What To Do in Old Seoul If You Only Have 1 Day

If you’re visiting Seoul and want a feel for the city’s history, Old Seoul is the place to be. I spent a few days exploring the palace in a hanbok, eating street food at traditional markets, and enjoying scenic panoramic viewpoints, with convenience store stops and late-night food delivery in between. But if I only had one full day, this is exactly how I’d plan it—starting with Gyeongbokgung Palace and ending with Korean fried chicken delivered straight to the hotel.

Where To Go in Old Seoul In One Day

This trip to Seoul was more than just a travel adventure, it was a journey of healing. Lately, life’s been heavy, and this trip gave me the space to breathe and find peace in unexpected places. From the most memorable Korean Barbeque experience, to the aesthetic cafes, Seoul reminded me of the joy in simple moments.

Old Seoul refers to the historic center of the city, where centuries-old palaces, hanok villages, and traditional markets sit right alongside convenience stores and city buses. Most of the must-see sights are within central neighborhoods like Jongno and Jung-gu, which makes it easy to explore everything in a single day if you plan it right. 

Gyeongbokgung Palace In A Hanbok

Dom and I actually did this on a separate day from everything else, but if you only had one day, I’d start with a morning walk in Gyeongbokgung Palace with a Hanbok Rental. Originally built in 1395 as the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung Palace has been carefully restored and is now one of Seoul’s most iconic landmarks.

We chose Daehan Hanbok, but there are hanbok rentals everywhere right by the palace. The whole process was really easy and really fast, and it felt effortless and dreamy. She even did my hairstyle in less than 10 minutes! I was secretly so excited be wearing a hanbok around the palace!

You actually get free entry into the palace while wearing a hanbok, which made the whole experience feel even more special! Wearing a hanbok around the palace surrounded by history and beauty made me feel like I’m part of a historical K-drama. I’m not kidding when I say it ended up being one of the most magical things I have ever done. It’s just one of those core memories that I’m going to carry with me forever.

Gwangjang Market

After a morning palace walk, it’s time for some tasty Korean treats at Gwangjang Market, one of Korea’s oldest, and most iconic traditional market for some authentic Korean street foods, from Tteokbokki to Hotteok. We even got to try hand cut noodles that were previously featured on Netflix! Every store is cooking up a storm. The overwhelming smells, sights, and sounds makes me want to try everything.

Yes I know, some people think this place is a tourist trap. But honestly, you can trap me in here all day, any day. After a day here, my stomach was full, and my heart even fuller. Everyone in the market was kind and warm. Next time I visit South Korea, I’ll have to come back for a round 2!

Read more about everything I ate at Gwangjang market!

Namsan Cable Car

After a morning of exploring delicious treats, we headed over to Namsan Cable Car to catch the sunset. Namsan Cable Car takes you from central Seoul all the way up to Namsan Mountain, where the N Seoul Tower is located. This radio tower is a Seoul icon, and has an observation tower with a bar where you can get a perfect view of Seoul. Even without going into N Seoul Tower, the views up here are breathtaking. We got lucky since there’s not that many people, but I’d suggest coming early if you’d like to catch a spot for the sunset.

Right outside of the cable car station you can see the famous walls of love locks all around the square. Couples who visit put their locks on this wall as a symbol of eternal love. At the stores, they also sell cute locks you can put around the tower. We’re excited to come back and look for our lock the next time we visit Seoul!

The entrance to the cable cars is a 10 minute walk from Myeongdong Station Exit number 3. You can buy the tickets on-site and ride the cable car for about 15000 won round trip or 12000 won one way. They’re typically open daily, with varying seasonal hours. It’s the perfect place to catch the sunset overlooking Seoul with someone you love.

Myeongdong Street Shopping and Street Food

We had to stop by one of the most iconic and vibrant areas in Seoul: Myeongdong Street. This is where you can get all your shopping in! Myeongdong is full of clothing shops, beauty stores, and so much street food. It was very packed and very very overly simulating, but honestly we still had so much fun. we spent hours walking around shopping and trying all kinds of classic touristy eats

Check out the some of the best shopping and street food on Myeongdong Street!

Convenience Store Haul

We ended our Old Seoul exploration day with a Korean Convenience Store shopping haul. Korean convenience stores like CU, 7-11, and GS25 are open 24/7 and full of all sorts of tasty goodies at affordable prices. They have everything from hot foods to ice cream, and are fun to explore at literally any hour.

Korean convenience stores are a treasure trove of instant noodles and late-night cravings. We picked up iconic favorites like Shin Ramyeon and Ottogi Jin Ramen, followed by some surprisingly addictive croissant bites for snacking. For drinks, there was Terra beer, a fizzy peach soda, and a pineapple highball complete with a real pineapple slice. Whether you’re after comfort food or quirky finds, Korea’s 편의점 (pyeonuijeom) experience is next-level.

Norang Tongdak Fried Chicken Delivery

One thing I love about Korea is their super fast food delivery. We closed off our day in Old Seoul by watching our favorite shows, enjoying our convenience store snacks, and ordering some late night fried chicken from Norang Tongdak, a popular fried chicken restaurant known for their yellow turmeric batter. We shared an order of their boneless original chicken to go with our instant noodles and beer. It ended up being one of our favorite nights of the trip!

If you have limited time but still want to try a variety of foods in Seoul, try ordering delivery! You can enjoy some of the best foods in the comfort of your own hotel at any hours.

Explore Korea’s Best Foods and Attraction with Tiffy!