Seoul, neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Seoul's visitor districts sit on both sides of the Han River, and the subway links nearly all of them. Pick the area that fits your days, and you can reach most of the others in half an hour. 18 of them are covered here, each with its places, how to get there, and where to stay.
Myeongdong
17 placesCosmetics lanes, a brick cathedral and a market that never fully closes
Gangnam and Sinsa
15 placesTemple, library and underground malls around two big stations
Dongdaemun
14 placesLate-night fashion malls, a design landmark and the city wall's hills
Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun
13 placesPalace gates, museums and the Seochon lanes
Bukchon and Samcheong-dong
13 placesHanok lanes, a second palace and the Samcheong-ro galleries
Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong
13 placesLive music, a Saturday market and a park on an old rail line
Itaewon and Hannam-dong
13 placesTwo big museums, a war memorial and late-night bars on Itaewon-ro
Yeouido
13 placesParliament, a river park and a big mall on one island
Jamsil
13 placesA tower observatory, a theme park and a lake loop in one district
Seongsu-dong
12 placesConverted factories, cafes and a big forest park
Apgujeong and Cheongdam
11 placesRodeo street, small galleries and K-pop agency blocks
Jongno and Insadong
9 placesTemples, craft shops and the late-night market
Sinchon
8 placesTwo campuses, a prison museum and rice porridge
Mapo and World Cup Park
8 placesThe 2002 World Cup site, landfill parks and a former oil depot
Mangwon
7 placesA neighbourhood market, a riverside park and a battleship you can board
Ikseon-dong
6 placesA hanok alley maze of cafes and small restaurants
Namsan
5 placesA hill with a tower, a cable car and a hanok village at its foot
Euljiro
4 placesPrinting alleys, dried-fish pubs and a few good cafes