City guide · South Korea
Seoul is South Korea's capital, spread across both banks of the Han River. The historic palace city lies north of the river around Jongno, Gwanghwamun and Namsa...
Photograph · USAGI_POST · CC0
Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.
Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Seoul is South Korea's capital, spread across both banks of the Han River. The historic palace city lies north of the river around Jongno, Gwanghwamun and Namsan, while later commercial and residential centres extend south into Gangnam and east and west along the metropolitan rail corridors. The city is best approached as linked districts rather than one continuous centre: royal palaces and traditional neighbourhoods, central markets and museums, riverside areas, university quarters, and the newer southern business districts each form practical sightseeing clusters.
Checked 2026-08-26
November · November drops Seoul to an 11.9°C mean high and has 51.1 mm of rain over 8.8 days.
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국립중앙박물관
The National Museum of Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in Seoul. Established as a central institution for preserving and exhibiting Korea's cultural heritage, it stands as one of the largest museums in Asia.
서대문형무소역사관
Seodaemun Prison History Hall is a former colonial-era penitentiary turned museum in Seoul, South Korea. The site was constructed during Japanese rule and later used by subsequent governments.
전쟁기념관
The War Memorial of Korea, known locally as 전쟁기념관, is a military museum and memorial in Seoul. It stands as a significant institution commemorating Korean military history and honoring those who served in conflicts.
Leeum
Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art is a private art museum in Seoul, South Korea. Established by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, it houses collections of traditional Korean art and contemporary international works.
서울역사박물관
Seoul Museum of History, known locally as 서울역사박물관, is a municipal museum devoted to the history of Seoul. The museum presents the capital as a changing city, linking earlier settlements, dynastic development, modern transformation and metropolitan life.
국립민속박물관
The National Folk Museum of Korea is a national museum located in Seoul, South Korea. It is situated within the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of the major royal palaces of the Joseon dynasty.
국립고궁박물관
The National Palace Museum of Korea is a Seoul museum devoted to the Joseon Dynasty and Korean imperial court. Near Gyeongbokgung Palace, it brings together objects connected with royal ceremonies, court life, administration, art, and palace culture.
대한민국역사박물관
The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History presents South Korea’s modern story from the late nineteenth century to the present.
국립한글박물관
The National Hangeul Museum is devoted to Hangeul, the Korean writing system. Its subject reaches from the alphabet’s creation in the fifteenth century under King Sejong to its continuing role in Korean education, culture, publishing, and everyday communication.
뮤지엄김치간
Museum Kimchikan is a Seoul museum devoted to kimchi, Korea’s fermented vegetable dish and an important part of Korean food culture. Its Korean name is 뮤지엄김치간.
문화비축기지
Oil Tank Culture Park is a Seoul cultural complex created from former oil storage tanks. The cylindrical industrial structures remain the defining feature of the site, while their new role supports public culture, exhibitions, performances, and outdoor exploration.
국립대한민국임시정부기념관
The National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government presents the story of the Korean Provisional Government, established in Shanghai in 1919 during Japanese colonial rule.
한국은행 화폐박물관
The Bank of Korea Museum is a currency museum in Seoul operated by South Korea’s central bank. Known locally as 한국은행 화폐박물관, it connects the country’s monetary heritage with the institution responsible for issuing the South Korean won.
한성백제박물관
Seoul Baekje Museum introduces the history of Baekje in the Seoul area, especially the Hanseong period, when the Han River basin was an important political and strategic centre.
한국가구박물관
The Korea Furniture Museum presents traditional Korean furniture within a hanok setting in Seoul. The buildings and collection belong together: chests, wardrobes, cabinets and tables can be understood as objects made for particular rooms, habits and social settings.
국악박물관
The Museum of Gugak introduces Seoul visitors to gugak, the broad tradition of Korean music and performance. Gugak includes court music, folk music, ritual music and forms shaped by regional practice.
환기미술관
The Whanki Museum is an art museum in Seoul dedicated to the work of Kim Whanki, a pioneering Korean abstract painter. The museum honors his artistic legacy and contribution to modern Korean art.
서울올림픽기념관
Seoul Olympic Museum is a commemorative institution for the 1988 Summer Olympics, located within Olympic Park in Songpa-gu.
국립서울과학관
The National Children’s Science Center, known locally as 국립서울과학관, is a science museum in Seoul designed to engage children and families with scientific ideas. As a national educational facility, it offers a hands-on alternative to conventional sightseeing.
국립과천과학관
Gwacheon National Science Museum, known in Korean as 국립과천과학관, is a major national science museum in Gwacheon, a separate city within the Seoul Capital Area.
경찰박물관
The Han River is the clearest dividing line. North of it, the palace-and-Namsan core includes Gwanghwamun, Jongno, Bukchon, Insadong, Dongdaemun and Myeongdong. Westward, Hongdae and the university districts form another cluster; Yeouido occupies an island in the river. South of the Han, Gangnam, Apgujeong and Samseong are modern commercial areas with their own attractions. Seoul's official visitor maps divide suggested routes into the downtown palace and Namsan area, Apgujeong, Gangnam and Samseong, which is a useful way to avoid repeated cross-city travel.
Checked 2026-08-26
Use the subway as the default between districts and walk within each cluster. Stations and lines are colour-coded, exits are numbered, and major information appears in Korean and English. A Tmoney transport card can be used across the network; single-journey passes are also available from station machines. Buses reach areas beyond convenient rail stops, but the official visitor guide notes that they can be harder for first-time visitors despite colour-coded route types. Check the official transport page for current operating information before travel.
Checked 2026-08-26
Suggested stay for a first visit: 4–5 days. Allocate time by district: the palace core, central markets and museums, a western neighbourhood such as Hongdae, and the southern districts if they match your interests.
The Han River. The older palace city and Namsan are north of it, while Gangnam, Apgujeong and Samseong form major visitor clusters on the south side.
Yes. Lines are colour-coded, station exits are numbered, and major signs use Korean and English. The official tourism guide recommends the subway as one of the most efficient ways to cross the city.
Use the subway for most cross-city journeys. Buses are useful for areas between stations, but route information can be less intuitive for a first visit even though services are colour-coded.
No. They sit in different city clusters on opposite sides of the Han River. Use the subway between them and reserve walking for the sights within each district.
