The One Where the Cummings Family Takes on Seoul 🇰🇷

Our first family trip to Seoul: what we loved, what we learned, and everything we’d recommend to anyone planning a visit.

We just got back from our first family trip to Seoul, and I can officially say it was one of our favorite adventures since moving to South Korea.

Now, before anyone mistakes me for a Seoul travel expert, let me be clear. I am not. I’m just a mom trying to navigate a foreign country with two boys, a husband who thankfully knows how to read a subway map, and a growing appreciation for Korean shopping.

We packed a LOT into this trip. We rode trains, navigated subways, ate some of the best food we’ve had in Korea, visited palaces, made chopsticks, rode roller coasters, shopped until we dropped, and visited enough animal cafés to make you question whether we were on vacation or opening a petting zoo.

And did I mention the walking?

Because apparently Seoul is one giant walking challenge disguised as a vacation.

After spending the last two months climbing the hills of Geoje, I thought I was prepared. Seoul had other plans.

But we absolutely loved it. So here’s everything we enjoyed, what we’d recommend, and a few things we learned along the way.

🚄 Getting to Seoul: Our First KTX Adventure

We booked our train tickets through Rail Ninja and traveled on the KTX, Korea’s high-speed train.

South Korea has several types of trains, including KTX and ITX. KTX is the high-speed option, while ITX trains generally operate at lower speeds.

For our trip, we traveled from Busan to Seoul on KTX, and it was such an easy experience.

The boys got to experience their first train ride, and Lee and I got to enjoy the trip without worrying about driving or parking in Seoul.

Helpful links:

📍 Busan Station

📍 Seoul Station

🎟️ Rail Ninja — Train Tickets

🎟️ KORAIL — Official Korean Rail Website

Our tip: Book your train tickets early, especially during major Korean holidays. We traveled during the Chuseok holiday period, when seemingly everyone in Korea was also traveling.

🏨 Where We Stayed: Hotel Skypark III Myeongdong

📍 139 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

Find Hotel Skypark Myeongdong III on Google Maps

We stayed at Hotel Skypark III in Myeongdong, and I would absolutely recommend the location.

The hotel was conveniently located near Myeongdong subway station, and the Myeongdong shopping district was practically right behind us.

For someone who loves to shop, this was a very important detail.

We could shop, bring our purchases back to the hotel, and head right back out without carrying everything around the city. A very efficient system, if you ask me.

The hotel staff were incredibly kind and helpful, and we really enjoyed our stay.

One thing worth mentioning if you’re traveling with kids: finding a hotel room that accommodated four people was surprisingly challenging. Many of the hotels we looked at didn’t offer rooms for four, and hotel rooms in Seoul are generally smaller than what we’re used to in the United States.

Our tip: If you’re traveling as a family, book early and double-check the room occupancy limits before reserving.

🏯 Gyeongbokgung Palace: A Must-See in Seoul

📍 161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Find Gyeongbokgung Palace on Google Maps

One of our favorite cultural experiences was visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace.

If you’re visiting Seoul for the first time, I highly recommend adding this to your itinerary.

We arrived in time to watch the Changing of the Royal Guard ceremony, which is typically held at 10 a.m. on scheduled operating days.

My biggest recommendation? Get there early.

As it gets closer to 10 a.m., the tour groups start arriving, and suddenly there are tour guide flags and sticks in the air everywhere. It becomes crowded very quickly, making it difficult to see.

After the ceremony, we did a self-guided tour of the palace and surrounding gardens.

The grounds are beautiful, and it was fascinating to experience such an important part of Korean history.

You’ll also find the National Folk Museum of Korea within the palace grounds, so it’s worth allowing extra time to explore.

After leaving the palace, we hopped on a bus and headed to Insadong for shopping, food, and one of our favorite activities of the entire trip.

🥢 Insadong: Shopping, Chopsticks & Our Favorite Korean BBQ

Insadong was one of our favorite areas to explore.

It’s filled with traditional shops, souvenirs, food, cafés, and unique experiences. It’s a great place to find something that feels distinctly Korean.

