![]() Dine indoors beneath the wooden bannisters and tiled roofs, or al fresco on the stunning tiled courtyard – where pink and blue lights illuminate the shrubs and pot plants by night. A wealth of natural wines and makgeolli (Korean rice wine) is also on offer to help wash them down. Gaga BarĪt the foot of Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul’s meandering and picturesque “old town” of traditional Korean houses, stores and cafés, you can have a cosy fine-dining experience in a restored 100-year-old home – if you manage to make a reservation in advance.Īt Gaga Bar, next door to chic bakery outlet Onion and wine Bar nan-A, owner and chef Jeong-sook Choi serves exquisite takes on Korean classics – like galbi (beef short ribs), scallion pancakes, fresh octopus salad, and pig’s feet. Indeed, visitors will find an atmosphere of serenity inside the stone walls after dark – a sanctuary from towering glass-and-steel constructs like Seoul City Hall next door, and the bustling Lotte Department Store in the nearby shopping mecca of Myeongdong. Like the other complexes that make up Seoul’s ‘Five Royal Palaces’, Deoksugung offers stunning pavilions and wooden structures painted in red, gold and aquamarine – which take on a magical quality when lit up at night (it’s open until 9pm every day except Monday). Often overlooked, though, is the walled compound of Deoksugung – originally the residential home of Grand Prince Wolsan in the mid-15th century. Joseon dynasty palaces like Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung (the latter of which is notable for its stunning “secret garden”) should rightly be at the top of any tourist itinerary for Seoul. ![]() ![]() So start planning your dream trip with AnOther’s insider know-how below, and thank us when you get back. ![]() With a population of 10 million friendly natives, who between dramatic mountain vistas occupy 25 districts and a surface area of over 600 square kilometres, it can also feel like an overwhelming sprawl at times – as such, hot tips and good recs go a long way. And it’s a city in vogue thanks to an abundance of luxury fashion outlets, a thriving beauty industry, and art exhibitions that champion both the classic and the cutting-edge. It’s an entertainment mecca, where buzzy K-pop artists and film stars pop out from billboards, bus stands and souvenir stalls. It’s a culinary adventure built on cold buckwheat noodles ( naengmyeon ) and “ram-don” ( jjapaguri ), with plates of barbecued meat and kimchi piled high alongside clinking green bottles of soju. It’s a hyper-modern city rooted in ancient Joseon culture, where futuristic architecture connects to historic palaces via centuries-old city walls. Welcome to Seou l, the nation’s effervescent capital one of the most rewarding tourist hotspots in the world at present. The foremost destination is the country’s crowning megalopolis – where visitors enticed by unique cuisines, fascinating histories, and the treasures of a global pop culture boom will find endless stimulation at their doorstep. No longer a niche travel destination, South Korea has been welcoming international visitors in troves the past year following the lifting of tight pandemic restrictions in Spring 2022 – with over 950,000 foreign visitors recorded in June 2023 alone. Introducing a series of alternative city guides, specially curated for the cultivated traveller.
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