Embark on an Adventure into the Greater Seoul Area

> Travel Themes> Seoulites' Picks

Seoulites' Picks

Embark on an Adventure into the Greater Seoul Area

Published Date : Jan 07, 2021 / Edited Date : Jun 14, 2023

If you're in London, Oxford is a must. If you're in New York, you can't leave out a stop by Philadelphia. So then, what about Seoul? Well, for those visiting Seoul, you simply can't forget the greater Seoul area of Gyeonggi-do Province! Enveloping the entire city of Seoul, Gyeonggi-do Province offers a number of sights and sounds from downtown commercial areas to the rural countryside. Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province may share similarities with each other geographically and culturally, but they are also unique in their own ways. For any travel fanatics out there raring to get going, here's a fantastic breakdown of cities in the nearby provincial area that are a hop, skip, jump away for a perfect day trip!

Cafe Tour by the Hangang River [Jamsil Station – Namyangju]

Korea consumes about 353 cups of coffee per capita throughout the year, nearly tripling that of the global average! This makes touring around the country for all the variety of cafes out there an absolute blast! Also, you may notice that cafes in each region are unique in their own right. For example, the café streets in commercial areas of Seoul may be small in scale, but there’s a certain allure to each one. Meanwhile, cafés in the Gyeonggi-do Province region are much larger in size with lesser crowds, making it ideal to drive over for a visit. In particular, those often frequenting the city of Namyangju for a café tour, a city just 20 minutes away from the Jamsil area, can see gorgeous views of the Hangang River. If you take one of the red buses that are constantly going in and out of the city, you’ll also be able to enjoy the grand landscape of the Hangang River alongside plenty of park scenery. For all those café lovers, you’ll definitely want to stop by the Songnidan-gil in Jamsil, as well, before setting out for Namyangju!

Tag #GreaterSeoulDrive #CountrysideDrive #NamyangjuTrip #NamyangjuTravels #CafesWithHangangRiverView #CafeTour

From Seoul to Namyangju:

Ride red bus nos. 1670 or 1700 outside of Jamsil Station, exit 7 → Get off at Seoksil-ipgu Station
Jamsil Hot Spots Songnidan-gil, Olympic Park, Lotte World, Seokchon Lake
Namyangju-si Hot Spots Mului Jeongwon (Water Garden), Dasan Ecological Park, Namyangju Studios

Ilsan Lake Park [Hongik University Station - Goyang-si]

Seoul has made an appearance in Parasite, Marvel’s Avengers 2, and many other flicks , but there’s one other place we must not forget for its popularity in K-Dramas. And that place is the city of Ilsan, located in Goyang-si. Many dramas were filmed in the area. Among them, dramas, such as Another Miss Oh and Tale of the Nine Tailed, perhaps stand out the most. One of Ilsan’s more notable landmarks, the Ilsan Lake Park , is also a popular film location for dramas and commercials with its location set adjacent to the production studio, MBC Dream Center. More often than not, many Seoul travelers will find a place to stay in the Hongdae area. Afterall, you can spend all day there and still not have enough time to experience all the food, shows, and other entertainment at your fingertips! But if for some reason you find yourself craving a retreat into nature, Ilsan is just an hour away from Hongdae! Head over and explore the popular lake park drama backdrop and become the star of your very own K-Drama!

Tag #IlsanLakePark #DramaFilmLocation #Jayuro #GreaterSeoulDrive #CountrysideDrive

From Seoul to Ilsan, Goyang-si

Ride red bus no. 200 outside of Hongik University Station, exit 1 → Get off at Gangseon Maeul
Hongdae Hot Spots Hongdae Street, Yeonnam-dong, Gyeongui Line Book Street, Sinchon
Ilsan Hot Spots Bamnidan-gil, Ilsan Furniture Complex, Kintex

Hwaseong-si [Seoul Station - Suwon]

Suwon is the most populated of Gyeonggi-do Province, regularly beating out Goyang-si and Yongin-si! And with such a significant population driving forth its development over the years, the city is home to a number of different companies, universities, and so much more! One of the modes of transportation bridging Suwon with Seoul is the Mugunghwa-ho train, which stands among other express trains departing from Korea’s capital, including the KTX and SRT. The Mugunghwa-ho train is just a 30-minute ride to Suwon, which as of late, is becoming quite the hot place with Haengnidan-gil, located in the vicinity of Hwaseong and the Haenggung Palace. The city is one not to be missed especially for its grand size and developed infrastructure that is unabashedly on par with Seoul!

Tag #Hwaseong #Suwon #Haengnidan-gil #SuwonWanggalbiChicken #Mugunghwaho #TravelingbyTrain

From Seoul to Suwon

Ride Mugunghwa-ho Train at Seoul Station → Get off at Suwon Station
Seoul Station Hot Spots Seoullo7017, Sungnyemun Gate (Namdaemun), Seosomun History Park
Suwon Hot Spots Gwanggyo Lake Park, Ingye-dong, Gyeonggi Provincial Office Cherry Blossoms Festival

Seoul Land [Gangnam Station - Gwacheon-si]

Gangnam has the largest floating population of anywhere in Seoul, while boasting of its high skyline created by the cluster of high-rise buildings. It also serves as a public transportation hub that makes traveling outside the city a cinch, especially if you use the state-of-the-art Seoul Metropolitan Subway! One of the places within grasp, thanks to the subway system, is Seoul Grand Park, located in the city of Gwacheon 30 minutes away. The name is actually quite ironic as it is technically located outside of Seoul! Despite the distance, it still remains very close to Seoul’s border, making it very accessible for numbers of tourists. The zoo of the park houses various animal species that live on a vast green area of land, encouraging families and their children, as well as blossoming new couples , to stop by and enjoy the scenery. Whether it’s the cherry blossoms in the spring, or the striking foliage in the fall, this is one park you don’t want to miss out on!

Tag #SeoulPlayground #SeoulHotSpots #DayTrip

From Seoul to Gwacheon-si

Ride subway at Gangnam Station, Subway Line 2 → Transfer at Sadang Station, Subway Line 4 → Get off at Seoul Grand Park Station
Gangnam Hot Spots Gangnam Station Youth Street, Garosu-gil (tree-lined street), Coex Aquarium, Bongeunsa Temple
Gwacheon Hot Spots Seoul Grand Park Lake Trail, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Munwon Children's Forest Experience Grounds

visitseoul.net

My Favorites

Search rankings

visitseoul.net

Search rankings

My Favorites