South Korea: Xavier

Where am I – South Korea (Seoul & Busan)

Duration – A week (during January)

Suitable for – Just about everyone, it has the hustle-and-bustle of Seoul's metropolis, Busan's foodie cafe scene, and stunning cultural sites.

A winter week in South Korea!

After spending New Years Eve in Singapore to see the fabulous fireworks, I hopped on a flight with friends to Seoul to begin our week in South Korea for the first week of January 2025. I hadn’t heard too much about this fascinating country prior to travelling, given its that’s only really gained popularity in recent years. Our visit to Seoul was part of a trip including 2 weeks in Japan after a week in Korea, so I highly recommend combining both countries on a trip given their easy proximity between one another.

SEOUL

We started the trip with a 3-night stay in the vibrant and bustling Seoul! During my time here, we stayed in the international area of Itaewon which is a great central location, known for its diverse cultural vibe, international dining options and many boutique shops. It was also great and centrally located to access the many different parts of Seoul.

Near our hotel was the delicious bakery café, called the Local Villa Bagel which we ended up frequenting 3 times during our time in Seoul given the bagels were so good!!

 A hot tip for Korea, given Google maps doesn’t work through South Korea, I highly recommend downloading Naver Maps and Kakao Maps which enable you to see the most efficient walking routes, public transport routes and café / dining suggestions during your time here. The public transport came as a shock to me, it was unlike any I had seen before, super-efficient, quick and super reliable trains which became nice places of relaxation between all of our jam-packed sightseeing during the wintery month of January!

One of the highlights was exploring the Gyeongbokgung Palace which is the primary palace of the Joseon dynasty in Seoul, where you see tourists wearing the traditional hanbok outfits. If you time this well, you can view traditional performances inside the palace which was amazing to see. The architecture of this building is absolutely stunning, so I highly recommend visiting! Located near the Palace is the picturesque Bukchon Hanok village which features hundreds of traditional houses, with many local cafes, boutique shops in a traditional village setting. Keep in mind, this village is usually only open 10am-5pm, so it is a lovely spot to visit in the day in conjunction with the Geyongbokgung Palace, with views overlooking the city of Seoul and the N Seoul Tower!

Other fabulous areas we explored during our time in Seoul include the Myeongdong Shopping District, which is like the Times Square of Seoul, featuring all the latest skincare, Korean cosmetics, Kpop billboards and trendy fashion shops. We indulged in delicious night market street food here, serving traditional dishes like tteokbokki, and a variety of international cuisines, so I definitely suggest a nighttime visit to Myeongdong! Hongdae was another fabulous shopping area, with vintage clothing, quirky shops, heaps of themed stores, as well as lots of street performances. I loved the shopping in Hongdae!

On another morning at leisure in Seoul, we walked up the Namsam Mountain to see incredible views of Seoul’s skyline from the base of the N Seoul Tower, taking in panoramic outlooks of the city. This is also accessible by cable car, however, the walk up the mountain was still stunning in winter, with bare trees and viewpoints on the way up! Seoul never ceased to disappoint with many other regions bustling throughout the day and night, with us obtaining a photo with the iconic Gangnam style statue in the Gangnam area of Seoul, located near the fabulous Starfield Library which holds about 70,000 books. This is one of the most impressive libraries I have ever seen!

Seongsu-dong is another unique region in Seoul, famous for its fabulous Korean desert cafes, which were delicious to try at nighttime! We café-hopped through this region for a couple of hours and even saw some snowfall during our time here, having been dubbed the Brooklyn of Seoul! The café Onion was a favourite of ours serving all types of unique croissants and Korean style pastries.

BUSAN

After taking an express bus to Busan, we enjoyed 3 days in this fabulous coastal city of South Korea, offering a refreshing but unique contrast to Seoul. We stayed in the centrally located Jeonpo area which has many fabulous European style cafes and eateries on offer here in the Jeonpo café street.

One of my favourite activities in Busan was seeing the breathtaking Haedong Yonggungsa temple, which is perched on the rocky coastline, located a train ride about an hour outside of Busan centre. It was also super atmospheric in winter with crashing waves and cold sea breeze, however, I can only image what this would look like in the autumn/spring months! The same day we also visited the Haeundae Beach which is a coastal beach town just outside of Busan. This area was still super atmospheric in winter with lovely coastal views and modern skyscrapers present with great street markets below. There is also the iconic Haeundae Sky Capsule along the coast where you can enjoy a journey along the scenic coastline in little capsules, which was a highlight amongst our group!

Other highlights during my time in Busan include the fabulous Gamcheon Cultural Village, which is located a bus ride from the centre of Busan, featuring colourful maze of alleyways, art murals and viewpoints. This colourful hillside village features vibrant artworks, installations and fabulous views over Busan. This was a highlight for me including visiting a local museum to learn about the unique history of the Gamcheon town, built by Korean war refugees with terraced, staircase-style houses.

An evening 1.5km Songdo scenic cable car travelling over the Songdo beach was a super fun experience to end our time in Busan, offering stunning views of the coastline, sea and surrounding hills.

After a fabulous 3 days in Busan and week in South Korea, we took a flight from the Busan airport to Tokyo to spend our next 2 weeks in Japan! Overall, I would have loved more time in South Korea to visit other more regional areas like Jeju Island (in Summer!) or Gyeongju-si Palace (which is about an hour from Busan). Essentially, I absolutely loved South Korea and thought winter was a fabulous time to visit Seoul and Busan, especially given the lack of crowds! 

Read about my time in Japan here.