Seoul attractions

Garosu-gil, meaning “tree-lined street” in Korean, is a 0.4-mile-long (700 meter) block in the trendy Gangnam neighborhood of Seoul. The street is lined with gingko trees that offer shade to shoppers who enjoy the eclectic boutiques with elaborate facades, and diners who frequent the neighborhood bakeries, cafés, and bistros.

Seoul’s Trickeye Museum does just what it says: It teases your senses with an optical illusion technique calledtrompe l'oeil that gives two-dimensional works of art a 3-D appearance. This is also one of the few museums in the world that makes art interactive, so you’ll have a camera full of unique souvenirs to take home with you.

Seoul Land, one of South Korea’s oldest theme parks, sits amid the scenery of Cheonggyesan mountain. The park is divided into five themed areas, where park-goers find some 40 rides and roller coasters geared toward both kids and adults. Days at the park culminate in a nightly fireworks and laser show.

The Joint Security Area (JSA), aka Panmunjom, offers a look at the still simmering tensions that remain from the Korean War. The North and South technically remain at war, and the JSA, located deep within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), is the only place where visitors can see the actual border and North Korean soldiers on the other side. Within the town at the Military Armistice Commission (MAC) Conference Room, visitors can even cross the border without a visa. The blue building is still used for face-to-face negotiation between the two sides and is bisected by the border, meaning travelers can technically cross into North Korea by walking to the other side of the room.

Whether you’re a fan of Korean historical dramas or are interested in learning more about them in a period setting, Dae Jang Geum Park (previously MBC Dramia) is a fun destination. Operated by the South Korean television network MBC, the park is used as a set for dramas, music videos, commercials, and documentaries.

Experience the thrilling and hilarious NANTA show—South Korea’s longest-running theatrical performance—at Myeongdong NANTA Theater. One of the most popular shows in the country, the award-winning nonverbal performance combines traditional Korean folk music with comedy, acrobatics, martial arts, pantomime, and audience participation.

The district of Jongno constitutes the northern half of Seoul’s main historic area. As the cultural and financial heart of the city, Jongno is home to a wealth of shrines, temples, parks, and other important sights, including four of the five Grand Palaces of Seoul.

Leading directly to Namsan Tower (N Seoul Tower), one of Seoul’s most enduring landmarks, the Namsan Cable Car is a must for travelers visiting Seoul for the first time. Cable cars run from morning to night, and their glass cabins provide 360-degree vistas of Seoul’s sprawling cityscape and the mountains of Bukhansan National Park.

Located at the top of Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in South Korea, Seoul Sky is the highest observatory in the city at 1,640 feet (500 meters) above sea level. Enjoy unparalleled panoramic views of Seoul from multiple observation decks over several floors, including the glass-bottomed Sky Deck and the open-roofed Sky Terrace.

Built in 1908, Seodaemun Prison was used to house Korean patriots and activists who were tortured and eventually executed here during the Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945. Meant to house 500 prisoners, the facility often held up to 3,500 in squalid conditions at the height of the anti-Japanese protests in 1919.

Banpo Bridge Rainbow Foundation passes over the Han River in downtown Seoul, connecting the Yongsan and Seocho neighborhoods. This girder bridge, completed in 1982, entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2009 for installing the longest bridge fountain in the world, the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, which puts on a nightly water-and-light show.

Surround yourself with your favorite comic, anime, movie, and superhero action figures from Japan, Korea, and the United States at the Figure Museum W in Seoul. Located in Gangnam, the 6-story museum houses an extensive private collection of some of the most popular—and some of the rarest—action figures and collectibles in the world.

Discover more than 55,000 marine animals from around 650 species at Lotte World Aquarium. Part of the Lotte World Mall, the popular aquarium is the largest in Seoul and features the biggest main tank, the longest underwater tunnels, and the first underwater escalator tunnel in South Korea.

This luxury shopping complex inside a three-story building houses some 270 outlet stores, representing a mixture of international and designer brand names and local retailers. The complex is known for its discounted products, with everything from designer clothing and accessories to homeware and gifts offered at a reduced cost.

The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, tucked away in the hills of Namsan, showcases centuries of Korean and Western art and architecture. Three buildings, each designed by a world-renowned architect, house works from the Samsung Foundation’s extensive collection, ranging from ancient Buddhist artifacts to modern works.

