Seoul Hotels

Itaewon Galbi
Up on the 2nd floor is this long-established and well-known eatery with helpful staff and traditional genre paintings on the wall. Grab a window seat and enjoy galbi, galbitang (beef ribs stew), mushroom bulgogi, bulgogi on a hotplate, or for something more exotic, try cow's tongue.

National Folk Museum
Outside the museum are shamanist stone statues and wooden posts that used to guard the entrances to villages. Inside, the clothing, games, rituals, handicrafts, food, housing and occupations of the Joseon era are displayed to illustrate life in the days back when a person's social class was signalled by what they wore.

Chongdong Theatre
This well-regarded and well-established theatre is centrally located and puts on 1½-hour performances of traditional music, singing and dancing. The shows are targeted at foreign visitors and English subtitles appear on a screen. After the show you can take photographs of the performers in their traditional clothing. The ticket office opens at . Tickets cost around 0 to around 0 with discounts for students.

Seoul Grand Park
The excellent and extensive zoo (Seoul's best) is set amongst forested hillsides. A river runs through the park and families picnic along its shady banks. You can hike along a number of marked trails that stretch for 2km (1.2mi) to 6km (3.7mi). The zoo is home to a long list of exotic creatures, including the popular African ones.

Sigol Bapsang
Sit amidst piles of rustic collectables is this restaurant offering countryside food (traditional Korean food from the days when Korea was a rural society). The restaurant occupies two buildings, both serving the same food. Try an around sigol bapsang - 20 mainly vegetarian side dishes along with spicy tofu soup and rice. Order a plate of bulgogi if you want meat.

Dimibang
This sit-on-floor-cushions vegetarian restaurant features hamcho (a salty green herb that grows near the sea) and other medicinal herbs that are in the food, teas and alcoholic drinks. Order hamcho sujebi, hamcho bibimbap or a set meal. You can sit on bamboo mats and eat with wooden spoons and chopsticks.

War Memorial & Museum
This huge museum documents the history of warfare in Korea and has an especially good section on the Korean War. It takes at least three hours to look round everything so arrive well before closing. Only snacks are available. Trying to cover this museum and the National Museum of Korea in one day is too exhausting.

O'Kim's
Ask for the Irish bar and people will direct you to O'Kim's - the only Irish drinking spot in the city. There's plenty to entertain you: darts, pool, bar football, free Internet and live music every night. You'll be less than entertained by the drink prices however.

Nashville Sports Bar
A scruffy Itaewon institution with a jukebox, pool, darts and a view. In summer the rooftop garden bar opens except when it's raining. In the basement is an American-style diner and above the sports bar is Club Caliente.

N'Seoul Tower
The peak of Mt Namsan used to be crowned with fortifications, but they are long gone and have since been replaced by the Seoul Tower. The entire tower has a modern look, feel and name thanks to renovations completed in 2005 that dropped in speedy elevators, a spiffy lobby and the urbane handle, N'Seoul Tower. The tower stretches 480m (1574ft) above sea level and houses several cafes and restaurants (one of which is revolving) and an observation deck. The views are marvellous, especially at night.

Gyeongbok Palace
Originally built by King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon dynasty, the grandest of Seoul palaces served as the principal palace until 1592, when it was burnt down during the Japanese invasions. It lay in ruins for nearly 300 years until Heungseon Daewongun, regent and father of King Gojong, started to rebuild it in 1865.