Back in Seoul…
This entry doesn’t have much to do with cycling—but it felt worth sharing.
My first visit to Seoul was back in 2013, when I participated in a leadership development program. I only spent a few days in the city, and the experience was tightly scheduled. There was little time to wander, explore, or truly get a feel for the scale and rhythm of the place.
This trip was different.
My daughter Ari was well into her study-abroad year and had just completed eight weeks of coursework in Asian Cinema, Philosophy, and Korean at Yonsei University. With a short break between semesters, I flew out to spend time with her and see Seoul through her eyes. It was an opportunity to reconnect, explore at a slower pace, and let her guide me through a city she had come to call home.
Other than checking off a few must-see landmarks, we kept our plans intentionally loose. My main goal was simple: spend time together and experience the city the way she had grown to love it.
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Gyeongbokgung
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Changdeokgung
ABOVE: Other than checking off some of the “must see“ Seoul sites, including two of Seoul’s five Royal Palaces (Changdeokgung & Gyeongbokgung), we really had no planned itinerary.
BELOW: One of the things Ari loves most about Seoul is it is easy to use bus and subway system. We used both daily to “experience” as much of Seoul as we could.
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Riding the Subway
Our plan was to ride the bus and subway and “experience” as much of Seoul as we could.
Ikseon-Dong
We lucked out with our location.
We knew we were staying centrally, close to major attractions and two of Seoul’s most distinctive palaces—but we had no idea what was just outside our door. None of the guidebooks I brought with me mentioned Ikseon-dong as a destination.
On my first morning, I headed out early to find coffee and get my bearings. Less than a block away, I discovered a network of narrow streets and alleys lined with cafés, restaurants, boutiques, and beautifully preserved hanoks (traditional Korean homes). In the quiet of the early morning, Ikseon-dong revealed itself slowly—and I knew immediately we’d be spending a lot of time nearby.
Over the next two weeks, most of our days began or ended wandering these streets.
ABOVE: Walking and exploring the narrow streets and alleys of Ikseon-Dong feels like you’re in a completely different part of Seoul.
BELOW: Seoulites love their coffee. Ikseon-Dong has a myriad of small coffee shops where you can enjoy a simple Americano, or a full fledged mocha along with tasty pastries.
Bukchon Hanok Village
Bukchon Hanok Village was one of the places we knew we wanted to visit. While we spent less time there than originally planned—Ikseon-dong had a way of reshaping priorities—Bukchon remains a must-see.
Perched on a hillside, Bukchon offers sweeping views that highlight Seoul’s unique contrast between historic architecture and dense modern development. Like Ikseon-dong, it’s filled with cafés, small shops, tea rooms, and restored hanoks, but the elevation and layout give it a distinct character.
Seoul is a mix of old and new and Bukchon is the perfect place to see it...
Seoul is a mix of old and new and Bukchon is the perfect place to see it...
Walking the steep streets of Bukchon is not easy, especially on a 90° + day
Namsam
Namsan was one site I remembered well from my 2013 visit and wanted to revisit. Our original plan was to hike up, but the summer heat made that unrealistic. Instead, we took the elevator and cable car and spent the afternoon exploring the area around N Seoul Tower.
Despite the lack of planning, our timing worked out perfectly. We managed to secure a table on the west side of the observation deck and watched the city transition from day to night—a quiet, memorable moment above the sprawl of Seoul.
ABOVE: The view from the N Seoul Tower as the sun sets and the city transitions from day to night.
Dongdaemun
Dongdaemun wasn’t originally on our itinerary. A casual search for pants while sipping coffee led us there on a whim—and it turned out to be a great detour.
We wandered through the market, grabbed lunch amid the bustle, walked along part of Cheonggyecheon Stream, ducked into a modern, air-conditioned mall, and visited the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. What started as a practical errand turned into one of our more varied and enjoyable outings.
Lunch in Dongdaemun
Exploring the Market
Micro bookstores along the top of the Cheonggyecheon
The DPP is a unique architectural marvel
ABOVE: The Cheonggyecheon river is a six-mile stream that flows west to east through downtown Seoul.
Beyond
Over the course of two weeks, we also visited neighborhoods and landmarks including Itaewon, Insadong, Gyeongui Line Forest Park, the National Museum of Korea, Lotte World Tower, the War Memorial of Korea, and parts of Songdo in nearby Incheon.
We did a lot—but it still felt like we only scratched the surface.
Taking a break in Myeongga
Paths in Gyeongui Line Forest Park
Lotte World Tower
Exploring Insadong
The War Memorial of Korea
Songdo Central Park
A few Notes
Seoul is a city best experienced through its public transportation system. Buses and subways are efficient, affordable, and easy to navigate once you get the hang of them. A transportation card is essential, and pairing it with a local SIM card makes getting around much easier.
Summer in Seoul is hot and humid. We adjusted our pace accordingly and missed a few outdoor destinations we would have liked to visit, including Bukhansan National Park and Buamdong. If you can avoid visiting during peak summer, you probably should.
There’s no tipping culture, the food scene extends far beyond Korean BBQ (though it is excellent), and good coffee is everywhere—just not always early in the morning.
Most importantly, any initial anxiety I had about language barriers disappeared quickly. I couldn’t pass up the chance to spend time with my daughter in a place she had grown confident navigating and deeply connected to. Watching her move through the city—communicating, translating, and leading—was something I’ll never forget.
Seoul now holds a special place in my heart, not just for the city itself, but for the memories Ari and I made together during those fourteen days.
Ari approves. Great pizza at Bogel House in Ikseon Dong.
Gimbap and pork rinds at Dongdaemun Market
Steamed rolls at Mil Toast in Ikseon-Dong
Peruvian food? Yes we're everywhere. Ceviche 210 in Pyeongtaek
Udon Noodle Soup & pork cutlets in Ikseon Dong
Korean BBQ in Ikseon Dong Hanok Village
This journal entry is a compiled summary of notes and impressions originally recorded in my Moleskine travel journal. Whenever I travel, I bring it along to jot things down so I don’t forget small details. I also carry a small Bluetooth photo printer to print select images (not the ones shown here) and paste them directly into the journal using adhesive-backed photo paper.
It’s a simple, tactile process that complements the slower pace of film photography and helps preserve memories beyond the screen.
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