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Heunginjimun Gate aka Dongdaemun Gate in Seoul

Top 8 Unique Things to do in Seoul for Curious Travelers

Posted on February 5, 2019September 25, 2022 by Fiona Mai

Are you a curious traveller looking for some unique things to do in Seoul?

South Korea (and Seoul) was always my childhood dream. I grew up watching Korean dramas every evening after school! Therefore, this trip to Seoul alone was my perfect ticket to the past when I was still an innocent girl dreaming about the land of “kimchi”.

But this also meant that I wasn’t keen on visiting Seoul’s most popular tourist attractions. While my friends and colleagues who had been to Seoul before remarked that the city was just too materialistic, I was curious to find unique things to do in Seoul that could show me more about its local life. 

How did Seoul turn out to be?

Seoul was amazing! I stayed there for 4 days and in the end, even wished the trip was one month! Perhaps the organized tours that my colleagues and friends took in Seoul exposed them to only the commercial side of the city and kept them from seeing its “soul”?

If you want to experience this city in a different way (perhaps more genuine and memorable), my list of 7 unique things to do in Seoul can give you some ideas. Check them out and let me know what you think!

1. Admire the architecture of Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University Seoul
Ewha Womans University Seoul

During my trip to Seoul, I was lucky to reunite with a Korean friend who attended the same university as me in Finland. As I mentioned Ewha Womans University, he comically told me that the opening gambit of students there would always be (in a posh way) “I am a woman from Ewha”.

In fact, they have all reasons to make such a noble statement. Ewha Womans University is deemed one of the most prestigious universities in Korea, especially for female students.

Perhaps you have also noticed the unusual word “womans” in its name. This is actually a deliberate choice of word, as the university wishes to highlight the uniqueness of each individual woman rather than referring to them all as “women”. “You see, the name alone is enough to urge me to apply!”, replied I.

Brilliant architecture

Other than its high reputation, Ewha Womans University is also well-known for 2 other things.

The first one is the university’s stunning architecture, which its French architect Dominique Perrault described  beautifully as “ sometimes building, sometimes landscape, sometimes sculpture.”

Once you’re here, start at the central valley of the campus where you can take some impressive photos. Then, go up the visually appealing staircase to access the roofs and admire the beautiful gardens on both sides.

The architecture of Ewha Womans University Seoul
The architecture of Ewha Womans University Seoul

 

The architecture of Ewha Womans University Seoul
The architecture of Ewha Womans University Seoul

Budget-friendly shopping streets

Ewha Womans University is also known as a shopping haven for students. Take a walk around here and you’ll find a great selection of clothes, cosmetics,  accessories, and other stuff. They are also much cheaper than those in Myeongdong. Why not add this to your “budget shopping list” while visiting Seoul? 😉

Shopping streets around Ewha Womans University Seoul
You can find here a great selection of clothes, accessories, and other stuff

 

Shopping streets around Ewha Womans University with a great selection of clothes
Shopping streets around Ewha Womans University with a great selection of clothes

2. Take Instagrammable photos at Ihwa Mural Village

First thing first, visiting Ihwa Mural Village involves lots of stair climbing. Don’t come here at the end of an active day or your knees will scream for help half-way up. 

Once a decrepit neighborhood, Ihwa Mural Village has magically turned into a lovely destination after the city decided to reinvigorate it. Ihwa Mural Village is now the place to be for people to enjoy creative artworks and take part in a variety of art-related activities. 

Cute figures on the streets of Ihwa Mural Village
Cute figures on the streets of Ihwa Mural Village

 

Walking up the stairs leading to Ihwa Mural Village
Walking up the stairs leading to Ihwa Mural Village

Things I like about Ihwa Mural Village

  • It’s not crowded at all! Feel free to pose for the best shot!
  • Not only tourists but locals also come here for a great view, for some cute photos, or for a nice coffee time
  • Villagers are super friendly! At the same time, it’s important for us travelers to keep in mind that the villagers need peace and privacy in their neighborhood as well.
  • Coffee shops are lovely. Art shops are well worth a visit. The city view from here is awesome!

