South Korea is such a cool, safe, family-friendly place to visit! My husband and I had the chance to live there with our then-one-year-old for a whole month one summer!
For your convenience, here's a map of all the best stuff! It's color coded too 🤓
1. DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
Yellow = To Do
Blue = Beaches
Red = Eats
Green = Museums
Purple = Extra Churches & Parks
(If clicking the map doesn't work, copy and paste this in your browser to see the full thing: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1NJEDFTRcyAqr61WV4oZgXFRXYjAf3DY&ehbc=2E312F)
You
can use the map to guide your trip. Or pick your favorite things from
the list. For detailed explanations, keep reading. Here are all of my
favorite things to do in South Korea.
This was beyond cool! Originally we weren't planning on going here but to our great luck we were able to go. Some members of our church (who also lived on the American military base in Seoul) had organized a tour there.
Note: Kids are not allowed in the DMZ so if you're traveling with kids, do what you can to make this happen! It is 100% worth it! We were very lucky to find a babysitter so it worked out for us to go.
The DMZ is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula which intersects the 38th parallel north. This is right on the border between the sovereign states of North Korea and South Korea. Ever since 1953, it has been a demilitarized zone.
The stance of this South Korean soldier is called "eiko dachi" and it basically allows the solider to be at rest but still ready to fight at a second's notice.
Some of the interesting things we go to see during our tour at the DMZ were:
- Negotiation rooms ("Conference Row") in the Joint Security Area
- Fun fact about these — in the past, different nations had little flags of their nations but they kept making their own taller so they had to move them to a picture on the wall.
- THEN they had an unspoken competition between different nation representatives of who could go the longest without going to the bathroom. Apparently going to the bathroom was a sign of weakness! The record was something like NINE HOURS. After that, they made a policy for mandatory regular bathroom breaks.
- The Potemkin "peace villages" were built across the border in North Korea in the 1950s. These brightly painted villages were meant to inspire South Koreans to defect to the North. However with modern telescopes we can see that the buildings are mere concrete shells with automatic lighting. South Korea has some peace villages as well, but unlike the North, actual people live there!
Our guide "Lieutenant Dan" showing us the Potemkin villages of North Korea in the distance.
- We also got to see one of the infiltration tunnels that originates in North Korea. South Korea discovered these because a defector from NK told them that NK was digging tunnels to invade South Korea.
2. Gyeongbokgung Palace
This palace is right in the heart of Seoul and was super cool! One thing I loved about all the palaces is that they are free.
On this trip to South Korea, we also didn't travel with a stroller. We had a good baby carrier that I really love and we figured (incorrectly) that we could buy a cheap stroller once we got there. We found out later that some of these palaces even let you "rent" strollers there for free!
One of my favorite things at these palaces was to see the young Korean women in traditional dresses (hanbok) at the palaces. The dresses are so pretty! South Koreans wear them for formal or semi-formal occasions and events, but most of the people we saw were posing for pictures. It was so fun to see all the different colors.
3. Namsan Seoul Tower
This tower is an iconic landmark for Seoul — you might even recognize it from the movie K-Pop Demon Hunters!
The climb up the hill to get to the tower was a little steep but close to our Airbnb so it wasn't too bad. The views from this tower were incredible! I highly recommend going here.
Once you get up to the top, you look out over Seoul and also see the directions and distances of other large cities. I am a little afraid of heights, but even I would do this again!
4. Try Sulbing! (Or Bing-Sul if you will) and Korean BBQ
This was one of my FAVORITE parts of our trip! We went to the Sulbing Hannam branch and I was severely disappointed that we hadn't discovered it earlier during our travels!! I would have definitely consumed this more often if I had tasted it earlier...
Basically imagine the best snow cone you've ever had. Now times it by 1000. That's sul-bing.
Having famous Korean BBQ and grilling it yourself was pretty incredible! Imagine a fatty slice of bacon. Then you grill it up and eat it! It was very cool but I'm not a huge meat-eater so I was happy we came to this restaurant just once.
When you eat at a traditional Korean restaurant, the server will bringplates of raw meat and lots of side dishes (kimchi, etc.). The sides are called banchan (bon-chon). Usually a pot of rice as well. Then everyone can cook and eat their own food right there at the table.
A few tricky things about eating at restaurants with little kids in South Korea:
- 99% of restaurants do not have high chairs — hopefully this has changed since I was last there in 2018 but just keep in mind. We were there for 4 weeks in 4 different cities and I think we ate ate two places that had high chairs.
- Much of the food is served raw and you have a little grill in the table where you cook your food. In most situations this is super cool BUT when you have a little wandering child, it can be a little stressful. Oh and did I mention the table (and said grill) are basically at floor level? 😅
- You know how at a 'family-friendly' American restaurants they will provide a color page and crayons? Forget all that! Be prepared to entertain yourselves (or your kids) before the food comes.
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This is a Buddhist temple and really really gorgeous. (Part of me just likes this place because the name is easy for me to remember. It's like "Jog? Yes, ah." But in all seriousness, it was one of my favorite sites in Seoul!
6. Seoul Korea Temple (for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
As I mentioned, when I was last in Venice with my husband, we were pretty poor. So we chose not to pay extra to see Burano Island. But when I ran my company Rome Abroad, I got to see many young people's photos from there! It looks beautiful and you can even watch glass blowers there too.
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| Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash |
Other fun things to do and see when you go to South Korea:
People Watch & Interact with Locals
Seriously. I couldn't count the number of times people were staring or trying to sneak pictures of our son on the tram (who was very blonde and blue-eyed as a baby). It was definitely well-intentioned and cute, I don't think any of them had malice or ill-intent — just fun seeing how fascinated locals can be with foreigners!
People Watch & Interact with Locals
Seriously. I couldn't count the number of times people were staring or trying to sneak pictures of our son on the tram (who was very blonde and blue-eyed as a baby). It was definitely well-intentioned and cute, I don't think any of them had malice or ill-intent — just fun seeing how fascinated locals can be with foreigners!
My husband used to get so nervous when our son cried on the trams in South Korea — but after a few days of their reactions he loosened up. What did they do, you ask? Oh just within .5 seconds of his crying, about 4 Korean grandmas would have their hands outreached with candy and treats :) How cute and thoughtful is that!
Different Foods...Try Everything
I'll be honest the hardest thing for me about being in Korea for a month was the food. There are VERY spicy foods there as well as very strong foods (lots of kimchi and fermented things). I always tried everyrhing and it was a good experience! I even tried kimchi probably once every 4-5 days because it looked so good but I did not learn to love it (yet haha).
There is a lot of seafood there and a lot of dried fish! Interestingly fruit was pretty expensive, which is something I didn't expect. The bakeries and pastries were not like French pastries or overly-sweet American ones — they were really good though! I have a hard time with really spicy food so I consumed a lot of pastries this trip 🤣
Me eating pastries (why not) and some fish jerky!
This was our favorite ramen!! (A Japanese brand.) We even took some home with us to eat when we got back! Local Food
Stop by Parks & Little Whimsical Places
Places like Seoullo 717
Jeju Island
- We loved seeing the World Seashell Museum here! Full of interesting, colorful seashells from around the world
- Hallasan National Park was gorgeous and memorable
- Jeju Dinosaur Land was really fun! Would be great for kids (our 1-year old liked it)
- Jeju Stone Park was creepy and interesting
Busan
- The Gamcheon Culture Village was pretty cool to walk through — although whoever named it "Cinque Terre of Asia" did both a massive disservice. Don't compare it to Italy and you'll enjoy it!
- Gwangalli Beach was fun and nice to enjoy the beach after all our city-exploring
Well, that's a wrap! Hope you enjoy your exciting trip in South Korea. Did I miss something? What was your favorite thing to do in Seoul? Leave me a comment!
Watch these movies/shows:
✨ Parasite
✨ K-Pop Demon Hunters
✨ The Host
✨ Squid Game (I watched the clean version)
✨ Train to Busan
Get this gear:
✨ Really good walking shoes (you'll walk a lot!)
Other fun things to do before you go to South Korea:
Watch these movies/shows:
✨ Parasite
✨ K-Pop Demon Hunters
✨ The Host
✨ Squid Game (I watched the clean version)
✨ Train to Busan
Get this gear:
✨ Really good walking shoes (you'll walk a lot!)
I made the mistake of wearing Jesus sandals for our 4-week trip and I regretted it big time.
✨
✨ A little fan (if you're going between May-October), AC is not as prevalent as in America — but not unheard of compared to countries like Italy. You can also buy a little cute one there like we did!
✨
✨ A little fan (if you're going between May-October), AC is not as prevalent as in America — but not unheard of compared to countries like Italy. You can also buy a little cute one there like we did!
General tips about traveling in South Korea:
Plan Out Your Trip
Plan Out Your Trip
- Always buy tickets directly with the official sites (not third-party websites). Not only will you save money, but you'll also avoid scams.
- When you're there, you may want to check the metro/train/bus times the day before you plan to take that route.
- Consider seeing two places around the same time — for example, you can walk from the Gyeongbokgung Palace to dip your feet in the pebble foot pools at Seoullo 7017.
Transportation Methods
🚇 The Metro / Tram
Other transportation helps
Google maps is accurate and helpful
If you're going to other cities, Rome 2 Rio is helpful to see ways to get from A to B, but be sure to double-check the bus and train schedules before you plan. It’s a good way to see multiple methods of travel and compare cost, times, etc
🚇 The Metro / Tram
- Metros/trams are cheap and fast
- They connect the city really well
- They come very often (not long to wait!)
- The tram system in Seoul was so easy to navigate! I was surprised at how easy the color-coded tram system was to use. The transportation also has designated seats for pregnant women which is nice (you can see it in my picture above).
- Bring good walking shoes!
- It’s a wonderful way to get around and get a feel for the city
🚌 Buses
- Buses are another great way to get around town
- They are clean and come often so they shouldn't be too crowded
- Be aware that around rush hour (5-6 pm), they can get quite busy
Other transportation helps
Google maps is accurate and helpful
If you're going to other cities, Rome 2 Rio is helpful to see ways to get from A to B, but be sure to double-check the bus and train schedules before you plan. It’s a good way to see multiple methods of travel and compare cost, times, etc