Seoul Travel Guide: 11 Must-Visit Locations for Stunning Photos
Where to Take Stunning Photos of Seoul to Impress Your Friends?
The most Instagrammable places in Seoul range from towering observatories atop unspoiled mountains to secret gardens, botanic parks, and even quirky statutes in the heart of town. Seoul, with its eclectic culture, colorful city streets filled with murals and public street art, museums, architecture, and cultural sites juxtaposed next to intricately-tended gardens and unspoiled wilderness, is a city of deep culture that’s a hidden gem of the world’s photogenic sites.
Whether you’re on a family vacation, a couples’ romantic getaway, or just looking to do some cultural exploration, this is a city that will give your Instagram feed a makeover. Check out some of the best Seoul spots for stunning photos.
1. Jogyesa Temple
The heart and soul of Korean Buddhism
Good for: Couples, Families, Photo
Jogyesa Temple is located in the Seoul city centre and is the heart of Korean Buddhism, offering colorful and serene grounds with ancient trees and quirky, amusing statuary. Buddhism is all about celebrating life and the simple things and taking joy in the smallest blade of grass, and the statues and gardens here exude that very same joy in all things.
Visit during October when the temple hosts its annual flower festival and you’ll get to snap extra photos of stunning topiary in the shape of animals, Buddhas and dragons. Or time your visit during the Lotus Lantern Festival celebrating the Buddha’s birthday when the courtyard is decorated with spectacularly-colored paper lanterns.
Location: 55 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 (0)2-768-8600
Jogyesa Temple
2. Namsan Seoul Tower Observatory
Unimpeded mountaintop and city views
Good for: Budget, Photo
Namsan Seoul Tower Observatory was the very first multipurpose tower in Korea and offers the chance to capture breathtaking panoramic views of the city and surrounding mountains. The tower (also known as N Seoul Tower) has served for four decades as an iconic landmark and popular visitor draw, which you reach by the equally iconic Namsan Cable Car running from the foot of the mountain to the tower’s base.
You can reach the aerial cableway with a shuttle bus from downtown Seoul. The tower is open 7 days a week all year long, and you can take guided group tours with English-speaking guides. For a free visit, book your tickets in advance. Read more
Location: 105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Open: Monday–Friday, Sunday from 10 am to 11 pm, Saturday from 10 am to midnight
Phone: +82 (0)2-3455-9277
Namsan Seoul Tower Observatory
3. Starfield Library
A vast library filled with colorful aisles
Good for: Photo, Unusual
Starfield Library in Coex Mall in the heart of Gangnam offers the chance to be surrounded by towering shelves stuffed with books from ancient dusty tomes to the newest bestsellers. The library is about an hour south of the city center and has multiple floors that are connected by an escalator. The collection encompasses some 50,000 books.
Whether you’re a bibliophile or you just want an iconic photo, the library offers color, history, and selfie ops galore. People come here and spend all day riding up and down the escalator, photographing every nook and cranny. Fill your feed with color and a perfect mesh of modern and old in the rows, shelves, and collections here.
Location: South Korea, Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Samseong-dong, Yeongdong-daero, 513 스타필드 코엑스몰 B1
Open: Daily from 10.30 am to 10 pm
Phone: +82 (0)2-6002-3031
Starfield Library
4. Statue of Gangnam Style
A giant set of bright bronze hands
Good for: Budget, Photo, Unusual
The Statue of Gangnam Style celebrates the popular song that made its namesake district famous and stands outside of a vast shopping mall. It’s about an hour to the south of the city center. The statue, which is two gigantic golden hands folded over the top of one another, cast in bronze and standing five meters high and eight meters wide, draws thousands of people who capture photos of themselves beneath the hands mimicking the famous horse dance from the now-iconic music video by Psy.
When you approach the statue, the song plays so you can dance to the familiar tunes. Visit after dark when the statue is brightly illuminated, offering a completely different look and atmosphere.
Location: 524 Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Statue of Gangnam Style
5. Seoul Sky
Witnessing the views from one of the world’s tallest buildings
Good for: Couples, Families, Photo
The Seoul Sky observatory at the top of the Lotte World Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world and offers stunning 360-degree aerial views of the city. The view changes based on the time of day and the season, from wintry sunsets to rainbows in the rainy season.
Located about an hour from the city center, the tower stands 555 meters and 123 stories high, with a wide range of experiences inside. As if the amazing photos aren’t enough, here you can explore museum exhibits surrounding ‘The Pride of Korea’, grab a bite in a café among the clouds, and go shopping in a gift shop offering all sorts of quirky souvenirs themed around the tower.
