Rent Serviced Apartments in Seoul

Facts About Seoul 

Seoul, the capital of South Korea is the most habitable city in the Asian continent and also among the largest and most advanced cities in the world. 

• More than half of South Korea’s total population stays in Seoul, including more than half a million ex-pats. 
• Seoul claims to have one of the most vibrant global economies. 
• Seoul is one of the most modern cities in the world with a long history dating back to 2,000 years. 
• The taxis in Seoul are colour-coded with Grey or white taxis being basic cars driven by less experienced drivers. Black cabs indicate that they are luxurious and are driven by more experienced drivers. 
• Most of the shops here are open until 10:30 or 11:00 pm. Shops in Dongdaemun are kept open all night; from 10 pm – 5 am. Restaurants, cafe bars, and vendors stay even thereafter; till 3 or 4 am, depending on the shop's location.
• Banchan or a side dish here is not charged for and is served with every meal since it is a custom to serve guests with generosity.

Cost of Living in Seoul 

Seoul is an expensive city to live in. It ranks 3rd among the 14 most expensive cities in the world. For a family of 04, the average estimated monthly cost works out to be ₩5,265,068. However, for a single person, it would cost around ₩2,940,815

Tips for Visiting Seoul 

Seoul is a large city by way of population, being Asia’s 4th biggest metropolis. If you plan to visit Seoul the following tips will come in handy :

• The subway lines are colour-coded, with the exits indicated by yellow numbers.
• It is not customary to tip taxi drivers, bartenders wait for the staff or even bellhops, If you try to tip, it may be interpreted as rudeness.
• Korean food is generally spicy. Those with red or orange in colour are hot and spicy.

• Seoul is majorly a non-English speaking country; learn a few basic Korean phrases beforehand. 
• Get a T-Money Card if you are visiting for more than a couple of days. It will help you get cheaper public transportation while freeing you up from standing in line to get single-journey tickets. 
• Most Seoul stores take credit cards, which is a major boon for global travelers. 
• Rely on your hotel concierge service and tourist information centres above all else. 
• Make sure that you try the clean and delicious street food in Seoul. 
• The metro system should be carefully understood since it will help you get around seamlessly. There are many stairs to climb for getting into and exiting the stations. 
• Seoul is a completely safe and prosperous city and bargaining is a polite and diplomatic affair at stores and markets. 

Things to Do in Seoul 

With so much to explore in the form of shopping malls, well-preserved royal palaces and Buddhist temples, you will have a fun time in Seoul.

Q1. What are popular things to do in Seoul? 

• Gyeongbokgung Palace-built in 1395 by King Taejo, is the largest and most striking among the 5 grand palaces that were built during the Joseon dynasty. The National Folk Museum and The National Palace Museum here are a must-visit for history enthusiasts.
• N Seoul Tower- on Namsan Mountain in central Seoul stands at 237 metres above ground level; it offers a panoramic view of Seoul from its observatory. There is also a digital observatory here.
• Lotte World- in central Seoul, is one of the world’s largest indoor theme parks. It has many thrilling rides, an ice-skating rink, a film show, and hosts laser shows for visitors of all ages. You can also see an onsite folk museum that displays miniature villages and artefacts more than 5,000 years old. 
• Bongeunsa Temple-it is surrounded by lush greenery, lending it a quiet and peaceful ambience. There are many cultural events hosted here about traditional Korean Buddhist practices. 

Q2. Does Seoul have many romantic attractions? 

• Visit the terrace on the 1st floor of N Seoul Tower. It is a popular place for couples to attach padlocks and love notes to the fence as a sign of their love.
• Petite France is a place to visit for romance, It is inspired by the French novel “The Little Prince,” and bears a resemblance to a small French town in the countryside. It is a French cultural village, about an hour's travel from Seoul.
• A visit to Cheonggyecheon Stream for taking a walk in the evening is very romantic. 
• Themed Parks and Island like the Everland and the Nami Island are ideal places to visit for romantic couples.

Q3. What are family-friendly things to do in Seoul? 

Here are some of the family-friendly things to do in Seoul:

• visit a palace and the Bukchon Hanok Village and dress up in the traditional colourful Hanbok dress, following the 1600-year-old tradition. 
• Visit the Iwha Mural Village on Mount Naksan which has many artworks.
• The Starfield Library, at the Coex Mall, has beautiful libraries and bookstores to be explored by family members.

Q4. What are unusual things to do in Seoul? 

• A visit to The DMZ; the Korean Demilitarized Zone that was founded towards the end of the Korean War in 1953 is worth seeing the infiltration tunnels, the Dora Observatory, Freedom House, and the Bridge of No Return.
• You could visit the War Memorial and explore the tanks, aircraft and vessels.

