24 Hours in Gangnam: Hotels, Restaurants and Places to visit in the trendiest part of Seoul
A complete one-day itinerary to see the most popular attractions and experience a little bit of Korean culture in Gangnam
Getting In from Incheon International Airport
That's the easy part. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia (especially for ladies), Seoul is well-connected from all over the world via hundreds of different carriers. Red-eye flights are very common and well-liked by travelers who want to maximize their trips.
6:30am - Quick bite after the flight at Crème de Marrons
The T1 arrival hall of Incheon International Airport used to be pretty boring until recently when a couple of shops made it slightly more interesting. One of those shops is Crème de Marrons near Exit E, a French croissant specialty store offering artisanal croissants in all these exciting flavors (chocolate, almond, marron, matcha etc.)
If you're looking for a good morning snack, treat yourself to a nice marron croissant here.
The T1 arrival hall of Incheon International Airport used to be pretty boring until recently when a couple of shops made it slightly more interesting. One of those shops is Crème de Marrons near Exit E, a French croissant specialty store offering artisanal croissants in all these exciting flavors (chocolate, almond, marron, matcha etc.)
If you're looking for a good morning snack, treat yourself to a nice marron croissant here.
6:45am - Transportation from Incheon International Airport to Gangnam
The easiest way to get to the city centre from Incheon Airport is to take advantage of the airport limousine service. It's cheap (around 15,000 won) and it gets you to almost anywhere in Seoul. Almost.
As one of the prime tourist locations in Seoul, Gangnam surprisingly doesn't get a lot of attention from the limo service providers. Just a handful of limo buses go to Sinsa including 6009. Their earliest pickup time is 6am but even by taking the earliest flight from Hong Kong, it's almost impossible to get on the earliest bus (6am). The thing I always tell myself to do is to storm through the immigration and try to make the 6:45am bus; otherwise, it's going to be another 15-20 minutes or so (longer for some destinations) before the next bus arrives. On a typical day, it takes around 60-80 minutes to get to the city centre depending on traffics on the day.
As one of the prime tourist locations in Seoul, Gangnam surprisingly doesn't get a lot of attention from the limo service providers. Just a handful of limo buses go to Sinsa including 6009. Their earliest pickup time is 6am but even by taking the earliest flight from Hong Kong, it's almost impossible to get on the earliest bus (6am). The thing I always tell myself to do is to storm through the immigration and try to make the 6:45am bus; otherwise, it's going to be another 15-20 minutes or so (longer for some destinations) before the next bus arrives. On a typical day, it takes around 60-80 minutes to get to the city centre depending on traffics on the day.
8:00am - Hotel accommodation at Four Points by Sheraton Gangnam
If you think a trendy area like Gangnam would have a wide selection of hotel accommodations, think again! Most of the good hotels in Gangnam are situated in Cheongdam (Park Hyatt) and Eonju Station (Hotel Cappuccino, Le Meriden and Glad Live Gangnam) making things a little complicated if you're looking for a place to stay near Garosu-gil, home of Gangnam's trendiest boutiques, galleries, restaurants and cafes.
Four Points by Sheraton Gangnam has been getting the job done for me recently. Conveniently located just 10 minutes from Garosu-gil, it's making my cafe-hopping and window shopping so much easier. The fact that it's well connected to three separate subway lines also make life much simpler to get around town.
If you think a trendy area like Gangnam would have a wide selection of hotel accommodations, think again! Most of the good hotels in Gangnam are situated in Cheongdam (Park Hyatt) and Eonju Station (Hotel Cappuccino, Le Meriden and Glad Live Gangnam) making things a little complicated if you're looking for a place to stay near Garosu-gil, home of Gangnam's trendiest boutiques, galleries, restaurants and cafes.
Four Points by Sheraton Gangnam has been getting the job done for me recently. Conveniently located just 10 minutes from Garosu-gil, it's making my cafe-hopping and window shopping so much easier. The fact that it's well connected to three separate subway lines also make life much simpler to get around town.
9:00am - Breakfast and coffee fix at 연립빵공장 (聯立)
After a quick freshen-up at Four Points by Sheraton, it's time to get our daily caffeine fix. This is especially important considering we just got off a midnight flight. Thanks to the great location of our hotel, there are more than a dozen choices out there that will satisfy our need.
