Seoul has always been on our travel bucket list, but planning a trip to Seoul with kids (or, in our case, teens) in tow? That’s a whole different challenge. You need the right mix of culture, food, fun, and—let’s be real—breaks in between for everyone to recharge. Luckily, Seoul is packed with family-friendly spots that made our trip unforgettable. If you’re thinking of bringing your kids or teens to Seoul, here’s a day-by-day guide based on our actual 7 days in Seoul itinerary.
Now, this was not our original itinerary. Because let’s be real—no trip ever goes exactly as planned, especially with kids or teens in tow. While we had a pretty solid itinerary mapped out, we ended up adjusting as we went along, skipping a few things and discovering some unexpected gems along the way.
If you’re a parent planning a family trip to Seoul, here’s what we actually did—what worked, what we loved, and what we’d do differently next time.
Day 1: Arrival & Settling In
In a nutshell, our first day was just getting settled:
✅ Landed at Incheon International Airport (purchased T-Money cards and SIM cards)
✅ Took the AREX train to Seoul Station (and quick dinner at Five Guys before heading off to our hotel)
✅ Checked in at Sollago Hotel Myeongdong (and call it a night!)
Flying into Incheon Airport, the first thing we did was buy SIM cards, load up T-Money cards, and grab our AREX train tickets to Seoul Station (a 40-minute trip). We left the airport a bit longer than we had planned and ended up at Seoul Station in the early evening instead of late afternoon.
We were too tired and famished (hangry, really) and just stopped at Five Guys in Seoul Station for some familiar comfort food (we over-ordered fries and ended up eating those for breakfast three days in a row!).
Now, we were supposed to just take a taxi to Sollago Hotel, but the taxi drivers, including those in black taxis, couldn’t understand us (some travel blogs claimed drivers of black taxis understand English…apparently not).
To make matters worse, it started raining and after being turned away by several taxi drivers, we decided to take the subway to the station near our hotel.
- Lesson #1: Don’t assume drivers of black taxis can speak English (and don’t believe everything you read online.
- Lesson #2: Make sure you have the name of your hotel and address in Korean, and keep it on hand (I misplaced my notes!).
- Lesson #3: Don’t rely on Korean apps like Naver Map as it can be difficult to search for exact destinations in English.
- Lesson #4: Download KakaoT to book a taxi (while there are plenty of taxis outside Seoul Station, using KakaoT solves the language barrier).
Thankfully, the train ride from Seoul Station to Chungmuro Station was only 10 minutes and our hotel was less than a 5-minute walk from there. Checking in at Sollago was also a breeze.
The original plan was to explore Myeongdong at night. But after a long flight, and after being wet, cold, and weary from our taxi experience, all we wanted was to rest and recharge for the week ahead.
📍 Parent tip: Don’t plan anything on the day of your arrival, except maybe walking around the neighborhood where your hotel is.
Day 2: Myeongdong—Shopping & Street Food Heaven
The second day was our real introduction to Seoul. Here’s everything we did in Myeongdong:
✅ Ate at a Korean BBQ restaurant and Korean fried chicken chain (must, must eat1)
✅ Street shopping and bought a bunch of K-beauty products at Olive Young (also shortlisted a few shops)
✅ Street food night market (what I was most excited for!)
We got a huge surprise the next morning to see heavy snow outside our hotel. It turned out that, while we were asleep, Seoul just experienced its heaviest snowfall in 117 years! It’s a good thing that, by the time we left the hotel, it was just lightly snowing.
Our first full day was all about Myeongdong, and honestly, it was the perfect way to ease into Seoul. This area is great for families because everything is walkable—shopping, food, sightseeing—all in one place.
I know everyone says Myeongdong is all tourists, overcrowded, and overpriced. But we actually loved it! The energy is electrifying, so it’s actually a good first stop because it gets you all pumped up.
So, the first stop was lunch at Wangbijip, a Korean BBQ spot that was both delicious and tourist-friendly. We were so excited to have our first authentic Korean BBQ experience, and we were not disappointed! While Korean BBQ restaurants are quite common where we come from, there’s nothing like eating Korean BBQ in the country where it originated, right?
