welcome to seoul, south korea! with this video we wanted to take you on atour of one of our favourite cities in asia. seoul (서울) is a place where street foodabounds, where cafe culture is taken to a whole different level, where ancient palacessit next to towering glass constructions, and where pockets of art and creativity givethe city its pulse.
Jogyesa Temple, in short, it’s a place you have to see foryourself! in this video we’ll be showing you 50 thingsto do in seoul. we realize this is a pretty long travel guide,so we’ve listed all of the sights, attractions, and foods to try in the description box tomake it easy for you to navigate to the places
you’re most interested in. we’ll hope you enjoy this tour of seoul;now let’s get started! let’s start at gwanghwamun square (광화문광장),which is home to two important figures. first up, you’ll see the statue of yi sun-sin(충무공 ì´ìˆœì‹ ë™ìƒ). he was a korean navy commander responsiblefor many victories at sea, and it still revered today. then just a few steps north, you’ll comeacross a seated statue of king sejong the great (세종뜀왕 ë™ìƒ), who was the fourthking of the joseon dynasty. he is best known for promoting literacy bycreating the korean alphabet, known as hangul.
from there you can continue to gyeongbokgungpalace (ê²½ë³µê¶ - 景ç¦å®®) to watch the changing of the royal guard, which takes placetwice a day and is a pretty cool ceremony to witness - uniforms, weapons and live musicincluded. once the changing of the guard is over, youcan then purchase your tickets to gyeongbokgung (ê²½ë³µê¶ - 景ç¦å®®) and tour the grounds. gyeongbok palace (ê²½ë³µê¶ - 景ç¦å®®) isthe largest and most impressive of the 5 grand palaces in seoul (서울) - yes, there arelot of palaces in this city! so this morning we're visiting the bukchonhanok village (ë¶ì´œí•œì˜¥ë§ˆì„ - 圗æ‘éÿ“屋) and hanok (한옥) is a traditional type ofhouse that dates back to the joseon dynasty.
so it is pretty cool. you don't really see this type of constructionanymore so we're going to be wandering around the neighborhood checking out these homes. but wherever you go you see these signs remindingyou to keep quiet because families do still live here and i mean you've got tourists comingaround with their cameras. ourselves included so let's try to keep quiet. so we're going to try not to be too annoying. yes! but let's go take pictures.
if this sounds like your kind of thing, youcan pick up a free map of bukchon hanok village (ë¶ì´œí•œì˜¥ë§ˆì„ - 圗æ‘éÿ“屋) outsideof anguk station (안êµì—), and go on your own self-guided tour from there. now let’s talk about food for a second. we’ll be giving you lots of recommendationsthroughout this video, but one of our favourites that we want to mention right away is galbi(갈비). let us show you why: so for today's lunch we're actually firstat the restaurant. this place is empty.
it is about 11 am but we were super hungryso we are going to be having something called galbi (갈비) and that is marinated shortribs. you can get pork or beef. we've ordered pork because it is a littlebit cheaper and it comes in a really sweet marinade which we really enjoy so we're goingto be cooking those at the table. and another thing that sets kalbi (갈비)apart from say samgyeopsal (삼겹살) or another meat is that it is cooked over charcoal. so they're going to be bringing that soonand just putting it right there. i know.
super excited. this is like the ultimate korean grill barbecueexperience. that smells great. like you can already smell the sweetness comingoff of the meat. that is so good. i'm like. we've had this, i have to admit we had thismaybe two days ago. no, i think it was four or five days. was it?
but like it was so good and coming back hereagain and filming it. like we know what we're getting. oh yes. our mouth is watering. yeah, i feel like the pavlovian dog here. i'm just salivating at the sight of this meat. this looks incredible. okay so sam is ready to assemble his firstpiece. oh man, you better believe it.
the galbi (갈비). i can't believe how kind the people are here. the service is incredible. like they just. they cooked it for us. they didn't have to do that and they did. which was so nice of them. i think like i mean we could have done itby ourselves but you know it is always nice to have a local doing it because they reallyknow the ins and outs of cooking it.
so i am basically. i've got my piece of galbi (갈비) and i'vedipped it into some ssamjang (윈장) sauce here. let me put a little bit more on. i've got onions, i've got lettuce and lookhere comes the jiggae (찜개). more food coming. gamsahamnida (ê°ì‚¬ 합니다). so it has all been assembled here. just time to pop it into my mouth.
you really taste the marinade and then whati love the ssamjang (윈장) gives it a bit of a kick. that has red pepper paste and also the soypaste. and then when you combine it with lettuceand onion it just is aww amazing. the meat is really tender. next, we have namsan (남산) which offersan easy hike in the middle of the city. so to reach seoul tower you basically havetwo options. you can take the cable car which is the lazyroute. or you can hike up namsan park.
and that is exactly what we're doing. that is how it is done. that is how you earn those views of seoul. we're going up n seoul tower. we got our tickets. it was 10,000 won per person. the view. made it to the top now time to enjoy the viewsthat we've earned. yeah.
you know what? it has gotten a little bit hazy since earlierthis morning so it might be a little gray but we still get to see the whole city. on top of namsan (남산), you’ll find nseoul tower (n서울타웜), which is a major landmark. if you ride the elevator to the top, you canget 360 degree views of the city. aside from that, they also have cultural performanceson the square directly below the tower, so be sure to check the schedule while you’rethere. for a taste of where seoul’s youth hangout, hop over to hongdae (í™ëœ€ - 弘大).
the area gets its name from hongik daehakgyo,which is one of the leading art universities. that translates into an area full of creativity,and it’s also a great area for nightlife… which brings us to our next point: noraebang(노래방)! so if there is one thing you need to try whileyou're in seoul (ソウル) it is noraebang. and that is a singing room. yeah, these korean singing rooms are awesome. like they are so much fun. we didn't even enjoy singing before we cameto korea and now we're really into it. so that is how cool it is.
