Seoul

Seoul is mountainous, nocturnal, and organized by neighborhoods that each have a distinct food and night grammar. Palaces and late-night alleys can share the same day.

Visit Seoul to feel a capital that takes both tradition and 2am seriously. Choose a base neighborhood and let the subway do the rest.

Energetic, seasonal, and surprisingly green between the towers

• Food and night culture
• First-time visitors
• Walkers who like hills

Seoul’s table is communal, spicy, and late. Markets, barbecue rooms, and bakeries all belong to the same day. Follow lines of office workers.

4–6 days

• T-money on your phone saves every transfer.
• Late meals are normal. So are early palace mornings.
• Hills are part of the city. Build them into the day, not as a surprise.

• Many palaces close one weekday. Check before you go.
• Convenience stores are a legitimate late meal.
• The Han River parks are for lingering, not just commuting past.