Seoul, South Korea is a beautiful, exciting city where one can enjoy the intermingling of modern innovation with history and traditional culture. With ample luxury department stores and the pervasive love of beauty treatments and physical perfection; it’s easy to see how glitz, glamour and consumerism gets pushed to the forefront of South Korea’s international reputation. But that is only one side of Korea. This is a place with so much to experience across art, music, history, and natural beauty, so much of which is completely free of charge yet no less enriching. As someone who is used to traveling on a budget and has enjoyed a lot of time in South Korea, I want to share some of my favorite free experiences in Seoul.

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Namsan Tower

Like a crown jewel of Seoul’s skyline, beautiful Namsan tower stretches proudly into the sky from Namsan mountain. Enjoy the beautiful hike to the top where you’ll enjoy the amazing views and the countless colorful love lockets that adorn the fences and gates.

While you can pay a fee to go all the way to the top of the actual tower, I have never felt the need to. The area surrounding its base provides almost the same view. It has the added bonus of the lovely foliage which is as beautiful when drenched in autumn colors as it is with cherry blossoms during spring.

Gyeongbokgung

A trip to Seoul is simply incomplete for me without a visit to the majestic Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁). This historic palace is a huge complex that I love getting lost in for hours. Enjoy the royal thrones and pavilions all set against the beautiful backdrop of the mountains. You can visit for free on “Culture Day”, the last Wednesday of the month. Even if you catch it outside of Culture Day, it is only 3,000 Won (Korean currency) or just under $3USD to visit this massive, gorgeous site.

Indeed, the other royal palaces of Seoul which include Changdeokgung, Changgyeongung, Deoksugung, and Gyeonghuigung are also free on Culture Day. Gyeongbokgung gets a special mention from me not only because it is the largest of the royal palaces but also because the front area, a large courtyard, is free to visit year round. Here you can catch the fantastic changing of the guard ceremony.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Dongdaemun Design Plaza is an architectural marvel created by the famed architect Zaha Hadid. The dramatic silver curves and flashing LED lights make this large structure feel very futuristic. The Plaza hosts a variety of art installations and events. There are even occasionally pianos dotted around the complex for you to play or listen to an impromptu concert. Come here to see stylish crowds descend for Seoul Fashion Week typically held in March and October.

Han River and Banpo Bridge

Seoul is split by the large Han River. There are numerous green patches and parks that line this long river which attract throngs of crowds savoring a bite from the convenience stores near the shore or just a lovely view of the sunset and city lights.

One of the best places to experience the Han River is by Banpo bridge. Here you can see a dazzling fountain show where rainbow colored lights dance amongst the spouts of water. You can catch the Banpo Bridge fountain display daily from April through October. It’s such a gorgeous sight against the glittering Seoul skyline.

Free Museums

Seoul has a number of wonderful free museums. Starting with the most famous, the National Museum has a collection of numerous relics including statues, pottery, paintings and more from Korea’s rich history. One of my favorite things to see are the large stone Buddha statues. The ten story pagoda in the lobby is also quite impressive and dates back to the 14^th century. Just a short walk from the National Museum is the Hangul Museum. This is a smaller space dedicated to the history of “Hangul”: the Korean alphabet. It’s quite a fascinating and sophisticated writing system.

The War Memorial Museum is a downright emotional experience as it commemorates the country’s resilience through invasion and military conflict. A less mentioned free museum that I found wonderful is the Gugak museum. Here you can get a taste of traditional Korean music. This is also a great museum for kids as there are some fun interactive elements with instruments to play.

Hongdae

The lively student neighborhood around Hongik Univerity, “Hongdae”, is chock full of restaurants, cafes, night clubs, galleries, and vintage stores. Toss in all the street food stands and bars and there’s plenty to through your money at but trust me: you can have a great day or night out in Hongdae without spending a dime. Enjoy the outdoor performances and plentiful buskers. Have a hefty dose of browsing the amazing stores. Be charmed by the lights, music, and enjoy the vibe.

Haneul Park

Not far from Hongdae on a high plateau, lies Haneul Park (하늘공원). Literally: “Sky Park”. It is an ethereal swath of tall wispy grass and flowers. You reach Haneul Park via a long staircase that will give you a nice workout and a great view of the World Cup Stadium. The height of the plateau gives a wonderful vantage point of the surrounding mountains. Even though there are certainly great views of the city as well, the atmosphere gives you the feeling of being a world away from bustling Seoul.