After lunch, we hit the stores: M Playground for trendy streetwear, Wiggle Wiggle and Butter for cute accessories and souvenirs, Pop Mart for toys, and Olive Young’s flagship store for all the K-beauty essentials, among several others. The girls spent an exorbitant amount of time at Olive Young (for good reason). I did manage to sneak out and explore other streets in Myeongdong and take some pictures of Myeongdong Cathedral and Myeongdong Theater.
Aside from street shopping, our other goal in Myeongdong was to experience the street food night market. Again, bloggers and vloggers said the food is overpriced and a lot of the food is not authentic Korean (Oreo churros, anyone?). But we didn’t care.
It was still fun trying out everything from Korean street food like hotteok (Korean pancakes), fish cakes, egg buns, bungeoppang (fish-shaped bread), and kimchi pancakes, to obviously touristy inventions like Korean french fry hot dogs and, yes, Oreo churros.
And, as if we hadn’t had enough, we had dinner at Kkanbu Chicken, where we officially began our Korean fried chicken obsession—crispy, juicy, and perfect for sharing. We also had a great experience at Kkanbu, with the good food, efficient service, and friendly staff.
📍 Parent tip: If you have picky eaters, Myeongdong’s street food selection is a great way for kids to try small portions of different things without committing to a full meal.
Day 3: Hanoks, Cafés & Hongdae
The third day was all about exploring the more traditional side of Seoul. The Anguk neighborhood is a mix of old and new Seoul while Hongdae has a youthful vibe:
✅ Breakfast at Café Onion (certainly one of our favorite cafes in Seoul)
✅ Explored Bukchon Hanok Village (took plenty of photos there)
✅ Green tea at Osulloc and lunch at Oreno Ramen (after a long walk)
✅ Art stores and souvenir shops in Insadong and Ssamziegil (lots of cute trinkets and craft stores)
✅ Wandered through Ikseondong (hidden alleyways, cozy cafés, and a slower pace)
✅ Coffee and desserts at Cheongsudang Bakery (aesthetic overload!)
✅ Salt bread from Joyeondo for a late-night snack
✅ Shopped and watched performers in Hongdae (we loved the youthful vibe)
✅ Fried chicken at Kyochon, because one night of Korean fried chicken is never enough
We started the morning with coffee and pastries at Café Onion, one of the most popular cafes in the city. There was a bit of a queue (as expected), but it was relatively short (around a 20-minute wait).
The thing with Korean cafes is a lot of them are Instagrammable, from the interiors to the pastries. Café Onion, for instance, is in a 100-year-old hanok (traditional Korean house), blending rustic wood and modern concrete, with a small, open square in the middle. We ordered their famous pandoro, salty butter bread, and vanilla bean latte.
Then, we headed to Bukchon Hanok Village, a well-preserved neighborhood of around 900 hanoks dating back to the Joseon dynasty. Many of the houses have been converted into cafes, restaurants, museums, and cultural centers where you can participate in different workshops. But it’s largely still a residential area, so visitors are reminded to keep quiet and respect the residents’ privacy.
We spent a couple of hours exploring the hilly and narrow streets, taking photos, and admiring the traditional homes. We saw a lot of tourists wearing hanbok (traditional Korean clothes). While there were plenty of people, it wasn’t as overcrowded as what we’ve seen in photos (probably because we went during the off-season and first thing in the morning).
A quick stop at Osulloc for Korean green tea and matcha desserts was the perfect midday break before heading to Oreno Ramen for lunch.
Osulloc is a posh place, and it’s nice to just chill. I’m more of a coffee guy, though, and couldn’t really appreciate what makes their green tea special. I enjoyed the tori ramen at Oreno, though. It’s as authentic as it can be (both the ramen and ramen shop).
The two other restaurants I shortlisted for lunch were Kkangtong Mandu and Hwangsaengga Kalguksu, which were more traditional Korean options. But Oreno was closest to where we were headed next. And we were pretty satisfied with what had there.
📍 Parent tip: If you’re traveling with younger kids, Bukchon’s hills can be tiring—plan for snack breaks!
Next, we headed to Insadong, known for its arts and crafts scene and souvenir shops. It was a pleasant neighborhood with small shops and art galleries along the street. We bought a few traditional souvenirs along the way.