how it works, is that you rent a room witha few friends for an hour, and then you can sing your heart out complete with tambourines. it’s a lot of fun and we both got into it. another experience not to be missed is visitinga jjimjilbang (찜질방). this is a sauna, bathhouse, and communal spacewhere you can either crash after a late night out, or go to relax and pamper yourself alittle bit. jjjimjilbangs (찜질방) have different spaceswhere you can sleep, watch movies, read, work out, eat, play video games, and so much more. we went to siloam sauna (실로암사우나)which is one of the best in the city and is
also conveniently located across from seoulstation (서울ì—). so we're heading inside the charcoal room. it is only twenty two degrees and that isthe coldest room we've been able to find. aside from the ice room. the others are like fifty or sixty degreeswhich is just unbearable for me. yeah, that would be bad for the camera. so let's go in. quietly, because people are sleeping. come in.
one neighbourhood to tack on to your itineraryis insadong (ì¸ì‚¬ë™ - ä»å¯ºæ´ž). this area is home to antique stores, art galleries,and souvenir shops where you can pick up traditional korean gifts to take back home with you. if you wander down insadong’s (ì¸ì‚¬ë™- ä»å¯ºæ´ž) side streets and back alleys, you’ll also discover lots of cute tea houses,which brings us to our next point: insadong’s tea houses (ì°¨) offer a quietescape from the buzz of the main street, and dropping by for some tea is a great way tounwind in between all the shopping and sightseeing. many of the teahouses (찻집) are set inold hanok buildings, where you sit on mats on the ground.
have arrived. tell us what we're having. yeah, so the one that i ordered is calledgyepi cha (계피 ì°¨) and you can have a look at it down here. it comes in a nice like kind of fancy traditionalcup. it is almost like a soup bowl. yeah, it really is. and this is a korean cinnamon tea (í•œêµì–´ê³„피 ì°¨) so i'm really excited about this. i love anything with cinnamon so this shouldbe great.
okay, so for mine i got the maesilcha (매실차,梅實蜶) which is a green plum tea and it has got ice cubes in it. much needed today. hahaha. you can actually see behind you there is theair conditioner guys. that huge air conditioner. that is so so hot. and this is so good it is like juice. it is like a sweet syrupy plum juice.
refreshing? um hum. so good. and we also ordered some sweets to go alongwith the tea. so what can you tell us? what are we having there. yeah, so this is really exciting. we've got persimmon slices. they've been dried and then we have some specialtteok (ë–¡) which is the korean rice cakes
and they appear to have it looks like ricecrispies around them. yeah they're actually instead of cakes they'remore like rice crisps. and i think we've had these ones before likeseveral years ago and they're really airy. they're almost like rice puffs but they aresweet. from insadong (ì¸ì‚¬ë™) it’s only a shortwalk to another cool neighbourhood called samcheong-dong (삼ì²ë™ - 三淸洞). this is a very artistic neighbourhood withlots of indie boutiques, coffee shops, and galleries, and it’s one of my favouriteparts of the city. so for today's lunch we are going to be havingsamgyeopsal (삼겹살) and that is a korean
pork belly that you cook yourself at the table. it is like really fatty pork, so it is goingto be nice and crisp. yeah, it kind of reminds me a little bit ofcanadian bacon except more thickly sliced. bacon for lunch. so they came and helped us out a little bit. and they basically cut the meat into littlepieces so that they can cook a little bit further and get nice and golden. also, i should mention this meat isn't seasonedat all and they didn't add any oil to cook it either.
i think the idea is just that the fat is goingto start melting and that will allow it to cook. you know cook in its own fat and give it moreflavor. so yeah, we're just waiting now. waiting for it to turn golden and crispy. i like mine really burnt. yeah, me too. which is kind of strange because like if i'meating steak or something else like that i tend to like it a bit more rare.
yeah, a bit more raw. but with samgyeopsal (삼겹살) i find ittastes optimum when it is like charred a bit. yeah, it is so fatty that you kind of wantit to be golden and crispy. otherwise it is just like chewing fat andi'm not a huge fan of that. okay, so time to make this happen. let's assemble your first bite. it sure is time. i can't wait for this. so i'm grabbing my piece of samgyeopsal (삼겹살),the korean pork belly and you know what i
am going for a super one here so i'm puttingmy garlic, my manul on here, a little bit of ssamjang put that right like that and alittle bit some salad. wow that is going to be a big bite. perfect. it is going to be a huge bite. and now i'm going to roll that all up. gamsahamnida (ê°ì‚¬í•©ë‹ˆë‹¤). scrunch it up into a ball. and one shot.
one bomb. mmmmm. oh man. so i think tonight we are going to try andshow you the nightlife in seoul. gumbae! a typical night out in korea (뜀한민êµ)could start out with chicken and beer or barbecue and soju, and you can go bar hopping fromthere. as the evening progresses, you could end upsinging the night away at a noraebang or documenting your adventures at a photo booth.
so we're having a photo shoot after soju andbeer. how do we do this? oh what background do you want? uh, cutesy. we've never done this before. i don't even know what is going on. okay so now we get to decorate our pictures. woah. haha.
as far as museums go, we really enjoyed visitingthe national hangeul museum (êµë¦½í•œê¸€ë°•ë¬¼ê´€) which focuses on the history of the koreanalphabet. just a short walk away, you also have thenational museum of korea (êµë¦½ì¤‘앙박물관) which is the largest museum in the countryand covers korea’s history from ancient times to the modern era. lastly, for a more sobering museum, you havethe war memorial of korea (ì „ìÿ기ë…ê´€). this museum is located in the old army headquartersand the exhibitions showcase military equipment and war memorabilia. so we're at jogyesa temple (조계사) rightnow and we can smell the incense burning in
the air. so jogyesa buddhist temple (조계사) isa really cool temple located basically in the heart of seoul. very close to insadong. and what is really cool here is that you cando a tea ceremony and you can also do a temple stay for like a couple of nights. korean street food is a good idea anytimeof day as far as i'm concerned. yeah, so we're at the mangwon market (ë§ì›ì‹œìž¥). this is a really cool market here in seoul(서울).
it is not one of those popular touristy markets. it is very much a local market. it is nearby hapjeong (í•©ì •) and also hongdae(í™ëœ€) area. so we're just going to check it out. we're going to show you guys what you canfind here as well as sample a whole bunch of different korean street food (í•œêµ ê¸¸ê±°ë¦¬ìœì‹) here in seoul. let's do it. exciting times. let's start eating.
