Seoul, South Korea
This past summer, I spent five nights in Seoul, and I was surprised by how deeply I fell in love with the city. I owe so much of my experience to my guide and now friend, Allison Kang, who helped me put together the itinerary. Allison moved to Seoul five years ago, and she is one of those people you simply enjoy spending time with – incredibly knowledgeable about art, fashion, and the wellness world in Korea. We all came away feeling as though we had learned so much from our time with her.
Before you arrive…
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I loved the app Papago for translating English to Korean. Make sure to play around with it ahead of time to figure out how it works.
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Be prepared for traffic in the city, and try to organize your itinerary around areas. That way you won’t waste time driving from one side of the city to the other. On the first day, we used a van that proved too difficult to maneuver around the city. We used an SUV for the remainder of the trip, which was much better.
I recommend having the same driver the entire time while in Korea – from pick up to drop off at the airport. Make sure the driver is English-speaking if you are not with a Korean-speaking guide. Because we had Allison with us, she did most of the coordinating with our driver David. We were set up with David by Suyoun Kim via The One Service transportation company (WhatsApp: +82 10 6425 9313).
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Allison Kang is the saint of all saints who planned our itinerary so patiently and included something for everyone in the family. We felt very comfortable in her hands; it was so nice to just give the reins to her and let her show us the city.
She is a contemporary art advisor and fine art specialist, but, after having a lengthy call following an introduction by a mutual friend, we decided to work together to plan my trip. You can reach out to her to see if she has availability here: ak@akcontemporary.com
Getting There
We were coming from Japan, so the flight was only two hours from Osaka to Seoul. On the way back, we flew nonstop from ICN to Dulles via Korean Air. While the cabin and the food weren’t as nice as some other international carriers, the fact that it was nonstop made it worth it.
Tip – when planning your departure, make sure to allow enough time to deal with tax refunds and do any duty-free shopping.
Hotels
I thoroughly researched hotels before making a decision. Allison warned us that traffic in Seoul is real. The Han River parts Seoul: one side is the modern half of the city while the old city comprises the other side. What I learned is that there really isn’t a luxury hotel that has everything – great location, amazing service, well-appointed rooms. We ended up choosing the Four Seasons.
The Four Seasons
For families staying at the Four Seasons, I would recommend the king suite with an attached room that has two double beds. For couples or those who need only one room, the king suite is still a great option – just minus the attached room. The room was very well done with a separate living area that could be used as an office, as well as a proper vanity table in the bedroom. My sons especially appreciated the golf simulators the hotel offered. The gym was otherworldly, probably the best I’ve seen in terms of design and equipment; this is because it also serves as a private health club for locals.
Two significant negatives. While the hotel itself was lovely, location-wise it wasn’t ideal. We had to take a car everywhere. The other negative was the breakfast. The food looked good and had options for everyone, but it was disappointing in terms of taste. It didn’t help that it was served in the basement; we felt as though we were in a cafeteria.
The Signiel
The Signiel is located in the Lotte Tower, the tallest building in Seoul. It is known for its beautiful views of the entire city, but the location wasn’t ideal either. I decided to go with the Four Seasons because of my familiarity with the brand.
Psst – Reportedly a lot of celebrities stay here when visiting Seoul for movie premieres. Maybe you’ll run into someone while in line for the breakfast buffet!
@mistralmariko
Andaz
A brand new hotel in Gangnam, a lot of locals recommended Andaz. The location is perfect – connected to the COEX mall in a very walkable area. However, we’d heard that the rooms were quite small.
Park Hyatt
The Park Hyatt has been around for years and is ideal for those traveling on business, as it is also centrally located in Gangnam. I might consider it for another trip due to the location.
The Shilla
The Shilla is located in central Seoul. We visited the lobby, and it was absolutely bustling. People come to tea for their famed bingsu shaved ice. What deterred me from booking it originally was that the rooms looked rather sterile in terms of design. It is also next to a huge duty free store, if that sways you one way or the other.
@shillahotels
Psst – I did read that a new Rosewood will be opening but not for a few years…
Restaurants and Bars
The cuisine in Korea is a blend of old and new. You can go to a modern, innovative restaurant like Jungsik for dinner one evening, and the next night do traditional Korean BBQ where you cook your meal on the grill from low stools.
Charles H.
A speakeasy located in the Four Seasons, Charles H. is essentially your classic hotel cocktail spot. The drinks and bar snacks were good, and I’d advise making a reservation ahead of time. If you’re staying in the Four Seasons or visiting the area, I definitely recommend stopping in for a cocktail.
