View source for The Best Reasons to Visit Seoul

Seoul is one of the world's largest cities and the capital of South Korea. The city with more than 10 million people is the political, cultural and economic center of South Korea. The vibrant city with 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and numerous museums as well as grand Shopping plazas, markets, restaurants and skyscrapers is a preferred tourist destination. This is an overview of Seoul's major tourist attractions for [http://www.seoulexpats.com/about/ seoul friend].

Gyeongbok Palace located in Seoul's major avenue, Sejongro is the most popular royal palace of the country. The grand palace built in the 1300s, later destroyed and restructured many times, has magnificent arched gates, gorgeous pavilions and halls featuring Korea's architectural beauty. Changdeokgung Palace is another famous Seoul palace and this 15th century historic palace encompasses beautiful buildings, secret gardens and castles. Walk through the Bukchon Village, a scenic area that has numerous conventional Korean wooden homes 'hanok'. Stroll down the alleys with architectural courtyards, beautiful outer walls and tiled roofs. It has also many old-fashioned cafés, restaurants and popular art galleries.

Shinsegae Department Store is one of the most popular shopping centers in Seoul. You will get all types of products here including fresh fish, fruits, traditional foods like kimchi, brand name shoes, cloths and more, arranged on different floors. Lotte and Hyundai stores are the other two big centers and the food court of Lotte is also notable. Bugaksan is the peak near the Blue House and is an ideal place for hiking. It offers a fantastic view of the city at a height of 342 meters. Here you can take-in Seoul's ancient fortress and many scenic areas nearby. National Museum of Korea that holds more than 220, 000 objects is the largest in the country. It has vast exhibition halls, 6 permanent display galleries, a children's museum, restaurants and more. Leeum Samsung Museum of Art is another best-known museum and is notable for its wonderful architecture and impressive collection.

Itaewon neighborhood close to the U. S. Army base is very popular among foreign tourists. This expatriate-friendly area has numerous trendy clubs, bars, restaurants and shops that sell various products. Club Volume featuring the best DJs and French café Le Saint Ex are particularly notable and enjoy a dinner at Kate's Kitchen. Trip Insadong, the famed cultural art market and view its great collection of Korean paintings, sculptures and more. Stroll along the beautiful, 5. 8 km long Cheonggyecheon Stream to enjoy the natural beauty and relax. The calm stream is 15 ft. below street level and has many petite falls and overhead bridges to enjoy.

Round-the-clock Namdaemun market is the busiest market that has thousands of shops arranged in many multi-story buildings, countless vendor booths and food stalls offering traditional cuisine. The vibrant street is the best to buy a range of items at incredibly low prices. The War Memorial of Korea is actually an enormous military museum and is a must visit for history buffs. The renowned memorial that holds planes, guns and tanks narrates the history of wars the country had fought with many of its enemies, but mainly its neighbor North Korea.

Enjoy a pleasant ride on a Seoul city tour bus to see the main attractions in the city. Single and double- decker buses are available and there is night trip as well. N Seoul Tower, the 479. 7 m tall communication tower is another celebrated landmark in Seoul. The wonderful tower with a revolving restaurant and observation deck offers stunning views of the city. Yook Sam Building is another skyscraper with an exciting view. This is the tallest building in Seoul and has 63 floors, glass elevator and observation room.

Seoul Children's Park featuring a botanical garden, a zoo, fun rides and play areas is a must for the kids. Enjoy duty-free shopping in the Jung district and upscale shopping in the Apgujeong-dong, Cheongdam-dong, Sinchon areas and the COEX and Times Square malls. The Itaewon and Hongdae regions offer thrilling nightlife.