we can’t speak of visiting korea (뜀한민êµ)without mentioning all the delicious korean street food (í•œêµ ê±°ë¦¬ ìœì‹) there isto try! you could easily turn a visit to the marketinto a full meal by wandering from one vendor to the next. okay so sam is pretty pumped about today'souting. tell us what are we doing? this is the one thing i've been looking forwardto doing in seoul more than just about anything else. we are going to a baseball game here in seoul.
a yagu (야구) game. so baseball in korea is about much more thanjust the sport. you come here with friends to eat chicken,drink beer, chew on some squid. yes, you can even get dried squid. ojing-eo (오징어). so we are going to load up. we're basically going to have our dinner herebefore the game starts. exactly. let's go.
let's go find food. so sam may have come for the game but i'mhere for the cheerleading and the dancing. that is the only thing i'm looking forwardto. seriously impressive. over there! so we're currently at the dongdaemun historyand cultural park. and this place is super futuristic. check it out. the most eye-catching element is dongdaemundesign plaza (ë™ëœ€ë¬¸ì—사문화공ì›)
which looks straight out of space and is usedfor exhibitions that range from architecture and design, to fine art and fashion. then right across from the dongdaemun historyand culture park (ë™ëœ€ë¬¸ì—사문화공ì›), you have dongdaemun market (ë™ëœ€ë¬¸ì‹œìž¥- æ±å¤§é–€å¸‚å ´), which is a commercial district made up of shopping centres and afew traditional markets. gwangjang market (광장시장 - 廣è—å¸‚å ´)is the place for foodies! a few dishes to look out for include bindaetteok(빈뜀떡), which is a mung bean pancake; gimbap (김밥), which is a seaweed rice rollfilled with fresh and pickled veggies; and sundae (순뜀), which is a sausage made withpig’s blood and noodles.
for a day out in nature, bukhansan nationalpark (ë¶í•œì‚°êµë¦½ê³µì› - 圗漢山國立公園) is a reasonable commute away. there’s a vast network of trails that varyin length and level of difficulty, and you could easily turn this into a half-day orfull-day outing. as a little tip, there are lots of restaurantsat the base of the mountain, so you can finish the excursion with a big meal. so it is time for yet another delicious mealhere in korea. today we're having sundubu jjigae (순ë‘부찜개)which is a tofu stew and this is probably my favorite korean dish.
it is so tasty and i can't wait for it toget here. anyways, the food is here. we're having our sundubu jjigae (순ë‘부찜개)so if you take a look here it comes in this earthen ware pot and when it first came outit was still bubbling because it was fresh off of the stove so it was like pipping hot. it was still boiling but anyways here is thedish so look at all of those massive chunks of tofu. yeah, this is all the fresh tofu. the soft tofu and they are so generous here.
like they give you so so much. we’ve already mentioned n seoul tower, however,another option for views of seoul (서울) is the 63 building (63 빜딩 - 육삼 빜딩). this skyscraper sits on yeouido island overlookingthe han river, and it was once the tallest building in south korea. myeongdong (ëª…ë™ - 昞洞) is synonymouswith shopping. it’s a bit of a zoo if you visit on weekends,but if you’re willing to brave the crowds, you can find everything from korean beautyproducts to the latest fashion. another fun activity you can do in seoul (首尔- 首爾) is rent a hanbok (한복 - éÿ“æœ),
which is the traditional korean dress. so we just got here and now we're waitingfor our turn to pick out some outfits. yeah, so we did come on the weekend so itis quite busy. we'll just wait and eventually get to tryit on. yeah, but you know what it would be betterif we had made a reservation. you can actually do that online. we were just a bit lazy. now we know. so sam has to choose two outfits he likes.
yeah, and it is basically a three piece set. so you choose your long shirt and then youget your vest over here and then finally the pants down there. so this is kind of cool. they have like a beauty counter with straightenersand you can do your hair before you go out. headbands. oh my gosh a headband. ah, this is awesome. and i feel like a true princess.
i went for some autumn colors. so some gold, some deep reds, some creams. ah, i feel girly. what can i say. i don't know. and because wearing a hanbok (한복 - éÿ“æœ)gives you free admission to the palaces in seoul (서울), this is the perfect time todo so. we took this as an opportunity to visit changdeokgungpalace (ì°½ë•ê¶ - 昜德宮), changyeongung palace (ì°½ê²½ê¶ - 昜慶宮), and the jongmyoshrine (종묘 - å®—å»ÿ), all of which are
within walking distance of each other. so we have arrived at our first palace ofthe day. feeling pretty royal in our outfits. yeah, we're at changdeokgung (ì°½ë•ê¶ - 昜德宮). yes. and it is incredible to be walking aroundin hanbok (한복). i mean how often do you get to do this. so this afternoon we are visiting namsangoland this is a korean folk village right at the base of namsan.
and it is free to visit which is amazing. themed-cafes are very popular in seoul, sowe made time to visit one of sam’s favourite cat cafes (ê³ ì–‘ì´ ì¹´íž˜) in the city. it's like what? he's like no it is not caviar it is just chicken. being the dog lover that she is, we also madetime to visit a dog cafe (ê°œ 카힘) where audrey could befriend all the dogs - and shedidn’t even have to bribe them with treats! as you can probably tell we're at a puppycafe and i am very happy surrounded by my new friends here.
and this is the sang sang puppy cafe in hongdae. oh yes, and i'm feeling the love. look at this. it just licked you. and for something rather unusual, we alsowent to a raccoon cafe (너구리 카힘). yes, you heard that right, a cafe where youcan enjoy a beverage and then watch raccoons run amok in a crawlspace. so right now we're visiting the cheonggyecheon.
this is our favorite place to go walking inseoul and we're going to show you why. the cheonggyecheon (ì²ê³„천 - 淸溪å·)was once a neglected stream forgotten beneath an overpass, but today it’s a modern urbanpark that runs through the city. it’s a nice spot for a lunch break or astroll. so namdaemun sijang (남뜀문시장) namdaemunmarket is the oldest market in seoul (서울) and it is also one of the best places to getkorean street food (í•œêµ ê¸¸ê±°ë¦¬ ìœì‹). so we're just going to go on a rampage andeat as much korean street food as we possibly can. a rampage!