Making Traditional Korean Chopsticks

One of the coolest experiences we had in Insadong was making our own traditional Korean chopsticks.

We each got to choose our type of wood and what we wanted engraved on our chopsticks.

Naturally, Beckett and Sam both selected the wood that we were told is used in Rolls-Royce interiors.

Because of course they did.

What I didn’t realize was that we would actually be shaving the wood down to create our chopsticks ourselves. And let me tell you, you’re going to work some muscles you didn’t even know you had.

Who knew making chopsticks could double as an upper-body workout?

But it was such a fun, hands-on experience, and we all walked away with something we actually made ourselves. A pretty cool souvenir and a little arm workout. You’re welcome.

Our tip: If you’re visiting Seoul with kids, I highly recommend this experience. It’s a fun way to learn something new, experience a little Korean craftsmanship, and bring home a meaningful souvenir. Just be prepared to put those arm muscles to work!

🥩 Sumeun Gogitjip Korean BBQ

📍 Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Find Sumeun Gogitjip on Google Maps

And now for one of the highlights of the entire trip: Korean BBQ.

We have eaten our fair share of Korean BBQ since moving to Korea, so when I say this was our favorite so far, that is saying something.

Sumeun Gogitjip was absolutely delicious and easily one of our favorite meals of the trip.

If you’re exploring Insadong, add this restaurant to your list.

You can thank us later.

We also enjoyed wandering through the shops, checking out the cafés, and finding little things we couldn’t resist bringing home.

And yes, there were more photo booths. Because apparently no family outing in Korea is complete without one.

🎢 Jamsil: Lotte World Adventure & Lotte Department Store

Lotte World Adventure

📍 240 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul

Find Lotte World Adventure on Google Maps

One of our first big adventures in Seoul was visiting Lotte World Adventure in Jamsil.

If you’ve never heard of it, imagine a Korean amusement park with a huge indoor section and outdoor rides.

We purchased our admission tickets through Klook, which made booking ahead of time incredibly easy.

We also purchased Magic Passes at an additional cost.

And let me tell you, those were worth every penny.

Each of us got three Magic Passes, which are essentially like Disney’s Lightning Lane passes. They allow you to use an expedited queue for eligible rides.

With two boys who aren’t exactly known for their patience, this was money well spent.

Lotte World was a fun experience, especially for the boys, and definitely worth adding to your Seoul itinerary if you’re traveling with kids.

Our tip: Look into Magic Pass availability before your visit, especially if you’re going during a holiday or busy weekend.

Lotte Department Store & Shopping

📍 Jamsil, Songpa-gu, Seoul

Find Lotte Department Store Jamsil on Google Maps

After exploring Lotte World, we also spent time checking out the shopping around Jamsil, including Lotte Department Store and Lotte Mart.

The shopping complexes in Seoul are impressive. You could easily spend hours exploring everything.

And naturally, I was happy to do my part.

The boys were probably less enthusiastic about the shopping portion, but that’s the price of traveling with their mother.

🛍️ Myeongdong: A Shopper’s Paradise

If you love shopping, skincare, makeup, fashion, or just wandering through streets full of stores, Myeongdong is the place to be.

And did I mention it was right behind our hotel?

Dangerous. Very dangerous.

Some of my favorite stores included:

8 Seconds: Trendy Korean fashion.
SPAO: Casual clothing and fun collaborations.
Olive Young: My personal version of Disneyland. Korean skincare and makeup everywhere.
Daiso: So many fun, affordable finds that you didn’t know you needed.

I could have spent an entire day just shopping.

Actually, I probably could have spent several days.

I’ll be sharing a separate Seoul shopping haul post, because I have plenty of recommendations and purchases to share.

🛍️ A Shopping Bag Tip

Something worth knowing before shopping in Korea: plastic shopping bags aren’t automatically handed out like we’re used to in the United States.

Stores will often ask if you’d like a bag, and there’s usually a small fee.

I recommend bringing a few reusable shopping bags or purchasing some when you arrive.

The reusable bags we found were fantastic. They were large enough to hold multiple purchases, and the handles were long enough to carry comfortably over your shoulder.

