Activities in Seoul
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FEATURED
Seoul History and Culture Small-Group Tour
3 hours (Departs Seoul, South Korea)
by Viator
Uncover the fascinating history and culture of Seoul on this half-day walking tour of the city. See charming Korean houses in a historic village, learn about Ko…Not LP reviewed
from USD$49.00 - All activities
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Ahnkook Zen Centre
Buddhist teaching in English every Saturday from 2.30pm until 4pm.
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Spa Lei
Sorry fellas, this one is just for the ladies. Spa Lei is a luxurious spa providing excellent services in an immaculate, stylish environment. There are earthy tones of brown, grey and orange using a range of materials including stained wood, marble and rock. Joseon-era furniture, candelabras towering over gilt mirrors and winding vines add an antique touch. The saunas include the much-loved pinewood one, and you can hop from saltwater pool to ginseng, mineral and rose baths. The restaurant and café have patios. Staff are helpful and are used to dealing with foreigners. From Exit 5 go straight and take the second turning on the left. You’ll see Spa Lei in the basement to y…
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Yoo’s Family
Housed in a hanok,Yoo’s Family offers practical demonstrations of Korean culture in a convenient location. Lessons include the traditional tea ceremony, print-making from carved wooden blocks, Korean cooking and dressing up in hanbok (traditional clothing). A minimum of two persons is required. Tea was a luxury drink in the past and involved a complicated ritual – it is polite to use both hands. Young green-tea leaves, picked in April, are the best (and most expensive). There are lots of photo opportunities and the teaching style is informal and relaxed.
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Chunjiyun Spa
Popular with locals and Japanese tourists, this spa is compact and cosy, offering the essentials – a pinewood, jade and clay sauna as well as green tea, ginseng and mugwort hot baths. An extra W82,000 covers a body scrub, oil massage and cucumber facial. With salmon-pink walls and posters of Korean celebs, it can feel as if you’ve stumbled into a teenage girl’s bedroom, but staff are helpful and speak a little English. From the subway exit, take the second alley on the left. It’s in the basement of the building with ‘Sunshine’ written on it in red letters.
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Meditation Arui Seon
Meditation Arui Seon, based in a hanok (traditional house), offers beginner and advanced meditation, breathing, stretching and other exercises designed to de-stress, relax and improve your mind and body. Students say their lives have been greatly improved. The aim is to unlock ‘gi’ or energy paths. Courses in English cost W20,000 for two hours and include tea. Highly recommended if you want to delve into ideas about health, and improving mind and body awareness and focus.
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United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations, the US military’s entertainment wing, organises tours for American troops, and civilians from most countries are welcome to come along. Twice a week the USO runs the best tours to the DMZ, Panmunjeom and the Third Tunnel. Other all-day tours include the historical and unspoilt island of Ganghwado (US$28) and white-water rafting excursions (US$49) out in the wilds of Gangwon-do. In winter, skiing trips are organised.
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Jamsil Baseball Stadium
Watch South Korea’s best players slug it out at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. There are three Seoul teams in the eight-team Korean League and two of them – the Doosan Bears and the LG Twins – play at Jamsil, so games are held there nearly every evening during the March to October season, except for the summer break. Matches are well-attended and have a good family atmosphere. They usually start at 6.30pm.
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Buddhist Institute English Library
Besides the extensive library, the institute organises dharma talks, group and meditation study and lectures on Buddhist beliefs and practice. The teachers are Korean and Tibetan Buddhist monks who speak English. They offer a wonderful opportunity to study Buddhism seriously in an Asian context at beginner or advanced level. Teenagers have their own classes.
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Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch
The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch organises brilliant tours to all parts of South Korea, usually at weekends. Its website has the busy schedule. Non-members are welcome to join, and all tours are led by English speakers who are experts in their field. The tours are reasonably priced, usually W30,000 to W50,000. The society also organises lectures twice a month.
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Han River Ferries
Take a trip from Yeouido pier to any of the Han River ferry piers or take a one-hour round trip back to Yeouido. The four other piers are at Yanghwa, Nanji, Ttukseom and Jamsil. A concert boat (adult/child W16,000/8000; from 7.30pm Tue-Sun) leaves from Yeouido pier and includes a BBQ buffet and live music.
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Seoul Culinary College
Korean cooking courses in English start at 10am and 2pm on weekdays at Seoul Culinary College. Book one week ahead, no minimum number. The one-hour kimchi course costs W60,000, while the two-hour courses cost W80,000 to W100,000. The price includes a lavishly illustrated Korean cookbook.
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Hoki Taekwondo
A 1½-hour introductory programme at the War Memorial & Museum gymnasium usually starts at 10:00. The best thing about the programme is that you have the opportunity to break a 2cm-thick wooden board. Longer courses are also possible. Contact Hoki first before turning up at the gymnasium.
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YBM Sisa
Korean classes (maximum size 10) for all ability levels cover grammar, writing and conversation. Ten-day courses (W115,000) are held in the evening, 20-day courses are held during the day. Lessons last just under two hours, and courses start at the beginning of each month.
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Hidinck Pool
Named after a Korean hero, the coach of Korea’s 2002 World Cup soccer team, this is an expensive but very pleasant pool parlour, up on the 4th floor. It’s mainly dangujang (four ball) but there is pocketball (pool), too.
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Panmunjeom Travel Centre
In this tour to the DMZ, you'll have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to question a defector from North Korea with help from an interpreter. The tour costs around ₩580, but doesn't include a cross into the DMZ at Panmunjeom.
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Hyundai Asan
Hyundai Asan runs tours to Kaesong and to Geumgangsan in North Korea. The North Korean government is famously unpredictable, so these tours may be altered or not running at all.
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Ice-Skating Rink
The indoor ice-skating rink at Lotte World is in a fairyland setting, but watch out for tiny speedsters training to become future Winter Olympic champions.
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New Seoul Mud
Beauty treatments (from W60,000) include foot massages, ginseng baths, special soft mud packs and skin scrapes as well as body oil, milk, mugwort and steam treatments.
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Seoul History and Culture Small-Group Tour
3 hours (Departs Seoul, South Korea)
by Viator
Uncover the fascinating history and culture of Seoul on this half-day walking tour of the city. See charming Korean houses in a historic village, learn about Ko…Not LP reviewed
from USD$49.00 -
Soul of Seoul Small-Group Walking Tour
3 hours (Departs Seoul, South Korea)
by Viator
Discover the history, culture and food of Seoul on a walking tour of this bustling metropolis. Journey back to the past and visit Buddhist temples, historic lan…Not LP reviewed
from USD$44.00 Advertisement
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Shooting Range
Why not don a flak jacket and steel helmet and fire off some rounds in the shooting range at Lotte World?
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Olympic Coliseum Golf
At Olympic Coliseum Golf customers can hit golf balls, use the gym and relax in the spa, all for W30,000 (70 minutes).
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Yonsei University
The university runs highly recommended part- and full-time Korean language and culture classes for serious students.
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Baseball Hitting Practice (Daehangno)
Whack baseballs pitched to you by machine at Baseball Hitting Practice in Daehangno.
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Baseball Hitting Practice
Whack baseballs pitched to you by machine at Baseball Hitting Practice in Insadong.
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