We arrived in Seoul a few days ago, after a reasonably smooth but long flight from Istanbul. We had a good idea of the different options to reach the city but were rather unprepared for the post- flight exhaustion that followed a busy work week. So decided to make our life easier and splurge for a cab.

What we would have liked however to try is the Limo bus, a system similar to what worked very well for us in Tokyo. When arriving at Incheon airport, ask for the departure station of hotel Limo buses. They charge about 15,000 won to the city centre and take about 90 min. Airport bus no 6015 will take you to Ibis, Lotte and a few other Myeongdong hotels.

As our accommodation later explained, there are two options for airport cabs: local taxis (you will need the hotel address/destination in Korean or a map you can use as reference ) or International English Speaking cabs that may charge about 20% extra. Considering the Seoul traffic, the journey time is likely to be close to that of the bus, especially at week- ends.

For accommodation, we chose Hotel28 in the Meyondong district. We planned to walk a lot and this location provides good access to many of the city Must- sees. There is also a famous street food market, basically at our doorstep, ideal for all the late night snacks. The hotel is small and stylish and the staff is very kind and helpful in helping us navigate the city. They provided a baby cot in the room at no extra charge and took every opportunity to feed popcorn to our son. They also provided a high chair for breakfast.

After a few days of roaming around, we made a quick selection of our favourite Seoul attractions with (and without) kids:

1. Changing of the guard and events in Deoksugung palace. The changing of the guards is taking place every day and and is a colourful and lively happening. There is music, drums and even photo opportunities with the guard captain. Young and old were all captivated by the little show of the guards that lasts for about 15-20 min. The palace grounds are extensive but easily accessible by stroller for the most part (except the pavillons) There are gardens and pavilions dotting the premises and making it a great place for a walk. As we visited during the Korean Empire Week (27 April to 6 May) we also got the chance to attend a re- enactment of the diplomatic reception for envoys to the Korean empire and a cultural open air show with dance and music from a traditional reception banquet. Both events were of great interest to our LO, particularly the crazy dancing lion that you can see in the below clip. Ask your accommodation if any special events are taking place in one of the 4 main Seoul palaces. Also, if you plan to visit more than one palace, buy a combo ticket for 15.000 won.
2. Citizens Hall exhibitions and miniatures – just in front of the Palace, the Citizen hall (on the basement of the City Hall) has a compact and free exhibition of former dwellings located on the premises, a mix of multimedia spaces as sell as a wooden board where children can learn about the occupations of the past. There is a helpful Info desk that can provide information in English.
3. N Seoul Tower – this is where we waited the longest even if we arrived late in the afternoon. It is very popular with both Koreans (it runs a love theme with lockets that can be hung at the basis of the Tower) and tourists. The queue starts outside and continues through the building where you buy the tickets for the cable cart that take you up the Hill where the Tower stands. Once you reach the Tower, you will buy another ticket for the lift that takes you all the way to the top. All in all, plan to spend 1h30 queuing both for the way up and back. The elevator ride is fast and fun but the views are the main reason to come here. By the time we made it up, it was already night and the city was full of tiny lights. If your child needs additional incentives to put up with the long wait, there is a candy bar on top of the Tower as well.
4. Changdeokung Temple and Secret Garden – book the Secret Garden tour in advance at http://cha.xticket.kr:8080/web/main?shopEncode=. You can visit the Temple at any time but for the Secret Garden you will have to join a tour. There are only 4 tours in English per day. The reservation will save you the ticket queue as you will just need to pay for your tickets (separate counter) and then can enter the temple grounds. The Secret Garden entrance is marked clearly throughout the park. Once inside the garden with the tour, you can explore at will. There are ponds, pavilions and paths up and down the landscaped park. And it is surprisingly easy to navigate by stroller for little feet tired of running. Plan to spend here about 90 minutes.
5. A walk on the Cheong-gye-cheon. A riverside park hidden in the centre if Seoul, this is a great location to take a break or have a picnic. Public art is dotted along the stream, including colourful light installations. When we were here, a concert was organised on the platform where the stream starts. In our case, it kept both parents and toddler entertained for more than one hour.

If after all the sightseeing you search a good Korean barbecue place in the Meyongdong, pop by On the Grill Myeongdong. They have a no frills interior but yummy pork belly and kimchi. They also speak very good English.

If your child likes busses, cars and everything that moves, add a walk on Seullo to you program. It is a suspended walkway that crosses several busy streets if the city. Our little dude was very happy admiring all the traffic going under his feet.

Thanks for reading and Happy Travels!