Parent-Child Daily in Seoul: Shopping, Food, Accommodation, and Internet-Famous Check-In Guide

Every time I come to Seoul, it's a fixed trilogy.

This time I brought my sister along. Besides eating and shopping, the main goal was to let her experience Korean folk culture.

* For Dongdaemun shopping, I usually only go to the APM series of buildings.

---- However, most are wholesale-oriented; if you buy just one item, many shops won't sell to you.

** Next, I go to the duty-free shops to shop. The duty-free shops in Seoul are really great to browse—lots of brands, plenty of promotions, and the discounts are huge.

---- Each duty-free shop has its own offers, with a dazzling variety.

!!! After many shopping experiences, I only use two types of discounts:

1. Find a tour guide I know to purchase cash vouchers (because jewelry and watches often have promotions where cash vouchers give you shopping cards in return, with great discounts that can be used storewide, instantly for buying cosmetics, skincare, etc.). Among many promotions, I like the department store cash payment vouchers (which can be used to buy things on the spot). Most importantly, I can ask a tour guide to attach a group number, which gives me rebates.

2. Attach a group number with a tour guide to get a gold card. Besides enjoying gold card discounts on shopping, attaching a group number gives me rebates. Whether it's jewelry, watches, or bags, whatever you want is available. The rebate percentages vary by brand. If you catch a big event, the prices are even cheaper than abroad, including Hermès and Chanel.

Take the PIAGET ring I bought this time. The original price at Myeongdong Shinsegae Duty Free was about 8.8 million KRW (about 52,000 RMB). If I participated in the duty-free store's promotions (including UnionPay, Alipay, WeChat, etc.), I could save at most 1 million KRW, which is about a 12% discount, which sounds pretty good. But I actually only spent 6.6 million KRW and also got a 390,000 KRW duty-free store consumption card (this card can be used for rebates on other purchases), which works out to almost a 23% discount!

# To enjoy the rebate, you need to communicate with the tour guide before buying. If you look for someone after buying, you can't get the discount.

## Before leaving from China, contact a reliable tour guide in advance. If you spend a certain amount, you can get free airport pickup and drop-off service!

### On the top floor of Seoul Shinsegae Duty Free, there is a lounge. As long as you show a UnionPay Platinum card, you can enter for free rest and a drink. It's often empty, so if you're tired from shopping, you can go there.

As a developed country, eating in Seoul is not expensive, but it's easy to 'hit a landmine.' Here are 5 restaurants that locals love.

【Shiguang - Wumujia】

Filming location for 'My Love from the Star,' where Cheon Song-yi also loves pig trotters. Must-try: Sauce pig trotters.

Address: 18-9 Bukchang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. (Near Myeongdong, search for 'Jeonju Jungang Hoegwan' on the map; it's on the street corner about 100 meters west of it)

A Michelin one-star restaurant, incredibly delicious. Must-try: Marinated crab set meal, crab rice bowl.

You must queue, so I always arrive at 11:30 AM to be in the first wave.

★★★★★ Recommended: Marinated crab set meal, one of the restaurant's signature dishes. Excellent presentation. When you gently bite into it, the crab meat slides into your mouth like ice cream, cool and delicious, slightly salty, but without any fishy smell.

★★★★★ Recommended: Crab rice bowl set meal, the second signature dish. Mix the crab paste with various small side dishes into the rice. The glossy rice instantly awakens your taste buds. Each grain of rice is soaked in crab paste, bursting with unexpected umami. The shredded seaweed and other small side dishes blend with the crab paste, creating rich layers of flavor.

Address: 62 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. About a 5-6 minute walk east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, on Bukchon-ro 5-gil.

Right next to Dawafang, a small dessert shop famous for its rich, thick red bean shaved ice. Must-try: Signature red bean shaved ice, glutinous rice ball red bean porridge.

The rice cakes in the red bean porridge are soft and chewy, making you feel your energy boost after eating.

Address: 58 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. About a 5-6 minute walk east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, on Bukchon-ro 5-gil.

【BILLY ANGEL】

A cake shop with perfect appearance and taste. Downstairs is the Starfield Library, great for photos. Must-try: Chocolate Crepe.

Address: Multiple branches in Seoul; one is at 513 Yeongdong-daero, Samseong 1(il)-dong, Gangnam-gu. Take Seoul Subway Line 2 to Samseong Station (Trade Center), Exit 5, inside Starfield COEX Mall, on the second floor of Starfield Library.

A representative of Korean BBQ, with impeccable taste and service. Must-try: Value BBQ set.

Address: Multiple branches in Seoul; one is at 45 Myeongdong 8 na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul.

