Seoul: Activities

• sauna

  Many saunas are open 24 hours a day, but they are segregated and some only have facilities for men. More luxurious male-only saunas are available downtown.

  Health and beauty tours in Seoul are popular with Japanese tourists, but these upmarket facilities are expensive. Less-expensive options with sauna, exercise room and indoor swimming pools can be found a little further out of downtown Seoul.

• golf

  Golf courses near Seoul are usually expensive and members-only, so it's probably best to stick to the driving ranges, which you can find all over Seoul as well as in some top-end hotels.

• swimming

  The best places for swimming are the sandy beaches of the unspoilt islands scattered off Incheon in the West Sea. In the hot humid months of July and August, outdoor swimming pools open in the parks along Hangang.

  Large indoor pools are available at Lotte World and Olympic Park and are usually open to the public in the afternoons. Most luxury hotels have 25m (82ft) indoor pools and some are available to non-guests.

• cycling

  Cycle paths line both banks of the Han River and bicycles can be rented in many of the parks along it. Hire a bike on Yeouido from a rental hut near the swimming pool in Hangang Park, or near the ferry boat terminal in Yeouido Park. Padlocks and bicycle helmets are not supplied and some form of ID is required.

• watersports

  Along the Han River in summer, swimming pools, paddle boats, windsurfing, jet-skiing and water-skiing can all be enjoyed.

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