Cheonggyecheon

Cheonggyecheon (청계천) is a long stream which runs through central Seoul. This revitalized body of water used to be a mere sewer. Today it is a peaceful stroll alongside waterfalls, stone steps, bridges and overhanging trees. It is beautiful day or night and even has a lantern festival typically held in winter. I have lovely memories of grabbing snacks from the street food stalls near its banks and enjoying the sparkling lights of Seoul around me; all with the soothing, rushing stream at my feet.

Hanok Villages

Traditional Korean homes or “Hanoks” can be found in high concentration in preserved or revitalized “Hanok Villages”. Perhaps the most famous: Bukchon Hanok Village, is the largest such neighborhood in Seoul. I love wandering its narrow, winding streets admiring the curves of the roofs and the old architectural details. Many of these homes date back hundreds of years. There are a plethora of shops and galleries to browse and it’s naturally the perfect spot for taking amazing photos.

Further northwest of downtown Seoul is the quieter Eunpyeong Hanok Village. Though it’s smaller than Bukchon, it’s just as beautiful and intriguing to explore. This village is also close to the beautiful Jingwansa Temple. Speaking of Temples…

Buddhist Temples

One of my favorite free and enriching experiences to have in South Korea is visiting one of their many many beautiful temples. It’s a peaceful and calming day spent admiring the ornate patterns (called “Dancheong”) decorating the fixtures, soaking in the smell of incense and the sound of Buddhist monks chanting. Some famous temples in central Seoul include Jogyesa near the popular tourist area of Insadong and Bongeunsa in the Gangnam district. During celebrations for Buddha’s birthday during Spring, you will see an astounding sight of hundreds of brightly colored lanterns adorning the temples’ canopies.

Travel a short distance to the outer areas of Seoul for temples beautifully nestled in nature such as the earlier mentioned Jingwansa Temple. Another temple just outside of Seoul is Sujongsa. Sujongsa Temple is beautifully located on top of a mountain with breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside and rivers.

Seokchon Lake Park

The trail around Seokchon Lake (석촌호수) is neatly lined with trees. It makes for quite a romantic stroll in the Songpa district. This place is particularly gorgeous during cherry blossom season. While there, you can enjoy a view of the imposing Lotte World Tower. It’s (at least at the time of writing this) the tallest building in Korea and in the top 10 tallest buildings in the world.

Seoul Forest

Another great place to see the seasons’ colors is Seoul Forest (서울숲). This large urban park is adjacent to the hip Songsu neighborhood. There are plenty of charming trails, streams and lakes to discover. My favorite thing about Seoul Forest is the decorative strings of lights that illuminate the trees in various colors at night.

Euljiro and Sewoon Plaza

Feel the unique character of “Old Seoul” in Euljiro (을지로) and Sewoon plaza (세운상가). The tiny crooked alleyways, the dusty, rusty store facades, the fading hangul signs; If you enjoy an unconventional angle of Korea, this old neighborhood is a great place to explore. Euljiro is such a funky, gritty scene and a photographer’s dream for off-beat, urban shots.

Adjacent Sewoon Plaza is a large complex refurbished over the years with many stores, art “maker spaces”, cafes and an observatory to get a great view of the area. This cool old building is a great base for exploring these fascinating streets. Even as this area gains popularity and becomes revitalized with new bars and cafes, its nice to see Euljiro holding onto it’s rugged charm.

Listening to Records at Vinyl and Plastic

A great place for music lovers in Seoul: “Vinyl and Plastic” is a record store right next to the Hyundai Music Library not far from the party epicenter of Itaewon. The music library is a rather cool building too but requires a membership to enter whereas Vinyl and Plastic is free for all. They have a robust collection of music from a wide range of genres, decades, and countries. There’s a record listening station with a number of turntables and accompanying headphones. Just pick a few records from a selection chosen by the staff and have a listen to some tunes on the high quality equipment.

Hiking in Seoul

Did you know that around 70% of Korea is mountainous? Seoul has plenty of mountain trails that are easily accessible. It makes for such a dynamic and beautiful landscape to explore! It also makes for an easy way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for some tranquility in nature. Some of the most popular mountains to scale are Ansan, Inwangsan and Bukhansan.

It’s also nice that there are a variety of “difficulty levels” of trails to choose from. You can certainly take the challenge and climb to the highest summit of Bukhansan mountain. I had a great time with the more leisurely trails near its base around Samcheong park just north of Bukchon Hanok village. The quiet atmosphere of the trails and the beautiful views of Seoul never disappoint.

If you plan on visiting South Korea, check out my packing list for some important items to bring on your journey.

Update: As I’ve continued to explore this great city, I have found even more free experiences in Seoul to share!