Seoul

South Korea·Asia

Currency

KRW

Language

Korean

Timezone

Seoul

Continent

Asia

Our guide

Discover Seoul

Seoul was flattened during the Korean War and rebuilt in a generation, which gives a city where a glass tower stands behind a 14th-century palace and nobody finds it odd. Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace are the two great royal complexes; the second hides a garden laid out to follow the terrain rather than correct it. Bukchon Hanok Village keeps traditional houses, lived in, between the two. Namsan Seoul Tower marks the hill that splits the city, and Cheonggyecheon Stream Park returned to daylight a river buried under a motorway for fifty years.

When to go

April to May and September to November, without hesitation: clear skies, mild temperatures, blossom in spring and maples in autumn. Summer is hot, very humid, and crossed in late June and July by the monsoon, the jangma, which brings continuous rain. Winter is cold and dry — often below −10 °C — but bright, and the palaces under snow have no equivalent.

Getting around

The metro is among the world's best: numbered colour-coded lines, English signage throughout, long but legible interchanges. A T-money card is bought in any convenience store and works on metro, buses and taxis. Buses are colour-classed by the range they cover. Taxis are affordable and plentiful. The city is hilly: districts walk well, but moving between them happens underground.

Where to eat

Korean barbecue is cooked at the table over coals and shared — banchan, the small side dishes, arrive unordered and are refilled. Bibimbap, tteokbokki as street food, and fried chicken with beer, chimaek, carry the rest. Café culture is substantial to the point that themed cafés are part of the landscape. Seven halal addresses are listed, concentrated around Itaewon, where the central mosque stands.

Good to know

The won is the currency, but Korea has gone very largely cashless: cards work almost everywhere, including for small sums. Public wifi is everywhere. Shoes come off in traditional restaurants and in homes. Pouring for your neighbour rather than yourself is the rule, and you hold the bottle with both hands for someone older. Tipping is not practised and can cause awkwardness.

Smart Planning