Places, cafés and restaurants we visited in Seoul.
What the Jongno 3-ga street-tent bar alley is now: the co-prosperity street designation Jongno District made in 2024, the 250-metre strip and how many businesses are on it, why the tents go up at 5pm, and the Halloween and year-end closures that catch visitors out.
The 2026 Chuseok holiday runs four days, 24 to 27 September. When the palaces and national museums open, when department stores and banks shut, and why the subway runs late on only two of the four nights — all checked against official notices.
Where to eat in Itaewon and Hannam: Korea's largest cluster of halal-certified restaurants, Turkish and South Asian food near the mosque, craft beer bars, and brunch in Hannam-dong.
A complete guide to Itaewon and Hannam-dong: the food, the Leeum museum, the mosque, where to stay, how to get there from the airport, and what the hills are really like.
Itaewon and Hannam-dong accommodation: the Grand Hyatt and Mondrian, boutique hotels and guesthouses, which slope to book on, and whether the hills and the slow subway line are worth it.
What to see around Itaewon and Hannam: the Leeum Museum of Art with free reserved entry, the free War Memorial of Korea, Seoul Central Mosque, Gyeongnidan-gil and Haebangchon, with 2026 hours.
Where to eat in Gangnam, Seoul: hanwoo beef barbecue and what it costs, the office-worker lunch sets that halve your bill, Garosu-gil's café scene, and the COEX food hall.
A complete guide to Gangnam: which station to base yourself at, how to get there from Incheon Airport, where to stay and eat, and what is actually worth seeing south of the river.
Gangnam accommodation for visitors to Seoul: which station to book near, five-star hotels around COEX and Sinsa, mid-range and business options, and whether Gangnam is worth the price.
What to see and do in Gangnam, Seoul: the Starfield Library at COEX, Bongeunsa temple and its English temple stay, the UNESCO royal tombs, K-Star Road and Garosu-gil shopping, with 2026 hours and prices.
Where to eat around Jongno and Insadong: Gwangjang Market stalls and what to order, Ikseon-dong's hanok cafés, temple food, traditional tea houses and the makgeolli alleys of Jongno 3-ga.
A complete guide to Jongno, Insadong and Bukchon: five royal palaces, hanok lanes with visiting-hour rules you must know, where to stay and eat, and how to get there from the airport.
Now, Yeogi