Seoul in March

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
3
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
7
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
7
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
4
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
7
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
6
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
62 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
260th/454
Top 60%
continent
Asia
country
South Korea
Length of time
1-2 days
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$140 ($150-$350 in 2023 prices)
Time of year visited
March
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Big city Old town Palaces
All Tags
Bustling restaurants City Walls Cool neighbourhoods Museums Partying / Lash Skyscrapers Towers UNESCO world heritage site
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐

Summary

One of the most developed cities in the world, with plenty to do that revolves around the Korean obsession with eating, drinking and generally having a good time.  Seoul is a must if you’re keen on Asian city breaks.

 

A few tips:

  • Time of year – I would try to aim for the cherry blossom spring time rather than March.  March was nice with the not-too-cold crisp air, but the city is quite grey / dry at this time of year. You just get the impression it would be stunning if you wait until April.
  • Seoul is massive – it has 3 Central Business Districts, so it makes sense to stick with the main sites around Gwanghwamun, Jung-gu and Itewon for a first time weekend visitor.
  • If only have a day – in the morning head towards the Gwanghwamun Palace for classical sightseeing (only need an hour or so) and then wander the labyrinth-like streets of the Bukchon Hanok Village; afternoon grab lunch either there or in one of the rooftop bars / restaurants to the west of Nam Sam Park and then walk up through the park for great views from the Seoul Tower; evening head into Itewon for a night out.
  • I wish I’d . . . walked the Seoul City Wall.  Looks like some fab views of the city.
  • Be sure to also check out – if have 2 days, be sure to spend a day / half day also visiting the nearby DMZ.  Surprisingly fun and travel entry here for tips – The Korean DMZ.

Orientation and focus for Seoul

 

Seoul is massive and energy sapping to cover the main three districts.  I suggest focus on the Itewon and Gwanghwamun areas for a 1-2 days stay.

 

Highlights

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#1 Wandering through the wonderful labyrinth-like streets of the Bukchon Hanok Village

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#2 The views from the North Seoul tower in Nasam Park - 360 degree views all around from the very centre of the city

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#3 Nights out in Itewon - a fantastic street with all the spectrum of the lash rainbow for bars

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#4 Gwanghwamun Palace for classical sightseeing (only need an hour or so)

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#5 Walking through Nam Sam Park on the way to the views from the North Tower - chance to check out parts of the City Walls

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#6 If have some extra time, the National Museum is worth checking out. More than anything for the building itself, which is HUGE

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#7 The food - often odd, typically fun

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#8 Views from some of the rooftop bars - either in the Itewon hilly side or from the various small bars and restaurants that are dotted along the Sinheung Road just to the west of Nam Sam Park

Experiences Nearby

The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences

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⭐⭐⭐

Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

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