you heard it here first. let's go eat. again, this place (남뜀문시장 - å—å¤§é–€å¸‚å ´)is home to some delicious street eats, so we basically hopped from vendor to vendorin search of fish cakes, corn dogs covered in crinkle fries, and fried pancakes filledwith sugar and cinnamon. yum all around! so we are currently in the national folk museumof korea and the best part is free admission. the folk museum of korea (êµë¦½ë¯¼ì†ë°•ë¬¼ê´€- 國立民俗åšç‰©é¤¨) is located within the grounds of gyeongbokgung palace.
the museum showcases everyday artifacts thatwould have been used in korea from prehistoric times to the end of the joseon dynasty. ewha womans university (ì´í™”ì—¬ìžëœ€í•™êµ- 梨蚱女å大å¸æ ¡) is a private university for women in seoul (서울) and it has a beautifulcampus with a rather unique design. you can visit the main grounds even if you’renot a student, so if you enjoy architecture, it’s worth the detour. one place that we’d recommend checking outon a weekend is the hangang (한강), or the han river (한강). if the weather is nice, you’ll catch peopleenjoying water sports, biking, long boarding,
picnicking, or just camping out in tents forthe day. in the middle of the han river, you’ll alsofind seonyudo island (ì„ ìœ ë„ ê³µì›), which was once an industrial area that today offersa little oasis. another cool place to feel close to natureis seoul forest (서울숲, which was once a royal hunting ground for kings. next up, let’s talk about gangnam (강남- æ±ÿå—) of “gangnam style†world fame thanks to psy. this is seoul’s ritzy district, and whileyou can find good restaurants and nightlife here, you can expect the price tag to match!
another neighbourhood to visit is itaewon(ì´íƒœì› - 梨泰院), which is kind of a global village. there are lots of international restaurantsand it’s a popular area with foreigners and expats. alright, so time for another delicious lunchin seoul (서울). yeah, exactly. so today we're going for a very classic koreandish. we're having bulgogi (ë¶ˆê³ ê¸°) which literallymeans 'fire meat' and we've placed our order. we've also ordered something else that isa bit of a mystery and we'll show it to you
once it arrives. we had kongbul which is a mix of bulgogi (ë¶ˆê³ ê¸°)and bean sprouts. we also got a second order that was heavyon the spice and covered in cheese, and it was absolutely delicious. the olympic park (올림픽공ì›) is locatedon the fringes of the city and it’s a bit of a long ride, but it has some really interestingsculptures and lots of open spaces, so it can be worth the visit. while in seoul (서울), we also made timeto visit the noryangjin fisheries market (ë…¸ëÿ‰ì§„수산시장 - é·ºæ¢æ´¥æ°´ç”£å¸‚å ´), where you can buyyour fish to take home, or eat it at one of
the many restaurants on the second floor. we went for the latter. so we finally settled on a restaurant. i mean there is a lot to choose from. so we're just walking around and i'm likefinally let's make a decision. so we saw that this place had some peopleand it had some nice traditional seating. so we're like 'yes' let's give it a shot. and it had a relatively affordable menu. because seafood here appears to be quite expensive.
well you can get really expensive seafood. the stuff that we're getting isn't as expensive. we're getting chobap (초밥) which is a kindof basically the best way to explain it is kind of like korean sushi and we're also gettinghoedeopbap (íšœë®ë°¥) which is basically sliced raw fish with rice. so we've got those two dishes coming and mani can't wait to have them. my meal has arrived. sam actually chose this because i had no cluewhat to get. but this is called hoedeopbap (íšœë®ë°¥)and it is basically rice with vegetables and
raw fish on top. um, the rice actually comes here on the sidein this separate little bowl. so what makes deopbap different from say bokkumbapwhich is the mixed rice is the deopbap you get like your ingredients and then you getyour rice so they're not mixed together. they're not. so yeah, lots of veggies here. it looks like we got. look at all of the sesame seeds. i know so many sesame seeds.
some cabbage, some carrots. seaweed. that looks delicious. cucumbers. and apparently i need to add this. correct? you need to put the gochujang sauce (ê³ ì¶”ìž¥). that looks like it is in a ketchup dispenser. it is not ketchup guys.
do you think that is enough? yeah, that is good. give it a try. try it with a little bit of rice. try a bit of fish with some vegetables andrice. let's grab a spoon. this is my first time having this. ever. oh.
messy. make sure you get your fish. it will probably be easier with chopsticks. trying to get vegetables as well. rice, fish, vegetables, sauce. big bite. mmmm. that is good. how is that?
the fish is very mild. like its a white fish it is not very fattyso it doesn't have a strong flavor. it is like having sashimi with rice and veg. it is good. but it needs the sauce for sure. otherwise it would be a little bit bland. maybe i should be adding wasabi to this. just mix it all in. so your food is here now.
yeah my dish has now arrived. yours came first. so i'm having chobap (초밥) which is thekorean sushi. so take a look down here. i have ten nicely displayed pieces. and as you can see you have of course thesushi kind of korean chobap (초밥) appearance. it has got the rice and then the fish on top. so i'm just going to grab a piece. and let's take it for a dunk in the soy sauce.
take it for a swim. no wasabi? come on! i did put a bit on. yeah? how is it? this is a really. it is not. it is a very chewy fish.
it is not um. it doesn't disintegrate in your mouth. i'm really having to power through it. it is very light. i think we're both having the same fish. yeah it is very light. it tastes good. and but as you said it is the kind of fishthat it needs a strong sauce to go with it. either the gochujang (ê³ ì¶”ìž¥) or the soysauce the kangjang.
with the wasabi. wow, there is some rice flying out of yourmouth. there. whoops. lotte world (롯ë°ì›”ë“œ) is a massive indoorstheme park. here you can enjoy rides, go ice skating,play video games, or dance your heart out. and wrapping things up with a rather quirkyattraction, why not drop by a poo-themed cafe (ë˜ì˜¹ì¹´íž˜). yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like andhere’s the evidence.
wearing poo hats. and my pooh just fell off of my head. is that your poo? is that your poo sam? it is a very sad poo. and that’s a wrap for this rather massivevideo guide to seoul. we hope that you enjoyed watching along andthat you picked up a few ideas of things to do on your upcoming visit. as always, if you’ve been to seoul beforeand are familiar with the city, we’d love
to hear some of your suggestions of fun thingsto do, see, and eat around there, so feel free to share those in the comments below. happy travels and until next time!
welcome to seoul, south korea! with this video we wanted to take you on atour of one of our favourite cities in asia. seoul (서울) is a place where street foodabounds, where cafe culture is taken to a whole different level, where ancient palacessit next to towering glass constructions, and where pockets of art and creativity givethe city its pulse.
