Where to stay in Seoul: which area suits you, with hotel picks

For a first trip, stay in Myeongdong or Jongno. Both are in the old center, close to the palaces, the markets and Namsan, and Myeongdong is simple to reach from Incheon: take the AREX Express to Seoul Station, then subway Line 4. For something you can only do in Korea, spend a night or two in a hanok in Bukchon.

Pick Hongdae for nightlife and a direct airport train, Seongsu for cafés and pop-up stores, and Itaewon for food from around the world. Choose COEX in Gangnam or Jamsil if you came for big malls, K-pop sights or Lotte World, and Dongdaemun if you want DDP and the late-night fashion malls close by.

Myeongdong is a grid of shopping lanes between Myeongdong Station (Line 4) and Euljiro 1-ga Station (Line 2). From mid-afternoon, licensed food stalls line its two main streets, which are car-free every day from 10:00 to 23:00, and the Namsan cable car is a short walk south. Weekends and evenings get very crowded.

Jongno is the palace side of town. Insadong-gil starts by Exit 6 of Anguk Station (Line 3), the Bukchon hanok lanes climb north from Exit 2, and Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung sit on either side of Bukchon. Staying here means you can walk to a palace first thing in the morning.

Seoul's Hanok Portal lists 134 hanok stays registered on the city's Stay Visit Seoul site (as of September 16, 2026), from small guesthouses to hanok hotels such as Rakkojae. Bukchon is still a lived-in neighborhood, and Jongno-gu limits sightseeing in its busiest Red Zone lanes to 10:00–17:00. Guests can walk in after 17:00 with their booking confirmation, but stopping to take photos or stroll around counts as sightseeing and can be fined.

Read Seoul City's hanok tips before you book. Some traditional houses keep older bathroom and shower setups to protect the building, hanok are wooden so fire is a real risk, and pets other than guide dogs may not be allowed. Keep your voice down at night for the neighbors.

Hongdae is the area in front of Hongik University, a school famous for its art programs, and it's where Korea's indie bands, street art and club culture grew up. Hongik Univ. Station is on Line 2, the Gyeongui–Jungang Line and the AREX, and the AREX all-stop train from Incheon Airport stops right there. Busking on the Walking Street must end by 22:00, but the clubs run through the night.

Seongsu, once a district of shoe factories and print shops, is now full of cafés, galleries and brand flagships such as Dior Seongsu and Olive Young N Seongsu, all a few minutes from Seongsu Station (Line 2). Seoul Forest is at its western end and the Han River runs along the south.

Itaewon, on Line 6, is Seoul's most multicultural district. World Food Street is a minute from Itaewon Station Exit 1, and the Noksapyeong overpass from Itaewon Class looks up at N Seoul Tower. Expect very big crowds around Halloween (Saturday, October 31, 2026).

Around COEX in Gangnam, Samseong Station (Line 2) and Bongeunsa Station (Line 9) connect underground to Starfield COEX Mall, home to Starfield Library and the SEA LIFE aquarium. In Jamsil, the station for Lines 2 and 8 leads straight into Lotte World Mall below Lotte World Tower and Seoul Sky, with Lotte World Adventure and the 2.5 km Seokchon Lake loop a few minutes away. From Incheon, an airport limousine bus is the easy way to both areas, since you don't change trains with your luggage.

Dongdaemun centers on DDP, Zaha Hadid's silver building at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Lines 2, 4 and 5). The fashion malls around it stay open late, and DDP's free outdoor light show runs every 30 minutes after dark.