Pussyfoot Saloon
A bar that you MUST visit is the Pussyfoot Saloon. The interior is a modern take on a vintage first-class train cabin, while the outdoor is a more modern space, with concrete walls and gas lanterns. We reserved one of the tables outside and loved it.
Get All Right
Get All Right was the other bar that we loved. They have live music and an entertainment theme that changes nightly, playing genres ranging from jazz to pop. They had several musicians perform in the time we were there – including a saxophonist and 70s cover band – and they were all fantastic.
Tip – I’d recommend reserving a table ahead of time for Get All Right. They insist on bottle service for these reservations, but securing a table is worth it.
Sanullim 1992
If you are looking for a traditional Korean bar that offers alcohol like Soji and Makgeolli, head to Sanullim 1992. Located in the district of Hongdae, it makes for a fun night out – very old-school style.
Jungsik
Our dinner at Jungsik was one of my favorite meals. The menu was innovative without being over the top, offering a modern spin on classic dishes. There is also a location in NYC, but I can’t make a comparison as I haven’t been.
Jonny Dumplings
This is a tiny but solid dumpling spot in Itaewon. Very laid back (they don’t take reservations), they offer a great sampling of traditional dumplings.
Mangwon Market
A can’t miss activity is walking around Mangwon Market, a sprawling array of street-food and produce stalls located near Hongdae. One of my favorite stalls had over fifteen different flavors of Korean fried chicken nuggets ranging from crazy spicy to peanut butter. Be sure to bring cash and hand wipes!
Tip – for a dessert treat, the marshmallow ice cream on a stick is a must try. They offer it at Mangwon Market but were sold out when we visited. I ended up finding it at another place in Hongdae while on a walk one evening. It reminds me of a street-food version of a baked Alaska, and it is just as delicious as it looks!
Lobby at the Shilla
The tea room / lobby at the Shilla hotel offers the other must try dessert: mango shaved milk bingsu. More than half of the room was eating it when we visited!
Local Grocery Stores
Definitely visit a local grocery store in Seoul. Some of the snacks are similar to what we have in the states but with a Korean spin. We ventured into a large E-mart with food downstairs, toys and electronics upstairs. I would say it is similar to our Target or Walmart. The clear winner for me food-wise was the honey butter potato chips. My boys loved this mint chewing gum that had an insane amount of caffeine, probably equal to five cups of coffee!
Korean BBQ
Korean BBQ is a must try while in Seoul. We went to one for dinner, and it was very traditional. While the food was good, the atmosphere wasn’t quite there. I’d recommend asking your concierge for a BBQ place that has both quality food and an enjoyable ambience.
Gwangjang Market
While we didn’t go, I’ve heard great things about this food market. It is one of the largest (and oldest) in South Korea and offers a wide variety of traditional street food.
Bome Cheongdam
We went to Bome Cheongdam for lunch while shopping in Cheongdam. They offered a combination of Asian and Italian cuisines that proved to be delicious.
Tip – check out their homemade sodas!
Hwangsaengga Kalguksu
We went to this casual, old-school space for lunch. Their hand-cut noodles were great, and you can also watch them prepare dumplings by hand!
Tom’s Pizza
If you need a break from Korean cuisine, we found this great pizza place in the Mapo District.
Dunkin Donuts
Allison recommended I stop in as I have a bit of a sweet tooth, and it was worth it! The must-order is the mochi donuts.
Baskin Robbins
Another familiar favorite, Baskin Robbins has a location in Cheongdam that sells one hundred different flavors of ice cream, with many flavors unique to Korea. It is worth a stop for sure.
STAY
We had a lunch reservation at this French restaurant located in the Signiel Hotel but sadly didn’t make it. From images, it seems to have a gorgeous interior, and I definitely plan to go the next time I visit.
Daerim Garage and Gallery
This industrial cafe in Seongsu serves great craft coffee. Seongsu is an interesting area to walk around in – locals call it the Brooklyn of Seoul with its old, repurposed warehouses and hipster shops.
Tip – if you do choose to visit Seongsu, go on a weekday instead of weekend; it was insanely busy on the Saturday we went.
Baekmidang
Baekmidang offers delicious soft milk ice cream! It resembles the soft-serve in the states, but taste-wise it blows our ice cream out of the water.
Experiences
Chaum Wellness Center
Wellness and beauty is a huge part of Korean culture, so I had to see it for myself. Allison recommended the Chaum Wellness Center. They offered so many treatments – lasers, injections, etc – at prices far less than those in the states. I was a bit nervous, though, as I didn’t know what to expect, so I opted for one of their custom facials. The staff was exceedingly professional and the experience wonderful. If I went back, I would spend my whole day there!
Cave, ClubD Golf & Bistro
While I was ‘spa-ing,’ my husband and sons visited a golf simulator across the street where Allison had made a reservation. Golf is huge in South Korea, but many of the outdoor clubs are hours outside the city. Therefore the golf simulators are really sophisticated — ClubD had great visuals, cool tech, and they offer snacks while you hit!
Tip – If you are a lefty, you will have a hard time finding clubs in South Korea and around Asia more generally. Contact the concierge in advance to reserve some lefty clubs just in case.
Shopping
Shopping is a bit of a sport in Seoul, and for that reason most of the designer stores have a queue or waiting list. Unless you go early, you will have to put your name down and come back once they call you. The pricing didn’t feel any different from the states except you get back 10% from the VAT. I also didn’t find that the selection was that different from what stores in NYC have.
Boon
Boon is worth a visit. The men’s clothing is more hipster, but the women's selection is quite nice – mostly all European brands. The shop itself is a beautiful space with a chic vibe. They also have a very well-curated ‘Home’ section.
10 Corso Como
We popped into Seoul’s branch of 10 Corso Como while shopping. While the store was beautiful, the collection being sold at the time felt very avant-garde.
Choeunsook Gallery
This was my favorite store in Seoul. I truly could have spent hours here. The owner was so helpful and has impeccable taste. The pieces range from 2-D art to lacquer handicrafts; there was so much to see. She kindly invited us back for a showing of artists that evening. They were exhibiting beautiful hand-painted pottery, and, rather unsurprisingly, the crowd at the event was the definition of high fashion.
I bought a few pieces, and they shipped them for me, which is always a bit nerve-racking. Not only did everything arrive intact, but the packaging was exquisite.
Tip – make sure to bring your passport with you while shopping. This way, you can fill out the Global Tax Return form while in the store.
Sulwhasoo Flagship
This beauty shop was another one of my favorite spots. Not only was its interior just dreamy (it was designed to resemble a lantern), but the products were unreal. They also offer a variety of spa services on-site. It is a must-visit.
I could have spent an entire day walking from beauty store to beauty store. I’d never seen so many products (and products of such high quality!) Each place was better than the next.
The Shilla Duty-Free Shop
Located next to the Shilla Hotel, this shop is a must-visit too. I stocked up on sunscreen here for two reasons: the quality is much better than in the States, and it is ¼ of the price. They sell a lot of designer brands and make the logistics easy – you fill out the forms, get a ticket, and pick up your items at the Global Tax area at the airport while leaving. It took 5 minutes!
Art Galleries
Seoul’s modern art scene is thriving, and Allison gave us a great education on its ins and outs during our time there. If you have any questions about the art scene in Seoul, you can reach out to her here: ak@akcontemporary.com
Leeum Museum
We started our trip with a visit to the Leeum Museum, which was founded by the Samsung Foundation, and, in Allison's opinion, is the best permanent contemporary art collection. They were having a Maurizio Cattelan show at the time. I’m not sure if my photos will do his work justice, but it was incredible! I would recommend seeing his pieces if not in Seoul then somewhere else — controversial but impressive, it was definitely a thought-provoking experience.
Tip – the boutique within the Leeum had some great ceramic pieces. I purchased one but wished I had gotten more, as I wasn’t able to find anything similar outside of the museum shop. The staff wrapped the dish well, which is always important when traveling!
The Pace Gallery
The Pace Gallery’s location in Seoul had pieces from an array of international artists. In the past few years, they expanded their complex, and now have a sculpture garden as well as a tea house onsite.
Tip – the tea house had amazing pottery, and I regret not purchasing something!
Lehmann Maupin
The Lehmann Maupin Gallery in Seoul offers similarly impressive pieces. Located in Hannam-dong, the space is not large – only two floors – but is beautiful. I saw some of my favorite pieces there.
Kukje Gallery
Another fun gallery, Kukje had a Bulgari pop-up exhibit while we were visiting, as well as a solo exhibition by Gim Hongsok called “Short People.” It featured his signature resin and bronze balloon sculptures. Both were exceptional, and I recommend checking their website to see what interesting exhibits are currently on display.
Other galleries worth a visit include Koenig Gallery and Arario Gallery. The creative energy in Seoul is truly something, and I was blown away by what I saw.
Cosmopolitan, lively, and fascinating, we were never bored in Seoul. It is not a question of if I will go back to Seoul but when. I hope to learn more about the art scene as well as the wellness world. Truly there is such a variety of things to explore that it could feel overwhelming at times, which is why I am so grateful to have had Allison as our guide. With its emphasis on beauty, wellness, and art, it would make for an amazing girls’ trip.