We also checked out Anyeong Insadong (Hello Insadong), a shopping mall with a small flea market on the ground floor (skippable), and Ssamzigil, a multilevel building with a spiraling walkway and housing cute arts and crafts stores (must stop).
A short walk away is Ikseondong Hanok Village, which is more commercial than residential. It’s a great area to do cafe hopping. We shortlisted so many, including Mil Toast House, DongBaek Bakery, Soha Salt Pond, Ikseon Jutaek, Nakwon, and Cheese Industry. It was obviously unrealistic to try them all, so we prioritized one of the most popular, Cheongsudang Bakery.
We thought there was too much hype about Korean cafes and bakeries. However, most of the glowing online reviews say otherwise. And they’re right. Cheongsudang, for example, is a highly aesthetic place that makes you feel like in the middle of a bamboo forest. And the coffee and cakes? They’re as good as people say they are. We ordered their signature Stone Egg Coffee, souffle castella, and fromage cake.
After checking out some souvenir shops, we got salt bread for takeout at the famous Jayeondo (there’s often a long line, but since it was nighttime by then, there was no line at all!). You would think it’s just bread, but it’s fluffy, buttery, and addicting! (We loved it so much that we lined up for more at its Dosan branch in Gangnam).
As if the day wasn’t long enough, we decided to head to Hongdae for some shopping. Because it’s close to Hongik University, Hongdae is a favorite hangout for students. It was crowded, but the energy was electric! There were tourists, but unlike in Myeongdong where it’s mostly tourists, Hongdae is still mostly locals.
The girls had fun window shopping, with streets lined up with boutique shops and basement stores. The prices were cheaper than in Myeongdong, but they were not as cheap as we thought they would be. However, if you’re looking for vintage or trendy clothes, you’ll find a lot of them in Hongdae.
What I enjoyed the most, though, were the buskers and the street performers. Hongdae is home to a thriving indie music scene and aspiring K-pop groups. We watched a new K-pop group called The Siren (best of luck to them!) dance to several songs. It takes a lot of guts to perform to a live audience (and on a chilly night at that!).
After a few hours, we ended up eating Korean fried chicken again at the popular chain Kyochon, and then called it a night.
📍 Parent tip: Skip Hongdae if you’re with small kids, but it’s a must-visit if you have teens.
Day 4: DDP & Seongsu-dong—Trendy Seoul
Our fourth day was a visit to the famous Seoul landmark, DDP, and exploring the trendy neighborhood of Seongsu:
✅ Visited DDP (took loads of photos)
✅ Explored the trendy streets of Seongsu-dong (the Brooklyn of Seoul)
✅ Lunch at Paper Plate (great for New York-style pizzas)
✅ More Olive Young shopping (because there’s no such thing as too much K-beauty)
✅ Coffee and desserts at Daelim Warehouse (huge, industrial, and cool)
✅ Photobooth fun at WXCX (our teens LOVED this)
We started at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a futuristic landmark that was fun for both architecture lovers and kids who just wanted to run around. I love photography, so the girls indulged me by posing. They also bought some cute items from the DDP souvenir shop.
Then, we hopped over to Seongsu-dong, Seoul’s hipster district. We like the brick buildings and converted warehouses and factories. The area is a little bit retro, a little bit industrial, and a whole lot cool.
We ordered slices of different pizza flavors at Paper Plate (the pizzas and interiors feel like you’re in New York) and the girls bought some beauty products at the nearby Olive Young branch.
The next stop was the WXCK photo booth studio. One other thing the Koreans have perfected is the self-service photo booth. I mean, it’s genius. You come in, choose a room (WXCK featured toilet photo booths!), pay for a package, enter the booth, pose multiple ways in 30 seconds, and print out your photos.
Hands down, it’s one of the most fun we had in Seoul. Can you take selfie photos at home in your toilet? Sure. Will they come out cool? Nope. Will you have as much fun? You’ll probably feel stupid. 😜
Then, we checked out Ader Error‘s flagship store and cafe. Known as a global streetwear brand, Ader is also well-known for its out-of-this-world store interiors. However, we spent more time at Daelim Changgo (or warehouse), an industrial cafe in a renovated warehouse.