For a nice cup of Americano and some hearty, homemade bread, 연립빵공장 (聯立) is always my pick to start off a Seoul trip. They have their own bakery kitchen right underneath their cafe in the basement so there's always a healthy supply of freshly baked bread here. Check out their brioche with red beans, easily the best in Sinsa. Just one problem though, there's no signage outside the coffee cum bakery shop. Simply look for a red brick warehouse on Garosu-gil across the street from the always popular La Eskimo.
연립빵공장 (聯立) is open daily from 8am. In case you finish your freshen-up early.
10:30am - Indulge yourself in a relaxing spa at Sulwhasoo
While most people like to save the best for last, I tend to get my indulgence out of the way fast. For a stress-relieving spa treatment in Seoul, look no further than Sulwhasoo's spa flagship store next to Dosan Park. One of their many signature treatments will get your body and mind rejuvenated for the rest of the stay in Seoul (Men are welcome!).
Sulwhasoo's spa flagship opens at 10am daily.
12:00pm - Michelin-starred neo-Korean cuisine at Mingles
After the indulgence for body and soul, it's time to indulge yourself to a palatable meal. The rise of neo-Korean cuisine has put Seoul on the global culinary map in recent years and no restaurant was placed under the spotlight more than Mingles (and Jungsik).
Located in the heart of bustling Cheongdam-dong, Mingles live up to its name by meshing Korean cuisine with European influences (or the other way around). Owner-chef Mingoo Kang is finally getting the credit he deserves which in return, is making his two Michelin-starred restaurant one of the most difficult places to book in the city.
Mingles opens from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.
2:30pm - Some light exercise at one of the outdoor exercise areas
How about some light exercise following a satisfying meal at Mingles? There are a number of small outdoor exercise areas in Seoul with light fitness equipment. I stumbled upon this one near Hotel Cappuccino where I managed to do some light lifting and stretching. Hopefully, it's helping my digestion after such a heavy meal.
3:00pm - Visit Seonjeongneung Royal Tomb
There's always time reserved in my travel for UNESCO world heritage sites. Nestled away from the metropolitan of Seoul, the royal tomb of Seonjeongneung is home to the burial mounds of King Seongjong (1469-1494), his Queen Jeonghyeon and King Jungjong (1506-1544) of the Joseon Dynasty. It's not as spectacular as the tombs from Ancient Egypt but nevertheless, it's a nice way for visitors to open to a deeper understanding of the Korean history and culture. Most importantly, it was just a few steps from Seolleung Station.
4:00pm - Visit Bongeunsa Temple
Although not an UNESCO world heritage site, Bongeunsa Temple probably draws more attention from tourists than any other attractions in Gangnam. Founded in 794, the beautiful Buddhist temple is situated just north of the COEX Mall and a short walk from Park Hyatt Hotel.
Bongeunsa Temple offers a unique way for visitors to experience and learn about Buddhist traditions and cultures. Their "Temple Stay Program" provide visitors an opportunity to live the life of a monk for a few hours. I didn't get the chance to experience it myself but I thought it was something worth looking into for my future trips to Seoul.
6:00pm - Shopping at Garosu-gil
A trip to Gangnam is not complete without doing some damage to your wallet at Garosu-gil, the "tree-lined street" in Sinsa-dong. With its wealth of stylish boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants, there's always going to be something that will brighten up your day (and make your wallet bleed at the same time).
8:00pm - Korean barbecue at Two Plus Sinsa, the ultimate place for Hanwoo beef
I tried to do at least one Korean barbecue on all my trips to Seoul. Billed as a contemporary Korean BBQ house, Two Plus specializes in Korean Hanwoo 1++ beef, hence the name Two Plus. Often compared to the prized Kobe beef, Korean Hanwoo beef has 5 different grades (1++, 1+, 1, 2, 3) with 1++ being top of the class.
Conveniently situated at the northern end of Garosu-gil, Two Plus Sinsa offers an authentic Korean barbecue experience which is perfectly complemented by their top-notch 1++ Hanwoo beef. The bill won't be easy on the wallet but it's definitely going to make your palate dance (with joy).
Two Plus Garosugil opens from 11:30am to 10:00pm on weekdays, 11:30am to 9:00pm on weekend.
Note: Google Map could only provide location but standard mapping services such as navigation (ie. direction, route etc.) won't work in Seoul due to Korean government regulations. For a better travel experience, I recommend installing Naver Map (there's an English version) before your trip and be sure you get familiar with its user interface (it's not that user friendly).
After a quick freshen-up at Four Points by Sheraton, it's time to get our daily caffeine fix. This is especially important considering we just got off a midnight flight. Thanks to the great location of our hotel, there are more than a dozen choices out there that will satisfy our need.
For a nice cup of Americano and some hearty, homemade bread, 연립빵공장 (聯立) is always my pick to start off a Seoul trip. They have their own bakery kitchen right underneath their cafe in the basement so there's always a healthy supply of freshly baked bread here. Check out their brioche with red beans, easily the best in Sinsa. Just one problem though, there's no signage outside the coffee cum bakery shop. Simply look for a red brick warehouse on Garosu-gil across the street from the always popular La Eskimo.
연립빵공장 (聯立) is open daily from 8am. In case you finish your freshen-up early.
10:30am - Indulge yourself in a relaxing spa at Sulwhasoo
While most people like to save the best for last, I tend to get my indulgence out of the way fast. For a stress-relieving spa treatment in Seoul, look no further than Sulwhasoo's spa flagship store next to Dosan Park. One of their many signature treatments will get your body and mind rejuvenated for the rest of the stay in Seoul (Men are welcome!).
Sulwhasoo's spa flagship opens at 10am daily.
12:00pm - Michelin-starred neo-Korean cuisine at Mingles
After the indulgence for body and soul, it's time to indulge yourself to a palatable meal. The rise of neo-Korean cuisine has put Seoul on the global culinary map in recent years and no restaurant was placed under the spotlight more than Mingles (and Jungsik).
Located in the heart of bustling Cheongdam-dong, Mingles live up to its name by meshing Korean cuisine with European influences (or the other way around). Owner-chef Mingoo Kang is finally getting the credit he deserves which in return, is making his two Michelin-starred restaurant one of the most difficult places to book in the city.
Mingles opens from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.
2:30pm - Some light exercise at one of the outdoor exercise areas
How about some light exercise following a satisfying meal at Mingles? There are a number of small outdoor exercise areas in Seoul with light fitness equipment. I stumbled upon this one near Hotel Cappuccino where I managed to do some light lifting and stretching. Hopefully, it's helping my digestion after such a heavy meal.
3:00pm - Visit Seonjeongneung Royal Tomb
There's always time reserved in my travel for UNESCO world heritage sites. Nestled away from the metropolitan of Seoul, the royal tomb of Seonjeongneung is home to the burial mounds of King Seongjong (1469-1494), his Queen Jeonghyeon and King Jungjong (1506-1544) of the Joseon Dynasty. It's not as spectacular as the tombs from Ancient Egypt but nevertheless, it's a nice way for visitors to open to a deeper understanding of the Korean history and culture. Most importantly, it was just a few steps from Seolleung Station.
4:00pm - Visit Bongeunsa Temple
Although not an UNESCO world heritage site, Bongeunsa Temple probably draws more attention from tourists than any other attractions in Gangnam. Founded in 794, the beautiful Buddhist temple is situated just north of the COEX Mall and a short walk from Park Hyatt Hotel.
Bongeunsa Temple offers a unique way for visitors to experience and learn about Buddhist traditions and cultures. Their "Temple Stay Program" provide visitors an opportunity to live the life of a monk for a few hours. I didn't get the chance to experience it myself but I thought it was something worth looking into for my future trips to Seoul.
6:00pm - Shopping at Garosu-gil
A trip to Gangnam is not complete without doing some damage to your wallet at Garosu-gil, the "tree-lined street" in Sinsa-dong. With its wealth of stylish boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants, there's always going to be something that will brighten up your day (and make your wallet bleed at the same time).
8:00pm - Korean barbecue at Two Plus Sinsa, the ultimate place for Hanwoo beef
I tried to do at least one Korean barbecue on all my trips to Seoul. Billed as a contemporary Korean BBQ house, Two Plus specializes in Korean Hanwoo 1++ beef, hence the name Two Plus. Often compared to the prized Kobe beef, Korean Hanwoo beef has 5 different grades (1++, 1+, 1, 2, 3) with 1++ being top of the class.
Conveniently situated at the northern end of Garosu-gil, Two Plus Sinsa offers an authentic Korean barbecue experience which is perfectly complemented by their top-notch 1++ Hanwoo beef. The bill won't be easy on the wallet but it's definitely going to make your palate dance (with joy).
Two Plus Garosugil opens from 11:30am to 10:00pm on weekdays, 11:30am to 9:00pm on weekend.
Note: Google Map could only provide location but standard mapping services such as navigation (ie. direction, route etc.) won't work in Seoul due to Korean government regulations. For a better travel experience, I recommend installing Naver Map (there's an English version) before your trip and be sure you get familiar with its user interface (it's not that user friendly).
