My Top 12 Cities in the World: #10 Seoul, South Korea

Over the last 8 years I have had the privilege to travel to over 80 cities, 30 countries, and 5 continents. I have made new friends, ate incredible foods, had some crazy nights out, navigated sketchy situations, and much much more ! With this in mind, I decided it would be a good idea to really sit down and put my thoughts to paper deciding what cities stand tall beyond the rest. This week #10: Seoul, South Korea

THE GRADING CRITERIA

-Category 1, "Food" 10 PTS

-Category 2, "Safety" 10 PTS

-Category 3, "Activities / Things to do" 10 PTS

-Category 4, "Cost" 10 PTS

-Category 5, "Energy / Excitement / Good Vibes" 10 PTSd

-Category 6, "My experience (I.e. How much fun did I have)" 50 PTS Subjective ? Yes ! However, I am not ranking these cities by how comfortable I think they are or what would be the best city to live in. Rather, the main factor really just is: Did I have fun and make some life-long memories while here ?

No.10 SEOUL - SOUTH KOREA // Total Score: 89 out of 100

Women dressed in traditional Korean dresses at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

-Food: 8 / 10:

If you are a big fan of Korean food fan (as I am) you will love the food scene of Seoul. Being an ultra-modern mega-city you can find gastronomic options from all ends of the spectrum. From eating bindaetteok dumplings shoulder to shoulder with businessmen on their lunch break in Gwangjang covered market to enjoying gourmet Korean cuisine in a quaint traditional wooden hanok house in Bukchon Hanok village and everything else in between. The flavors of Korean cuisine are distinct, delicious, and over the past few decades have brought flocks of food lovers from around the world wishing to indulge to the city. With a diverse range of dishes at just about every price point Seoul is truly a paradise for Korean food lovers. I did find outside of Korean food Seoul lacked just a touch in regard to it's international food offerings at least when compared to cities of the same size and scale. That being said while I have been to Seoul three times, each time was not for very long. I might just need to spend more time in the city to experience the range of food on offer to a fuller extent.

Some of my recommendations are:

-Hanmechon, Located in Bukchon Hanok Village this quaint restaurant offers guests an array of excellent traditional korea food, primarily in the form of small dishes you can either order individually or as part of a set menu. The setting here is also a highlight as the restaurant is in a traditional hanok house, adding to the cozy feeling of eating a home cooked meal.

-Okdongsik Seogyo, A seven time michelin recognized establishment. Located just outside of the Hongdae nightlife district you will find the welcoming, but busy Okodonsik Seogyo. This counter service only restaurant (albeit in a refined way) puts you right up and close to the action as you can watch the restaurants busy staff prepare soup, and cook dumplings. Famous for their delicious (and affordable) pork gomtang and kimchi dumplings, this is one you should not miss. Just a word of warning you should be prepared to wait in line regardless of if you are going for lunch or dinner. I would recommend a week day.

-Gwangjang covered market, Arguably Seoul's most famous food market, at least once during your visit to Seoul you need to make a stop here for lunch. Featured as part of the Netflix program "Street Food: Asia", you can find everything from steaming Mandu dumplings, fresh gohyang kalgusku (knife cut noodles), hot stone bibimbap, and perhaps most importantly fried twisted cinnamon donuts. While all of the options here can feel daunting, rest assured that whatever you go with you can't go wrong.

Various spices and soups for sale at Gwangjang market.

A late afternoon lunch in the market.

A couple enjoying afternoon tea in a cafe near bukchon hanok village

-Safety: 10 / 10:

There is not a ton to say here. It should be no surprise Seoul gets full marks in the safety category as it is one of the safest cities in the world. Violent crime is extremely rare and unless you're sticking your head where you shouldn't other forms of crime are very unlikely to find you as well. The public transport in Seoul is excellent, and the streets are clean and well maintained across neighborhoods of all economic backgrounds. Seoul is a city you can freely roam and explore with confidence and without stress.

-Activies & Things to do: 9 / 10:

Seoul is a sprawling modern mega city with no shortage a fun activities to get into. From the ultra-modern star field shopping mall, equipped with an aquarium and massive library that looks like it was taken straight from the set of a sci-fi movie to the historical grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Seoul offers travelers with a myriad of options for unique experiences. You can't miss the street markets which extend far beyond being only food markets. As you wander the streets you'll discover markets specializing in just about anything from shoes, books, and just about any random trinket you can think of.

