12 Things You Can Do In Seoul That You Might Not Have Known Were Possible
There’s no doubt that Seoul has a lot to offer. You can take tours through sprawling palaces, sing your heart out at noraebangs, and cuddle with cute animals at cafes. But there is even more that Seoul serves up! From an abandoned amusement park to eating at a camping themed restaurant, here are a few things in Seoul that you might not have even known were an option!
1. Visit an abandoned amusement park
Interested in slightly spooky things? Then you might want to check out Yongma Land! The now abandoned theme park was built in 1980 and closed down in 2011 after fewer people came to enjoy the rides. But just because it’s closed down doesn’t really mean it’s closed for good. In fact, Yongma Land is open to visitors even as nature is slowly reclaiming the park.
Besides the spooky thrill that comes along with a visit, you could also visit some of the rides and sites throughout the theme park that have shown up in K-Pop music videos!
2. Take a tour through Seodaemun Prison
If you’re a history buff, you might want to check out Seondaemun Prison. This prison was opened in 1908 by occupying Japanese forces and over the years became almost like a symbol for the Korean independence movement.
A tour through this facility will really hit you. From the chilling torture chambers and isolation cells to the perfectly preserved women’s section, this will be one tour you won’t forget.
3. Take a Korean alcohol tasting class
A class to taste alcohol? Yep, it’s a thing! Specifically, the class is focused on makgeolli, a type of rice wine, and doesn’t just include tasting. Classes from Baesangmyeonjuga, a well-known liquor company, actually teaches participants how to make the drink and you even get to take some of that makgeolli home with you.
4. Go on a Korean food tour
More interested in trying all the food? Try taking a food tour. There are many places that offer local food tours which will guide you through the best morsels served up in restaurants and at street stalls. So if you’re looking to try the best barbeque around but are also curious about bingsu, a food tour might be the perfect thing to do!
5. Visit one of the many unique cafes around Seoul
By now, you probably already know that Seoul has some of the most unique cafes in the world. So why not visit them? Get up close and personal with some raccoons or step inside a comic book.
Maybe you want to dress up like a princess while grabbing a bite to eat or take a mini airplane trip. Well, there are cafes for all of them! Take your pick because there are even more unique cafes that the city has to offer up. No trip would be complete without stepping foot in at least one of them.
6. Stay at a temple in the heart of Seoul
Located in the heart of the city is Jogyesa Temple. It’s one of the oldest and most important Buddhist buildings in Seoul and is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. But you don’t have to just visit the temple, you can actually stay there! You can join the temple stay program and live like a Buddhist monk for a couple of days. This means you can experience the unique foods of the temple and join in the traditional Korean tea ceremony!
7. Hit up Poopoo Land
Interested in…uh… what happens after eating all that great food? Then maybe you might want to check out Poopoo Land. This museum of sorts is three-floors of poop magic. It offers up the option to check out different types of toilet paper, pose for pictures on toilets, and get up close and personal with the digestive system.
Poopoo Land also offers some eating options that, you guessed it, are themed around the bathroom.
8. Skip the noraebang and go to a multiroom
Noraebangs are great but multirooms might be the better option if you want to do more than sing. These rooms combine everything on offer in noraebangs and PC bangs and add in a little bit more. Multirooms come with board games, a karaoke machine, and gaming equipment. Plus some of these rooms offer up some tasty snack options! So if you’re looking to do a whole bunch of things at once, you might consider looking for the nearest multiroom.
9. Dine in a tent
You probably already know that there are many great hiking opportunities in Seoul but you might not know that hiking at Bukhansan National Park might also lead to dining in a tent! In the park, there is one camping-themed restaurant that lets you eat tasty Korean BBQ all while sitting inside a tent. While you can’t spend the night in one, you can relax and get some tasty food before continuing on with your hiking experience!
10. Learn all about kimchi at Museum Kimchikan
Want to know more about Korea’s most famous food? Then head over the Museum Kimchikan. This museum showcases the 1,500-year long history of kimchi. Visitors can take a peek into the production, see what goes on during the fermentation process, as well as learn all about the food’s history. And no trip would be complete without sampling some of the many varieties on offer!
11. Let your eyes be fooled at the Trick Eye Museum
If all the street art isn’t satisfying enough you could always head over to the Trick Eye Museum. While this museum has been slowly gaining more attention internationally some people still might not know about it. Filled with all sorts of optical illusions and three-dimensional artworks, you can actually become one with the art in this museum.
12. Work up a sweat while seeing the sights
Take a tour through the countryside and pedal your way through forgotten train tunnels and beautiful forests on a rail bike. These rail bikes are set up on the Mugunghwa train tracks and let you pedal at your own pace through some gorgeous scenery. While this one isn’t exactly in Seoul, it is a quick train ride away and will be totally worth it.
