My Honest Thoughts, Favorite Areas, and What I’d Actually Go Back For
Seoul is one of those cities that kind of hits you all at once when you first arrive.
It’s busy, but not in a chaotic way. More like… everything is happening at the same time and you just have to find your rhythm in it. Cafés everywhere, skincare stores every few steps, random street food that smells amazing even when you’re not hungry, and neighborhoods that honestly feel like different cities depending on where you are.
I don’t think I really “figured out” Seoul on this trip, but I got a good feel for it. This is more of a mix of what I liked, what surprised me, and the places I kept thinking about even after leaving.
First impression: it’s easier to get around than I expected
I was honestly a little nervous about navigating Seoul before going, but it ended up being pretty straightforward.
The subway system is really organized. Once you get the hang of it, it’s actually kind of easy to get almost anywhere. Most signs are in English too, which helps a lot.
What surprised me more was how different each area feels. You can take a short subway ride and suddenly the whole vibe changes. One stop might be super modern and polished, and the next feels more artsy and slow.
It made me realize pretty quickly that Seoul isn’t really a “one main center” type of city. It’s more like a collection of neighborhoods you slowly get to know.
Myeongdong: overwhelming but worth seeing once
Myeongdong was probably the most intense area I went to.
It’s crowded almost all the time. There are skincare stores lined up next to each other, street food carts everywhere, people handing out samples, music playing—it’s a lot.
At first I wasn’t sure if I liked it, because it feels very tourist-heavy and kind of chaotic. But after walking around a bit, I get why people go.
It’s one of those places where you can:
- try random street food in one walk (corn dogs, skewers, tteokbokki, all of it)
- go into multiple skincare stores back-to-back without planning anything
- just kind of people-watch and take it all in
I don’t think I would stay here, but I would definitely go back in the evening just to snack and walk around again.
Seongsu: my favorite area by far
Seongsu was the area I didn’t expect to like as much as I did.
It felt more relaxed compared to the other busy shopping districts. A lot of the buildings are converted warehouses, and now they’re cafés, pop-ups, and little design shops.
Everything feels very intentional there, but not in an overdone way. More like people actually care about how things look, but it still feels casual.
I ended up spending most of my time just café hopping here. Some places had lines, but once you’re inside, it doesn’t feel rushed. People just sit, talk, take photos, or work on laptops.
It’s also one of the only areas where I felt like I could slow down a bit instead of constantly moving.
If I went back to Seoul, I’d probably spend a full day just in Seongsu and not try to do anything else.
Gangnam: very clean, very put together, very “K-beauty”
Gangnam feels like the most polished part of Seoul.
Everything is clean, modern, and kind of structured. There’s a lot of luxury shopping, skincare clinics, and big beauty stores. It definitely has a more “high-end” feel compared to other neighborhoods.
It’s not really cozy or aesthetic in a café-hopping way, but it’s interesting to see because you really understand how big beauty culture is here.
I also noticed how normal it is to see skincare clinics just as part of everyday life. It’s not something people seem to think of as a “special occasion” thing—it’s just normal maintenance.
Gangnam felt less like somewhere I’d spend all day walking around, and more like somewhere you go with a purpose.
Food + cafés: probably my favorite part of the trip
Honestly, I think I thought about food the most in Seoul.
Even simple meals felt good. Convenience store snacks were actually way better than expected. Cafés weren’t just “coffee shops,” they felt like full aesthetic spaces where everything is designed carefully.
Some things that stood out:
- Korean street toast in the morning (simple but surprisingly good)
- cafés that feel more like design studios than coffee shops
- Korean BBQ that somehow tastes slightly different depending on the place
- desserts that are almost too pretty to eat
I also liked that you don’t really have to overthink where to eat. You can just walk into something random and it’s usually at least decent.
Skincare shopping (obviously)
If you like skincare at all, Seoul is kind of dangerous.
Olive Young is everywhere. Like actually everywhere. And it’s easy to just walk in “for one thing” and leave with way more.
What I liked:
- you can test almost everything
- there are always new products I’d never seen before
- prices are better than what I’m used to seeing online
- it doesn’t feel pushy or stressful
I also noticed that skincare there doesn’t feel like a trend. It’s just part of routine life. People don’t treat it like something extra—it’s just normal.
A few things I wish I knew before going
Nothing major, just small things that would’ve helped:
- Google Maps doesn’t always work well, so navigation apps matter
- Some cafés look empty but still have long waits inside
- You don’t actually need a packed itinerary every day
- Walking into random places is sometimes better than planning everything
I think I over-planned a bit at the beginning and then slowly started relaxing into just exploring.
Final thoughts
Seoul is not really a city I feel like I fully “checked off.”
It’s more like one of those places you slowly understand over time. Every neighborhood feels slightly different, and I feel like I only scratched the surface.
If I went back, I would probably do things a bit differently:
- less rushing between places
- more time in fewer neighborhoods
- more café breaks without feeling like I need to move on quickly
- more wandering without a plan
I think that’s really the best way to experience it anyway.
It’s a city that makes more sense when you slow down a little.
insightstogo. 
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