Seoul
Traditional palaces and bustling open markets
Take flights to Seoul for royal palaces, buzzing street markets and aromatic Korean cuisine.
Things to do
Stroll in the footsteps of 15th-century kings and concubines at the World Heritage Changdeokgung Palace on your Seoul city break. The ornate pavillions and halls lead to the serene Biwon (secret garden), where lotus ponds glisten amid maple woods and flowering plants.
Shopping
Join locals to haggle at the open-air Namdaemun Market. Korea's biggest market teems with vendors selling groceries, handicrafts, colourful traditional clothing and steamy dumplings. Bottled ginseng root and dried seaweed make unique gifts from a Seoul city break.
Restaurants
For relaxed dining after flights to Seoul, head to the leafy Samcheong-dong neighbourhood. The streets are crammed with inviting cafes and hole-in-the-wall restaurants dishing up hot and spicy dukbokki (rice cakes), barbecued pork and hearty sujebi, dough flakes in a flavoursome shellfish and noodle broth.
Nightlife
Trend-conscious Koreans hangout in neon-lit Apgujeong-dong, nicknamed Seoul's Beverly Hills. Seoul is at its festive best in this upmarket district, where a see-and-be-seen crowd goes for the world-class clubs, intimate jazz bars, and cafes where you can have your saju (fortune) read.
When to go
KLM has frequent flights to Seoul. See dramatic ice sculptures glisten at the Seoul Ice Festival in January, or glowing lanterns illuminate the streets for Buddha's birthday at the Lotus Lantern Festival in spring.
Upcoming events
- Seoul International MarathonMar 2012 (annual)
- Yeouido Spring Flower FestivalApr 2012 (annual)
- Show all events
Things to do
SpotlightChangdeokgung Palace
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SpotlightDongdaemun Market
Shops at downtown Dongdaemun Market specialize in wholesale fashions, shoes and accessories. The largest market in the city, giant shopping More about this item
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