There is an abundance of things to do on your trip to Korea whether it be inside or outside. The one thing I would like to forewarn you about is if you go during the summer, the humidity is excruciating. Most of the locals will recommend coming in the springtime when the cherry blossoms are in bloom and the weather is a little cooler. I thought on my study abroad of six weeks that would be plenty of time to explore all around Seoul. But at the end of my summer session, I realized there was still so much I didn’t get to do. There is so many activities and attractions around and outside of Seoul, you will not get bored!
Indoor Activities
One of the things I love about Korea is the numerous cafes they have. Most of the time I would just go relax and work on my schoolwork at one of the coffee cafes. But besides that, there are also so many different types of cafes in Seoul. We have been to a board game café and a Dog café…. that’s right…. You get the opportunity to hang out with a bunch of furry friends! My friend and I went to Café Neulbo where you can design your own keychains. We ended up designing key chains for each other and swapping them at the end. And of course, there is plenty of shopping to do while in Korea! A lot of the subways have underground shopping centers which are fun to explore. One of my favorite places to go is Myeongdong to go walk around and shop, and of course I also must stop and get ice cream while I am there. We have made several trips to Lotte World Mall which is in the Songpa district and attached to the mall is Lotte World Tower. Lotte World Tower is a 123-story skyscraper that is the tallest in Korea and the sixth tallest in the world. The view is incredible!
A new friend we made at the dog café in Hongdae!Outdoor Activities
Some of the famous outdoor activities includes renting a school uniform and going to Lotte World Amusement Park. Although when I went, I didn’t get to rent a uniform, we still had such a fun time on the rides. There is also another amusement park, Everland, just right outside of Seoul that seems to be more popular since it has larger attractions. We unfortunately didn’t get to go since we didn’t have time to fit it into our schedule. Another famous place to visit is the Gyeongbokgung Palace which is in northern Seoul. It is the largest of the five grand palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty at that time. There are hanbok stores around the palace so you can rent a hanbok and go take some pictures and explore the palace!
We had a fun day exploring and learning about the history of the Joseon Dynasty.No matter the weather, there are tons of attractions to do on rainy or sunny days in Seoul!
Wheaton Hardwick, University of Kentucky, is studying abroad in South Korea with TEAN.
