After three years of feeling trapped in separate households in the course of the pandemic, my household and I lastly bought an opportunity to journey to Seoul, South Korea. Blame it on the recognition of Ok-dramas we binged on in the course of the lockdown, and our frequent eating out in samgyupsal eating places within the metro, however everybody was desperate to expertise Seoul for themselves and spend high quality time collectively.
After months of planning, ready for slots for our visa functions, and clearing everybody’s respective work and faculty schedules for per week, we lastly made it to the land of Seoul in time for the late autumn season in November 2022.
Since we have been touring with children and most of us have been first-timers, our itinerary was a mixture of sightseeing to basic landmarks, kid-friendly amusement parks, and experiential museums. We additionally had a number of seniors in our group, so we would have liked to incorporate a number of instructional and cultural experiences.
Listed here are simply a few of the basic experiences in Seoul, South Korea that my household loved essentially the most that you may additionally need to embody in your itinerary.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace was the principle royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. In-built 1395, this grand palace positioned in northern Seoul is the most important of the 5 Grand Palaces constructed by the Joseon dynasty, and reportedly served as the house of Kings of the Joseon dynasty.
In fashionable instances, this palace has been seen in varied historic k-dramas like Kingdom, Goong, The Final Empress, and The Moon Embracing the Solar, to title a number of.
For the reason that Nineties, the walled palace complicated has regularly been restored to its unique type. It presently homes the Nationwide Palace Museum and the Nationwide Folks Museum inside the premises of the complicated.
One of the enjoyable experiences for the entire household is to attempt on the elegant Korean conventional clothes referred to as ‘hanbok’ for picture ops across the Gyeonbokgung Palace.
Very like how Japan has kimono rental outlets, South Korea has hanbok rental outlets for vacationers, and you may borrow and put on hanbok whereas strolling across the palace to make reminiscences and snap distinctive household images.
Nami Island
For nature lovers, Nami Island ought to undoubtedly be in your bucket checklist. Nami Island is a half-moon-shaped isle close to Seoul. Featured within the well-known Korean drama, Winter Sonata, this romantic vacation spot affords a distinct expertise relying on the season you go to.
Count on stunning blossoms for those who go to throughout spring time. Throughout summer season, guests can expertise lush inexperienced environment and sunny days. Throughout autumn, the climate is cooler and the falling leaves provides an air of drama and nostalgia. In winter, guests can see snow on the bushes and stroll by way of great white landscapes.
The tour to Nami Island includes lunch at a conventional Korean restaurant, a leisurely ferry journey, and sufficient time to stroll across the spacious grounds.
The children bought an opportunity to run round, whereas the older members of the group loved the refreshing surroundings and native refreshments.
Those that need to get a little bit of a piece out can borrow conventional bicycles to go across the small island. Due to its completely different points of interest, Nami Island affords the proper year-round day journey from Seoul.
Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway
The Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway is a picturesque pedestrian footpath that runs subsequent to Deoksugung Palace. This space has been featured in varied Ok-dramas together with Guardian: The Lonely and Nice God (Goblin), One Spring Night time, The Magnificence Inside, and Run On, to call a number of.
As soon as a daily highway earlier than it was was a pedestrian walkway, this city area exhibits how individuals and nature can coexist in good concord.
This 900-meter stretch of highway has 20 benches and 130 bushes lining the trail, providing an ideal place to take leisurely walks, relaxation, and chill out. It’s standard throughout autumn due to the gorgeous foliage. Whereas strolling, you possibly can spot pictures of well-known historic landmarks on the pathways recreated within the tiles.
In late autumn and colder winter months, the tree trunks listed here are adorned with colourful knitted “sweaters,” which have develop into a vacationer attraction in themselves. Except for serving to maintain the bushes heat, the designs knitted by volunteers add a creative contact to public areas. The distinctive challenge additionally helped carry pleasure to locals and passersby in the course of the gloomy pandemic years.
Haneul Sky Park
Haneul Sky Park is the preferred of the 5 parks of World Cup Park, close to Seoul World Cup Stadium. This picturesque panorama options paths by way of tall, lush grass to a hilltop with sweeping vistas, with pampas grass in bloom throughout autumn months.
Surprisingly, this stunning park was as soon as a landfill that held over 92 million tons of rubbish till it was was a large-scale setting and ecological park.
For these touring with children and seniors, golf cart shuttles are offered for simple entry to the highest. Those that need to get some train can hike up the Haneul Park Stairs, which has 291 steps or stroll up the identical hilly paved highway taken by the shuttle bus.
Cheonggyecheon Stream
Cheonggyecheon Stream, which runs by way of downtown Seoul, is a restoration of the stream that existed in the course of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The 11-km lengthy stream was as soon as lined with an elevated freeway, which was eliminated in an enormous city renewal challenge in 2003, to carry nature again to town and promote a extra eco-friendly city design.
The Seoul Metropolitan Authorities designated the realm as a vehicle-free zone on holidays, which has given extra leisure area for pedestrians.
Since its restoration, the waterfront areas of Cheonggyecheon Stream, and the encompassing streets have develop into standard locations for locals and vacationers to unwind and revel in cultural experiences. Whereas strolling round right here, we seen how native workplace staff have been having fun with their espresso alongside the stream and loved sitting and listening to music being carried out by buskers.
Tradition and Arts Streets
Whereas in Seoul, we visited a number of vacationer areas recognized for buying, arts, and tradition together with the Hongdae Tradition and Arts Particular Vacationer Zone and Insadong, a vigorous space full of artsy decorations and historic spots.
The entire household can get pleasure from wandering round this colourful place and benefit from the vigorous ambiance, from daytime to nighttime.
Except for searching for souvenirs, you possibly can go the time at one of many many conventional tea outlets. You may also see road distributors making and promoting the well-known Dalgona Sweet (Korean Honeycomb Toffee) made standard by Netflix’s Squid Recreation.
The meals
One other spotlight for the entire household was the scrumptious Korean meals that we bought to get pleasure from throughout Seoul and a few hands-on experiences together with sampling seaweed and kimchi making on the Kimchi Museum.
Throughout one lunch tour, we had Dakgalbi, a spicy stir-fried rooster dish made with boneless rooster items, rice, and a few greens. One other night, we loved a festive Samgyupsal meal at a ship restaurant docked at Han River. Ove a number of days, we loved meals like Bulgogi, Tteokboki, and the well-known Bbq Hen and craft beer within the famed Myeong-dong vacationer district.
Nevertheless, probably the greatest meals we had in the course of the journey was at a easy native eatery that served grilled mackerel and fish stew that our tour information James introduced us to.
It wasn’t a flowery restaurant and never the standard place you’d carry vacationers, however judging by the gang of native cyclists and the empty plates after our meal, you may inform everybody loved the fare.
NOTE: A model of this text was first printed within the October 2023 problem of Enrich Journal. Half 2 will concentrate on the fashionable, technological, and kid-friendly points of interest in Seoul.
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