Dusk in Seoul
Travelers are lucky to catch a sunset like this over Seoul. The city is one of the most awesome urban spaces in the world, with 15 million inhabitants packed into its core and an additional 10 million surrounding the city. Mountains pop up all over the city and hiking is one of the most revered pastimes here. Dusk in Seoul can be beautiful, especially if you witness this time of the day on one of the mountains.
Namsan (Nam Mountain) is one of the most popular climbs in the city. Situated right in the center, Namsan is home to the N Seoul Tower, one of the most recognizable structures in the city. But my favorite spot, where this photo was taken, is atop Ansan (An Mountain). Ansan isn’t high, at only about 300 meters, but it is accessible and affords lovely views of the city in all directions. Bukhansan National Park, on the northern edge of Seoul is another place to get vertical over the city. Bukhansan offers the most strenuous climbs of the three.
Seoul is an excellent city to spend a few days in. Food and entertainment are almost limitless. The changing of the guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace is fun activity to experience and free to visitors. After a look around the inside of the palace grounds, The National Folk Museum of Korea is definitely worth a look. For a lesser visited palace, try: Changdeok Palace.
Food is undoubtedly a highlight for visitors to Seoul. Korean cuisine is incredible diverse and you can eat well without spending a lot of money here. Read our Top 10 Korean Foods. And if you’re a foodie, you might enjoy the Kimchi Museum.
If you’re up for something a little different, check out a Korean bathhouse. Just ask for a ‘jimjilbang’.
Seoul is fine to visit any time of year, and if you find find yourself with an opportunity to visit in winter, here are things to do in Seoul in Winter. Spring is arguably the most pleasant time to be in Korea and that is when we’re running our small group tour Experience Korea. Juno Kim of RunawayJuno.com will be showing us around her favorite spots and explaining all the complexities of Korean culture to us.
