Downtown Seoul

Downtown Seoul is the old walled capital of the Joseon dynasty, squeezed between the mountains to the north and Namsan to the south. It falls mainly within two districts: Jongno-gu, home to the royal palaces, Gwanghwamun Square and the antique lanes of Insadong, and Jung-gu, which holds City Hall, Myeong-dong, the great markets and Seoul Station. Locals call this core the CBD to distinguish it from the newer business districts of Gangnam and Yeouido across the Han River.

What makes it work is the layering. A fourteenth-century palace gate faces a glass office tower; a restored stream runs where an elevated highway once stood; tiny tool shops in Euljiro share alleys with cocktail bars. Everything is linked by a subway that is quick, clean and cheap, so you can see the major sights in a couple of days and still find new corners on a fifth visit. The trade-off is that the CBD empties after office hours in places, so evenings are best spent in Myeong-dong, Jongno or Euljiro.

Need to know

The districts

Landmarks worth your time

• Gyeongbokgung Palace. The main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, founded in 1395; arrive for the changing of the guard at Gwanghwamun gate, and note that visitors wearing hanbok enter free.
• Changdeokgung and its Secret Garden. A UNESCO-listed palace that follows the hillside rather than a strict grid; the rear garden is seen by guided tour only, and places are limited.
• Jongmyo Shrine. The UNESCO-listed shrine to the royal ancestors, a long, austere hall that is one of the most moving buildings in East Asia.
• Cheonggyecheon. A restored stream that runs for kilometres through downtown below street level; walk east from Cheonggye Plaza for a cool, quiet route through the CBD.
• Deoksugung Palace. A compact palace opposite City Hall that mixes traditional halls with early twentieth-century Western-style stone buildings; the stone-wall road beside it is lovely in autumn.
• Bukchon Hanok Village. Lanes of restored hanok with views over the rooftops to the towers of the CBD.
• Namsan and N Seoul Tower. Walk the trails or take the cable car up the mountain in the middle of the city for the best panorama, especially at dusk.
• Dongdaemun Design Plaza. A sweeping, futuristic exhibition and design centre built beside remnants of the old city wall.

A perfect day downtown

Start at Gwanghwamun Square and walk through the gate into Gyeongbokgung as it opens, timing your visit around the guard-changing ceremony. The National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum sit within the grounds. Climb into Bukchon for the rooftop views, then drop down to Samcheong-dong for coffee.

In the afternoon, wander Insadong's main street and side alleys, look in at Jogyesa, the city's principal Buddhist temple, and lose yourself in Ikseon-dong's tiny hanok lanes. Follow Cheonggyecheon east to Gwangjang Market for a late lunch of mung-bean pancakes and gimbap at the communal counters.

As evening falls, head to Myeong-dong for street food, or to Euljiro, where bars hide upstairs in workshop buildings. Finish on Namsan, where the city lights spread out in every direction, or go late-night browsing in Dongdaemun, where some fashion malls keep trading into the small hours.

Eat and drink

Korean food is built for sharing: grilled meat cooked at the table, bubbling stews, cold buckwheat noodles in summer, and a spread of small side dishes (banchan) that are refilled without charge. Traditional markets are the best places to eat well for little money. Gwangjang Market's food alley is famous for its pancakes, raw-beef bibimbap and blood sausage, while Namdaemun Market has an alley of noodle and fish stalls. Department-store basement food halls and convenience stores fill the gaps, and office districts offer generous set lunches on weekdays.

After dark, plastic-tent street stalls and small pubs serve soju, makgeolli rice wine and fried chicken with beer. Myeong-dong's evening stalls sell tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), hotteok pancakes and skewers. Note that barbecue restaurants often expect orders for at least two people; solo travellers will find noodle bars, gimbap shops and set-meal counters easier. Many places now take orders by tablet or kiosk, usually with an English option.

See it on foot

Take a virtual walk through downtown Seoul before you go.

Video by Walking Expedition on YouTube. It loads from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player only when you press play.

Getting around

The subway covers the core densely. Line 2, the circle line, runs under City Hall and Euljiro; Line 1 follows Jongno; Line 4 serves Myeong-dong and Seoul Station; Line 5 runs to Gwanghwamun and, usefully, direct from Gimpo Airport. Buses are colour-coded by route type and run on central bus lanes along the main avenues, and tapping your card when you get off earns discounted transfers between bus and subway. From Incheon, the AREX airport railway runs to Seoul Station, with a faster non-stop express and cheaper all-stop trains, and airport limousine buses serve the main downtown districts.

