Seoul

Nightlife, history, art, food, nature; Seoul is a city of contrasts. Explore exhibits from prehistoric archaeology to modern art at the National Museum of Korea, so big you’ll need to visit twice. Walk through the past in the preserved Bukchon Hanok Village between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palaces.

See the home of the Korean president with a tour of the Blue House, spend a family day among the many entertainments of Lotte World and its skyscraping Lotte World Tower, or find your peace among the trails of Baegundae Peak in Bukhansan National Park, and Sudo Mountain beside Bongeunsa Temple. Visit Seoul’s varied districts from the party and people-watching area of Itaewon to the traditional streets of Insadong where handicrafts and art markets are nestled among tea shops and small cafés. Or take your tastebuds on a tour around the food markets and street food stalls scattered across the city.

Home to almost 10 million people, Seoul is a modern megacity to rival Tokyo, New York, or LA. It’s also an ancient capital rich in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Explore the historic royal residence of Changdeokgung Palace. Uncover the turbulent past of Gyeongbokgung Palace, destroyed and rebuilt several times and now home to the National Palace Museum, the National Folk Museum, and magical original features including Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and Hyangwonjeong Pond.

Witness the changing of the guards at Gwanghwamun Gate beside the open public space and protest site of Gwanghwamun Square. Search for serenity at the 8th Century Bongeunsa Temple on the slope of Sudo Mountain in Gangnam. Or stay overnight in the 3000-year-old Jingwansa Temple, set within the blissful surroundings of Bukhansan National Park, and learn how its resident monks grow their own food and ferment their own kimchi in their home among the winding mountain trails.

Browse the stores and fashion boutiques of Dongdaemun and discover Zaha Hadid’s space-like DDP building, a futuristic base for design studios, artisan craft stalls, and entertainment outlets. Look out from the mountaintop N Seoul Tower. Climb Lotte World Tower, South Korea’s tallest building and step onto the highest glass floor in the world on its spectacular Sky Deck.

Watch a movie on the globe’s largest screen at Lotte Cinema, explore underwater at Lotte World Aquarium, uncover modern creativity at the Lotte Museum of Art, and enjoy the world's largest indoor theme park at Lotte World Adventure. Paddle in the waters of an urban creek at the rediscovered Cheonggyecheon Stream. When night falls, see the city burst into light through LEDs covering iconic landmarks and streets flooded with neon, then party until dawn among the bustling streets of Itaewon or retire to the comfort of your modern city hotel.

Seoul is stunning in the spring, as cherry blossoms and other flowers bloom into colour across the city. Dry days and temperatures averaging from 15°C to 20°C also make April to June the best time of year for outdoor exploration and enjoying the city's vibrant markets and attractions. July and August is the peak of summer and while temperatures can soar, so can rainfall making for a hot and humid atmosphere that can cause some outdoor activities to become uncomfortable.

September brings relief again as the autumn climate returns to match spring’s and creates a fantastic shoulder season with fewer crowds and pleasant days. Seoul is at its coldest, and quietest, from December to February with temperatures often dropping below freezing, though a wide choice of indoor attractions mean Seoul is a destination which can still be enjoyed during this most romantic of seasons.