Location: 300 Olympic-ro, Songpa District, Seoul, South Korea
Open: Daily from 10.30 am to 10 pm
Phone: +82 (0)2-3213-5000
Seoul Sky
6. Seoul Botanic Park
Where to see plant life from all over the world
Good for: Budget, Families, Photo
Seoul Botanic Park combines a public park with a tended botanical garden in one space where you can find forests, flower beds, lakes, and marshlands all next to each other. This park offers the chance to capture photos of various ecological neighborhoods within a few minutes’ walk of each other. It’s also connected to the Seoul subway station so it’s easy to access from just about anywhere in town.
The park was created to highlight the urban ecology and expand city green space and includes exotic flora from all over the world. Besides peaceful surroundings for fantastic photos, the park offers cultural events and educational programs, so you can spend a fun day here. And bring your family too.
Location: 161 Magokdong-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 9.30 am to 6 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +82 (0)2-2104-9716
Seoul Botanic Park
7. Secret Garden
The former home of the Royal Family
Good for: History, Photo
The Secret Garden at Changdeokgung Palace offers the chance to photograph a UNESCO World Heritage site and a former 15th-century haven for the Korean Royal Family. It’s dotted with pavilions and pagodas where you can kick back, relax, and capture iconic historic photo opportunities amidst verdant and lush surroundings. It’s just 30 minutes north of the city center.
Note that while you can take tours of the palace and gardens, the tickets to the two attractions are separate. Tours will educate you on the history of the gardens and their importance to the local legacy. Or wander the gardens at your own pace, which allows you to capture all the photos you like.
Location: 99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +82 (0)2-3668-2300
Secret Garden
8. Dongdaemoon Design Plaza
A stunning LED rose garden
Good for: Couples, Families, Photo
Dongdaemoon Design Plaza, locally and colloquially referred to as The DDP, is a wildly popular Instagram destination with fantastic architecture and tons of unique galleries and shops inside. Here you can capture a stunning example of minimalist architectural design with an iconic staircase. At the top, you can explore an LED rose garden where at sunset the roses are lit with dazzling and mesmerizing illumination. Inside, the galleries host tons of creative exhibitions highlighting some of the most exciting up-and-coming artists from all over.
Architecture fans will note that the plaza is the brainchild of famed designer Zaha Hadid. To get to the plaza, take the metro line nr. 4 to the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station.
Location: 281 Eulji-ro, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
Open: Daily from 10 am to 8 pm
Phone: +82 2-2153-0000
Dongdaemoon Design Plaza
9. Heunginjimun
One of Seoul’s oldest traditional gates
Good for: Budget, Photo
Heunginjimun is one of the oldest traditional gates in Seoul and one of its most stunningly beautiful landscapes, offering an iconic Instagram opportunity for visitors from all over the world. You can capture stunning photos of this towering, majestic structure any time, but it’s generally considered best photographed after sundown.
After dark, it’s lit with hundreds of brilliant lights that highlight the colors and shadows of the gate, and the traffic zipping past creates fantastic long-exposure images for your feed to add a true sense of motion. If you’re a history fan, add this fantastic historic and photogenic spot to your itinerary.
Location: 288 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Open: 24/7
Phone: +82 (0)2-2148-4166
Heunginjimun
10. Bukchon Hanok Village
A traditional historic residential area
Good for: History, Photo
Bukchon Hanok Village is part of Old Seoul, the city’s historic district, and offers the chance to photograph picturesque traditional hanok houses and narrow, winding streets. Many people love to come here to pose in traditional Korean dress in front of the gorgeous architecture and picturesque pedestrian alleys. The district dates to the Joyston Dynasty hundreds of years ago and carries a true sense of eastern history with it.
It’s important, however, to respect the authenticity of this place. Unlike many hanok villages, it was not created for the benefit of visitors but is a genuine residential neighborhood. Don’t forget to explore the village’s small art galleries, workshops, restaurants, and gift shops. Read more
Location: Gyedong-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 (0)2-2133-1371
Bukchon Hanok Village
11. Common Ground
A colorful shopping district
Good for: Food, Photo, Shoppers
Common Ground is a vast and colorful shopping district filled with converted shipping containers and loaded with a young, hip and fun crowd for shopping, dining, and entertainment. This area was created when 200 metal shipping containers were converted into storefronts, eateries, and entertainment venues. The result is a vibrant, brightly-colored hub for a good time. The photo ops here are endless as each the storefront boasts unique features.
If you’re looking for edgy photos that will stand out among your feed while at the same time finding great deals on big-name and souvenir goods, make your way to Common Ground, just about 40 minutes east of the city center.
Location: 200 Achasan-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Open: Daily from 11 am to 10 pm
Phone: +82 (0)2-467-2747
Common Ground
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