Seoul is a busy, exciting city with plenty to do, including heaps of indoor activities. Perfect for the rainy days, snowy weather and heat waves of Seoul. Today we are going to take you through the top ten activities to consider if you are in Seoul during one of the above scenarios. Hope you find this enjoyable and helpful!
10. Tour an esports stadium and museum
The Seoul city government offers many free and paid tours/classes to allow you experience Hallyu (Korean wave of culture). One of these is a free tour of the S-Plex esports stadium and hall of fame museum. In the museum you can see heaps of information about the development of esports in Korea and the top players. After the tour you get to go into the stadium to see a live tournament taking place. A must do for video gaming fans.
9. Jimjilbang (Bath/Sauna)
In rainy or snowy weather a jimjilbang might be just the right thing for you. A jimjilbang is the Korean bathhouse and sauna, similar to the Japanese onsen. They have showering and bathing facilities as well as saunas and other hot rooms. Be sure to read up on etiquette as there is a few customs that will be quite foreign for some travelers.
8. Shopping
Koreans love their shopping and while they have heaps of open malls and markets like Myeongdong and Gwangjang markets. There is also plenty of indoor shopping to be had. Most train stations are either built under a departments store or have shopping malls within the underground train stations. A cool shopping mall to visit is the COEX Starfield Mall. The library in the center is great place for a photo and some rest.
7. Noraebang (Karaoke)
Koreans love their Noraebangs – karaoke rooms. Plus it is super cheap generally only 500 won per 2 songs. A lot of them are coin operated and require no interaction with staff. It is a great cheap way to spend an hour or so belting out some songs.
6. PC bang (PC Room/Cafe)
If you are into gaming, it can be interesting to check out a PC bang. These PC are quite interesting, super cheap with top of the line equipment plus a cafe with food. It generally cost 1,000 won per hour to play on the high quality computers. From the computer you can order food like ramen, rice cakes and fried chicken.
5. Animal cafes
There are many animals cafes in Korea, with a variety of different animals. These are just some of the animals you can visit in these cafes:
- cats,
- dogs,
- racoons,
- meerkats, and
- sheep.
There will generally be some strict rules about how to interact with the animals. But it generally a fun and interesting experience. Most of the time the animals seem to be treated well and we are not aware of any animal welfare issues with these cafes.
4. Airsoft shooting range
Airsoft or BB guns are actually quite prevalent in Korea. There are many airsoft shooting ranges and many arcades have a small range as well. It is generally quite cheap and it’s great fun to compete against a friend to see who is the better shot.
3. Virtual reality (VR)
Virtual reality (VR) places are extremely prevalent and popular in Seoul. A lot can be found near university areas. It generally cost about 10,000 – 15,000 won per hour and some even have the omni VR systems. Omni VR is where you can actually walk and the system will track your movements within the games. Most of the places use the HTV Vive VR system.
2. Archery
Archery is a highly regarded sport in Korea and there are many archery ranges in Seoul. There are also even some archery cafes where you can hit some bullseyes while sipping on a coffee. Similar to the airsoft shooting ranges, this is one of the great indoor activities that allows you to be competitive with your friends.
1. Korean BBQ
Korean BBQ is one of the best indoor activities to partake in when in Seoul. Doesn’t matter the situation having some barbecued pork or beef will ensure your day turns out great. Additionally many places do unlimited pork galbi or other cuts of pork for around 11,000 won. This is great value for a meal and is a fun way to spend time with friends and family.
Hopefully you can find something on this list for you to do when the weather isn’t so great in Seoul. Actually most of these places would still be great to go on a normal day and you get to experience some interesting culture of Korea.
Alche is a passionate writer about many topics and wants to share knowledge in a simple way so all readers can enjoy and learn.