Seoul took us in quickly.
Our first six days in Korea moved between palace grounds, forest paths, neon shopping streets.
Additionally, there was history, a lot of walking, one useful maps lesson, and more fried chicken than I planned.
A Maps Lesson, Then the Tower
After a slow breakfast we headed toward the city center by bus around 10:00. The first ride was easy. The second was not. Google Maps sent us, twice, toward an airport bus that only drops arriving passengers and does not pick anyone up on the way into the city. It was a small frustration before lunch, and also the moment we switched to Naver Maps for the rest of Korea. After that, buses, the subway, and taxis all felt straightforward, even in a city this large.
Before any real sightseeing, we had booked facials. The standard men’s treatment, with aqua cleaning, masks, and skincare, left the skin noticeably cleaner, with the first little change around the pores already visible. I went for a deeper clean. It was thorough, and my skin stayed flushed for several hours afterward. Not glamorous, but very Seoul, and I was glad we started the trip that way.
Then we climbed to N Seoul Tower. About 1,000 steps. Sporty, warm, and worth it once the city opened up below us. For the way down we chose the Namsan Sky Forest Trail, a quieter path through the trees that felt like a reward after the stairs.
We ended the day at Rain Report in Gyeongridan. I still think about that table: a sesame latte, a pepper latte, and a cake in two parts, one chocolate with a matcha mousse filling, the other closer to cheesecake with chocolate inside. A soft landing after a long first day.
Gyeongbokgung, With the Mountains Behind It
Gyeongbokgung surprised us in Korea.
Additionally, we arrived as a brief ceremony began.
Moreover, several such events occurred through the day with performers in traditional dress and with weapons.
It offered a glimpse of old court and guard life.
The moment did not last long, yet it remained one of the palace’s strongest first impressions.
The grounds themselves were the bigger gift. For 3,000 won we walked through a wide, carefully laid-out complex of halls, gardens, and open green space, with mountains sitting right behind the roofs. That mix, historic architecture and a real mountain backdrop, is what made Gyeongbokgung feel special rather than like a checklist stop.
Three Neighborhoods, Two That Stayed
We left through the west gate and walked straight into Bukchon Hanok Village. I had expected something more staged. It felt more lived-in than that. People still seem to live in these lanes, the streets climb, and from the higher points you get a clear view back over Seoul’s skyline. We stopped for matcha and black tea with milk. Both were good, simple, and exactly the pause we wanted.
Insadong did not land the same way. Plenty of buildings, plenty of shops, and not much that felt distinct to us. Ikseon-dong was the opposite: pedestrian-friendly, full of small shops, cafes, and restaurants, with a charm that felt easy rather than performed. If I had to send a friend to one hanok neighborhood to linger, it would be Ikseon-dong.
In the afternoon we followed Cheonggyecheon, the old stream that once ran as a covered channel under a road and has been opened again as a walking path through the city. It is an easy place to slow down. You walk, stop, and walk again. Lunch was at Nio Rumian Guan, the main branch: dumplings and noodle soup, both really good. A quiet highlight, the kind that does not need a view to stay with you.
Gangnam, a Library, and a First Chicken
The next morning started with shopping at IFC Mall and the Hyundai Department Store, then a simple move across the city. A short walk, about fifteen minutes on the subway, another short walk, and we were at our hotel in Gangnam. I like transfers that feel this uneventful.
Starfield Library sits right there, beside the COEX complex, and it is as striking in person as it looks in photos. The mall around it was less our place: busy, a little hectic, and in parts more clutter than shopping we cared about. We did not need to give COEX that much time.
Later we walked Cheongdam-dong, a luxury street with polished boutiques and architecture that is interesting even if you are only looking. Apgujeong Rodeo Street felt like the louder, neon version of the same area. At New Dark House Dosan, a stylish cafe in a building that also sells sunglasses, the matcha latte was outstanding.
Dinner was our first Korean fried chicken, at bhc. Boneless, crisp, and better than we had expected. A very good argument for not overthinking the first chicken of the trip.
Seoul Forest, Seongsu, and a Change of Plan
We began the following day with a very good hotel breakfast, then Seoul Forest. It is a large city park near Seongsu, with deer, water, and a small Snoopy Garden that immediately made us more curious about the Snoopy Garden waiting for us on Jeju.
From the park we walked into Seongsu-dong. Pop-up stores, small cafes, creative shops, and so little car traffic that it almost felt like a pedestrian area even though it is not. We had a good iced coffee and may have left with a new sweater. On the way back, Let’s Eat Chicken gave us a more classic, slightly spicier fried chicken than the night before. The extra heat was the one we kept talking about.
Rain changed the afternoon, so we went to the Lotte Mall beside Lotte World Tower. The tower is about 550 meters high, and that day its tip disappeared into cloud, which somehow made it feel even taller. The mall worked better for us than COEX: flagship stores, a huge Uniqlo, and Seokchon Lake Park right alongside.
Dinner was at Mercato, in the hotel: carpaccio, salad niçoise, bruschetta pizza, and octopus. The food was very good, and the meal felt more coherent than our restaurant experience at the Conrad. Afterward we walked toward Gangnam Station. The underground shopping was already closed. The streets above were still a pleasant way to end the evening.
Hannam, a Handmade Watch, and Two Markets
Hannam-dong was another neighborhood of small boutiques and cafes. We liked the feel of it, even though several interesting shops were still closed. Shilla Duty Free, which happened to be on the way, was not a place we would go out of our way for. A few floors, not much that held us.
Namsangol Hanok Village was worth the walk. The park is beautiful, and in places it reminded us of Japanese gardens. A festival had brought stages and temporary structures into the grounds, which shifted the atmosphere a little, but the park itself was still a lovely stop.
In Hongdae we ate at a small, carefully run bagel shop before our appointment at Watch Make Factory. The bagels are baked there, and they were excellent. Building the watch was a lovely hands-on hour: choosing a model, designing the dial. The design came out almost exactly as planned, until it was damaged in the shop and had to be made again. A small emotional dip in an otherwise bright afternoon. In the end, it was sorted, and the watch still felt like a souvenir we had actually made.
That evening we went to Gwangjang Market, a big covered market with a classic market feel. It sits on the tourist trail, and it still felt alive. We ate at a stall people say Gordon Ramsay has visited, and tried the kimchi dumplings. The market atmosphere was the real draw. The food was good, not a revelation.
We walked Cheonggyecheon again after dark. The stream is even nicer at night, though the lighting was quieter than we had imagined. Myeongdong Night Market was the contrast: louder, fuller, and much more touristy than Gwangjang. We tried a chestnut fish there, expecting something closer to the fluffy battered version we knew from Japan. This one was more like puff pastry, and it did not win us over. A strawberry mochi afterward put the evening back in a better mood.
Final Thoughts
Six days was enough to feel how Seoul holds old palace grounds and newer, creative neighborhoods in the same walk. I keep coming back to Gyeongbokgung against the mountains, the lanes in Bukchon and Ikseon-dong, the forest path down from Namsan, the cafes in Seongsu, and those two versions of fried chicken.
If you are planning buses here, trust Naver Maps. Google Maps sent us the wrong way twice before lunch on day one, and we did not need a third lesson. Seoul is big, but once the maps were right, it felt surprisingly easy to move through.
We were only at the beginning. Busan was next, and I was already curious which side of Korea would feel most like us.
