Exploring Seoul is best done with equal amounts of the old and new and a little bit of the unexpected for good measure. The city bursts with creative cafes and Michelin-star restaurants and boasts of a retail scene that rivals those of many other metropolises.

After soaking up the city’s energy, it’s also a good idea to wander around the surrounding countryside that offers a more quaint and slower-paced life.

A great place to start is the Bukchon Hanok Village, a hilly residential area situated in between the Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palaces. Many hanoks—or traditional Korean houses—are preserved here and are remnants of the Joseon Dynasty. Hanoks usually are U-shaped in design facing an open courtyard to allow for more natural light and ventilation. Their sliding window panels are adorned with decorative wooden lattice while their gabled, tiled roofs (or giwa) are definitive of the charming traditional Korean homes.

Although many of the homes have been repurposed to become cafes, museums or house rentals, this area is still home to many residents. Staying at a hanok is an authentic glimpse of what it’s like to live like a local. The preserved architectural details such as the exposed wooden beams and rafters make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time.

Seoul food in East Asia

Experiencing Korean food can come in different shapes and forms. It can easily be taking a stroll along Myeongdong Shopping Street and sampling all the different street food. Surprisingly, it can even be experienced through different cuisines.

Massimo Bottura, chef and owner of three Michelin-star restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, creates a special menu for the Seoul outpost of Gucci Osteria (there are only four in the world). He incorporates Korean ingredients such as hanwoo striploin, deodeok (Korean mountain herb), daewoo sauce (shrimp reduction), and Icheon rice into his Italian dishes to seamlessly create a wonderful combination of the two cuisines.

On the other end of the spectrum, in the university town of Hongdae, is a charming restaurant designed by Glow Soul called Woo Mol Zip. Its entrance sets the fantastical theme—stone steps lead you past moss-covered wells into private rooms with circular portals. Here, they serve you hanwoo beef brisket in clear broth, rice cooked with vegetables, and a hot pot that incorporates spicy tomato and basil.

A restaurant that has been awarded a Michelin Green Star and has been on the Michelin Guide since 2018, A Flower Blossom on the Rice by chef and owner Song Jong-eun believes that healthy food is delicious. Located in an alleyway in the Insadong neighborhood, the restaurant prides itself on the fact that 95 percent of the ingredients they use are procured from certified organic farms. The bojagi bibimbap is a glorious example of their passion where five different vibrant vegetables top rice before being wrapped in an organic egg omelette then secured with a ribbon of nori like a gift. 

Keen “Squid Game” fans will know what the giant girl doll sings during the Red Light, Green Light game: “Mugunghwa kkochi pieot seumnida,” which translates to the Mugunghwa flower has bloomed. Mugungwa is South Korea’s national flower and also is the name of the restaurant on the 38th floor of Lotte Hotel Seoul.

Beautiful panoramic views of the city accompany carefully updated Korean flavors into fine dining fare. The blue crab dumpling with gochujang and crab broth gives a refreshing taste of the sea (in the best way possible) while the perfectly seasoned grilled hanwoo tenderloin melts in your mouth.

Speaking of “Squid Game,” one attraction fans should try is the Squid Game Experience in the Seongsu neighborhood. Participants compete with one another in various children’s games similar to the hit Netflix show. There’s a marble game, a scavenger hunt, a memorization game, and tug of war. Everyone accumulates points and the top six players get to compete in the final game, which recreates the dining scene in season one. All in all, it’s a fun family experience that does a great job simulating the show’s fun without all the death, of course.

Spots of retail therapy

There are plenty of shopping malls to spend your Korean won on, but the Hyundai Seoul should be on top of your list. Not only does it have the usual luxury brands but it also incorporates a beautifully designed atrium by Canada-based design firm Burdifilek. Waterfalls cascade down 12-meter-high sculptural planters to create a serene atmosphere. The fifth floor houses the natural light-filled Sounds Forest; at 3,306 sq.m., it is touted as the largest indoor garden in South Korea.

Homegrown fragrance store Tamburins is also worth a visit, with each of their branches displaying a different installation. The Seongsu flagship store designed by The System Lab is set inside a concrete skeleton of a building. Inside, a large mushroom occasionally puffs out rings of smoke. Beautiful packaging and an interesting array of scents make this an obligatory stop for the discerning visitor.

Coffee lovers will be spoiled for choice. One that overtook TikTok is Cafe Pokpo (pokpo is the Korean word for waterfall), situated under an overpass and facing a mountain with waterfalls. This place may get quite crowded, but it’s still amazing to enjoy a cup of coffee while listening to the sound of waterfalls right in the middle of the city.

Some may find Grandpa Factory Cafe familiar with its brick courtyard overgrown with vines and interiors with an industrial look. It was used as a film location for the K-drama “Vincenzo” and continues to attract a crowd because of it. You can enjoy your coffee indoors, amphitheater-style, al fresco on their candy-colored metal furniture, or inside a small treehouse. An amazing art piece by Ji Yong-Ho of a muscular wild boar ready to attack waits inside the courtyard. If you look closely, it is made of rubber tires.

Day trips from Seoul

If you have the time to explore outside Seoul, Nami Island is a beautiful spot to visit any season. Along the way, you can also stop by ComeHome Cafe in Gapyeong and make a day out of it. Come Home Cafe faces a lake with sprawling grounds that includes a cherry blossom tree, a treehouse (that Park Seo-joon used before) and individual cabins. K-pop group Twice also filmed a YouTube video here because of the cafe’s charming decor.

In Gangwon, Sanida Cafe sits atop a mountain, giving you a view of the surrounding province. The cafe has a great selection of pastries and a delicious cup of jujube tea. It’s multi-leveled and spacious with plenty of seats indoor and outdoor. Notably, this cafe was also used as a shooting location for the K-drama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.” The intricate gate was also the gate that was used as the entrance to The Cursed Castle in the show.

Nearby, you can soak up some art and culture at the Tadao Ando-designed Museum San. Ando’s signature can be felt throughout the museum with precise slits in between concrete volumes allowing sharp light to enter. 

Unexpected cutouts in walls reveal the water garden or the mountain range from afar. One standout installation is the vermillion Alexander Liberman sculpture that towers at 12 meters high, ushering guests into the main building. A James Turrell hall punctuates the museum, having visitors experience light in pure Turrell fashion.