Much more comfortable than juggling a dozen little shopping bags while walking around Seoul.

My favorite reusable bags came from Olive Young, Daiso, and Korea Mart.

Practical souvenirs. See? I can be responsible.

☕ Our Favorite Coffee & Breakfast Stops in Myeongdong

Because no Cummings family vacation is complete without coffee. And preferably a lot of it.

One of the things we loved about staying at Hotel Skypark III was having so many cafés within walking distance.

A Twosome Place — L7 Myeongdong

📍 137 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

Find A Twosome Place on Google Maps

A Twosome Place quickly became our breakfast spot. We ate there every single morning, and honestly, I could have happily continued that routine for the rest of the trip.

It was convenient, delicious, and an easy way to start our days before heading out to explore Seoul.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf — Myeongdong Street Branch

📍 65-4 Chungmuro 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

Find The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Google Maps

We also loved stopping at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for coffee and tea. It was located in the Myeongdong shopping district near the cat café, making it the perfect place to relax and recharge.

And the boys? They were all about the sparkling apple cider.

Apparently, they have developed their own very specific café preferences since moving to Korea.

Our tip: Having coffee shops and breakfast options close to your hotel makes traveling with kids so much easier.

Because sometimes the difference between a great family vacation and a meltdown is a coffee, a snack, and somewhere to sit for 20 minutes.

🎨 Color Analysis at Colorize Myeongdong

Find Colorize in Myeongdong

Let’s talk color analysis.

I have wanted to do this for YEARS, and Seoul was the perfect place to finally make it happen.

I booked a one-on-one appointment at Colorize through Klook, and it happened to be right by our hotel.

My analyst spoke Korean, but an interpreter was provided, and the entire experience was incredibly easy.

I arrived 15 minutes early, and we were actually able to start the appointment ahead of schedule.

Before the appointment, I completed a questionnaire about the colors I like to wear and the ones I tend to avoid.

I left with a folder containing my personalized color palette, makeup recommendations I could take directly to Olive Young, and suggestions for hair color, jewelry, and even perfume.

I loved this experience so much that I’m going to dedicate an entire separate blog post to it, including how to book, what to expect, and everything I learned.

Apparently, I’ve spent almost 40 years wearing some colors I shouldn’t have been wearing.

Better late than never.

🐱 Roof Cat Me Meow

📍 27 Myeongdong 8ga-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 2nd Floor

Find Roof Cat Me Meow on Google Maps

If you know Sam, you know he loves animals.

But apparently, after visiting Seoul, he’s officially Team Cat.

We visited Roof Cat Me Meow in Myeongdong, and Sam declared that he liked it more than Disney World.

Yes. Disney World.

His favorite cat was the one featured on a wanted poster for being greedy and stealing everyone else’s food.

Honestly, I respect the cat’s commitment to snacks.

We even got to see feeding time, which was a highlight for Sam.

And because one visit apparently wasn’t enough, we went back a second time.

Four hours of our day spent at a cat café.

No regrets.

I’m still Team Dog, but Sam is definitely Team Cat.

🎭 Hongdae: Trick Eye Museum & Puppy Love

Trick Eye Museum

📍 Hongdae, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Find Trick Eye Museum on Google Maps

Another fun family activity was visiting the Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae.

It’s an interactive museum featuring optical illusions and artwork designed to make you part of the picture.

The boys had a great time posing for photos, and it’s a fun indoor activity if you’re traveling with kids.

Definitely have your camera ready.

🐶 Hong Daeng Dog Cafe

📍 4–5F, 363-21 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Find Hong Daeng Dog Cafe on Google Maps

Because apparently our trip to Seoul also needed to include as many animals as possible.

We visited Hong Daeng Dog Cafe, which is basically a room full of adorable little fluffy dogs waiting to be loved on.

Admission was ₩15,000 per person and included one drink.

Honestly, money well spent.

After losing our sweet Lucy, getting a little puppy love was exactly what I needed.

And thankfully, there were no dachshund puppies, because I’m fairly certain one would have ended up tucked inside my purse.

The café also advertises a fifth-floor rooftop terrace and plenty of photo opportunities.

