8 Fun Things to Do in Itaewon (Seoul)!

Itaewon is a culturally diverse district in Seoul where you can find a variety of foreign shops and restaurants. The area developed as such because of the presence of American soldiers here during the Korean War. Today, it is a popular tourist spot where you can find delicious international foods, a tidy sprawl of shops, and a vibrant nightlife. You can refer to the map at the bottom of this article to get an idea of the respective attractions’ locations. If you plan to stay in this area, a good hotel would be the Hamilton Hotel, which is situated in an ideal location to explore the clubs, restaurants and bars of this area. Remember to get the KORAIL Pass if you will be taking multiple train rides around South Korea. As usual, feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below! This article was last updated on 04 October 2019.

1. Passion 5 Patisserie

Passion 5 is a bakery/cafe in Itaewon that is widely touted to be one of the best patisseries in Seoul! It offers freshly baked breads, delicious sweet pastries and desserts.

We ordered the Strawberry Cake (KRW 6,700), which had layers of fluffy cake alternating with luscious pastry cream, complete with strawberry slices. It was one of the best cakes I had ever eaten! The flavours were balanced nicely and the cake turned into a pleasant mush in my mouth.

The café had a great ambience too, making it the perfect place for us to take a short break before starting our exploration of Itaewon.

Directions to Passion 5
From Exit 3 of Hangangjin station (Line 6), walk for 3 minutes towards the cafe. It is located at the ground floor of a black building with a 2D red bird statue outside. Check out the Google Maps directions to Passion 5.

Passion 5
Address: 729-74 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone Number: +82 2 2071 9505
Operating hours: Daily 7.30am to 10pm

2. Softree Ice Cream

Walking along the streets of Itaewon, we stumbled upon Softree, a cozy cafe that sells the popular soft-serve ice cream.

Because the weather was quite cold, we decided to order the Mother-Bread (KRW 2,800) , which was basically a piece of golden-brown toasted bread served with luxuriously smooth soft-serve ice cream.

It tasted heavenly! The delicate sweetness of the ice cream romanced our taste buds and left us wanting more. The bread was crisp and crunchy to the bite, combining with the sweet soft-serve to form a harmonious blend of flavours.

The cafe also has a few other branches in Korea.

Directions to Softree (Itaewon)
From Hangangjin Station (Line 6), walk along the main road for about 15 to 20 minutes towards Itaewon Station (Line 6). The small cafe is located along the road on the left side.

Softree (Itaewon)
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 6pm
Address: 24-12, Itaewon-ro 49-gil, Yongsan-gu Seoul 서울시 용산구 이태원로49길 24-12 04348
Website: http://softree.co
Phone: +82 2 3447 0303

3. International Cuisines Behind Hotel Hamilton

Itaewon is an area infused with foreign cultures, and the street behind Hotel Hamilton is a prime example of this. Along this short stretch of road, we found restaurants serving a wide variety of international cuisines. If you want to try something other than Korean food, this is the place to visit.

Directions
The street is a very short walk from Itaewon Station (Line 6), behind Hotel Hamilton. You can refer to the Google Maps directions to Hotel Hamilton.

4. Nekkid Wings

Nekkid Wings is an American-style restaurant bar that offers delicious wings in a variety of interesting sauces. It opened in 2017.

The selections of wings flavours are amazing! Below are some examples:

• American flavours: Classic Buffalo, BBQ, Parmesan & Garlic
• Asian flavours: Korean Glaze, Mandarin Orange, Asian Chili

Another highly recommended item is the giant onion ring, which is really crispy and delicious.

Another reason why this joint is so popular is because the staff speak English and are all very friendly.

Directions to Nekkid Wings
Nekkid Wings is within walking distance of Itaewon Station

Nekkid Wings
Address: 174-11, Noksapyeong-Daero, Yongsan-Gu, Seoul
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thur: 4.30pm – 10.50pm | Fri to Sun: 11.30am – 10.50pm |
Phone Number: +82 7 4078 7411

5. Nightlife

Along with Hongdae and Gangnam, Itaewon is well-known for its vibrant nightlife. There are many clubs and pubs here that stay open throughout the night. Several of them are located behind Hamilton Hotel.

Hotel Hamilton
Address: Hotel Hamilton, Itaewon-ro, Seoul, South Korea

6. Namsangol Hanok Village

You can get a feel of traditional Korean culture at Namsangol Hanok Village. It is not located in Itaewon, but is nearby on the other side of Namsan mountain. You can look at the map to see what I mean.

Over here, you will find traditional Korean houses, exhibits of Korean craftwork, and traditional Korean games such as tuho (arrow throwing), neolttwigi (seesaw jumping), and yutnori (traditional board game).

Directions to Namsangol Hanok Village
From Exit 4 of Chungmuro Station (Line 3 & 4), walk for about 5 minutes.

Namsangol Hanok Village
Address: Namsangol Hanok Village, 28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening Hours: | Apr to Oct: Daily 9am – 9pm | Nov to Mar: Daily 9am – 8pm | Closed Every Tuesday. If Tuesday is a holiday, the village is closed on the next day |
Website: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264116

7. N Seoul Tower

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the N Seoul Tower! This 236 metres tall communication tower provides broadcasting signals for several Korean media stations. Make sure you buy tickets from Klook because you will be able to save 50% off the original price. Remember to use promo code ETWITHKLOOK to enjoy 10% off with a minimum spend of $120.

We took the subway to Myeong-dong station and walked to Namsan Cable Car station at the base of Namsan mountain. From there, we took the cable car up to the base of N Seoul Tower. We did not go up the tower itself because the queue was too long.

The view was awesome! We had wonderful views both from the cable car and the base of the tower. We visited at night so we got to see the beautiful night skyline of Seoul. The whole city was lighted up in a vibrant display of colours.

We also found many “love locks” hanging on the railings and various structures. Suffice to say, this was a romantic area and we spent quite a while here, revelling in the beautiful night view while holding each other’s hand.

Directions to N Seoul Tower
From Exit 3 of Myeong-dong Station (Line 4), walk uphill for about 15 minutes along the street on the right side of Pacific Hotel. You will reach the Namsan Cable Car Station. From here, take the cable car up to the base of N Seoul Tower. For admission rates, other ways to reach the tower, opening hours, and more details, check out the links below.

N Seoul Tower
Admission Tickets: Buy tickets from Klook to save 50%
Opening Hours: | Sun to Fri: 10am – 11pm | Sat: 10am – 12am |
Other ways to reach N Seoul Tower: www.nseoultower.co.kr/eng/visit/traffic.asp

8. Shopping!

At Itaewon, you will find fashion catered to foreign tastes. Therefore, you will find imported clothes that are generally a little bigger in size.

There are also shops offering custom tailored suits, hiphop street wear, fur goods, shoes, antique furniture, and even an underground market for lady handbags.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Seoul Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?

Map of Itaewon