Seoul is a fun and busy city where there is always something to do, a new cafe to visit, or a new neighborhood to explore, which can make finding things to do in Seoul feel overwhelming, especially if your days in the city are limited.
If you have checked off all of the best places to visit in Seoul as a first-time visitor, you must be wondering, what’s next? Well, if you are in need of inspiration for your next days exploring this exciting city here are 50+ unique things to do in Seoul to keep you going.
50+ Unique Things to Do in Seoul
1) Visit the colorful Jogyesa, the main temple for Jogye Korean Buddhism in Seoul.
2) Shop all sorts of intricate locally-made ceramics at Insa-dong.
3) Fuel up on the perfect mocha at a Blue Bottle location, or try another spot from our list of best cafes in Seoul.
4) Take a picture in front of the big I SEOUL U city sign.
5) Marvel at the interesting design of the Seoul city hall, traditional at the front, and futuristic at the back.
6) Stock up on sheet masks at the discount stores in Myeong-dong, like MASK Story.
7) Try all the different Korean street food dishes on Myeong-dong street.
8) One of the most unique things to do in Seoul has to be visiting one of the many unique cafes in Seoul, like the raccoon cafe, the 2D cafe, or the Harry Potter-themed cafe.
9) Create your own soju-tasting experience by trying a variety of soju flavors from GS25. Don’t skip the grapefruit one!
10) Try the unmissable Korean green grapes, either by themselves or sugar-coated, either way, they are delicious!
11) Eat piping hot dumplings out of a street food cart.
12) Buy the coziest Korean cashmere socks at Insa-dong from a brand called Biarritz, either for yourself or as souvenirs.
13) Explore the buzzing restaurant and bar streets of Myeong-dong 9ga gil and 7ga gil by night.
14) Stuff your face with crunchy Korean fried chicken at Daily Beer.
15) Get a guided tour of a palace, Gyeongbokgung offers one for free.
16) One of the most unique things to do in Seoul is to have dinner at a no-interaction restaurant, like this noodle shop, where you order food at the screen and just pick it up from the bar and sit down to eat quietly by yourself. An introvert’s dream come true!
17) Get locally made, unique art pieces from DeArt, a tiny art studio tucked away in the Bukchon Hanok Village.
18) Try the fluffy Korean egg sandwiches from an Eggdrop location. Warning: They are unexpectedly sweet!
19) Visit a free museum on a rainy (or sunny) day, such as the National Folk Museum.
20) Eat the most delicious croissant you will find in Seoul at Salt 24.
21) Explore Gyedong-gil, a cutesy street lined with lots of small shops.
22) Fill up your luggage with the best of Korean skincare at Olive Young, the Myeong-dong location is massive!
23) Get a hydra peel facial at Muse Clinic in Gangnam, this is one of Korea’s best-selling treatments and it costs less than 40 USD!
24) Treat yourself to a luxurious facial and massage combo at the elegant Sulwhasoo spa.
25) Go on an adventure to find the food stands from the Netflix TV show Street food Asia at the Gwangjang Market.
26) Dress up in Hanbok, traditional Korean attire, and visit a palace for free.
27) Have a coffee in a traditional Hanok house, like Sudal Cafe or Namusairo.
28) Have a whole meal at GS25, it’s an experience in itself!
29) Visit a karaoke bar and sing your heart out in your own private booth.
30) Escape the city for a few minutes and walk along Cheonggyecheon, Seoul’s urban park.
31) Take a day trip to immerse yourself in nature hiking in the Bukhansan National park—which is especially breathtaking during fall!
32) Devour a delicious fluffy doughy sugar twist from the closest street stand.
33) Visit one of the ancient gates to the old city of Seoul, such as Sungnyemun Gate.
34) Try the best-filled donuts of your life at Knotted Cafe. I seriously went here at least once a week while living in Seoul for 3 months!
35) Visit THAT famous Seoul library you see everywhere on Pinterest, which is actually inside a shopping center, the Coex Mall.
36) Get cooking at a Korean BBQ and wash it all down with Soju, obviously.
37) Visit bar Jangsaeng, that cool bar from the Netflix special Asia at night, where drinks are made from local seasonal ingredients. We stopped by and the drinks were great, and the service spectacular!
38) Leave a love lock at the top of the N Seoul tower with your loved one, or by yourself, you do you.
39) If visiting during the autumn months, definitely catch the changing leaves at Nami Island!
40) Enjoy a flight of rice wine at a specialty bar and discover your favorite kind of rice wine.
41) Take inspiration from the fashionable young Koreans. I especially loved their fall fashion, so minimal and chic.
42) Enjoy a cup of tea at a traditional Korean tea house.
43) Do yourself a favor and buy Korean sunscreen, they are some of the best in the world.
44) Do the Gangnam-style dance in front of the massive Gangnam-style hand statue.
45) Buy a bouquet of flowers from a vending machine. Yup, that’s a thing you can do in Seoul.
46) Visit the Jung Saem Mool flagship store in Sinsa and get color matched to their gorgeous cushion foundation. One of my favorite base products ever!
47) Treat yourself to some shopping in the Sinsa-dong neighborhood.
48) Buy some hair accessories and hats from one of the many shops inside the metro stations in Seoul.
59) Find Alice Cheongdam, an elegant speakeasy tucked away in the glamourous Gangnam. Here I had one of my favorite drinks ever! A kind of negroni with mezcal.
50) Explore Korean beauty trends such as the velvety lip stain, the 3CE one is the most popular one.
51) Enjoy a walk through the relaxing Haneul Park.
52) Enjoy a drink with a view at Rooftop Kloud, a restaurant and bar at the top of the AC Hotel by Marriot in Gangnam, which overlooks the whole city.
53) Visit a Daiso, where you will find all the random little things you need and wouldn’t know where else to find.
54) Go thrift shopping in the young and laid-back Hongdae neighborhood.
55) Drink at some of the tiniest and coolest cocktail bars in the city, all hiding in plain sight one next to the other on Sajik-ro 12 gil. My favorite one, Bar Abyss, has a resident cat that sits at the bar.
56) Explore a Korean supermarket. I always love checking out supermarkets while traveling, the difference in food is so interesting.
57) Try Myeongdong Kyoja, the Michelin-recognized dumpling soup that has locals lining up in the cold.
58) Stock up on Dr. Jart+ as well as Laneige products, since they are both Korean brands you can find your favorite products at a lower price than outside of Korea.
59) Explore the smaller streets of Gangnam, away from the main avenue you can find cool shops and cafes.
60) Do a photoshoot session at one of the many photobooths that you will find across the city.
And that’s it! Hope you found our brainstorm of 50+ unique things to do in Seoul useful to fill in your days in this exciting city. Can you think of any other unique things to do in Seoul that we might be missing? Make sure to let us know so we can add them to our ongoing list.