Guide to Urban Hikes & Delicious Bites in Seoul, South Korea

I first went to Seoul, South Korea, in 2022, and absolutely fell in love with the city. It has a buzzy, vibrant atmosphere that could rival New York, while being clean and safe to navigate and explore. Coming from the United States, the prices are also right, with the cost being much more affordable than most western cities to visit.

Where to Stay in Seoul

Simple Stay Insadong

As the name suggests, this is a simple but comfortable hotel in Insadong. It was located down a quiet alley off a main busy street, and had all the amenities for a nice stay. The room was spacious, breakfast was included, and the staff was friendly. It was nothing special but perfect for a budget spot that was still clean and comfortable. I would recommend Simple Stay Jongro in Insadong to solo travelers and couples who plan to be out exploring most of the time!

Nine Tree by Parnas Seoul Myeongdong II

This hotel is excellent for a first-time tourist to Seoul. It’s right in the heartbeat of Myeongdong, a busy shopping district with tons of bars, restaurants, and stores to buy everything from skincare to clothing. It’s home to the night market street, and is centrally located, making it easy to get around to major parts of the city. I would definitely recommend Nine Tree by Parnas Seoul Myeongdong II for anyone on their first trip to Seoul if you want to be right in the action. The rooms are small, but they do the job.

Urban Hiking in Seoul

If you love hiking, Seoul is the ideal city for you. With lots of mountains popping up amongst skyscrapers all around, you have no shortage of options for escaping into nature while still being in a very developed, urban setting. Here are a few great hikes I enjoyed during this visit to Seoul.

Ansan Mountain

A phenomenal spot to hike right in the city, Ansan Mountain has a variety of fantastic trails offering both secluded nature views as well as views of the Seoul skyline. It’s simple to get to a trailhead, you can jump on the subway and head to Muakjae station stop on the red line and make your way to the Ansan Jarak-gil trail to start your hike. In November it was so amazing to see glimpses of the fall colors in addition to the amazing city views. Bring water and some snacks in case you get a bit lost – all the trails are well marked so you will be fine, it just could end up being a longer hike than you expect.

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Bukhansan National Park — Baegundae Peak

The highest peak in Seoul is Baegundae Peak on Bukhansan Mountain in the national park. Located on the north side of the city, it’s an incredible national park to have right on the outskirts of towering skyscrapers and busy streets, and it’s completely accessible by public transit.

To get there, I took the subway UI-Sinseol line to Bukhansan Ui on the east side of the mountain, filled up my backpack with drinks and snacks from the 7/11 right outside the station, and began my walk to the entrance of the national park. Some people jump in a taxi to avoid this walk and to just get to the entrance, which I completely understand, but I guess I am a glutton for punishment so I opted to walk the generous uphill climb just to get to the entrance of the park to begin my trek up the mountain.

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This hike is not for the weak! I was very humbled by all the stairs and climbs, some were very steep and seemed to go on forever. There is also a portion of the hike where you need to assist yourself with your arms on railings as the rock is too smooth to simply walk up it. You don’t need special gear but you do need to be in decent shape and have food and extra water along. It was a very rewarding hike and I am so glad I did it. At the top you’re really rewarded with some amazing views of Seoul — if you hike it on a clear day. So watch the weather and avoid any hazy or foggy days for your Bukhansan National Park visit.

Where to Eat in Seoul

While I am absolutely not an expert (consult your favorite Korean friend) one thing I did notice while exploring Seoul is that I believe a lot of restaurants there tend to specialize in a specific Korean dish, so the best way to approach eating in Seoul is to narrow down which Korean dishes you want to eat, and then find highly-rated restaurants for those dishes. This approach served me quite well on this recent trip.

Samgye-tang at Jangsu Samgyetang

Samgyetang is a comforting chicken soup, made with ginseng, green onions, sticky rice, and other spices and aromatics. It’s one of my favorite Korean dishes, especially on a colder day. Both times I’ve been to Korea was in November, so while it was not full blown winter, it was chilly enough to enjoy a hot soup. Served with heaps of kimchi and radish as the banchan, as well as garlic, it was the perfect meal to start my trip.

I found Jangsu Samgyetang on Google as it was near Simple Stay hotel in the Insadong area, and I would highly recommend stopping here for it. They even provided a handy guide for non-Koreans to explain all the items on the table, including the tiny wastebasket for chicken bones and the dishes where you can serve yourself more kimchi. Just note that this restaurant is on the 2nd floor, so once you find the entrance just head up the stairs!

Breakfast in Seoul – Bagels from Onjisim

Did you know that Korean-style bagels are a thing? I did not until this most recent trip, and I can happily report I LOVE them. They are so chewy and pillowy, with amazing dough incorporations like olives, basil, spinach, and cheese, to add flavor and complexity. I went to Onjisim Cafe twice during my recent trip to Seoul, it’s located in a beautiful traditional building in the Ikseon Hanok Village, and it serves up delicious coffee and bagels, with a variety of cream cheese flavors to choose from. It’s also a gorgeous space to get some work done, so if you’re here on a “work-cation,” bring your laptop.

