Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Billing itself a ‘sanctuary for the senses’, the Banyan Tree occupies a hilltop tower designed by feted local architect Kim Swoon Guen, and offers just four rooms per floor. Calmly decorated and coolly sophisticated, each has a giant relaxation pool and amazing views. Guests have access to the darkly luxurious club with its leisure facilities.
In summer there’s big outdoor pool surrounded by private cabanas; in winter it becomes a skating rink.
2.36 MILES
Like a phoenix, Seoul’s premier palace has risen several times from the ashes of destruction. Hordes of tourists have replaced the thousands of government…
2.09 MILES
The World Heritage–listed Changdeokgung is the most beautiful of Seoul's five main palaces. You must join a one-hour guided tour to look around. English…
0.84 MILES
Amid the celebrity-owned apartments on the leafy southern slope of Namsan is Korea's premier art gallery. Beautifully designed and laid-out, it balances…
18.83 MILES
The World Heritage–listed fortress wall that encloses the original town of Suwon is what brings most travellers to the city. Snaking up and down Paldal…
1.77 MILES
One of Seoul's five grand palaces built during the Joseon dynasty, Deoksugung (meaning Palace of Virtuous Longevity) is the only one you can visit in the…
2.15 MILES
This vast and imposing concrete slab of a museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey through Korea's past from prehistory all the way to the Korean…
9.88 MILES
Granite-peak-studded Bukhansan National Park's sweeping mountaintop vistas, maple leaves, rushing streams and remote temples draw over 5 million hikers…
1.59 MILES
This huge museum documents the history of the Korean War (1950–53) using multimedia exhibits and black-and-white documentary footage, along with artefacts…
0.45 MILES
Beloved by locals as a place for exercise, peaceful contemplation and hanging out with loved ones, Namsan was a sacred shamanistic spot when the Joseon…
0.52 MILES
Accessed from the Southern Namsan Circuit or via a pedestrian bridge over the road from near the Grand Hyatt is the Namsan Botanical Garden. The 59m2 are…
0.67 MILES
Near the summit of Namsan you can see the Bongsudae, a smoke-signal communications system used for 500 years to notify the central government of urgent…
0.7 MILES
The iconic N Seoul tower (236m), atop the city’s guardian mountain Namsan, offers panoramic views of this immense metropolis from its observation deck…
0.71 MILES
Located in a park at the foot of Namsan, this peaceful village is a wonderful spot to encounter traditional Korean culture. It features five differing…
0.83 MILES
Along the Namsan Northern Circuit, a pedestrian path that snakes for 3km from the lower cable-car station to the National Theater, you’ll find the…
7. Leeum Samsung Museum of Art
0.84 MILES
Amid the celebrity-owned apartments on the leafy southern slope of Namsan is Korea's premier art gallery. Beautifully designed and laid-out, it balances…
0.94 MILES
Up the hill on the way to the cable car you’ll find this museum and cinema devoted to cartoons and animation from Korea and beyond. It's part of a whole…