Your Seoul Guide

Photo by Andrea Wilkins on Unsplash Updated April 2026 · 9 min read If you are putting together a Seoul itinerary and someone tells you to skip Insadong because it is too touristy, I would push back on that. Yes, it is well-known. Yes, the main street gets crowded on weekends. But Insadong is one of those neighborhoods where the real experience is not on the main road at all — it is in the alleys off it, where traditional tea houses, independent galleries, and craft shops are stacked above each other on narrow staircases, and where the pace of the city slows down in a way that is genuinely hard to find anywhere else in Seoul. I used to work near Gwanghwamun, and Insadong was somewhere I found myself returning to regularly — for pajeon and makgeolli after work, for a quiet afternoon in one of the backstreet tea houses, for galleries that managed to be interesting without being intimidating. Give it a proper afternoon and it will give you mo...

Photo by Tim Winkler on Unsplash Updated April 2026 · 10 min read There is one day trip from Seoul that I recommend to every foreign friend who visits me, and it is not Nami Island. It is the DMZ. The Korean Demilitarized Zone is genuinely unlike anything else you will see anywhere in the world. It is a 250km-long strip of land that has divided a single nation for over 70 years, and it sits just one hour from the center of Seoul. Living in Gyeonggi-do, I am closer to this border than most people realize — and every time I head north toward it, something about that drive always puts things into perspective in a way that no book or documentary quite manages. If you want to understand Korea — not just visit it — this is the day trip to take. In this guide What is the DMZ — and why does it matter What you can see — the main DMZ sites How to book a DMZ tour Also worth seeing in Paju...

Image by Nemo Jo from Pixabay Updated April 2026 · 9 min read May is one of the best months to visit Seoul — and one of the most underrated. The cherry blossom crowds from April have moved on, summer has not yet arrived, and the city is in the middle of its best stretch of weather. But what really makes May special is what is happening on the ground. More festivals are concentrated in this single month than any other time of year — a UNESCO-listed lantern parade through the heart of the city, a 5km rose tunnel in a neighborhood most tourists never find, one of Asia’s best music festivals, and a city-wide K-culture celebration on the Han River. Some of these events run for just a few days. All of them are worth planning around. Here is the full picture for May in Seoul. In this guide Lotus Lantern Festival — the one not to miss Seoul Rose Festival Seoul Jazz Festival Seoul Spring...

Image by Sebastian from Pixabay Updated April 2026 · 8 min read Busan is one of my favorite cities in Korea — and honestly, one I never need much of an excuse to visit. Seoul and Busan feel like two completely different worlds. Busan has the sea, the hills, the raw fish markets, and an energy that is distinctly its own. Every season works: spring along the waterfront, summer at the beach, autumn in the hillside neighborhoods, winter at Jagalchi with a bowl of something warm. If you are spending time in Korea and have a few days to spare, Busan deserves to be on your list. Getting there is easy. Here is everything you need to know. In this guide KTX — the best option for most people, and how to book Flying — when it makes sense SRT and express bus — other options Comparison at a glance FAQ KTX — The Best Option for Most People The KTX is South Kore...

Photo by J on Unsplash Updated April 2026 · 8 min read Not every Seoul itinerary needs to be about the biggest, the most crowded, or the most photographed. This one is about a corner of the city that moves at a different pace. Gyeonghuigung, the Western Palace, sits quietly in Jongno — free to enter, rarely busy, and carrying one of the more melancholy histories of any palace in the city. Attached to its grounds is the Seoul Museum of History, which is honestly one of my favorite places in all of Seoul. And a short walk away, Donuimun Museum Village — a neighborhood that recreated 100 years of Seoul’s urban history in a single block of alleys — is currently closed and facing an uncertain future. But the story of why it is closing is itself worth knowing. This is a half-day that rewards the curious more than the checklist. In this guide Gyeonghuigung — the forgotten western palace Seoul ...

Photo by Inhyeok Park on Unsplash Updated April 2026 · 10 min read If I had to pick one place in Seoul that rewards slowing down, it would be Changdeokgung. Most people have heard of Gyeongbokgung — the grand, photogenic palace that appears on every Seoul itinerary. Changdeokgung is the other one. Quieter, older in feeling, and in my view considerably more beautiful. It sits at the foot of a forested ridge in northern Jongno, its buildings tucked into the natural contours of the hillside rather than laid out on a flat ceremonial grid. Behind the palace is Huwon — the Secret Garden — 78 acres of wooded paths, pavilions, and lotus ponds that served as the private retreat of Joseon royalty for centuries. And through a connecting gate in the eastern wall lies Changgyeonggung, a second palace that is included in the same ticket and well worth your time. In this guide History & what to see Huwon ...