East Asia
Ancient palaces, neon nights, and the world's best street food.
South Korea is where a 600-year-old palace sits in the shadow of glass towers, where Buddhist temples share the hills with the world's fastest internet, and where the food — barbecue, stews, and a thousand tiny side dishes — is a national obsession. Riding the wave of K-pop, K-drama and Korean cool, it is dynamic, spotless and endlessly energetic, yet green mountains and quiet tea houses are never far. Seoul, the mega-city capital, is the beating heart: historic and hyper-modern at once, and one of the most exciting cities in Asia.
What things cost: South Korea is mid-range for Asia — cheaper than Japan, dearer than Southeast Asia. Street food, the subway and many palaces cost little; smart restaurants, bars and hotels add up. The convenience stores and cheap, brilliant eateries keep any budget fed well. When a zone below says 'low', that means low for Seoul.
Sometimes the event picks the city for you.
For a week each April the road behind the National Assembly on Yeouido island vanishes under a tunnel of cherry blossom, and half the city comes to stroll beneath it. The headline of Seoul's spring, with food stalls and crowds; the exact dates shift with the bloom, so check before you go.
Seoul · Yeouiseo-ro, Yeouido
Korea's most spectacular festival, marking Buddha's Birthday — a vast night-time parade of glowing paper lanterns winding through central Seoul to Jogyesa temple, which is itself roofed with a canopy of thousands of coloured lanterns. Joyful, beautiful and welcoming to all; one of the great sights of the Seoul year.
Seoul · Jongno & Jogyesa Temple
A celebration of the great Korean tradition of kimjang — communal winter kimchi-making — with thousands gathering around City Hall to salt, spice and pack cabbage together, much of it donated to those in need. A hands-on, only-in-Korea food festival you can join in with; a fun, fragrant slice of the culture.
Seoul · Seoul Plaza, City Hall
For two weeks each November the Cheonggyecheon stream downtown is filled with huge illuminated lantern sculptures, floating and glowing along the water after dark. A magical, family-friendly winter-lights event and a lovely reason to walk the stream on a cold evening.
Seoul · Cheonggyecheon stream