Have your caricature created at Ihwa Mural Village Have your caricature created at Ihwa Mural Village

Cute postcards for those who fall in love with Korean food Cute postcards for those who fall in love with Korean food

Korean students hang around taking photos at Ihwa Mural Village Korean students hang around taking photos at Ihwa Mural Village

Before I die... Before I die…

Creative murals on the walls at Ihwa Mural Village Creative murals on the walls at Ihwa Mural Village

How about painting your own coasters? How about painting your own coasters?

3. Go back to the 60s in Jongno

The Jongno area is rarely mentioned in Seoul’s travel guidebooks, but the feeling I had when visiting it was immense!

As soon as I stepped out of the subway at Jongno, the first thought that came to my mind was: “AM I STARING AT A BLACK-AND-WHITE MOVIE FROM THE 60S?”.

There were old people everywhere around me. Everywhere! Ladies with their shopping bags. Men with their walking sticks. Elderly beggars looking desperately at passers-by. Groups of elders in their 70s and 80s chit-chatting along the pavements…

Jongno was, no doubt, the land of the elders. Despite being only 3 subway stops from the bustling Myeongdong area, Jongno seems like a totally different world. But how come?

Old people in Jongno, Seoul
Old people in Jongno, Seoul – Photo from Korea Expose

This article from Korea Expose offers a very good explanation as to why this area is deemed The Old Man’s Harbor. What I learned from it really blew my mind!

Jongno might not seem like an exciting tourist attraction, but the area is exactly where you should go if you want to observe locals and understand more about Korea’s modern society. Visiting Jongno is definitely one of the most unique things to do in Seoul!

4. Feel nostalgic at Seoul Folk Flea Market

Besides Jongno, there’s also another place where the ambiance of Seoul 50 years ago still lingers – the Seoul Folk Flea Market. 

One of the most unique things to do in Seoul

I’ve always been excited about flea markets and the sense of community they exude. Flea markets are where I head to whenever I want to get away from the tourist crowds and learn more about the cultural and social characters of a town.

Seoul Folk Flea Market is no exception. Tucked away in an alley a bit far from the city center, the market does a pretty good job of preserving the way traditional Korean marketplaces operate.

You will find here clothes, fashion accessories, electronics, souvenirs, and everyday items, most of which seem like they have been there for a really long time. 

A walk down memory lane

Antiques are what make Seoul Folk Flea Market unique. To me at least, walking past local vendors with their melancholic faces and browsing their old-aged items was an authentic experience itself.

The place seemed to invite me on a special expedition where I simultaneously discovered its past and fathomed its presence. Visiting this flea market is therefore one of the most unique things to do in Seoul that I highly recommend. 

Antiques at Seoul Folk Flea Market
Antiques at Seoul Folk Flea Market

 

An old TV set at Antiques at Seoul Folk Flea Market
An old TV set at Antiques at Seoul Folk Flea Market

 

An old telephone at Antiques at Seoul Folk Flea Market
An old telephone at Antiques at Seoul Folk Flea Market

 

Souvenirs with an ancient touch at Seoul Folk Flea Market
Souvenirs with an ancient touch at Seoul Folk Flea Market

5. Blend in with the locals at Insadong Hanok Village

Insadong Hanok Village popped up as I was looking for a less touristy alternative to the popular Bukchon Hanok Village. They are both ancient villages featuring traditional alleys and houses dated back to hundreds of years.

Insadong turned out to be no less busy on the weekend I visited. However, most visitors were locals rather than tourists. If you fancy browsing cute little coffee shops, tea houses, jewelry shops and makeup stores like the locals do, this place is definitely worth a visit. There are also eateries and restaurants where you can discover the unique Korean food culture as well.  

Insadong Hanok Village Seoul
Insadong Hanok Village Seoul

 

Traditional houses at Insadong have now become cute little tea houses
Traditional houses at Insadong have now become cute little tea houses

 

Insadong Hanok Village is where young locals head to for a weekend catch-up
Insadong Hanok Village is where young locals head to for a weekend catch-up

 

There are cute coffee shops, tea houses, jewellry shops and makeup stores all around the village
There are cute coffee shops, tea houses, jewelry shops, and makeup stores all around the village

 

You might also catch the sight of an oppa preparing dessert by the window
You might also catch the sight of an Oppa preparing dessert by the window

6. Adore the enchanting city view from Naksan Mountain

At the end of my exhausting climb at Ihwa Mural Village, the mesmerizing city view from Naksan Mountain appeared like a splash of ice-cold water amid the heat of the Sahara. 

View from Naksan Mountain
View from Naksan Mountain

Fun facts about Naksan Mountain

  • Naksan Mountain is located inside Naksan Park. Due to the resemblance between the mountain’s shape and the back of a camel, ‘Naksan’ in Korean actually means ‘the camel’s back’.
  • Many tourists mistake Naksan Park with the more well-known Namsan Park nearby. Inside Namsan Park also lies a mountain called Namsan where Seoul’s TV Tower proudly stands on. Namsan Park is more popular for couples, who like to climb up to the top and lock their love padlocks to the wired fences. 
  • There are some lovely coffee shops and small restaurants along the way down from Naksan Mountain. Why not drop by for an aromatic cup of coffee with a stunning view?

Coffee shops on the way down from Naksan Mountain

Coffee shops on the way down from Naksan Mountain

7. Get lost in a world of art at SSamzigil

SSamzigil is a special shopping center featuring all things art-related. Its 4 floors are connected by a spiraling walkway, leading through fascinating art galleries, painting workshops, souvenir shops, and handicraft stores.

I was wowed again and again by their dainty mini plants, ceramic souvenirs, natural soaps, homemade perfumes, and many other interesting things! 

SSamgizil in Seoul is the perfect space for art lovers
SSamgizil in Seoul is the perfect space for art lovers

 

SSamzigil is also a great place to find dainty souvenirs for your loved ones back home
SSamzigil is also a great place to find dainty souvenirs for your loved ones back home

Admire pieces of arts depicting life in Korea at SSamzigil

Admire pieces of art depicting life in Korea at SSamzigil

Hairpins with a lovely design at SSamzigil, Seoul

Hair pins with a lovely design at SSamzigil, Seoul

8. Book a Seoul Free Walking Tour with SeoulMate

SeoulMate is a student organization that runs cool and offbeat free walking tours in Seoul. You’ll get to learn a lot about Korean culture while hanging out with these energetic and welcoming student tour guides!

Instead of taking tourists to popular destinations, SeoulMate focuses on lesser-known areas in Seoul where they can show tourists what local life is like in this city. Check out my full review of Seoul Free Walking Tour with SeoulMate here. 

SeoulMate Free Walking Tour-10
SeoulMate Free Walking Tour

Summary of Top 8 Unique Things to do in Seoul

MY BIGGEST TIP: Look away from the most popular tourist attractions in Seoul, open your curious eyes and wander around lesser-known neighborhoods! Of course, you can start with these 7 unique things to do in Seoul!

I hope you’ll experience the subtlety of Seoul and fall in love with it in your own way 🙂 

–-> Pin this for future reference

Unique things to do in Seoul for Curious Travelers
Unique things to do in Seoul for Curious Travelers
Unique things to do in Seoul for Curious Travelers
Unique things to do in Seoul for Curious Travellers

  • seoul
  • 39 thoughts on “Top 8 Unique Things to do in Seoul for Curious Travelers”

    1. Handsome Wolf says:
      February 5, 2019 at 9:35 pm

      I love your blog very much. Looking forward to another journey of you

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        February 6, 2019 at 6:32 pm

        Thank you so much 🙂 – Fiona

        Reply
    2. Christina says:
      February 10, 2019 at 2:44 am

      Oh my gosh, we lived at Osan AB in 2013 and 2014 about an hour from Seoul and I have pictures of the same Before I die…mural. I’m happy to see that it’s still there! Korea was one of my absolute favorite places of all of the wonderful countries we’ve been.