Jogyesa Temple, in short, it’s a place you have to see foryourself! in this video we’ll be showing you 50 thingsto do in seoul. we realize this is a pretty long travel guide,so we’ve listed all of the sights, attractions, and foods to try in the description box tomake it easy for you to navigate to the places
you’re most interested in. we’ll hope you enjoy this tour of seoul;now let’s get started! let’s start at gwanghwamun square (광화문광장),which is home to two important figures. first up, you’ll see the statue of yi sun-sin(충무공 ì´ìˆœì‹ ë™ìƒ). he was a korean navy commander responsiblefor many victories at sea, and it still revered today. then just a few steps north, you’ll comeacross a seated statue of king sejong the great (세종뜀왕 ë™ìƒ), who was the fourthking of the joseon dynasty. he is best known for promoting literacy bycreating the korean alphabet, known as hangul.
from there you can continue to gyeongbokgungpalace (ê²½ë³µê¶ - 景ç¦å®®) to watch the changing of the royal guard, which takes placetwice a day and is a pretty cool ceremony to witness - uniforms, weapons and live musicincluded. once the changing of the guard is over, youcan then purchase your tickets to gyeongbokgung (ê²½ë³µê¶ - 景ç¦å®®) and tour the grounds. gyeongbok palace (ê²½ë³µê¶ - 景ç¦å®®) isthe largest and most impressive of the 5 grand palaces in seoul (서울) - yes, there arelot of palaces in this city! so this morning we're visiting the bukchonhanok village (ë¶ì´œí•œì˜¥ë§ˆì„ - 圗æ‘éÿ“屋) and hanok (한옥) is a traditional type ofhouse that dates back to the joseon dynasty.
so it is pretty cool. you don't really see this type of constructionanymore so we're going to be wandering around the neighborhood checking out these homes. but wherever you go you see these signs remindingyou to keep quiet because families do still live here and i mean you've got tourists comingaround with their cameras. ourselves included so let's try to keep quiet. so we're going to try not to be too annoying. yes! but let's go take pictures.
if this sounds like your kind of thing, youcan pick up a free map of bukchon hanok village (ë¶ì´œí•œì˜¥ë§ˆì„ - 圗æ‘éÿ“屋) outsideof anguk station (안êµì—), and go on your own self-guided tour from there. now let’s talk about food for a second. we’ll be giving you lots of recommendationsthroughout this video, but one of our favourites that we want to mention right away is galbi(갈비). let us show you why: so for today's lunch we're actually firstat the restaurant. this place is empty.
it is about 11 am but we were super hungryso we are going to be having something called galbi (갈비) and that is marinated shortribs. you can get pork or beef. we've ordered pork because it is a littlebit cheaper and it comes in a really sweet marinade which we really enjoy so we're goingto be cooking those at the table. and another thing that sets kalbi (갈비)apart from say samgyeopsal (삼겹살) or another meat is that it is cooked over charcoal. so they're going to be bringing that soonand just putting it right there. i know.
super excited. this is like the ultimate korean grill barbecueexperience. that smells great. like you can already smell the sweetness comingoff of the meat. that is so good. i'm like. we've had this, i have to admit we had thismaybe two days ago. no, i think it was four or five days. was it?
but like it was so good and coming back hereagain and filming it. like we know what we're getting. oh yes. our mouth is watering. yeah, i feel like the pavlovian dog here. i'm just salivating at the sight of this meat. this looks incredible. okay so sam is ready to assemble his firstpiece. oh man, you better believe it.
the galbi (갈비). i can't believe how kind the people are here. the service is incredible. like they just. they cooked it for us. they didn't have to do that and they did. which was so nice of them. i think like i mean we could have done itby ourselves but you know it is always nice to have a local doing it because they reallyknow the ins and outs of cooking it.
so i am basically. i've got my piece of galbi (갈비) and i'vedipped it into some ssamjang (윈장) sauce here. let me put a little bit more on. i've got onions, i've got lettuce and lookhere comes the jiggae (찜개). more food coming. gamsahamnida (ê°ì‚¬ 합니다). so it has all been assembled here. just time to pop it into my mouth.
you really taste the marinade and then whati love the ssamjang (윈장) gives it a bit of a kick. that has red pepper paste and also the soypaste. and then when you combine it with lettuceand onion it just is aww amazing. the meat is really tender. next, we have namsan (남산) which offersan easy hike in the middle of the city. so to reach seoul tower you basically havetwo options. you can take the cable car which is the lazyroute. or you can hike up namsan park.
and that is exactly what we're doing. that is how it is done. that is how you earn those views of seoul. we're going up n seoul tower. we got our tickets. it was 10,000 won per person. the view. made it to the top now time to enjoy the viewsthat we've earned. yeah.
you know what? it has gotten a little bit hazy since earlierthis morning so it might be a little gray but we still get to see the whole city. on top of namsan (남산), you’ll find nseoul tower (n서울타웜), which is a major landmark. if you ride the elevator to the top, you canget 360 degree views of the city. aside from that, they also have cultural performanceson the square directly below the tower, so be sure to check the schedule while you’rethere. for a taste of where seoul’s youth hangout, hop over to hongdae (í™ëœ€ - 弘大).
the area gets its name from hongik daehakgyo,which is one of the leading art universities. that translates into an area full of creativity,and it’s also a great area for nightlife… which brings us to our next point: noraebang(노래방)! so if there is one thing you need to try whileyou're in seoul (ソウル) it is noraebang. and that is a singing room. yeah, these korean singing rooms are awesome. like they are so much fun. we didn't even enjoy singing before we cameto korea and now we're really into it. so that is how cool it is.