What is cool about these markets is that you can clearly see that the shops here are where Seoul's locals do much of their shopping. Unlike the bazars of Istanbul or the street markets of Bangkok, in Seoul you won't find a myriad of shops selling knock off tourist clothes. Instead you'll see shopping streets full of locals doing their shopping for the day.

If it is your first visit to the city I would also recommend heading up to N-Seoul tower to get a panoramic view of the entire city. What makes this view unique is that the tower is situated at the top of large hill (small mountain) right in the middle of the city. Meaning, compared to other city view points N-Seoul tower is much higher. This allows for some incredible views, letting you properly take in the concrete ocean that is Seoul. After my visit to N-Seoul tower I had a new appreciation for the size and scale of the city. In regard to day trips from Seoul, the most famous tour on offer is the day trip from Seoul to the Korean DMZ (border with North Korea). While I have not done this myself I would imagine that this would be a very unique (& presumably somber) experience.

A street vendor and his book stall.

The side streets of Seoul are bustling and easy to get lost in.

-Cost: 7 / 10:

Seoul is another one of those cities which is certainly cheap when compared to American standards, but a bit more than what you would find in south east Asia. It is also a city that has gotten much more expensive in the last six years or so. Back in 2019 on my first visit to Seoul it was noticeably less expensive than Tokyo. However, since then I have visited Seoul more recently in 2023 and last year in 2024. From my observations the prices for just about everything are now pretty much on par with what you would find in Tokyo. (Aside from the taxis, which are still much cheaper in Seoul).

For a hostel your probably looking to spend about 20usd per night, fairly standard rates for hostels outside of Europe or North America. For food and drink you really do have the full range of options. Street food is cheap with most dishes going for around 2usd to 7usd. However, if you want to have a proper sit down meal in a restaurant you are probably looking at about 10usd to 15usd, and Korean BBQ or upscale dining options typically going for 30usd or more.

What is really cheap is the alcohol, especially if you're sourcing most of your drinks from Seoul's many convenience stores. Moreover, unlike most countries the Korean drink of choice is not beer. Instead many Koreans opt for the infamous soju. Virtually every Korean convenience store carries soju where it is nearly always about one to three dollars for a bottle. With an ABV typically around 15% to 20% Koreans have mastered the art of getting plastered - economically.

-Energy, Excitement, and Vibes: 9 / 10:

Seoul is an extremely vibrant city that is constantly bustling with energy. Simply walking through the streets of the city or taking the metro and being swept away in the tide of commuters moving throughout the city allows you to immerse yourself in the organized chaos of Seoul's hustle and bustle. However, beyond the crash of thousands of bodies moving throughout the city there are also pockets of peacefulness. Seoul has many gardens and parks where you can find moments of calm. Moreover, with Seoul being quite a hilly city I really enjoyed that you can often find parks or quiet neighborhoods up high. Going here to see and hear the city go by below was quite relaxing. In particular, I really enjoyed Bukchon Hanok village. While this area is known for being touristy, it is actually quite a large area. If you can make it past the crowds and continue deeper into the neighborhood there are more than a few quaint cafes and restaurants to enjoy.

It also must be said that Seoul's nightlife is absolutely wild. While I unfortunately missed the heyday of Seoul's Itaewon district, nights out in Hongdae certainly did not disappoint. On the topic of hongdae, while it is not the largest nightlife district I have been to. It is certainly one of the rowdiest, especially when compared to other cities in East-Asia. After partying in Hongdae. Shibuya and Ximending, the famous nightlife districts of Tokyo and Taipei feel noticeably tame. I highly recommend starting the night at the bar "Thursday Party" where it is quite easy to make friends before heading to one of Hongdae's many head banging basement nightclubs.

-My Experience: 46 / 50:

At the time of writing, I have been to Seoul on three occasions and on each of those visits I have had an excellent time. My first visit to Seoul was back in 2019 together with my mom. While I didn't get into any partying or other social activities on this initial visit. I did have a wonderful time site-seeing many of Seoul's famous sites. We spent our days visiting attractions such as N Seoul tower, star field mall, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Bukchon Hanok village. To this date, this is the only proper trip I have been able to take with just my mom and for this I have a great appreciation for this visit to Seoul.

Since then my two subsequent visits to Seoul have been solo trips. On these trips I hit a excellent balance of site seeing by myself and socializing with other travelers. Destinations where I make good friends typically standout more so than others and Seoul is no exception to this. My days were spent wandering the streets of the city and its many shops and markets. While many of the nights were spent out until sunrise in one of Hongdae's many nightclubs with friends I had made at the hostel.