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        February 10, 2019 at 8:01 am

        Oh really? That mural was really cool! I love Korea too and will definitely come back!

        Reply
    3. GEENA TRUMAN says:
      February 10, 2019 at 2:47 am

      Love all these photos!! Made me really want to explore Seoul this year!!

      Reply
    4. krista says:
      February 10, 2019 at 2:50 am

      what an awesome trip! I love a good nostalgic market & finding “before I die” signs in a city. I love reading what is on other peoples bucket lists! cant wait to check it out myself

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        February 10, 2019 at 8:02 am

        Yes that was a great mural! You should visit Seoul soon!

        Reply
    5. Danielle says:
      February 10, 2019 at 3:02 am

      This is a great guide! Will definitely keep this in my back pocket when I visit Seoul someday!

      Reply
    6. Emma Jane Explores says:
      February 10, 2019 at 3:04 pm

      Awesome tips! Especially love the street art!

      Reply
    7. Elisabeth says:
      February 16, 2019 at 4:12 pm

      This is a really comprehensive post about Seoul and it really makes me want to head over to Korea. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    8. Shane Prather says:
      February 27, 2019 at 10:00 pm

      I always enjoy guides like this which go beyond the typical touristy activities. I would much rather get off of the beaten path! 🙂

      Reply
    9. Anwesha Guha says:
      February 28, 2019 at 11:14 am

      Actually Fiona, it is also my dream to visit Korea and particularly Seoul once in my lifetime as I really admire their culture. I won’t say I am a big fan of K-pop but came to love Korean culture through Korean movies and series. Thanks for sharing this great guide.

      Reply
    10. Soumya Gayatri says:
      February 28, 2019 at 12:41 pm

      I had never imagined there was so much to see in Seoul. With so many amazing markets where I could catch up with my shopping and some great Korean culture, I would never get bored. I would totally want to visit the area of Jongno too. I wonder why they leave it out of guidebooks. It speaks so much about the past and present of Seoul.

      Reply
    11. esther says:
      February 28, 2019 at 3:02 pm

      oh wow I had no idea that Seoul was that beautiful!!! I wanted to go some years ago as I was living in Shanghai for 2 years but at the end couldn’t make it. Hopefully soon!! Great photos!!!

      Reply
    12. The Broad Life says:
      March 1, 2019 at 5:09 pm

      Planning to visit Seoul this year. Thanks for the post!

      Reply
    13. roseline says:
      March 1, 2019 at 7:56 pm

      Even though I live in Korea, but I have never been to Ehwa University. Maybe one day I will go there. This university is very famous and the building is very beautiful.

      Reply
    14. Epepa Travel Blog says:
      March 1, 2019 at 8:37 pm

      I am of the opinion that it is better not to listen to what others say, only to do what you feel. A few people also advised me not to travel to Sumartin in Croatia because ‘there is nothing interesting’, and I spent a wonderful day there, away from the crowds and the hustle and bustle. I am glad that you have fulfilled your dream and visited Seoul. Architecture and murals are amazing! I would also like to visit a flea market, I like places like this very much.

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        March 16, 2019 at 9:13 pm

        Thank you very much for your comment! Great to know you also share the same experience of heading for somewhere less popular and then feeling so glad that you have done so 🙂

        Reply
    15. Hailey says:
      March 2, 2019 at 4:01 am

      That is awesome you went where YOU wanted to go and not where you were pressured to go. That’s not always easy to do. I love seeing the fewer touristy options so this is a great list! I would be at that flea market!

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        March 17, 2019 at 2:53 pm

        Thank you so much 🙂

        Reply
    16. yukti says:
      March 2, 2019 at 11:20 pm

      Seoul has great attractions for curious travelers with lovely architectures of woman’s University. I would love to stroll around budget-friendly shopping streets and buy something unique from there.

      Reply
    17. blair villanueva says:
      March 8, 2019 at 11:26 am

      I like those budget-friendly shopping streets and street arts! I can’t wait to visit Seoul as well and discover many things during the trip 😀

      Reply
    18. Julie says:
      March 14, 2020 at 11:59 pm

      I’ve wanted to visit Seoul for so long and this is definitely re-igniting that desire!!

