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After three years of feeling trapped in separate households throughout the pandemic, my household and I lastly acquired an opportunity to journey to Seoul, South Korea. Blame it on the recognition of Ok-dramas we binged on throughout the lockdown, and our frequent eating out in samgyupsal eating places within the metro, however everybody was wanting to expertise Seoul for themselves and spend high quality time collectively.
After months of planning, ready for slots for our visa purposes, and clearing everybody’s respective work and faculty schedules for every week, we lastly made it to the land of Seoul in time for the late autumn season in November 2022.
Since we had been touring with children and most of us had been first-timers, our itinerary was a mixture of sightseeing to traditional landmarks, kid-friendly amusement parks, and experiential museums. We additionally had just a few seniors in our group, so we would have liked to incorporate just a few academic and cultural experiences.
Listed below are simply a number of the traditional experiences in Seoul, South Korea that my household loved essentially the most that you may additionally wish to embrace in your itinerary.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace was the principle royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. In-built 1395, this grand palace situated in northern Seoul is the most important of the 5 Grand Palaces constructed by the Joseon dynasty, and reportedly served as the house of Kings of the Joseon dynasty.
In fashionable instances, this palace has been seen in varied historic k-dramas like Kingdom, Goong, The Final Empress, and The Moon Embracing the Solar, to title just a few.
For the reason that Nineteen Nineties, the walled palace advanced has regularly been restored to its authentic type. It presently homes the Nationwide Palace Museum and the Nationwide Folks Museum inside the premises of the advanced.
Some of the enjoyable experiences for the entire household is to strive on the elegant Korean conventional clothes known as ‘hanbok’ for picture ops across the Gyeonbokgung Palace.
Very like how Japan has kimono rental retailers, South Korea has hanbok rental retailers for vacationers, and you may borrow and put on hanbok whereas strolling across the palace to make recollections and snap distinctive household images.
Nami Island
For nature lovers, Nami Island ought to undoubtedly be in your bucket listing. Nami Island is a half-moon-shaped isle close to Seoul. Featured within the well-known Korean drama, Winter Sonata, this romantic vacation spot gives a distinct expertise relying on the season you go to.
Count on stunning blossoms when you go to throughout spring time. Throughout summer season, guests can expertise lush inexperienced environment and sunny days. Throughout autumn, the climate is cooler and the falling leaves provides an air of drama and nostalgia. In winter, guests can see snow on the timber and stroll via fantastic white landscapes.
The tour to Nami Island includes lunch at a conventional Korean restaurant, a leisurely ferry experience, and sufficient time to stroll across the spacious grounds.
The children acquired an opportunity to run round, whereas the older members of the group loved the refreshing surroundings and native refreshments.
Those that wish to get a little bit of a piece out can borrow conventional bicycles to go across the small island. Due to its completely different sights, Nami Island gives the right year-round day journey from Seoul.
Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway
The Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway is a picturesque pedestrian footpath that runs subsequent to Deoksugung Palace. This space has been featured in varied Ok-dramas together with Guardian: The Lonely and Nice God (Goblin), One Spring Night time, The Magnificence Inside, and Run On, to call just a few.
As soon as a daily street earlier than it was become a pedestrian walkway, this city house reveals how folks and nature can coexist in excellent concord.
This 900-meter stretch of street has 20 benches and 130 timber lining the trail, providing a fantastic place to take leisurely walks, relaxation, and calm down. It’s fashionable throughout autumn due to the gorgeous foliage. Whereas strolling, you possibly can spot pictures of well-known historic landmarks on the pathways recreated within the tiles.
In late autumn and colder winter months, the tree trunks listed here are embellished with colourful knitted “sweaters,” which have develop into a vacationer attraction in themselves. Other than serving to preserve the timber heat, the designs knitted by volunteers add a creative contact to public areas. The distinctive challenge additionally helped convey pleasure to locals and passersby throughout the gloomy pandemic years.
Haneul Sky Park
Haneul Sky Park is the preferred of the 5 parks of World Cup Park, close to Seoul World Cup Stadium. This picturesque panorama options paths via tall, lush grass to a hilltop with sweeping vistas, with pampas grass in bloom throughout autumn months.
Surprisingly, this stunning park was as soon as a landfill that held over 92 million tons of rubbish till it was become a large-scale surroundings and ecological park.
For these touring with children and seniors, golf cart shuttles are supplied for straightforward entry to the highest. Those that wish to get some train can hike up the Haneul Park Stairs, which has 291 steps or stroll up the identical hilly paved street taken by the shuttle bus.
Cheonggyecheon Stream
Cheonggyecheon Stream, which runs via downtown Seoul, is a restoration of the stream that existed throughout the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The 11-km lengthy stream was as soon as coated with an elevated freeway, which was eliminated in an enormous city renewal challenge in 2003, to convey nature again to the town and promote a extra eco-friendly city design.
The Seoul Metropolitan Authorities designated the world as a vehicle-free zone on holidays, which has given extra leisure house for pedestrians.
Since its restoration, the waterfront areas of Cheonggyecheon Stream, and the encircling streets have develop into fashionable locations for locals and vacationers to unwind and luxuriate in cultural experiences. Whereas strolling round right here, we seen how native workplace staff had been having fun with their espresso alongside the stream and loved sitting and listening to music being carried out by buskers.
Tradition and Arts Streets
Whereas in Seoul, we visited a number of vacationer areas recognized for procuring, arts, and tradition together with the Hongdae Tradition and Arts Particular Vacationer Zone and Insadong, a energetic space stuffed with artsy decorations and historic spots.
The entire household can take pleasure in wandering round this colourful place and benefit from the energetic environment, from daytime to nighttime.
Other than searching for souvenirs, you possibly can cross the time at one of many many conventional tea retailers. You too can see road distributors making and promoting the well-known Dalgona Sweet (Korean Honeycomb Toffee) made fashionable by Netflix’s Squid Recreation.
The meals
One other spotlight for the entire household was the scrumptious Korean meals that we acquired to take pleasure in throughout Seoul and a few hands-on experiences together with sampling seaweed and kimchi making on the Kimchi Museum.
Throughout one lunch tour, we had Dakgalbi, a spicy stir-fried hen dish made with boneless hen items, rice, and a few greens. One other night, we loved a festive Samgyupsal meal at a ship restaurant docked at Han River. Ove a number of days, we loved meals like Bulgogi, Tteokboki, and the well-known Bbq Hen and craft beer within the famed Myeong-dong vacationer district.
Nonetheless, among the finest meals we had throughout the journey was at a easy native eatery that served grilled mackerel and fish stew that our tour information James introduced us to.
It wasn’t a elaborate restaurant and never the same old place you’d convey vacationers, however judging by the gang of native cyclists and the empty plates after our meal, you can inform everybody loved the fare.
NOTE: A model of this text was first revealed within the October 2023 problem of Enrich Journal. Half 2 will give attention to the trendy, technological, and kid-friendly sights in Seoul.
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