Is Seoul Walkable?
Seoul, South Korea, is routinely voted one of the world’s most walkable cities - but how walkable is Seoul in reality?
In this article, we are going to discuss how easy it is to walk around Seoul.
We’ll outline where all the major tourist sites are located in Seoul, so you will know whether you’re comfortable to walk between them and even give suggestions of the best walking tours in Seoul.
Seoul is one of our favourite cities in the world, thanks largely to how easy everything is to access in the city. Thankfully, walking in Seoul is very straightforward and safe, making it a breeze to discover all the best things to do in Seoul.
So, let’s dive into: Is Seoul Walkable?
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As you can see - Seoul is a very walkable city
Is Seoul Walkable?
The Seoul Metropolitan area is roughly 600km² and is home to around 10 million people. This makes Seoul one of the biggest cities in the world, so at first glance, it wouldn’t appear easy to walk around.
With that said however, when visiting Seoul as a tourist, you are only interested in knowing whether all the major tourist sites are a walkable distance from each other in Seoul - thankfully, the answer is yes!
In general, Seoul is a very walkable city for tourists because most of the best areas and neighbourhoods to stay in Seoul happen to be within walking distance of the main attractions. The one noteable exception is Gangnam, which lies south of the Han River and is considered further out the way than the other recommended areas to stay.
For example, the walk from N Seoul Tower to the beautiful Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace is only around 3km, or 30 minutes at a brisk pace.
From the palaces, the must visit Bukchon Hanok Village is only 750m away, with the Dongdaemun Design Plaza a further 2km, or 20 minute walk, away.
Many of the best hostels in Seoul are also ideally located for being able to walk to the major attractions in the city.
Overall then, we think Seoul is very walkable because all the major tourist sites North of the Han River are closely bunched together, meaning you can easily walk from one to another in a single day.
The best things to see in Seoul are all walkable from the best areas to stay in Seoul - with the exception of Gangnam
Best Walking Tours in Seoul
Whenever we visit a new city for the first time we book ourselves straight onto a walking tour. We believe it’s the best way to explore a city, get to grips with the orientation of the place, and learn a few things about the history of the city before exploring it fully by ourselves.
As we’ve established, Seoul is walkable, and a walking tour is the best way to discover its main highlights.
Below, we have highlighted our 3 recommendations of the best walking tours in Seoul!
Traditional Market Walking Tour with Korean Cooking Class
Theres’s nothing we love more than a combined walking tour and cooking class, and this Traditional Market Walking Tour with Korean Cooking Class is as good as it gets!
You begin the tour at Gyeongdong market, which is one of the largest food markets in Korea. Here, with the help of your guide, you will find the freshest produce ready to cook later on.
You spend roughly an hour at the market, trying to find all the ingredients you need ready to prepare 3 amazing Korean dishes during the 2 hour cooking class.
There is something very wholesome about buying fresh produce from a local market and cooking it right away with the help of a trained chef.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a walking and culinary adventure in Seoul, we can’t recommend this tour enough!
Seoul Moonlight Walking Tour with Local Historian
This fascinating moonlit walking tour takes you around the Hanyang City Walls and delves deep into the heart of Seoul’s cultural and social heritage.
With magnificent city views throughout, the local historian tour guide will help you develop a deeper understanding of Seoul’s history while taking you to Ehwa Mural Village and the National University of Seoul.
If you prefer walking tours that take you to off-the-beaten-path places, then the Seoul Moonlight walking tour is definitely for you!
Seoul Historic Walking Tour
The Historic Walking Tour of Seoul is a great way to discover many of the historic highlights of Seoul like Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Jogyesa Temple - the centre of Korean Buddhism.
This walking tour is the best one for people who like to visit the main highlights of a city with the aid of a guide. The main spectacle to see on this walking tour is undoubtedly Gyeongbokgung Palace - the main palace during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea.
The tour finishes in Insadong, the cultural and artistic neighbourhood filled with great shops, restaurants and traditional tea houses.
The colourful architecture of the Palaces in Seoul
Is Seoul safe to walk around at Night?
Most of Seoul is safe to walk around at night. The city in general has a very low crime rate and the streets around the main tourist areas are very well lit.
We regularly walked around Seoul late into the evenings and didn’t feel particularly unsafe at all during our visit.
Of course, with that being said however, as with any city around the world please exhibit necessary precautions about walking around at night. Walking alone in unlit, quiet areas is not recommended for example.
But, in general, we believe Seoul to be very safe to walk around at night.
One of the best things to do in Myeongdong is to try all the Myeongdong Street Food at the night market - we felt completely safe walking around here in the evenings
Is Seoul easy to Navigate?
Seoul is a very easy city to navigate, whether you’re walking around Seoul or taking public transport.
Before visiting Seoul, and Korea in general, we were nervous about navigating around the city with a lack of English signage as, regrettably, we can’t read Korean.
It is fairly well-known that Google Maps doesn’t work throughout South Korea, but thankfully some of the best apps to use in Korea are Kakao Maps and Naver Maps. Both apps are navigational apps designed specifically for use throughout Korea.
While both are perhaps utilised for public transport, they are easy to use when you simply want to walk from place to place throughout Seoul.
In terms of which app to choose, it’s really just down to personal preference. We slightly favour Kakao Maps when walking around Seoul because the street view feature is regularly updated, meaning you can plan your journey and look for key landmarks along the route.
Seoul is a very navigable city that has great signage, street crossings and traffic lights, making it easy to get around the city by walking.
There we have it, folks, our conclusive answer to the question - Is Seoul Walkable? As we hope you’ve realised by now, Seoul is one of the most walkable cities in the world and exploring this fascinating place by foot is definitely the best way to get to grips with Seoul’s unique history and culture.
Seoul, South Korea, is routinely voted one of the world’s most walkable cities - but how walkable is Seoul in reality? In this article, we discuss how easy it is to walk around Seoul.