      Reply
    19. Elizabeth says:
      March 16, 2020 at 11:59 am

      Don’t you love when your friends and family give their opinions on your travels?? Drives me crazy, haha. Glad you didn’t listen to them and had a great time in Seoul. There looks like there are so many great things to do. I like your tip about visiting lesser-known neighborhoods. I always find just wandering around can be so much better than the expensive tourist sites.

      Reply
    20. Jen says:
      April 4, 2020 at 1:09 pm

      I live just outside of Seoul so I’m there all the time but even I haven’t done some of these. Great ideas! 😁

      Reply
    21. Mona says:
      August 6, 2022 at 7:37 am

      Seoul is very high on my list. Saving this post to my Pinterest board, thank you!

      Reply
    22. Terri says:
      September 10, 2022 at 9:07 am

      I love doing off beat things when I visit a new city, like discovering a non-touristy neighborhood or shopping at a flea market. Discovering street art is alleyways is always a thrill. But I think my favorite of your adventures was the student-run walking tour.

      Reply
    23. Mayi says:
      September 10, 2022 at 5:06 pm

      Seoul was such a great trip, and it exceeded all of my expectations. My favourite place of all was Insadong. I loved that in the middle of one of the world’s most modern cities lies a very traditional neighbourhood.

      Reply
    24. Heather says:
      September 10, 2022 at 5:06 pm

      How cool! I’ve been to the Seoul airport three times and have wanted to go to Korea for ages! Great post. Looks like I will have a great time.

      Reply
    25. Natalie says:
      September 10, 2022 at 5:23 pm

      South Korea is very high up on my list right now, so I hope to visit within the next year! This post will be very useful when I do, so thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
    26. Catherine - Savvy Family Travel says:
      September 10, 2022 at 9:10 pm

      I’d love to explore the murals with my little ones. Seoul has been on our list for a few years, hoping to make it happen in 2023!

      Reply
    27. Andrea says:
      September 10, 2022 at 10:08 pm

      Looks amazing. The only time I’ve been here in Seoul was during COVID and we couldn’t leave the airport even with a very long layover.

      Reply
    28. Jenn says:
      September 11, 2022 at 12:58 am

      Ssamzigil is fascinating to me – I want to go check out all the artsy things! Thanks for this great guide to unique experiences in Seoul.

      Reply
    29. Travelling Tam says:
      September 11, 2022 at 2:46 pm

      I loveee Seoul so much. I think it’s my favourite Asian city! I would go back in a heartbeat and I’d aim to find some less-touristy things to do, so this list would be useful to refer back to!

      Reply
    30. syfnzsays says:
      September 11, 2022 at 9:38 pm

      Goshhhh I love reading your alternative list of things to do in Seoul. I was too busy shopping and eating the whole time 😡

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        September 12, 2022 at 1:58 pm

        I totally understand – There were so many great options for shopping and eating in Seoul <3 A reason to return next time then ^^

        Reply
    31. Anja says:
      September 12, 2022 at 12:28 am

      Beautiful! I might go live in Japan next year so i will love to “hop” across to Korea. Thank you for sharing, beautiful post!

      Reply
    32. Josy A says:
      September 12, 2022 at 2:04 am

      I would loooove to spend time in Seoul! It’s cool to see the difference between the Jongno area and Insadong Hanok Village. The best bit has to be Naksan Mountain is the kind of place I love too!

      Reply
    33. Elyse says:
      September 14, 2022 at 4:47 am

      I went to Seoul a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. This guide is awesome because it mentions a number of things I hadn’t done before. I can’t wait to go back.

      Reply

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    Welcome to Fiona's blog!

    A 20-ish Vietnamese travel blogger who has been to 21 countries so far, Fiona was lucky enough to call herself a past resident of Helsinki, Berlin, Brisbane, Hanoi, and Kingston upon Hull. Even more fortunate right now to be back to where she comes from: Saigon, Vietnam. Read more about her journeys here.

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