An underrated Asian city until recently, Seoul is suddenly on fire in popular culture. Korea’s capital is a huge, modern city with plenty to see and do, although it’s the cuisine and pop culture that seem to be capturing imaginations lately.
Seoul is truly a massive city, and it has things in nearly every price range available. It’s definitely cheaper than Tokyo, but more expensive than most of the larger cities in China. Bargains can be found in Seoul hotels and hostels, and extreme luxury is also available.
Most of the main attractions are well within reach of nearly any budget so at least once you arrive you can see all the major sights without having to go hungry.
| Population | 10,500,000 |
| Area | 24,500,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+9 |
| Currency | South Korea won |
| Airports | Incheon International Airport (ICN) |
Finding a place to stay in Seoul is fairly straightforward since the downtown area is packed with hotels and the public transportation system is convenient that getting around is simple. You’ll pay more for a place near the shopping and nightlife districts in the city center, but generally room rates are reasonable by international standards.
Just as the city has its best weather in spring and fall, hotels in Seoul tend to have their high season prices during these periods as well. From April through early June and again from September through November you’ll find the highest prices. The warm and wet months of July and August can offer small discounts, but only December through February (outside of the holiday period) is considered low season for Seoul hotels and hostels.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 12.85 - 57.10 |
| 14.25 - 107.06 |
| 39.26 - 137.50 |
| 64.82 - 198.93 |
| 145.44 - 325.11 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 7.14 - 9.99 |
Doing a food tour is one of the most popular things to do in Seoul, and the city is compact enough that it’s even quite easy to do on your own.
The city’s main shopping areas are worth some time as well, especially the outdoor pedestrian zones with stall set up each evening.
The Gangnam district (made famous by the song) is the upscale neighborhood and a great place to see Seoul’s trendy people in action.
Seoul Tower is a standard tall tower with an observation deck on top, and it’s worth a visit to see the entire area at once.
The hop-on, hop-off bus tours of Seoul are quite a good introduction and they even stop at the Seoul Tower and other points of interest so they can be used as transportation as well.
The free (tips-based) walking tour of Seoul are a great way to learn the history of the city and get oriented at the same time.
| Location | Description | Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung Palace | Seoul's royal palace is a major attraction. For one price you can also visit 3 other nearby palaces. | adults children | 2.14 1.07 |
| Lotte World | A huge indoor amusement park in Seoul is popular with locals and tourists. Entry including unlimited rides is about 60% more. | adults junior | 42.11 37.11 |
| Seoul City Bus Tour | This company runs 3 all-day hop-on, hop-off routes around the city, and each one lasts around 2 hours if you don't get off. Doing just one route is cheaper. | adults students | 10.71 8.56 |
Food and drink can also be found to meet nearly any budget, with an abundance of lower-priced options that are generally aimed at the local workforce. If you go to a place with an English-language menu you’ll often be paying a higher price for it, but still there are cheaper options available even for those who don’t speak Korean.
| Food Type | Description | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget breakfast | If your hotel doesn't include breakfast there are plenty of fast and cheap options. | 2.57 - 5.35 |
| Budget lunch | Look for places where locals go for good-value and good quality lunches. | 3.85 - 7.14 |
| Budget dinner | Proper sit-down restaurants range in price greatly, but cheaper ones are there if you look. | 5.14 - 8.56 |
| Beer .5L | Local lagers can be cheap, especially in pitchers or on special deals. Restaurants are cheaper than bars. | 2.36 - 3.93 |
| Soju (.36L bottle) | This sake-like rice liquor is cheap and extremely popular with locals. Even cheaper at markets. | 2.36 - 3.57 |
| Beer .33L retail | Beer in mini-markets is only a bit cheaper than in restaurants. | 1.57 - 2.36 |
| Soju (.36L bottle) retail | This 13% ABV drink is cheaper than beer in mini-markets. | 1.21 - 1.64 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Taxi from airport to city center | 46.39 - 64.24 |
| Limousine bus from airport to city center | 7.14 - 10.71 |
| Public bus from airport to city center | 5.78 - 6.42 |
| 3km taxi ride in Seoul | 2.46 - 4.28 |
| Subway ride in Seoul | 0.89 - 0.96 |
Since South Korea only has land borders with North Korea, pretty much all visitors will fly into Seoul and specifically into Incheon International Airport. Fares are good from within Asia especially.
Airport transportation is simple as a direct train connects the airport with Seoul Station, which is the main station in the heart of downtown.
The city center of Seoul is flat and it’s mostly pedestrian friendly, but the city also has a modern subway system and reasonably priced taxis.
| Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35 | 21 | 0.9 |
| February | 39 | 25 | 0.9 |
| March | 50 | 34 | 1.8 |
| April | 64 | 45 | 3.0 |
| May | 73 | 55 | 4.0 |
| June | 80 | 64 | 5.2 |
| July | 84 | 71 | 12.9 |
| August | 85 | 72 | 13.7 |
| September | 78 | 62 | 5.4 |
| October | 68 | 50 | 1.9 |
| November | 53 | 37 | 2.1 |
| December | 40 | 26 | 1.0 |
Seoul is probably best visited during either spring or fall, since winters can be very cold and a bit snowy, while summers tend to be hot and humid, with especially heavy rainfall during July and August. May, June, and October offer mild temperatures without much threat of major rainstorms.
| 21 Mar | 6:35am | 6:44pm |
| 21 Jun | 5:11am | 7:56pm |
| 21 Sep | 6:18am | 6:31pm |
| 21 Dec | 7:43am | 5:17pm |