how it works, is that you rent a room witha few friends for an hour, and then you can sing your heart out complete with tambourines. it’s a lot of fun and we both got into it. another experience not to be missed is visitinga jjimjilbang (찜질방). this is a sauna, bathhouse, and communal spacewhere you can either crash after a late night out, or go to relax and pamper yourself alittle bit. jjjimjilbangs (찜질방) have different spaceswhere you can sleep, watch movies, read, work out, eat, play video games, and so much more. we went to siloam sauna (실로암사우나)which is one of the best in the city and is
also conveniently located across from seoulstation (서울ì—). so we're heading inside the charcoal room. it is only twenty two degrees and that isthe coldest room we've been able to find. aside from the ice room. the others are like fifty or sixty degreeswhich is just unbearable for me. yeah, that would be bad for the camera. so let's go in. quietly, because people are sleeping. come in.
one neighbourhood to tack on to your itineraryis insadong (ì¸ì‚¬ë™ - ä»å¯ºæ´ž). this area is home to antique stores, art galleries,and souvenir shops where you can pick up traditional korean gifts to take back home with you. if you wander down insadong’s (ì¸ì‚¬ë™- ä»å¯ºæ´ž) side streets and back alleys, you’ll also discover lots of cute tea houses,which brings us to our next point: insadong’s tea houses (ì°¨) offer a quietescape from the buzz of the main street, and dropping by for some tea is a great way tounwind in between all the shopping and sightseeing. many of the teahouses (찻집) are set inold hanok buildings, where you sit on mats on the ground.
have arrived. tell us what we're having. yeah, so the one that i ordered is calledgyepi cha (계피 ì°¨) and you can have a look at it down here. it comes in a nice like kind of fancy traditionalcup. it is almost like a soup bowl. yeah, it really is. and this is a korean cinnamon tea (í•œêµì–´ê³„피 ì°¨) so i'm really excited about this. i love anything with cinnamon so this shouldbe great.
okay, so for mine i got the maesilcha (매실차,梅實蜶) which is a green plum tea and it has got ice cubes in it. much needed today. hahaha. you can actually see behind you there is theair conditioner guys. that huge air conditioner. that is so so hot. and this is so good it is like juice. it is like a sweet syrupy plum juice.
refreshing? um hum. so good. and we also ordered some sweets to go alongwith the tea. so what can you tell us? what are we having there. yeah, so this is really exciting. we've got persimmon slices. they've been dried and then we have some specialtteok (ë–¡) which is the korean rice cakes
and they appear to have it looks like ricecrispies around them. yeah they're actually instead of cakes they'remore like rice crisps. and i think we've had these ones before likeseveral years ago and they're really airy. they're almost like rice puffs but they aresweet. from insadong (ì¸ì‚¬ë™) it’s only a shortwalk to another cool neighbourhood called samcheong-dong (삼ì²ë™ - 三淸洞). this is a very artistic neighbourhood withlots of indie boutiques, coffee shops, and galleries, and it’s one of my favouriteparts of the city. so for today's lunch we are going to be havingsamgyeopsal (삼겹살) and that is a korean
pork belly that you cook yourself at the table. it is like really fatty pork, so it is goingto be nice and crisp. yeah, it kind of reminds me a little bit ofcanadian bacon except more thickly sliced. bacon for lunch. so they came and helped us out a little bit. and they basically cut the meat into littlepieces so that they can cook a little bit further and get nice and golden. also, i should mention this meat isn't seasonedat all and they didn't add any oil to cook it either.
i think the idea is just that the fat is goingto start melting and that will allow it to cook. you know cook in its own fat and give it moreflavor. so yeah, we're just waiting now. waiting for it to turn golden and crispy. i like mine really burnt. yeah, me too. which is kind of strange because like if i'meating steak or something else like that i tend to like it a bit more rare.
yeah, a bit more raw. but with samgyeopsal (삼겹살) i find ittastes optimum when it is like charred a bit. yeah, it is so fatty that you kind of wantit to be golden and crispy. otherwise it is just like chewing fat andi'm not a huge fan of that. okay, so time to make this happen. let's assemble your first bite. it sure is time. i can't wait for this. so i'm grabbing my piece of samgyeopsal (삼겹살),the korean pork belly and you know what i
am going for a super one here so i'm puttingmy garlic, my manul on here, a little bit of ssamjang put that right like that and alittle bit some salad. wow that is going to be a big bite. perfect. it is going to be a huge bite. and now i'm going to roll that all up. gamsahamnida (ê°ì‚¬í•©ë‹ˆë‹¤). scrunch it up into a ball. and one shot.
one bomb. mmmmm. oh man. so i think tonight we are going to try andshow you the nightlife in seoul. gumbae! a typical night out in korea (뜀한민êµ)could start out with chicken and beer or barbecue and soju, and you can go bar hopping fromthere. as the evening progresses, you could end upsinging the night away at a noraebang or documenting your adventures at a photo booth.
so we're having a photo shoot after soju andbeer. how do we do this? oh what background do you want? uh, cutesy. we've never done this before. i don't even know what is going on. okay so now we get to decorate our pictures. woah. haha.
as far as museums go, we really enjoyed visitingthe national hangeul museum (êµë¦½í•œê¸€ë°•ë¬¼ê´€) which focuses on the history of the koreanalphabet. just a short walk away, you also have thenational museum of korea (êµë¦½ì¤‘앙박물관) which is the largest museum in the countryand covers korea’s history from ancient times to the modern era. lastly, for a more sobering museum, you havethe war memorial of korea (ì „ìÿ기ë…ê´€). this museum is located in the old army headquartersand the exhibitions showcase military equipment and war memorabilia. so we're at jogyesa temple (조계사) rightnow and we can smell the incense burning in
the air. so jogyesa buddhist temple (조계사) isa really cool temple located basically in the heart of seoul. very close to insadong. and what is really cool here is that you cando a tea ceremony and you can also do a temple stay for like a couple of nights. korean street food is a good idea anytimeof day as far as i'm concerned. yeah, so we're at the mangwon market (ë§ì›ì‹œìž¥). this is a really cool market here in seoul(서울).
it is not one of those popular touristy markets. it is very much a local market. it is nearby hapjeong (í•©ì •) and also hongdae(í™ëœ€) area. so we're just going to check it out. we're going to show you guys what you canfind here as well as sample a whole bunch of different korean street food (í•œêµ ê¸¸ê±°ë¦¬ìœì‹) here in seoul. let's do it. exciting times. let's start eating.
