strictly enforces his or her taste (written rules may include: no Maroon 5 or Oasis) to ones where eclectic requests send the night careening dangerously close to collective karaoke. At Vibd Blvd in Samgakji, with an excellent sound system and a speakeasy feel, a deadpan D.J. in a bucket hat selectively fulfills requests for a younger crowd sipping co*cktails (10,000 to 16,000 KRW; unmarked and easy to miss, on the second floor). Seochon Blues in Seochon pleases an older clientele with ’70s Korean tunes influenced by American folk, and a wide selection of beers (5,000 to 18,000 KRW).

10 a.m.Roam among hipsters

There may be no better sign of Seoul’s dedication to making the city more livable than Seoul Forest Park, where a sprawling green space was fashioned in 2005 from the grounds of an erstwhile racetrack and golf course. “Forest” is a bit of a misnomer, but the park is nonetheless a prized oasis in Seoul’s concrete jungle and surrounded by a trendy and start-up-friendly neighborhood, Seongsu. Grab coffee at Camouflage (4,000 to 8,000 KRW) and stroll through the park, where you might find people filming TikTok dance videos or taking wedding photos. The neighborhood is full of innovative retail shops that can feel more like exhibition spaces with a smattering of clothing and accessories, like LCDC or 29cm Seongsu (both open at 11 a.m.).

12:30 p.m.Hold the BBQ

To many, Korean food is still associated with meat sizzling on a tabletop grill. But against all odds in Seoul, veganism is quietly on the rise. Millennial Dining in Seocho, a district south of the river, is run by a mother-and-daughter duo. A five-hour braised carrot dish billed as “Better than Sex” arguably lives up to its bold promise (33,000 KRW), and “Pleasure & Danger” is a plant-based take on the classic minced-beef patty dish, tteokgalbi (35,000 KRW, bottles of natural wine on the pricey side; reservations recommended). Near the Blue House, the recently vacated presidential residence, Qyun serves sandwiches (17,000 KRW, with salad and soup) built around fermented sauces and ingredients, like a pesto made from the Japanese plum, ume.

2 p.m.Flip out at the ballpark

You may think you know baseball, but Korea’s 10-team league, the KBO, is another world. Fans chant and belt out personalized songs for each batter, riled up by each team’s “cheer master” and a coterie of cheerleaders. Batters often swing for the fences and flip their bats majestically. The enthusiasm is infectious, and it makes for great people-watching. Catch a game at one of Seoul’s two ballparks, Jamsil Baseball Stadium or Gocheok Sky Dome (tickets 6,000 to 85,000 KRW, season runs from late March to early October; in the off season, you can live out your would-be major league dreams at one of Seoul’s “screen baseball” virtual batting cages). The beer is cheap, and the snacks go well beyond hot dogs (spicy stir-fried intestines, anyone?).