Experience traditional Hanok - 【Hanok 202】

Every time I go out, I either stay in a hotel or apartment. This time, to let my sister experience traditional Korean housing, I deliberately arranged two nights in a traditional guesthouse in the historical and cultural core area—Hanok Guesthouse 202 (booked on Booking.com)—just to soak up more cultural atmosphere.

The address is deep inside Bukchon Hanok Village. The landlady is very warm; she first sends an email detailing the transportation route. She speaks fluent English, so there's no communication problem.

As soon as you step into the Hanok entrance, there's a slightly steep stone staircase. After climbing to the top, you push open a second door to enter the main courtyard. The layout of the entire yard is a bit like a Beijing siheyuan, with rooms on four sides surrounding a small square space in the middle. There are five bedrooms in total, only one of which has its own bathroom; the others use the two shared bathrooms in the yard. The shared kitchen and living room are connected to two bedrooms. To avoid disturbing other guests, cooking is not allowed between 11 PM and 9 AM.

There are no beds in the bedrooms; you spread out the bedding and sleep on the floor, surrounded by antique furniture, making you feel like you're in a Korean historical drama. This is indeed an authentic traditional Korean guesthouse, and because of that, most guests are foreigners from all over the world, giving it a hostel vibe. The breakfast prepared in the kitchen refrigerator consists of bread, milk, and juice—no kimchi.

If you get up early and go out for a stroll before the crowds arrive, the peaceful Hanok village feels wonderful. It's not far from Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace, about a 10-minute walk.

Hotel name: Hanok Guesthouse 202

Hotel address: 168-3, Changdeokgung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

After experiencing the guesthouse, I took my sister to the 【LINE Friends Hotel】 she had been longing for.

As two sisters who love Line Friends, we definitely had to stay at The Splasir Lines Friends Theme Hotel this time in Seoul.

The hotel location is excellent—about a 6-7 minute walk to Myeongdong Shinsegae Department Store. The nearby streets are full of small food shops, and it's close to the airport bus stop. The LINE theme rooms are only on the 14th floor. We booked weeks in advance (via Ctrip) to snag one. When we took the room card, entered the elevator, and pressed the 14th floor button, many people around us cast envious glances, hehe.

The room details are well thought out. Although not large, the layout is reasonable, and the themed elements blend naturally. It's full of girlishness. Even if you're not a Line fan, just walking around will make your heart flutter like a deer!

Hotel name: Sotetsu Hotels The Splasir Seoul Myeongdong

Hotel address: 15, Namdaemun-ro 5-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul.

After eating and drinking, it's time for beautiful photos. Hanbok rentals are available along the street outside Gyeongbokgung Palace, with similar prices. We went to 'Oneday Hanbok' and made a reservation in advance.

They have a lot of clothes and accessories, well arranged by size. The staff services are orderly, and the girls are language geniuses, fluent in Korean, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Renting a set for 4 hours costs 18,000 KRW (about 100 RMB). Entering Gyeongbokgung Palace in Hanbok is free, so my sister had enough time to take photo shoots.

There are also many styles for men and children. Wearing Hanbok in summer can be hot, so if you're afraid of the heat, bring a handheld fan.

Shop name: Oneday Hanbok

Address: 2nd Floor, 12 jae-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. (Subway Line 3, Anguk Station)

The Starfield Library at Gangnam COEX Mall, which opened last year, is stunning from the moment you enter. The bookshelves surrounding you are over ten meters high. With outstanding fashion and design, it offers a unique experience.

Under the orange-yellow lighting, the high-quality library reminds one of a 'golden house,' but the saying 'there is a beauty in the book' is even more fitting. The Starfield Library looks great during the day, but it's even more beautiful at night.

Shop name: Starfield Library, located in Starfield COEX Mall

Address: 513 Yeongdong-daero, Samseong 1(il)-dong, Gangnam-gu. Take Seoul Subway Line 2 to Samseong Station (Trade Center), Exit 5.

If you are also a independent traveler, I wish you a pleasant trip and happy shopping. If this article is helpful to you, remember to bookmark it.

Travelogue Contents: 1. Shopping Recommendations 2. Food Recommendations 3. Accommodation Recommendations 4. Hanbok Photos 5. Internet-Famous Check-In: Starfield Library Tourism Information Hotel Index Guide Index Airfare Index Website Navigation Tourism Index Cruise Index Business Travel Index Franchise Cooperation Distribution Alliance Friendship Links Corporate Gift Card Purchase Insurance Agency Agent Cooperation Hotel Cooperation Destination and Scenic Area Cooperation More Franchise Cooperation About Ctrip About Ctrip Ctrip Hotspots Contact Us Careers User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Security Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure