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Find your 'Ki' (Spirit), 'Heung' (Excitement), 'Jeong' (Affection)
3* Doulos Hotel
Location: Downtown
Distance from airport: 73 min by subway
This comfortable, stylish hotel is in the Namdaemun neighborhood, close to Tapgol Park, Jogyesa Temple, and Gyeongbok Palace. Nearby points of interest include Dongdaemun Market and Changgyeonggung Palace.
4* Courtyard by Marriott
Location: Times Square
Distance from airport: 69 min by subway
Close to National Assembly Building, Hongik University, and Yeouido Park, this Marriott boasts beautifully-designed rooms. Nearby points of interest also include Boramae Park and Chung-Ang University.
5* Park Hyatt
Location: Gangnam financial district
Distance from airport: 70 min by subway
Opulent business-friendly hotel with great views, within walking distance of COEX Mall and COEX Convention and Exhibition Center. Additional points of interest include Jamsil Baseball Stadium and Bongeunsa.
4* Sheraton Seoul D Cube
Location: D-Cube City
Distance from airport: 60 min by subway
Located in central Seoul, close to Boramae Park, National Assembly Building, and Yeouido Park. Stay in gorgeous rooms, swim in the large indoor pool or relax in the sauna. Enjoy high-standard Sheraton amenities.
5* JW Marriott Hotel
Location: Gangnam
Distance from airport: 70 min by subway
This large hotel boasts guest rooms for a king or queen as well as The Marquis Thermal Spa & Fitness Club. Seolleung Park, COEX Convention and Exhibition Center, and Chung-Ang University are all nearby.
4* W Seoul
Location: Walkerhill
Distance from airport: 70 min by subway
Three restaurants, two bars and an indoor pool greet guests lucky enough to be staying at this wonderful hotel. Close to the Olympic Park, the hotel overlooks the Han River and is a short walk to all the sights.
See why a Seoul stopover can be so rewarding
Seoul tours and activities
Tours in Seoul are full of surprises, uncovering a modern city co-existing with a treasure-trove of ancient palaces, temples, pagodas and beautiful gardens. Choose from our wide range of Seoul tours to delve beneath the surface and see the numerous city highlights like a local.
Top things to see and do
- 1. Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace
The official Royal Palace built in 1395 for the founder of the Joseon dynasty. Gyeongbokgung's pavilions are the most architecturally perfect in Seoul. For alternative cultural sites Korea has 10 UNESCO World heritages stretching from Seoul to Jeju Island. Heritage tour: palaces and villages of Seoul >
+ 2. Take the DMZ tour
241km wide and 2km long military demarcation line between South and North Korea known as the De Militarised Zone (DMZ) is one of Seoul's major tourist attractions. Many tours are conducted by American servicemen based there and visitors can step into the communist north by entering the building where the armistice agreement was signed. One side of the table is North Korea and the other is South Korea. Demilitarized Zome tour from Seoul > + 3. Visit the Insa-dong district
Stop by the artsy Insa-dong district that bustles with street musicians, art galleries and shops selling art supplies, antiques and handicrafts along its main thoroughfare. Hidden down a quaint side-alley is 'The Old Tea Shop', serving every type of tea from Ginseng to Jujube date tea. Small group walking tour >
+ 4. Eat well
Taste one of the world's healthiest cuisines and the national dish 'Kimchi' is the guiding force. Head to the many restaurants of Insadong to experience award winning Buddhist temple food or Korea's signature dishes Bulgogi (slices of marinated barbecued beef) and Bibimbap (combines the spiciness of Korean chilli with steamed rice and vegetables). Korean night food tour > + 5. Explore the National Museum of Korea
Boasting 135,000 relics stretching over five millennia, the National Museum of Korea is a must see attraction. 18 different halls exhibit Buddhist and historical artefacts as well as ceramic art pieces. National Folk Museum, Jogyesa and Gyeongbokgung tour >
+ 6. Stay in a traditional 'Hanok' house
To make a trip to Seoul even more culturally inspiring and memorable book a stay in a traditional 'Hanok' house at Bukchon Village. These eco-friendly structures were made from natural building materials such as rocks, soil and wood. Hanok houses retain traditional Korean style and sentiment. A relaxing stroll through the narrow streets of the village brings you to a small museum and many interesting art studios.
+ 7. Take in the view at N Seoul Tower
Located at the top of Namsan (Mountain), N Seoul Tower is the perfect place to admire the magnificent night and day vistas of Seoul. An observation deck, revolving restaurant and cultural spaces provide its visitors with a unique experience. Namsan Park is also a wonderful green space in which to exercise with other Seoulites.
+8. See Cheonggyecheon stream
The 2005 restoration of Cheonggyecheon stream breathed new life into the capital and is one of the nicest ways to stroll past many city icons, such as the great ceramic wall, a reproduction of King Jeongjo of Chosun's procession. The 186m long mosaic is the largest of its kind in the world. + 9. Watch Taekwondo
Watch a Taekwondo Performance staged on the lawn of Gyeonghuigung Palace featuring a group of top Taekwondo masters who demonstrate the art of wood breaking and self-defence techniques. Korea's national sport 'Taekwondo' is a designated Olympic sport and has a worldwide following of over 50 million people. + 10. Visit an 'Oncheon' or 'Jjimjilbang'
If you want to immerse yourself into local culture, then visit an 'Oncheon' or 'Jjimjilbang' (thermal bath), which includes a choice of clay, crystal and mugwort herbal saunas and exfoliations scrubs to extract bad toxins and have one positively glowing.
+ 11. Experience a Formula 1 Grand Prix
Korea Formula 1 Korea Grand Prix 12 – 14 October. The Korea races have proved to be some of the most exciting and with the longest straight of any circuit on the programme, combined with KERS – the Korea race should continue to deliver thrills!