After three years of feeling trapped in separate households throughout the pandemic, my household and I lastly bought an opportunity to journey to Seoul, South Korea. Blame it on the recognition of Ok-dramas we binged on throughout the lockdown, and our frequent eating out in samgyupsal eating places within the metro, however everybody was desperate to expertise Seoul for themselves and spend high quality time collectively.
After months of planning, ready for slots for our visa functions, and clearing everybody’s respective work and faculty schedules for every week, we lastly made it to the land of Seoul in time for the late autumn season in November 2022.
Since we had been touring with youngsters and most of us had been first-timers, our itinerary was a mixture of sightseeing to traditional landmarks, kid-friendly amusement parks, and experiential museums. We additionally had a number of seniors in our group, so we would have liked to incorporate a number of instructional and cultural experiences.
Listed here are simply a few of the traditional experiences in Seoul, South Korea that my household loved probably the most that you may also wish to embody in your itinerary.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace was the principle royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Inbuilt 1395, this grand palace situated in northern Seoul is the most important of the 5 Grand Palaces constructed by the Joseon dynasty, and reportedly served as the house of Kings of the Joseon dynasty.
In trendy occasions, this palace has been seen in numerous historic k-dramas like Kingdom, Goong, The Final Empress, and The Moon Embracing the Solar, to title a number of.
For the reason that Nineteen Nineties, the walled palace complicated has steadily been restored to its authentic kind. It presently homes the Nationwide Palace Museum and the Nationwide Folks Museum throughout the premises of the complicated.
One of the enjoyable experiences for the entire household is to strive on the elegant Korean conventional clothes known as ‘hanbok’ for picture ops across the Gyeonbokgung Palace.
Very similar to how Japan has kimono rental retailers, South Korea has hanbok rental retailers for vacationers, and you’ll borrow and put on hanbok whereas strolling across the palace to make reminiscences and snap distinctive household images.
Nami Island
For nature lovers, Nami Island ought to undoubtedly be in your bucket record. Nami Island is a half-moon-shaped isle close to Seoul. Featured within the well-known Korean drama, Winter Sonata, this romantic vacation spot affords a unique expertise relying on the season you go to.
Anticipate stunning blossoms in case you go to throughout spring time. Throughout summer time, guests can expertise lush inexperienced environment and sunny days. Throughout autumn, the climate is cooler and the falling leaves provides an air of drama and nostalgia. In winter, guests can see snow on the timber and stroll by great white landscapes.
The tour to Nami Island entails lunch at a standard Korean restaurant, a leisurely ferry trip, and sufficient time to stroll across the spacious grounds.
The children bought an opportunity to run round, whereas the older members of the group loved the refreshing surroundings and native refreshments.
Those that wish to get a little bit of a piece out can borrow conventional bicycles to go across the small island. Due to its totally different points of interest, Nami Island affords the proper year-round day journey from Seoul.
Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway
The Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway is a picturesque pedestrian footpath that runs subsequent to Deoksugung Palace. This space has been featured in numerous Ok-dramas together with Guardian: The Lonely and Nice God (Goblin), One Spring Evening, The Magnificence Inside, and Run On, to call a number of.
As soon as an everyday highway earlier than it was was a pedestrian walkway, this city area reveals how folks and nature can coexist in excellent concord.
This 900-meter stretch of highway has 20 benches and 130 timber lining the trail, providing an important place to take leisurely walks, relaxation, and loosen up. It’s in style throughout autumn due to the attractive foliage. Whereas strolling, you’ll be able to spot pictures of well-known historic landmarks on the pathways recreated within the tiles.
In late autumn and colder winter months, the tree trunks listed below are embellished with colourful knitted “sweaters,” which have turn out to be a vacationer attraction in themselves. Apart from serving to maintain the timber heat, the designs knitted by volunteers add an inventive contact to public areas. The distinctive undertaking additionally helped deliver pleasure to locals and passersby throughout the gloomy pandemic years.
Haneul Sky Park
Haneul Sky Park is the preferred of the 5 parks of World Cup Park, close to Seoul World Cup Stadium. This picturesque panorama options paths by tall, lush grass to a hilltop with sweeping vistas, with pampas grass in bloom throughout autumn months.
Surprisingly, this stunning park was as soon as a landfill that held over 92 million tons of rubbish till it was was a large-scale setting and ecological park.
For these touring with youngsters and seniors, golf cart shuttles are offered for straightforward entry to the highest. Those that wish to get some train can hike up the Haneul Park Stairs, which has 291 steps or stroll up the identical hilly paved highway taken by the shuttle bus.
Cheonggyecheon Stream
Cheonggyecheon Stream, which runs by downtown Seoul, is a restoration of the stream that existed throughout the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The 11-km lengthy stream was as soon as lined with an elevated freeway, which was eliminated in a large city renewal undertaking in 2003, to deliver nature again to the town and promote a extra eco-friendly city design.
The Seoul Metropolitan Authorities designated the world as a vehicle-free zone on holidays, which has given extra leisure area for pedestrians.
Since its restoration, the waterfront areas of Cheonggyecheon Stream, and the encircling streets have turn out to be in style locations for locals and vacationers to unwind and luxuriate in cultural experiences. Whereas strolling round right here, we observed how native workplace staff had been having fun with their espresso alongside the stream and loved sitting and listening to music being carried out by buskers.
Tradition and Arts Streets
Whereas in Seoul, we visited a number of vacationer areas identified for buying, arts, and tradition together with the Hongdae Tradition and Arts Particular Vacationer Zone and Insadong, a energetic space crammed with artsy decorations and historic spots.
The entire household can get pleasure from wandering round this colourful place and benefit from the energetic environment, from daytime to nighttime.
Apart from purchasing for souvenirs, you’ll be able to go the time at one of many many conventional tea retailers. You may as well see road distributors making and promoting the well-known Dalgona Sweet (Korean Honeycomb Toffee) made in style by Netflix’s Squid Sport.
The meals
One other spotlight for the entire household was the scrumptious Korean meals that we bought to get pleasure from throughout Seoul and a few hands-on experiences together with sampling seaweed and kimchi making on the Kimchi Museum.
Throughout one lunch tour, we had Dakgalbi, a spicy stir-fried hen dish made with boneless hen items, rice, and a few greens. One other night, we loved a festive Samgyupsal meal at a ship restaurant docked at Han River. Ove a number of days, we loved meals like Bulgogi, Tteokboki, and the well-known Bbq Rooster and craft beer within the famed Myeong-dong vacationer district.
Nonetheless, the most effective meals we had throughout the journey was at a easy native eatery that served grilled mackerel and fish stew that our tour information James introduced us to.
It wasn’t a elaborate restaurant and never the same old place you’d deliver vacationers, however judging by the group of native cyclists and the empty plates after our meal, you possibly can inform everybody loved the fare.
NOTE: A model of this text was first printed within the October 2023 subject of Enrich Journal. Half 2 will concentrate on the fashionable, technological, and kid-friendly points of interest in Seoul.
