About

About ULTIMATE Seoul City Guide

ULTIMATE Seoul City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Seoul, South Korea. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, cars & drivers and getting around. Today the guide holds 187 places, with 18 area and themed guides, 9 in-depth articles and 6 day plans, and we keep adding to it.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Royal Palaces and Tombs (Korea Heritage Service), the Korea National Park Service, Korail, UNESCO, GOV.UK travel advice or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN stars are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Seoul. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules and timetables change often. The palaces close one day a week, not all on the same day, and Bukchon’s busiest lane has visiting hours. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in Korean won (KRW).

For venues

Run a venue in Seoul and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

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