Seoul Searching: A Weekend in Korea

Fast Facts:

• Location: Northwest region of South Korea.

• Population: ~10 million

• Language: Korean

• Currency: South Korean Won (won)

• Time Zone: Korean Standard Time (EST +14)

Hit the Highlights:

• Gyeongbokgung Palace: Step back in time with a visit to Gyeongbokgung, the largest of Seoul’s Five Grand Palaces. The palace was originally built in 1395 and certainly gives a glimpse into older Korean architectural styles. Many people wear hanbok to the palace, which adds to the atmosphere even if you choose not to wear one. If you do wear a hanbok, there are many shops to rent them near the palaces, and you get free admission to the palace with a hanbok. I thought that the mountains on one side of the palace and skyscrapers on the other gave the palace grounds a particularly stark feeling of the clash between old and modern.

• Seoul Tower (Namsan Seoul Tower): Sitting atop Namsan Mountain, Seoul Tower offers some of the best panoramic views of the city. You can reach the tower by hiking up scenic trails (which looked like quite a hike), taking a cable car (my-choice, which offered great sunset views of the city), or catching a bus. Visit in the evening to see the tower and the city below beautifully lit up. I was very lucky with my timing, but if you plan correctly you can catch a beautiful sunset.

• Bukchon Hanok Village: Wander through the historic Bukchon Hanok Village, where hundreds of traditional Korean houses (hanoks) are preserved amid the modern cityscape. Many of these homes are still private residences, while others are open to the public as cultural centers, tea houses, and galleries. It's a beautiful spot to stroll and snap photos, but it can be odd knowing that people still live in these houses!

Culture and Tradition:

• Seoul is a fantastic city to explore to mix of traditional and modern. Walking from one neighborhood to the next you can see the traditional palaces, houses, and art, as well as modern architecture, advertising, and K-pop idols.

• Food:

  • Bungeoppang: These fish-shaped pastries are filled with sweet red bean paste and are a popular street food, especially during colder months. Many of the market stalls in Myeongdang sold these with the traditional red bean or with other flavors. Sweet red bean is definitely an unexpected flavor if you're not used to it, but delicious.

  • Korean Barbecue: No trip to Seoul is complete without trying Korean BBQ. Grilling your own meats at the table, often accompanied by endless side dishes (banchan), is an unforgettable experience. This is best enjoyed in a bigger group, so you can sample lots of different varieties of barbecue. When I was in Seoul, I was shocked by the number of sides they bring to the table with the barbecue!

  • Korean Fried Chicken: Super crispy and flavorful, it was in some ways similar to American fried chicken, but the fry seemed even lighter and crispier. Korean fried chicken comes in a variety of flavors that definitely departed from the American varieties, but I would recommend trying a few of the sauces. I went to a popular chain called Mom's Touch, which exceeded expectations for me.

  • Sweet Corn: I was surprised by the number of sweet corn flavored things I saw in Korea! Like the red bean paste, sweet corn isn't generally a "dessert" flavor for me, but I still really enjoyed my sweet corn almonds and sweet corn ice cream.

Practical Tips:

• Transportation: Seoul has a fantastic public transportation systems of trains and buses. The train stations are clean and are easy to get to from wherever you are in Seoul.

• Where to Stay: I stayed in Myeongdang, which was a great area to explore the markets, and also made getting to other parts of Seoul very easy, as it felt like a fairly central area of the city.

Photo Gallery: