Neighbourhood guide
Myeongdong, Euljiro and Namsan
The department stores and skincare shops of Myeongdong, the grand hotels of Euljiro and the green slopes of Namsan above.
Myeongdong is Seoul’s great shopping district, its lanes lit until late; at its edge are the department stores of Euljiro and the old hotels by City Hall, and above it rises Namsan, with The Shilla, the Banyan Tree and N Seoul Tower.
Sights
Deoksugung, N Seoul Tower, Namsan Park, the National Theater of Korea and Namdaemun Market.
Eating and drinking
La Yeon at The Shilla (Two MICHELIN Stars), Sosuheon (Two Stars), L’Amant Secret and Gigas (One Star); Woo Lae Oak and Pildong Myeonok for naengmyeon; the Moon Bar on Namsan.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsShop by day, then walk up Namsan for the lights.
Staying
The Shilla Seoul, Banyan Tree Club & Spa, Lotte Hotel Seoul, The Westin Josun, L’Escape and Le Méridien Myeongdong.
Our advice: the Shinsegae façade is at its best from late November.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating and drinking
- Staying
What’s nearby
Distances from Myeongdong, Euljiro and Namsan are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest metro stations
- MyeongdongLine 450 m1 min walk
- Euljiro 1(il)-gaLine 2650 m8 min walk
- ChungmuroLine 3700 m9 min walk
Key sights
- N Seoul Tower1.1 kmWalk 14 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 12 min
- The DDP2.2 kmWalk 27 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Gyeongbokgung2.3 kmWalk 28 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Changdeokgung2.4 kmWalk 30 minCycle 12 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Bukchon2.6 kmWalk 33 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 17 min
- COEX8.4 kmCycle 42 minCar or taxi 36 min
- Lotte World Tower12 kmCar or taxi 47 min
Main railway stations
- Seoul Station1.4 kmWalk 17 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 13 min
- Yongsan Station4.0 kmCycle 20 minCar or taxi 21 min
- Suseo Station (SRT)13 kmCar or taxi 51 min
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storySeoul at the table: Mingles, the stars and the noodle housesOne three-star, ten two-stars, thirty-one one-stars and fifty-one Bib Gourmands: Seoul’s table runs from Mingles in Cheongdam to buckwheat noodles in Jongno and gomtang by the river.
The back storyKorean CuisineKimchi and the banchan that come with every meal, bibimbap, cold naengmyeon, long-simmered gomtang, barbecue at the table and dumplings by the steamer: the dishes of Korea, and where to taste them in Seoul.
The back storyWhere Seoul sleeps: the palaces, Namsan, Gangnam and the riverThe Four Seasons by Gwanghwamun, the Shilla and Banyan Tree on the slopes of Namsan, Signiel high in Lotte World Tower, Josun Palace and the Park Hyatt in Gangnam, and the Mondrian’s rooftop in Itaewon: where to stay in a city of two halves.