Dumplings at Bukchon Son Mandu

One of my favorite artists, Dusoon, has a shop in Insadong in the Ssamzigil mall. I love visiting here to get cute stationary, art, and other gifts, and after a successful visit, I was hungry, needing an afternoon snack to hold me over until dinner. Right around the corner was Bukchon Son Mandu, a third-generation owned mandu (Korean dumpling) spot. I was lucky to stumble upon it right at open, as it’s a tiny space with seating for only about 20 people, and I could see how lines would easily start to form at peak hours. I got three of the classic pork mandu, and they were delicious. It was the perfect tiny meal to refuel from shopping in a beautiful, historic establishment.

Pastries at Silladang Ikseon

This adorable cafe had some delicious drinks, I enjoyed an iced tea, along with some classic Korean pastries, including Juak, a fried rice flour donut. Silladang is absolutely worth an afternoon stop for a coffee or tea and sweets. I loved the yuzu Juak, they also had matcha and many other great flavors.

All-You-Can-Eat Tteokbokki at Dookki

This is a local chain popular amongst students and budget travelers, and if you love the chewy Korean rice cake dish of tteokbokki, you must try it! Dookki is a build-your-own all you can eat spot, where each table has its own electric stove for cooking your custom tteokbokki. We mixed enoki mushrooms, cabbage, green onions, various spicy sauces, and other ingredients to make a delicious stew of Korean goodness. It’s so cheap and a fun way to enjoy a local dish while customizing the ingredients. For me personally, I do not like fish cakes, which is a common addition to tteokbokki in restaurants, so this was a great way to enjoy it without those.

Salt Bread from Jayeondo in Seongsu

Salt bread is a delicious, salty croissant-like roll that has pillowy dough and a delightful, savory flavor. It has become quite popular in Korea, with many bakeries specializing in it popping up around Seoul. To give it a try, I ventured to Jayeondo, a popular local spot (grab and go only) in Seongsu, a trendy, shopping district in Seoul. It was delicious, the smallest order you can get was 4 salt breads, which is a lot for one person, but I enjoyed two right away and saved two for the next day, and they were almost as good even a whole day later.

Pot Rice at Solsot

Another trendy, popular spot is Solsot, a local chain serving up pot rice dishes. I opted for the steak, and it was delicious. I will say, I found the process of adding hot water to the rice pot after eating the main bit was a bit weird, the “crispy rice soup” it creates was not my favorite, but the base ingredients were delicious. The steak was tender and flavorful and the egg, rice, and other aromatics made it a great meal.

Seolleongtang, Oxtail Soup at Jongno Seolleongtang

Another soup I wanted to try on this trip to Korea was Seolleongtang, a milky beef bone broth soup with rice or noodles, and scallions. Enjoyed with the typical kimchi radish and cabbage on the side, it’s a delicious soup to enjoy during the winter months. It’s also said that the rich broth is good for your skin and hair, thanks to the collagen from the hours of simmering of the beef bones. I enjoyed this at a restaurant in Jongno, it was a great dinner after a long day of exploring.

Bagels from Bagel Land in Hongdae

Another bagel shop I ventured to for breakfast before shopping and exploring Hongdae, a lively area of the city known for a lot of university students and great shopping. They had delicious bagel sandwiches and coffee, and it was a cozy space. If I were a student at Hongik University, I would definitely frequent this place for study breaks.

Noodle Soup from Niuroumianguan Main Branch

This spot is in the Michelin guide for its Chinese beef noodles, which were delicious and lived up to the hype. Tender pieces of beef in a rich broth with chewy, delicious noodles made for the perfect afternoon meal. Get here right when they open to secure your spot – it’s all small counters and tables and can get crowded right at the lunch hour.

Cocktails at 도원22 (Dowon 22)

This cocktail bar was a fabulous surprise! We ventured up a dark staircase to find cozy seating and a dark, moody atmosphere. The bartenders were super attentive and whipped up some impressive cocktails. This was by far the most expensive spot I went to while in Seoul, but the prices were still reasonable at $15 per drink, a standard Western menu price for a cocktail.

Korean BBQ at Dookupsam Myeongdong

One cannot visit Korea without a Korean barbecue experience! It can be quite overwhelming, so I recommend looking up a few good places depending on what type of meat and experience you want. We opted for a popular spot in Myeongdong, Dookupsam, and had a set menu of a pork-belly as the main meat, and ordered an additional side of beef. It came with a bunch of delicious side dishes of veggies, rice cakes, and a fluffy egg dish that was delicious. Korean barbecue can get quite pricey if you’re not at a budget restaurant, but it’s worth doing at least once during a visit to Korea.

Mango Bingsu at Poem

Ending this post with a dessert highlight — Bingsu, a Korean shaved ice, is a delicious dessert to end a perfect day of eating or to have as a midday mini meal. Consisting of a mountain of shaved frozen milk and topped with a pile of fruit of your choice, it’s so creamy, sweet, and indulgent while not being too heavy. We enjoyed ours at a very cute cafe called Poem in Myeongdong, which had a charming lofted area and comfy chairs to sit in while we enjoyed the bingsu. The mango was perfect, the iced tea drinks we had alongside it were refreshing, and the atmosphere was ideal.