we can’t speak of visiting korea (뜀한민êµ)without mentioning all the delicious korean street food (í•œêµ ê±°ë¦¬ ìœì‹) there isto try! you could easily turn a visit to the marketinto a full meal by wandering from one vendor to the next. okay so sam is pretty pumped about today'souting. tell us what are we doing? this is the one thing i've been looking forwardto doing in seoul more than just about anything else. we are going to a baseball game here in seoul.
a yagu (야구) game. so baseball in korea is about much more thanjust the sport. you come here with friends to eat chicken,drink beer, chew on some squid. yes, you can even get dried squid. ojing-eo (오징어). so we are going to load up. we're basically going to have our dinner herebefore the game starts. exactly. let's go.
let's go find food. so sam may have come for the game but i'mhere for the cheerleading and the dancing. that is the only thing i'm looking forwardto. seriously impressive. over there! so we're currently at the dongdaemun historyand cultural park. and this place is super futuristic. check it out. the most eye-catching element is dongdaemundesign plaza (ë™ëœ€ë¬¸ì—사문화공ì›)
which looks straight out of space and is usedfor exhibitions that range from architecture and design, to fine art and fashion. then right across from the dongdaemun historyand culture park (ë™ëœ€ë¬¸ì—사문화공ì›), you have dongdaemun market (ë™ëœ€ë¬¸ì‹œìž¥- æ±å¤§é–€å¸‚å ´), which is a commercial district made up of shopping centres and afew traditional markets. gwangjang market (광장시장 - 廣è—å¸‚å ´)is the place for foodies! a few dishes to look out for include bindaetteok(빈뜀떡), which is a mung bean pancake; gimbap (김밥), which is a seaweed rice rollfilled with fresh and pickled veggies; and sundae (순뜀), which is a sausage made withpig’s blood and noodles.
for a day out in nature, bukhansan nationalpark (ë¶í•œì‚°êµë¦½ê³µì› - 圗漢山國立公園) is a reasonable commute away. there’s a vast network of trails that varyin length and level of difficulty, and you could easily turn this into a half-day orfull-day outing. as a little tip, there are lots of restaurantsat the base of the mountain, so you can finish the excursion with a big meal. so it is time for yet another delicious mealhere in korea. today we're having sundubu jjigae (순ë‘부찜개)which is a tofu stew and this is probably my favorite korean dish.
it is so tasty and i can't wait for it toget here. anyways, the food is here. we're having our sundubu jjigae (순ë‘부찜개)so if you take a look here it comes in this earthen ware pot and when it first came outit was still bubbling because it was fresh off of the stove so it was like pipping hot. it was still boiling but anyways here is thedish so look at all of those massive chunks of tofu. yeah, this is all the fresh tofu. the soft tofu and they are so generous here.
like they give you so so much. we’ve already mentioned n seoul tower, however,another option for views of seoul (서울) is the 63 building (63 빜딩 - 육삼 빜딩). this skyscraper sits on yeouido island overlookingthe han river, and it was once the tallest building in south korea. myeongdong (ëª…ë™ - 昞洞) is synonymouswith shopping. it’s a bit of a zoo if you visit on weekends,but if you’re willing to brave the crowds, you can find everything from korean beautyproducts to the latest fashion. another fun activity you can do in seoul (首尔- 首爾) is rent a hanbok (한복 - éÿ“æœ),
which is the traditional korean dress. so we just got here and now we're waitingfor our turn to pick out some outfits. yeah, so we did come on the weekend so itis quite busy. we'll just wait and eventually get to tryit on. yeah, but you know what it would be betterif we had made a reservation. you can actually do that online. we were just a bit lazy. now we know. so sam has to choose two outfits he likes.
yeah, and it is basically a three piece set. so you choose your long shirt and then youget your vest over here and then finally the pants down there. so this is kind of cool. they have like a beauty counter with straightenersand you can do your hair before you go out. headbands. oh my gosh a headband. ah, this is awesome. and i feel like a true princess.
i went for some autumn colors. so some gold, some deep reds, some creams. ah, i feel girly. what can i say. i don't know. and because wearing a hanbok (한복 - éÿ“æœ)gives you free admission to the palaces in seoul (서울), this is the perfect time todo so. we took this as an opportunity to visit changdeokgungpalace (ì°½ë•ê¶ - 昜德宮), changyeongung palace (ì°½ê²½ê¶ - 昜慶宮), and the jongmyoshrine (종묘 - å®—å»ÿ), all of which are
within walking distance of each other. so we have arrived at our first palace ofthe day. feeling pretty royal in our outfits. yeah, we're at changdeokgung (ì°½ë•ê¶ - 昜德宮). yes. and it is incredible to be walking aroundin hanbok (한복). i mean how often do you get to do this. so this afternoon we are visiting namsangoland this is a korean folk village right at the base of namsan.
and it is free to visit which is amazing. themed-cafes are very popular in seoul, sowe made time to visit one of sam’s favourite cat cafes (ê³ ì–‘ì´ ì¹´íž˜) in the city. it's like what? he's like no it is not caviar it is just chicken. being the dog lover that she is, we also madetime to visit a dog cafe (ê°œ 카힘) where audrey could befriend all the dogs - and shedidn’t even have to bribe them with treats! as you can probably tell we're at a puppycafe and i am very happy surrounded by my new friends here.
and this is the sang sang puppy cafe in hongdae. oh yes, and i'm feeling the love. look at this. it just licked you. and for something rather unusual, we alsowent to a raccoon cafe (너구리 카힘). yes, you heard that right, a cafe where youcan enjoy a beverage and then watch raccoons run amok in a crawlspace. so right now we're visiting the cheonggyecheon.
this is our favorite place to go walking inseoul and we're going to show you why. the cheonggyecheon (ì²ê³„천 - 淸溪å·)was once a neglected stream forgotten beneath an overpass, but today it’s a modern urbanpark that runs through the city. it’s a nice spot for a lunch break or astroll. so namdaemun sijang (남뜀문시장) namdaemunmarket is the oldest market in seoul (서울) and it is also one of the best places to getkorean street food (í•œêµ ê¸¸ê±°ë¦¬ ìœì‹). so we're just going to go on a rampage andeat as much korean street food as we possibly can. a rampage!
