South Korea — Palaces, Hanoks & Seoul's Electric Skyline 🇰🇷
Seoul's blend of Joseon-dynasty palaces, centuries-old hanok villages and a food-and-fashion capital that never quite sleeps. Hand-picked stays and must-book experiences — every link takes you straight to Trip.com to check live prices and book.
🏨 Where to Stay
- Four Seasons Hotel Seoul ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — a glass-and-steel tower in Gwanghwamun styled after an ancient Korean palace, with views over Gyeongbokgung Palace on one side and Seoul's skyscrapers on the other, plus the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Yu Yuan.
- The Shilla Seoul — romantic pick, classic flagship — a Forbes-listed grande dame near Myeongdong with a three-Michelin-star Korean restaurant, an on-site duty-free store and the kind of understated old-money elegance Seoul's classic hotel is built on.
- Josun Palace Seoul Gangnam — smart pick, family-friendly — a 36-storey Gangnam tower with a heated indoor pool (children's pool included), five dining venues and interiors by Humbert & Poyet.
- Rakkojae Seoul ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — hidden gem — a 130-year-old hanok compound in Bukchon Hanok Village, the first hanok hotel ever listed in the Michelin Seoul Guide, with heated ondol floors, a wood-fired sauna and traditional Korean breakfast delivered to your courtyard.
- L7 Myeongdong by LOTTE ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — attainable pick — a trendy lifestyle hotel steps from Myeongdong subway station, with a 21st-floor rooftop bar, foot spa and genuinely central location in Seoul's biggest shopping district — real style without the palace-hotel price tag.
✈️ Flights
🎟️ Experiences
- Gyeongbokgung Palace — the first and grandest palace of the Joseon Dynasty, with 300 buildings across sprawling grounds and a Changing of the Royal Guard ceremony that's become one of Seoul's must-see spectacles.
- Bukchon Hanok Village — a still-inhabited 600-year-old neighbourhood of traditional hanok houses between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palaces, with narrow alleys, tea houses and hanbok rental shops.
- Myeongdong Shopping Street — Seoul's buzzing fashion and street-food district, packed with K-beauty flagship stores, sizzling market stalls and neon signage lighting up long after dark.
🚗 Car Hire & Transfers