Q5. What are some free things to do in Seoul? 

There are many free things to do in Seoul from visiting the Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum to browsing through old photographs and the first edition of the Korean poet Don-ju to the Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine where you can see the gory past when the many Roman Catholics were gruesomely murdered. You can see the various contraptions used to torture the martyrs.

You can visit the Seoul Museum of Art or can go to the Oil Tank Culture Park. 

Places to Visit in Seoul 

• Myeongdong Market also has sightseeing spots – iconic landmarks include the Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral and Myeongdong Nanta Theatre.
• Dongdaemun district stays busy well into the night, with festivities, fashion shows, music and dance performances taking place after the sun sets in Seoul. A 
• Starfield Library-a must-visit at the COEX Mall has more than 50,000 reading materials that are arranged in 13-metre-high bookshelves. Children enjoy playing with colourful LEGO bricks at Bricklive
• COEX Aquarium- located on the basement level of the COEX Mall, it has over 650 species of spectacular marine wildlife. 
• Hongdae- Known for its vibrant ambience, underground cultures, with freedom for self-expression, it is frequented by local youths and students from the neighbouring Hongik University for its many cafes, fashion outlets, art galleries, live music bars and clubs.

Places to Eat in Seoul 

There are cafes everywhere in Seoul. Regular coffee shops themed cafes, and dessert cafes are really widespread here. Apart from the cafes, there are restaurants serving meals comprising of Korean dishes at Jungsik, Jihwaja and Seafood in Asian and Korean recipes at the Flavours. There are places like the Jangseng Geongangwan serving Italian, French and Japanese cuisines.

American and International cuisines are served at the Viking’s Wharf at the Lotte World Mall and The Park View, respectively.

Street Food in Seoul

Dongdaemun attracts foodies with Mukja Golmok, an alley dedicated to Korean street food and snacks. If you cannot have spicy food there are plenty of non-spicy Korean dishes that you must try like Pajeon, Jjajangmyun, Gimbap, Japchae, Bulgogi, and Korean fried chicken (without the spicy sauce).

Seoul is famous for its street food and top picks include corn dogs, spicy rice cakes or Tteokbokki, stuffed pancakes or Hotteok, egg bread or Gyeranppang and fish-shaped bread or Bungeoppang to name only a few. 

Shopping in Seoul 

Seoul is heaven for shopaholics with the best places to shop in malls and across districts in the city centre. From electronics, clothes, jewellery, accessories, beauty products, to leather goods, including antiques, arts and crafts, there are all types of products to buy.

You can go on a shopping spree at some of these places in Seoul:

• Myeong-dong - One of South Korea’s main shopping districts, it offers dozens of shopping malls, department stores, and street-side shops selling shoes, inexpensive clothes, jewellery, accessories, and handbags made by local and international brands
• Dongdaemun- with approximately 30,000 speciality shops, 26 shopping malls, and 50,000 manufacturers, it is one of South Korea’s largest retail and wholesale shopping districts selling Items like electronics, textiles, shoes, clothes, jewellery, toys, leather goods, and office supplies. 
• Starfield COEX Mall- it has more than 300 brands, from beauty and fashion products to entertainment and electronics.

Transportation in Seoul 

Seoul has an extensive and sophisticated transport system, one of the best in the world. You can travel around the city by bus, taxi or subway or ride a train, hire a cab to go to destinations beyond Seoul. 

You will be able to pay for fares through your credit card or through T-money, which is a common transportation card issued by the government for public transportation. However, payment of fare while travelling outside Seoul is to be made in cash by you.

It is the biggest subway system in the world, catering to more than 8 million people each day and with a track length of a whopping 940 kilometres. There are Korail, NeoTrans Co. Ltd, Seoul Metro, AREX and Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation bus lines throughout the city. Seoul Metropolitan Government (S.M.G) also operates four core bus lines covering the entire city.

The city has numerous express/intercity bus terminals too. Seoul has the Incheon International Airport and the Gimpo International Airport. Both airports are connected via the expressway to Seoul and they are linked to each other via the AREX to the Seoul Station. Intercity bus services are also available to many other places in the country. 

Weather in Seoul 

The climate here is temperate or rather subtropical, having four separate seasons with rains in summer. The temperature here can be extreme, shooting up to 35oC during summer and dipping to -20oC in the winter. The most pleasant seasons are spring and autumn; during this period weather is moderate.

The period during spring from March till May or fall from September till November is the best time to visit Seoul.