This space is huge! And the vibe is hip. No wonder it kind of helped kickstart Seongsu’s reputation as the next big, trendy Seoul neighborhood. There were lots of industrial art pieces and communal tables. And yes, the coffee and pastries were great, too.
Seongsudong is not as world-famous as Gangnam, but we actually enjoyed Seongsu more.
To tap the day, we had dinner at Ggupdang, a Bib Gourmand-awarded Korean BBQ joint. It’s famous for its charcoal-grilled pork shoulder blades, pork butt, and fried rice. The wait was a bit long, but it was worth it!
Later that night, we circled back to DDP to see it lit up at night—definitely worth the second visit.
📍 Parent tip: Photobooths are a thing in Seoul! They’re everywhere and are super fun keepsakes for kids and teens.
Day 5: Gangnam & Shopping Spree
Gangnam day! The Gangnam district is enormous, so we concentrated on the Apgujeong, Samseong, and Sinsa neighborhoods:
✅ COEX Mall (including Starfield Library and Monster VR)
✅ Explored Apgujeong (the Beverly Hills of Seoul) and the streets surrounding Dosan Park in Sinsa
✅ More photobooth fun at Don’t Look Up (can’t get enough of photo booths!)
✅ Shopping at GOTO Mall (the largest underground shopping mall in Seoul)
First stop: COEX Mall, home to the world-famous Starfield Library, with its imposing 3-meter-high bookshelves that stretch to the ceiling. There are 50,000 books and magazines in the library, and hardly anyone was reading them as most visitors (like us) were too busy taking selfies and escalator shots. 😂😅
Was it worth the trip? It’s a lot of hype, and there’s a huge gap between expectation and reality when it comes to getting the Instagram-perfect shot. But if you have plans to visit COEX Mall anyway, you might as well check it out.
There’s a much grander and newer Starfield Library in Suwon, just outside Seoul. We originally planned to take a day trip to Suwon for the fortress and library. However, plans changed after the first-day snowfall and after realizing we had an overbooked itinerary.
We had lunch at Super Duper, one of our favorite burger joints in San Francisco. Then, we spent the afternoon checking out some stores in the mall and at Monster VR, where the kids (okay, us parents too) had a blast killing virtual zombies.
📍 Parent tip: COEX has arcades and bookstores too, great if younger kids need a break.
From there, we explored Apgujeong, a high-end neighborhood packed with high-end shops, including the popular House of Dior building. We skipped K-Star Road with its K-pop bear statues (we thought it was over-rated). We also missed Cheongdam with its street lined with global luxury brands and Lotte Tower (South Korea’s tallest building) for lack of time.
We also walked the streets of Sinsa, particularly those surrounding Dosan Park. We stopped for HeyTea bubble tea and took more photobooth pictures at Don’t Look Up (the theme is taking selfies from a high angle—really, I don’t know why we let ourselves get fooled into spending more money on photo booths by the Koreans, but it’s just fun!).
We had snacks at the London Bagel Museum (famous for its British aesthetic and fresh-baked bagels). While waiting for our turn (via Catch Table’s virtual queuing system), we walked around the neighborhood to find more cute cafes and unique stores, including Point of View, a trendy stationery store (and yes, there was also a line!).
Overall, our Gangnam experience was good. However, we enjoyed exploring the streets of Seongsu more.
Ironically, for all of Gangnam’s luxury reputation, what we loved most was shopping at GOTO Mall, Seoul’s famous underground shopping street in Gangnam. It’s where the girls ran wild, blowing their shopping budget on bargain-priced clothes and accessories. We ended up bringing home plastic bags of pants, hoodies, blouses, shirts, socks, and more. Forget Hongdae, Ehwa, Sinchon, and other supposedly affordable shopping streets. Just go to GOTO Mall if you’re after cheap finds.
Dinner was at a forgettable (meh) restaurant inside Gangnam Station (most of the restaurants were closed by the time we left GOTO Mall).
📍 Parent tip: Bring lots of cash if you plan to go shopping at GOTO Mall.
