Seoul is a city that rewards digging. On the surface, it\'s an ugly mass of squat concrete blocks sprawling over an area of more than 600 square kilometers, an urban jungle spawned from the ashes of the city\'s near-total destruction during the Korean War. The city plan may be relentlessly utilitarian, and hopelessly low on green space (with the exception of the rounded mountains sprouting from its midst), but the more time you spend in Seoul the more likely it is that this rough, vivacious city will win you over. The Korean capital is the true 24-hour city that other places bill themselves as, a place where you can go shopping for luxury fashions at 3am, or chow down streetside on rice liquor and blood-sausage at 7am right after the clubs let out. Indeed, many of the best experiences here involve food and drink, and tableside is one of the finest places to appreciate true Korean culture -- garrulous, warm, and typically involving a prodigious quantity of alcohol. You won\'t find the soul of, well, Seoul in a guidebook, so make a local friend or two and dive in! You\'ll be surprised where you might end up. The Activities That Can\'t Be Missed: 1. Seoul Intangible Cultural Heritage Center - Locals and tourists have the chance to learn more about the heritage of the Korean culture and also to try some of the arts and crafts themselves. Skilled artisans can be watched at work, special exhibitions held regularly promote various eras of culture and Korean civilization. 2. Beautiful Tea Museum - This is a calm and relaxing experience. Visitors can take part in a tea ceremony and taste various types of tea, ranging from herbal and fruit teas, to black or green tea. The Places You Should Definitely See: 1. Kumho Museum of Art - A complex of art galleries dedicated to young artists, both Korean and international ones. 2. Jongmyo - A place of sacred rituals in memory of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. Unlike the royal palaces, Jongmyo Royal Shrine has a sacred, quiet atmosphere. The royal ancestral tablets are enshrined here, which makes the silence even more profound. My Favorite Hidden Gems: 1. Brain Factory - A private gallery and HGO, Brain Factory was funded in 2003 to promote contemporary artists. 2. Kring - Kring - An all-in-one cultural center, comprising of a movie theater, exhibition halls, art center, performance halls, cafe and a sky garden on top of the building 3. KwangJang Market - A mecca for vintage clothing My Favorite Places to Eat: 1. Allo Papaer Garden - The decor is friendly and modern and the desserts are looking and tasting fabulous 2. Artise - A European-style bakery, with fresh French type breads and cakes 3. Usinseollongtang - Modest and unobtrusive decor give way to traditional Korean dishes, tasty and light 4. Mejjanin - A relaxed wine bar, popular among young professionals and serving a large selection of good quality drinks. \"Attributed to http://www.gogobot.com/blog/2012/03/20/36-hours-in-seoul-south-korea/\"
The jjimjilbang (public spa) is at the heart of the Korean experience, and absolutely can’t be missed. Head down to Yongsan station for a dip at the sex-segregated public baths of the nearby Dragon Hill Spa. (I personally favor a steam in the hot bath followed by a plunge into the icy-cold pool – don’t forget to check out the various saunas and relaxation rooms!)
When you’re as clean and relaxed as you’re going to get, put those clothes back on and have a wander through the Yongsan Electronics Market (connected to the station), a great intro to Korea’s tech-obsessed culture.
Culture break: pop over to Seoul’s most gorgeous museum, the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art. Housed in buildings designed by architectural luminaries Rem Koolhaus, Jean Nouvel, and Mario Botta, the collection here is top-notch and the spaces are among the prettiest in the city. It can be fully absorbed in just 90 minutes.
As night nears, it’s time to make your way down to Gangnam, the “new” Seoul south of the Han River (Gangnam Station, line 2 exit 2). Nosh out for dinner at GOMcine on the dish that made Korea famous: barbeque. Order a couple of servings of marinated raw beef to grill up, washed down with a bottle of soju – Korea’s sinister rice vodka. When you’re properly stuffed and besotted, head to Woodstock Bar for a taste of the city’s mixed social scene, with pitchers of cheap beer and an excellent music request system. If you’ve got someone who can navigate the Korean language barrier, this would be a perfect time to pop into a norebang (a karaoke room – just look for the signs reading 노래방: 20,000 – 30,000 won per hour).
You should also experience Seoul’s legendary party scene, and Club Mass (Gangnam station exit 6) is the perfect place to do it. The best of Gangnam’s electronic clubs, it’s a Korean scene, full of the city’s young and beautiful. By midnight, Mass should be packed, and will be going until the subway opens up again with the dawn.
Located in the historic precincts north of the Han River, the Shilla is arguably the flagship hotel for the city of Seoul, and by extension the whole of Korea, a place where foreign dignitaries and business bigwigs stay while they're in town. Surprisingly, it's not entirely unaffordable -- a single starts at around 220,000 won per night: around 200 bucks.
To get an idea of what it really means to be the world’s second-largest urban area (25 million people – more than the entire population of Australia) take the Namsan Cable Car up to the 237-meter N’Seoul Tower, and ascend the needle for a 360-degree panorama of the city lights sprawling on and on through endless ridges of low mountains.
Back down in Myeongdong, make your way to Myeongdong Gyoja – a Seoul institution that’s been making the world’s best kalguksu (thick, rich, hearty noodle soup) and mandu (to-die-for steamed meat dumplings) for nearly fifty years. Don’t be intimidated by the line out the door – it’s always that way, and turnover is crazy fast.
It’s only 12 minutes from Myeongdong (Eujiro 1-ga station, line 2) to the Hongik University neighbourhood, better known as Hongdae. With a hip, arty vibe, this student neighbourhood is the epicentre of Seoul’s burgeoning arts-and-music scene, and Friday night is the perfect time to take in the street life and catch the free interactive music-dance-and-comedy shows put on in Hongik Park. Subway closed when it’s time to go? Just hail one of Seoul’s ubiquitous silver taxis, and hand them the business card for your hotel.
Caffeinate and get out there – there’s a lot to do. First head to Gyeongbokgung, the largest of Seoul’s Joseon-Dynasty-era medieval palaces. Though it’s been extensively restored, a wander through the sprawling grounds shows off the best of Korea’s traditional palace architecture. When you’re done, head out to the colossal Gwanghwamun Plaza, with its nifty synchronized fountains (one of the best places for photography in the city during the warm summer months) and towering statues.
Have a stroll along the main street of Jongno, and up into Insadong, Seoul’s flagship tourist street, for a bit of shopping. (My favourite gift from the capital is one of the gorgeous handmade woodblock prints from Jeongak Gallery.)
Lunchtime! Pop across the alleys for a visit to the historic Jogyesa Buddhist Temple, and when you’re finished with the giant Buddha sculptures, head to the temple-stay building across the street, and its fabulously artful vegan temple-cuisine restaurant, Baru. It’s super-tasty, and the wonderful presentation might just make it Seoul’s most beautiful meal (seven-course set menu 30,000 won).