you heard it here first. let's go eat. again, this place (남뜀문시장 - å—å¤§é–€å¸‚å ´)is home to some delicious street eats, so we basically hopped from vendor to vendorin search of fish cakes, corn dogs covered in crinkle fries, and fried pancakes filledwith sugar and cinnamon. yum all around! so we are currently in the national folk museumof korea and the best part is free admission. the folk museum of korea (êµë¦½ë¯¼ì†ë°•ë¬¼ê´€- 國立民俗åšç‰©é¤¨) is located within the grounds of gyeongbokgung palace.
the museum showcases everyday artifacts thatwould have been used in korea from prehistoric times to the end of the joseon dynasty. ewha womans university (ì´í™”ì—¬ìžëœ€í•™êµ- 梨蚱女å大å¸æ ¡) is a private university for women in seoul (서울) and it has a beautifulcampus with a rather unique design. you can visit the main grounds even if you’renot a student, so if you enjoy architecture, it’s worth the detour. one place that we’d recommend checking outon a weekend is the hangang (한강), or the han river (한강). if the weather is nice, you’ll catch peopleenjoying water sports, biking, long boarding,
picnicking, or just camping out in tents forthe day. in the middle of the han river, you’ll alsofind seonyudo island (ì„ ìœ ë„ ê³µì›), which was once an industrial area that today offersa little oasis. another cool place to feel close to natureis seoul forest (서울숲, which was once a royal hunting ground for kings. next up, let’s talk about gangnam (강남- æ±ÿå—) of “gangnam style†world fame thanks to psy. this is seoul’s ritzy district, and whileyou can find good restaurants and nightlife here, you can expect the price tag to match!
another neighbourhood to visit is itaewon(ì´íƒœì› - 梨泰院), which is kind of a global village. there are lots of international restaurantsand it’s a popular area with foreigners and expats. alright, so time for another delicious lunchin seoul (서울). yeah, exactly. so today we're going for a very classic koreandish. we're having bulgogi (ë¶ˆê³ ê¸°) which literallymeans 'fire meat' and we've placed our order. we've also ordered something else that isa bit of a mystery and we'll show it to you
once it arrives. we had kongbul which is a mix of bulgogi (ë¶ˆê³ ê¸°)and bean sprouts. we also got a second order that was heavyon the spice and covered in cheese, and it was absolutely delicious. the olympic park (올림픽공ì›) is locatedon the fringes of the city and it’s a bit of a long ride, but it has some really interestingsculptures and lots of open spaces, so it can be worth the visit. while in seoul (서울), we also made timeto visit the noryangjin fisheries market (ë…¸ëÿ‰ì§„수산시장 - é·ºæ¢æ´¥æ°´ç”£å¸‚å ´), where you can buyyour fish to take home, or eat it at one of
the many restaurants on the second floor. we went for the latter. so we finally settled on a restaurant. i mean there is a lot to choose from. so we're just walking around and i'm likefinally let's make a decision. so we saw that this place had some peopleand it had some nice traditional seating. so we're like 'yes' let's give it a shot. and it had a relatively affordable menu. because seafood here appears to be quite expensive.
well you can get really expensive seafood. the stuff that we're getting isn't as expensive. we're getting chobap (초밥) which is a kindof basically the best way to explain it is kind of like korean sushi and we're also gettinghoedeopbap (íšœë®ë°¥) which is basically sliced raw fish with rice. so we've got those two dishes coming and mani can't wait to have them. my meal has arrived. sam actually chose this because i had no cluewhat to get. but this is called hoedeopbap (íšœë®ë°¥)and it is basically rice with vegetables and
raw fish on top. um, the rice actually comes here on the sidein this separate little bowl. so what makes deopbap different from say bokkumbapwhich is the mixed rice is the deopbap you get like your ingredients and then you getyour rice so they're not mixed together. they're not. so yeah, lots of veggies here. it looks like we got. look at all of the sesame seeds. i know so many sesame seeds.
some cabbage, some carrots. seaweed. that looks delicious. cucumbers. and apparently i need to add this. correct? you need to put the gochujang sauce (ê³ ì¶”ìž¥). that looks like it is in a ketchup dispenser. it is not ketchup guys.
do you think that is enough? yeah, that is good. give it a try. try it with a little bit of rice. try a bit of fish with some vegetables andrice. let's grab a spoon. this is my first time having this. ever. oh.
messy. make sure you get your fish. it will probably be easier with chopsticks. trying to get vegetables as well. rice, fish, vegetables, sauce. big bite. mmmm. that is good. how is that?
the fish is very mild. like its a white fish it is not very fattyso it doesn't have a strong flavor. it is like having sashimi with rice and veg. it is good. but it needs the sauce for sure. otherwise it would be a little bit bland. maybe i should be adding wasabi to this. just mix it all in. so your food is here now.
yeah my dish has now arrived. yours came first. so i'm having chobap (초밥) which is thekorean sushi. so take a look down here. i have ten nicely displayed pieces. and as you can see you have of course thesushi kind of korean chobap (초밥) appearance. it has got the rice and then the fish on top. so i'm just going to grab a piece. and let's take it for a dunk in the soy sauce.
take it for a swim. no wasabi? come on! i did put a bit on. yeah? how is it? this is a really. it is not. it is a very chewy fish.
it is not um. it doesn't disintegrate in your mouth. i'm really having to power through it. it is very light. i think we're both having the same fish. yeah it is very light. it tastes good. and but as you said it is the kind of fishthat it needs a strong sauce to go with it. either the gochujang (ê³ ì¶”ìž¥) or the soysauce the kangjang.
with the wasabi. wow, there is some rice flying out of yourmouth. there. whoops. lotte world (롯ë°ì›”ë“œ) is a massive indoorstheme park. here you can enjoy rides, go ice skating,play video games, or dance your heart out. and wrapping things up with a rather quirkyattraction, why not drop by a poo-themed cafe (ë˜ì˜¹ì¹´íž˜). yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like andhere’s the evidence.
wearing poo hats. and my pooh just fell off of my head. is that your poo? is that your poo sam? it is a very sad poo. and that’s a wrap for this rather massivevideo guide to seoul. we hope that you enjoyed watching along andthat you picked up a few ideas of things to do on your upcoming visit. as always, if you’ve been to seoul beforeand are familiar with the city, we’d love
to hear some of your suggestions of fun thingsto do, see, and eat around there, so feel free to share those in the comments below. happy travels and until next time!