DECEMBER 2024
When you are traveling with kids, you are traveling at a different pace compared to when traveling with adults. We always try to plan our days in a way that it includes fun for the adults as well as for our toddler. We do kid-friendly activities, but don’t limit ourselves to that. This means our toddler sometimes has to visit a museum that he won’t like. Afterwards we will try to reward him with a fun activity. You don’t come all the way to the other side of the world to just see an aquarium… which means give and take. In this blogpost you will find all the activities we did in five days in Seoul and I will include specific recommendations per activity on what to expect with kids.
How kid friendly is Seoul?
Overall, we found Seoul to be relatively kid friendly. Most attractions can be visited with a stroller, some streets are pedestrianized and most streets feature a sidewalk. You might have to search a bit, but all metro-stations had an elevator, making it possible to go into the metro with a stroller. Restaurants usually have children seats and I found them very welcoming to kids. The only thing that I didn’t find too kid friendly is the lack of playgrounds. We didn’t encounter a lot of playgrounds in touristy areas. If your kid needs to let off some steam, you really have to go on a search. We find visiting nature with Hugo more easy, than visiting cities, but must also conclude that Seoul is as kid-friendly as cities go.
Where we stayed
Our son has become too big for most baby beds, so we were looking for a three-person room. Three-person rooms do not seem to be widely available in Korea, we only managed to find one for a decent price on Jeju Island. As our mother was also traveling with us we booked a two bedroom apartment in Orakai Insadong Suites. The Orakai had a very convenient location, you can walk to some of the palaces, Bukchon Hanok Village and Ikseon-dong Hanok Village. Loads of restaurants are down the street, overall very cute neighborhood. The Orakai also had an indoor swimming pool & sauna, which was perfect when we wanted to relax before dinner & it was a little treat for Hugo. You can have breakfast in your room, book the hotel breakfast or visit the Coffee Bean which is inside the hotel for an affordable, western style breakfast.
On our last day in Seoul the Orakai was not available and instead we stayed in Morning Sky hotel. This was a budget hotel, not fancy, but comfortable enough for one night. There was a playground opposite the hotel, which was so nice.
Activities in Seoul
We spent five days in Seoul and honestly could have spent more time there. Especially when traveling with a toddler, you are slower than you would be with adults, but we were still very happy with all the activities that we did in Seoul. I will include specific recommendations for visiting with kids.
Changdeokgung
This is one of the palaces in Seoul. I chose this one because it is very well renovated and it also features the secret garden. Apparantly, tickets to the secret garden sell out early in the day. We arrived at the end of the morning and had no issue getting tickets. The palace is gorgeous and very colorful. Lots of areas are accesible with a stroller, not too many steps. The garden has some slopes and is harder to visit than the palace. Hugo didn’t seem to love visiting the palace, it was a bit boring for him. Changdeokgung only costs a few euros to enter, so I would recommend doing it anyway.
Bukchon Hanok Village
It is a beautiful traditional village, overlooking Seoul and the N Seoul Tower. It gets incredibly crowded during the day, meaning you really have to pay attention to your toddler. It is located on a hill, so not ideal with a stroller (it is possible, just very hard). For kids this is not the most interesting activity, but it is a can’t miss location in Seoul.
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
I mainly visited the DDP because I wanted to see the building as designed by Zaha Hadid. The building is like a spaceship, very cool! This was one of the sights in Seoul that I liked, but did not love. It still is very quiet and underused, I found that it lacked atmosphere. However, it was very kid-friendly. There were not a lot of people, so Hugo could roam around freely. When we visited they also had an exhibit with building blocks, which you could climb, which he absolutely loved. The DDP is free to visit.
Gwangjang Market
This one is pretty close to the DDP, so you can easily visit them on the same day. We mainly visited the Gwangjang Market for the streetfood and this turned out to be a real winner with Hugo. There is so much to see, smell and taste on this market (lots of octopus in aquaria too). We managed to get front row seats at some of the food stalls and this was a great experience. We went to the market twice, as we all really enjoyed it.
Starfield Library
We went to the Starfield Library in Gangnam and the Starfield Library in Suwon. Both are a great activity with kids, with the one in the COEX mall in Gangnam being the favorite due to the escalators that you could go up and down. We had so much fun taking pictures and videos on the escalators, definitely a fun activity with kids. In the COEX mall you can also find the aquarium. The Starfield Library in Suwon is quite far out of the city center, so you have to factor in a lot of time to visit it. However, the mall in which it is located is very kid friendly, they have adventure games (you have to be 120cms) and a playground for toddlers.
Aquarium
In the COEX mall you can also find the Seoul Aquarium, which of course is great for kids. Hugo had never been to an Aquarium and absolutely loved it. The Aquarium is quite big, they have lots of animals, even really interesting frog variations. As lots of activities in Seoul are free, this is a more expensive one (about 20 euros pp), but we spent over two hours here and loved it.
Banpo Rainbow Bridge
At the Banpo bridge they have rainbow fountains, which perform a show several times a day. It looks best in the evening and you can visit from 7.30PM, which is doable with a kid. However, sometimes the show is cancelled and you cannot find out about it until you arrive at the bridge. There is no social media or website telling you before you go, which is very annoying. It is a bit hard to get to and I would recommend grabbing a taxi, to spare the long walk from the metro station. There is a beergarden nearby, where you can grab some fastfood, to enjoy at the bridge show.
Ihwa Mural Village
If your kid doesn’t mind climbing the Ihwa Mural Village is a great visit. You have to climb a lot of stairs, but the views over Seoul are amazing! Hugo loved the streetart and all the art projects which you can find on the street. Again, it is free to visit. There are lots of cute cafes to take a rest. Just take in that it is not stroller accesible.
Unhyeongung Palace
We accidentally found this palace, it is free to enter, so we explored it. It is much quieter than the more famous palace, meaning your kid can roam around more freely, which we liked. It is less colorful, but still a very beautiful sight.
Ikseon-dong Hanok Village
Another Hanok Village, but a more interesting one for kids. Lots of fun stores, informal restaurants and activitues. It is more of a sensory overload, meaning there is lots to see for your kid.
Seoullo 7017
Chances are that you are going to be traveling by train. Near the station you can find Seoullo 7017, which is a former train track turned into a city park. Like New York’s High Line… There are plants, there are things your kid can climb and you can overlook the busy streets of Seoul. You can get up and down with an elevator, so no issue taking the stroller.
Hongdae
A visit to Seoul is not complete without visiting Hongdae. Hongdae is neon vibes, sensory overload. Lots of street artists, colorful shops, icecream stores. Your kid will love it!
Cafe Onion Anguk
You are probably a bit worried about the food in Korea… We are happy that Hugo likes rice, so there was always something for him to eat. Korea is more western influenced than Japan, so it is easier to find simple foods for your kid such as bread. One place we particularly loved for food was the Cafe Onion Anguk, it is located closed to the Changdeokgung palace. It is located in a traditional Hanok building, but offers bakery style dishes, such as croissants and garlic bread. Absolutely delicious for kids too, but you still get that Korean style, for which you came to Korea in the first place.