While the Jeongdong Theater only seats an audience of 282, the mark it has made on the Korean performing arts world rivals that of much larger venues. The first modern theater in Korea opened in 1995 and has since staged a wide variety of live performances, ranging from traditional Korean song and dance to more modern works.

In 1988, Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics, and the Olympic Park has since been transformed into a massive green space where locals come to relax. Located on the site of the ancient Mongchon Toseong Fort, the park contains grassy lawns, sculpture gardens, pavilions, and walking paths, making it a popular picnic spot on the weekends.

Set opposite the modern Jongno Tower, the ornate Bosingak Belfry houses a replica of the city bell originally forged in 1468. Costumed guards patrol the pavilion, which is known for its daily bell-ringing ceremony, during which the bell is rung 12 times to mark the noon hour. The original city bell is on display at the National Museum of Korea.

Dating back to the 15th century, the compact Changgyeonggung Palace has housed Korean queens and royal concubines for hundreds of years. The main hall of the palace—Myeongjeongjeon—is the oldest main hall of all Seoul’s royal palaces and exemplifies 17th-century Joseon architecture with its artful combination of wood and stone, as well as its jade green roof tiles.

Korean K-pop star PSY’s viral hit Gangnam Style has been commemorated as a statue in Seoul. Made of bronze and standing 16 feet (5 meters) tall and 26 feet (8 meters) wide, the bronze statue features the overlapping hands from the song’s iconic horse dance move and has become a popular tourist destination in the Gangnam district.

Across from Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) focuses on contemporary and modern art from Korea and around the world. It's housed in a 21st-century structure that uses traditional Korean architectural concepts, filled with galleries showcasing ever-evolving displays of art.

Constructed for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 19th annual Asian Games, the Seoul Sports Complex (Jamsil Sports Complex) on the banks of the Han River was designed to resemble the curving lines of a Joseon-era porcelain vase. Two of Seoul’s Korean League teams play at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium, one of several facilities at the complex open to the public.

Once the royal residence of Prince Regent Daewon-gun, Unhyeongung Palace attracts visitors with its ornate halls and impressive gates. Inside the palace are mannequins clad in costumes that reflect South Korea’s colorful past. With luck, you might catch a wedding ceremony, as the palace is a popular place to exchange vows.

Experience all things football (soccer) at Football Faentasium in Seoul, the first football-themed experience museum in South Korea. Founded by the Korean Football Association, the museum features six different zones with interactive exhibits and virtual reality experiences where visitors can play and learn all about “the beautiful game.”

On the right bank of the Han River in Seoul, Haneul Park is one of five parks that collectively comprise the World Cup Park. It occupies the site of a former landfill that was intentionally rewilded, bringing a bit of nature back to the Seoul skyline. The park continues to operate with ecological preservation in mind, and relies entirely on natural energy.

63 Building (Golden Tower) is one of the tallest buildings in South Korea. Rising 820 feet (250 meters) above Yeouido Island, it is recognizable by its gold-tinted glass, which seems to glow in the sun. It gets its official name from its 63 floors—60 above ground and three below.

As you’d expect from the name, Poopoo Land is a museum dedicated entirely to human excrement. The museum is bright and wacky, in typical South Korean style, and gives you the chance to dance to music played by a poo jukebox in the Poo Party Zone, as well as take a journey through the small and large intestines.

Nagwon Instrument Arcade offers some of the best retail therapy opportunities for music lovers in the South Korean capital. This collection of some 300 tiny shops spread across two floors of the building sells a dazzling array of musical instruments and equipment, while the fourth floor houses a cinema for independent and specialty films.

Nicknamed “College Street” for Seoul National University, Seoul Daehangno(Daehak-ro) is Seoul’s theater and arts district. The university has since moved, but the neighborhood with its parks and cultural arts centers remains. Local and international performances of all types are held in the area’s 100-plus performance halls.

Go back in time about 6,000 years, and along the banks of the Han River where Seoul now sits, you’d find a small nomadic settlement where the earliest residents lived. Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site, the largest Neolithic settlement in Korea, gives visitors a glimpse into what life was like on the Peninsula up to about 1,000 BC.