Our guides for visiting Seoul, checked against official sources. For Korea-wide basics such as transport cards, payments and arrival rules, see Start here.
Hanbok gets you into Seoul's palaces free, foreigners included. What the official guideline accepts and rejects, plus palace hours, fees and photo rules.
Shopping for Korean cosmetics: the ₩15,000 tax refund rule, Olive Young's instant refund terms, reading Korean labels and the 100 ml flight rule.
The real Seoul places behind KPop Demon Hunters: Naksan city wall, N Seoul Tower, Bukchon, COEX and more, with hours, fares and what has ended.
How to order Korean fried chicken, from yangnyeom to half-and-half, plus Suwon, Daegu and Sokcho food streets, Hangang delivery zones and alcohol rules.
The difference between soju, makgeolli, yakju and cheongju, what the labels mean, regional liquors, the age and driving rules, and flying home with a bottle.
Real K-drama filming spots you can visit, from the Guardian groyne in Gangneung and Lovely Runner's Suwon to Jeju ports, with hours, fees and closed days.
How foreigners buy K-pop concert tickets in Korea — global ticket sites, passport checks, the 2026 scalping rules, getting to KSPO DOME, Gocheok and INSPIRE Arena.
Eating at Gwangjang Market in Seoul — food alley hours (09:00–23:00, open year-round), dishes to try, the gates to use and what Seoul announced on fair prices.
A first-timer's guide to Myeongdong — shopping streets, licensed street stalls and prices, Myeongdong Cathedral's 09:00 English Mass, and help in English.
How Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul works — buy seafood at a stall, eat it at a restaurant upstairs, check auction prices and how the 24-hour recall works.
Lotte World tickets from ₩64,000 for adults (19+), Seoul Sky ₩33,000 (13+), plus Magic Pass, hours, the Sky Bridge and how to do both in a day.
How to get from Gimpo Airport into Seoul — AREX to Seoul Station from ₩1,750, Line 9 express to Gangnam, limousine buses and taxi estimates, from official sources.
N Seoul Tower tickets and hours — observatory ₩29,000 for adults, Namsan cable car ₩15,000 return, plus the free shuttle, buses 01A/01B and walking routes.
A 3-, 4- or 5-day Seoul itinerary for first-timers — palaces, Bukchon, Namsan, and day trips to the DMZ, Nami Island and Jeonju, planned around closing days.
Seoul to Busan compared — KTX ₩54,400 (about 3 hours per KTO), express bus from ₩29,100 in about 4 hours, or a scheduled 65–75 minute flight.
Bukchon has tourist visiting hours — 10:00–17:00 in the Bukchon-ro 11-gil red zone, a ₩100,000 fine, tour bus limits and how to visit a residential area politely.
How to visit Changdeokgung and its Secret Garden (Huwon) — when online tickets open, the ₩5,000 garden fee, timed English tours, Monday closing and seasonal hours.
Seoul's main royal palace from official sources — seasonal hours, the ₩3,000 adult ticket, free entry in hanbok, English tours and the gate guard ceremony.
How the Seoul subway works for visitors — current fares, T-money vs single tickets vs the Climate Card pass, transfer discounts, and the tap-out rule people miss.
The three main ways from Incheon Airport into Seoul, with current fares, journey times and which one fits your arrival time, luggage and budget.