Day 6: Hiking & More Shopping
It’s time to take a break and surround ourselves with nature, before doing more shopping in the evening:
✅ Hiked at Bukhansan National Park (but first, coffee at Starbucks The Bukhansan)
✅ Visited Ehwa Women’s University (with some window shopping on the side)
✅ Back in Myeongdong for more shopping and eating (more chicken, bingsu, and HBAF nuts)
Time to balance out all the eating with a little hiking! We had coffee and snacks at Starbucks, The Bukhansan, before starting our Bukhansan National Park hike. When we say “hike,” we mean an easy stroll (we’re not serious hikers).
We took the easier Valley Trail and just enjoyed the fresh, cool air, the soothing streams, and the relaxing atmosphere. I don’t think we burned enough calories from Starbucks!
📍 Parent tip: Bukhansan Starbucks alone is worth the trip—great views, cozy vibes. The park outside is also great for strolling and, if you have kids, running around.
Next, we visited Ehwa Women’s University, where the campus architecture was gorgeous. Lunch was Vietnamese pho at Little Hanoi (delicious, clean, and affordable).
We had high hopes for budget finds in the Ehwa and Sinchon shopping streets. However, the prices of clothes were not exactly cheap. We didn’t explore the side streets beyond the main street between the campus and the subway station, as they were quite dark and felt abandoned (unlike the energetic crowds in Hongdae and Myeongdong). Yes, it was a letdown, and I’ll say just skip this area.
So, we decided to head back to Myeongdong for last-minute shopping. We visited Myeongdong Underground Shopping Center (GOTO Mall is better), Shinsegae Department Store (great Christmas digital display), Lotte Department Store, and Lotte Young Plaza.
Dinner was at BBQ Chicken Myeongdong Star for their famous golden olive fried chicken (which I paired with beer). Dessert was bingsu (shaved ice with sweet toppings) at Sulbing. And souvenir snacks at HBAF (known for its honey butter almond nuts).
Day 7: Hanbok, Palaces & Han River
For our last day, we made sure we spent time at Gyeongbokgung Palace and saw the Han River up close:
✅ Explored Gyeongbokgung Palace in a hanbok (one of the highlights of our trip)
✅ Dinner at Homeboy Seoul (our best meal in Seoul, and it’s Chinese Korean cuisine)
✅ Made our farewell along the Han River (and promised to return)
For our last full day, we did one of our favorite activities of the entire trip—exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace in a hanbok. The kids actually loved dressing up, and it made the palace experience even more special.
While they spent a good hour picking their dress and having their hair styled, I went ahead to catch the changing of the guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace. I’ve seen my share of these ceremonies, but I must say this one is one of the grandest and most impressive.
I also read up on the history of the palace, so I have some idea about the residences, offices, and structures in the complex. I played the photographer and tour guide, but the girls enjoyed posing and having their photos taken more (history and culture be damned!) and imagining themselves as Korean princesses.
📍 Parent tip: Renting a hanbok gets you free palace entry—a great deal!
We didn’t expect to spend the entire day in the palace complex until closing time, but it was a lot of fun and worth it. We ended our trip with a relaxed dinner at the nearby Homeboy Seoul, a Chinese American restaurant. Surprisingly, this turned out to be everyone’s favorite restaurant in Seoul. I mean, we enjoyed our Korean BBQ, fried chicken, and traditional Korean dishes, but let’s face it, Chinese food is the ultimate comfort food, especially after a long day of walking.
To make a proper farewell to Seoul, we took one last stroll along the Han River, soaking in the city lights one last time. Originally, we were supposed to have a picnic (what the locals do) or a river cruise, but it was too chilly for a picnic and too late for a cruise.
Still, it was a sweet ending to a memorable vacation. And even after a week in Seoul, we all decided Seoul is worth coming back to.
Final Thoughts: Seoul with Kids & Teens? 100% Yes.
Seoul was surprisingly easy to explore as a family. The subway system was efficient, food options were family-friendly, and we found a great mix of sightseeing, shopping, and just relaxing.
If you’re planning a trip with kids or teens, I highly recommend:
✅ Keeping flexible plans (some days we swapped activities based on energy levels)
✅ Taking snack breaks often (so many cafés = so many excuses to stop!)
✅ Mixing cultural spots with fun activities (because balance is everything)
We’ll definitely be back—who’s coming with us next time? 😆✈️