If you’re a dog lover visiting Hongdae, this is such a fun stop.

🚇 Navigating Seoul: Naver Maps Is Your Best Friend

One of the things that surprised us most about Seoul was how easy it was to navigate the subway system.

And I say that as someone who was slightly intimidated by the idea of navigating a massive city using public transportation with two kids.

Naver Maps was a lifesaver.

It tells you approximately when the next subway train will arrive, which line to take, and helps you navigate through subway stations when transferring lines.

And trust me, some of those underground tunnels can get confusing.

I was genuinely shocked at how easy Naver made everything.

One important tip: trains run in both directions on subway lines, so pay attention to the direction you’re traveling.

Just because you’re on the correct line doesn’t mean you’re going the correct way.

We found that Google Maps was sometimes easier when searching for nearby restaurants, shops, or attractions while walking.

Google was often easier for finding what we wanted, but Naver was generally better at telling us how to get there.

Our recommendation: Download both before your trip.

📱 Booking Activities: Klook

Another website I highly recommend checking out before visiting Seoul is Klook.

We used Klook to book our Lotte World Adventure tickets and my color analysis appointment at Colorize.

Both were incredibly easy to book online, and it was nice having our activities arranged before arriving.

If you’re planning a trip, check Klook for attraction tickets, experiences, and other activities.

👟 Did I Mention the Walking?

Because I feel like this deserves its own section.

You. Will. Walk.

A lot.

Between subway stations, transferring lines, sightseeing, shopping, and trying to find the correct exit from an underground station, we walked more than I ever imagined.

And that’s coming from someone who has spent the last two months walking up and down the hills of Geoje.

Some subway stations are practically underground cities. You might think you’re almost at your destination, only to discover you have another series of tunnels, escalators, and stairs ahead of you.

The boys were thrilled, obviously.

My advice? Wear comfortable shoes.

Not the cute shoes you think will be fine.

The actual comfortable shoes.

And if you’re traveling with kids, plan for breaks. We found plenty of opportunities to stop for coffee, snacks, and the occasional treat, which helped keep everyone moving.

Pistachio lattes and Korean street food are excellent motivation, in case you were wondering.

🇰🇷 A Few More Things We Learned

1. Seoul really doesn’t sleep.

We were amazed at how much was happening late into the evening. Shopping, food, people everywhere. The city has an incredible energy.

2. Photo booths are everywhere.

And they’re so much fun. We have officially embraced the Korean photo booth experience, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

3. Public trash cans can be hard to find.

Be prepared to carry your trash longer than you’re used to.

4. Subway stations are huge.

Pay attention to the exit numbers on Naver Maps. Choosing the correct exit can save you a surprising amount of walking.

5. There is so much food to try.

We enjoyed everything from Korean BBQ to street food, kebabs, toasted marshmallows filled with ice cream, and more pistachio lattes than I’d care to admit.

6. Give yourself extra time.

Between walking, navigating subway stations, and the occasional unplanned shopping stop, everything takes a little longer than you might expect.

Especially when traveling with two boys and a mother who spots another Olive Young.

❤️ Final Thoughts: Seoul, We’ll Be Back

Our first family trip to Seoul was everything I hoped it would be and more.

We made so many memories, tried new things, learned how to navigate a city that once felt intimidating, and got to experience another part of this country we’re temporarily calling home.

There were tired feet, a lot of walking, a few moments of confusion, and probably more shopping than necessary.

But there was also so much laughter, incredible food, new experiences, and time together as a family.

Moving to the other side of the world has definitely come with its challenges, but trips like this remind me why we wanted to make the most of this opportunity.

The Cummings family motto is “It could always be worse.”

And honestly, getting a little lost in Seoul with my favorite three guys isn’t a bad way to spend a vacation.

New country. Same chaos.

And Seoul, we’ll definitely be back.

— Cummings & Goings 🇰🇷

Coming soon: My Seoul shopping haul and everything you need to know about getting a personal color analysis in Korea.

📍 Our Seoul Favorites: Locations & Links

Area

Attraction / Restaurant

Address & Map

Transportation

Busan Station (KTX)