Walking is the best way to link palaces, markets and neighbourhoods, though the hills of Bukchon and Namsan are steep and underground passages are often the only way across the widest avenues. The city's public bike-share, Seoul Bike (known as Ddareungi), has docks across the centre. Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced, with premium and English-speaking options. Driving yourself makes little sense: traffic is heavy and parking is scarce. The subway shuts down around midnight, after which late-night "Owl" buses take over on major routes.

Where to stay

First-time visitors do best in Myeong-dong or around City Hall and Euljiro, where several lines meet and airport buses stop. Gwanghwamun and Jongno suit those who want to walk to the palaces and prefer quieter evenings. For something traditional, Insadong, Ikseon-dong and Bukchon have guesthouses in restored hanok, often with heated floors and small courtyards. Dongdaemun suits shoppers and night owls, and Seoul Station is the practical choice for early high-speed trains or the airport railway. Travellers chasing nightlife sometimes base themselves in Hongdae or Itaewon instead and ride the subway into the centre for sightseeing.

Living downtown

Downtown is more office district than residential neighbourhood, so housing is a mix of high-rise apartments, officetels (studios in mixed office-and-residential towers, popular with single professionals) and low-rise multi-unit "villas" in the older streets of Jongno. Korea has two distinctive rental systems. Under jeonse, the tenant pays a very large lump-sum deposit and no monthly rent, recovering the deposit at the end of the lease. Under wolse, the tenant pays a smaller deposit plus monthly rent, and this is what most newcomers and foreigners choose. Residential leases typically run two years, and tenants generally have a legal right to request one renewal, with limits on the increase.

Because deposits are large, check the property register for mortgages before you sign, then report your move-in to the local community centre and obtain a fixed-date stamp on your contract to protect your claim to the deposit. Downtown suits singles and couples who value walking to work, palaces on their doorstep and the best transit in the country. Families usually look to residential districts such as Mapo, Seongbuk or Yongsan, or south of the river, for schools and green space.

Doing business downtown

The CBD is one of Seoul's three main office cores, alongside Gangnam and Yeouido. Its towers around Gwanghwamun, Jongno, City Hall and Seoul Station house conglomerate headquarters, government ministries, embassies, banks, insurers, law firms and the country's major newspapers and broadcasters, while foreign companies favour it for its prestige and transit. Startups and technology firms lean towards Gangnam, Seongsu and the Pangyo tech valley south of the city. Foreign investors usually register their investment, then register the business with the local tax office; the national investment agency, Invest Korea, runs support services for newcomers.

Retail is intensely concentrated. Myeong-dong is the cosmetics and tourist-shopping capital, with flagship department stores nearby; Insadong specialises in crafts and art; Namdaemun and Dongdaemun markets serve wholesale buyers from across Asia; and long underground shopping arcades run beneath Euljiro and City Hall. For details on districts and leasing, see Office and commercial space in downtown Seoul.

Signature events

Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser's official site before booking travel.

Seasons and weather

Spring arrives in April with cherry blossom and forsythia, and mild days make it ideal for walking, though some days bring fine dust or yellow dust from the west; check the air-quality forecast and carry a mask if you are sensitive. Summer is hot and humid, and the monsoon (jangma), usually from late June into July, brings heavy downpours, so pack a compact umbrella and quick-drying clothes. Autumn is the best season of all: clear skies, crisp air and ginkgo and maple colour peaking from late October. Winter is cold and dry, often well below freezing with biting winds, but sunny; bring a warm coat, gloves and layers, as buildings and subway cars are well heated.

Safety and practicalities

Seoul is one of the safest big cities in the world, and walking late at night is normal. The main hazards are mundane: delivery scooters on pavements, crowded platforms at rush hour and slippery steps in winter. Demonstrations are common around Gwanghwamun Square and City Hall at weekends; they are usually peaceful but close roads and divert buses. Most subway stations have lifts, though palace grounds have gravel paths and Bukchon is steep. Mobile coverage and free Wi-Fi are excellent; buy an eSIM or local SIM on arrival. Global map apps give limited walking and driving directions in Korea, so download a local map app before you go.

Local tips

• Palaces each close one day a week, usually Monday or Tuesday, so plan your palace day accordingly.
• Use station exit numbers when meeting people; big stations have a dozen or more exits.
• Keep some cash for topping up transit cards and for market stalls.
• Hanbok rental shops near Gyeongbokgung make the free palace entry easy; book ahead on spring and autumn weekends.
• Shops often offer an instant tax refund for visitors on larger purchases; carry your passport when shopping.
• Avoid the subway between about 8 and 9 in the morning if you can; it is efficient but packed.