5 Famous Places in Korea That Are Not As Touristy As You Think

If you’re planning to travel to Korea (for the first time), you might be choosing places to visit among so many different options.

You might think, “Is this place worth visiting?”

To ease your confusion, we’ll recommend 5 places that may look touristy but actually are NOT touristy.

1.  N서울타워 N Seoul Tower 

If you like walking, try climbing up all the way to N Seoul Tower. 

N서울타워 is one of the most famous landmarks in Seoul, located on top of Namsan Mountain. Looking down at Seoul on top of the tower can be meaningful. But, the beauty of N서울타워 really comes from the whole process of walking around the neighborhoods and climbing up Namsan. You’ll see so many unique alleys and beautiful nature on the way.

2.  광화문 Gwanghwamun 

I recommend at least half a day to see 광화문 and the surroundings.

광화문 is the main gate of 경복궁 (Gyeongbokgung), the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty. The gate itself is magnificent. On top of that, there’s 경복궁 that you can take a walk right behind the gate, and there’s Gwanghwamun Square, a public square located in the center of the city.

3.  청계천 Cheonggyecheon 

A night walk or a short break at 청계정 would be enough 🙂

청계천 is a 10.9-km-long stream that flows in downtown Seoul. Because it connects so many villages, a lot of people commute along the stream. Office workers often come out after lunch to take a short walk.

4.  광장시장 Gwangjang Market 

A night out at 광장시장 is a must!

광장시장 is the largest, oldest traditional market in Korea (It was opened in 1905). With its amazing Korean foods, the market is always filled with people. But that shouldn’t make you not visit the place. You have to visit Gwangjang Market at least once on your trip to enjoy the street vibe of downtown Seoul.

5.  더현대 서울 The Hyundai Seoul 

Half a day would be fine. But, I don’t recommend the weekends. It’s going to be CROWDED.

더현대 서울 is a shopping mall in Seoul, but more than that. First of all, it doesn’t quite look like a traditional department store. It focuses on experience and has become everyone’s playground. Various creative pop-up stores open all the time.