In late april i travelled to Seoul to break up a trip between Europe and the Pacific. I spent only 24 hours in the city but managed to see quite a bit.
Seoul is a megacity with 10 million Citizens, ancient culture, high Tech Vibes, k-pop and interresting cuisine. This was actually my first visit ever to South Korea and Seoul so my expectations were high. In fact i love big, modern, fast paced cities as Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Sheremetyevo, Moscow.
Arriving by plane (aeroflot) from Sheremeteyevo, Moscow to Incheon, Seoul i had only slept a few hours and i managed to find a train taking me the hour it took to Hongik-ro station in Central Seoul. In advance i had booked a dorm room at hostelworld for 1 night, i chose Hongdae as this should be the mecca for cafes, clubs, wall murals, fashion, underground music and art festivals.
Around 11 a.m. i walked into the hostel to get my bed. As in all hostels you will meet people, sleep in rooms with more than a few people and be social. This was also the case here. I got myself a city map, started to ask the roommates about where to go, what to see and what i could reach in 24 hours.
Pumpkin Guesthouse, Hongdae, Seoul
So what is there to see in 24 hours?
This is my top 10 Things to see in Seoul:
1. Gyeongbokgung Palace, the grandest of all the Palaces in Seoul
2. Myeongdong, shopping district
3. N Seoul Tower, birds eye view over Seoul
4. Bukchon Hanok Village, area with traditional houses
5. Noryangjiin Fish market, eat your octopus here
5. Hongdae, for clubbing
6. Insadong, for culture, galleries, Crafts
7. Traditional Korean Food, eat bibimbap, kimchi etc
8. Namdaemun, buying cameras and Equipment at the camera street
9. Namdaemun, visit one of Seouls eight (gates) here.
10. Talk to locals
Of all these 10 things to do i managed to cover 8.
When i got back to my hostel that night i planned to just relax and get some sleep but that dident happend. Went out with a few from the hostel to a bar, and from there to a club. My night ended 04 a.m. the day after, totally exhausted.
More information here:
http://www.visitseoul.net/en/index.do
More pictures here:
