Where to Stay in Seoul: The Best Areas to Stay in Seoul, Korea

As a traveler, I love to travel to many places, and it is obvious. However, one of the problems we travelers face when we go somewhere is that we don’t know where to stay in that country or city. The same thing happened to me when I visited Seoul, Korea.

Though many people suggested to me that Hongdae, Myeongdong, or Gangnam is great places to stay in Seoul, I personally think there are more places where you can stay in Seoul. So, in this article, I will talk about the top 5 places where you can stay in Seoul, Korea, including the Best Areas to Stay in Seoul.

Top 5 Best Areas to Stay in Seoul, Korea

Other than the 3 most famous places—Hongdae, Myeongdong, and Gangnam—there are so many good neighborhoods in Seoul to stay in. Depending on what type of traveler you are, you may find the best place where you can comfortably stay in Seoul. So, let’s go to some of the neighborhoods and see what there is to do there, what types of places there are to stay at, and what type of traveler should stay there.

Many people think that Seoul is not a safe place and that solo travelers can’t visit, but this is not true. Seoul is considered one of the best solo travel destinations in Asia, and if you want to know more about the top solo travel destinations in Asia and Europe, you can check out our article on the topic too.

Hongdae, Seoul Korea

Let’s start in the Northwestern neighborhood of Hongdae in the Mapogu District. Before we start, you should know that most of the tourist places in Seoul are in the North Central Chungnogu District, so keep that in mind when you make your selection.

Hongdae is one of the best places to stay in Seoul for young travelers. It only takes about an hour on the airport railroad from Incheon to Hongdae; it’s just one subway the whole way. Hongdae has two really different atmospheres depending on whether it’s day or night.

In the daytime, there are tons of trendy restaurants, cafes, clothing shops, gift shops, anime stores, arcades, and a lot more for people to check out while staying here. If you just think of Korea’s MZ generation, you can probably picture what type of place this is and if it’s the right fit for you.

So, Hongdae changes a lot at nighttime for sure. There’s a ton of nightlife out here, and it’s pretty loud at night too, so it’s something to consider when you’re thinking of staying here. On weekends, the drinking can last until 7 or 8 A.M. the next day, no problem. So, if that’s the kind of thing you’re into, Hongdae is definitely a great place to stay in Seoul. But if you’re looking for a quieter place at night, it can be pretty loud here, so it’s definitely something to consider.

For places to stay in Hongdae, Seoul, there are hostels for about $15 to $25 for a shared dorm, and a lot of them are for people looking to party, so they’ll probably be pretty loud and wild, just so you know. However, there are also some quieter hostels nearby, so I suggest looking at the reviews and pictures to find one that’s best for you.

If you’re on the adventurous side and on the tightest of budgets, you can always stay at a gym (tibang) or sauna, which can be found all over Korea and don’t require reservations. The Hongdae 24-hour Puga Mas sauna is just over ten dollars for a night on weekends and even cheaper on weekdays.

But you’ll be sleeping in a public area with other people, so pack earplugs and a sleeping mask if you have one. If you’re looking for something a bit more comfortable, there are also nicer hotels in Hongdae, such as the L7 Hotel or the Holiday Inn Express, which are both really close to the subway station.

I’d recommend these for young travelers with a little bit of a bigger budget because they are more expensive at about $120 a night. To reserve a hostel or hotel in Korea, I would just go to Google Maps to find the best deals on different websites in your currency. And all these facts make Hongdae one of the Areas to stay in Seoul.

Sinchon, South Korea

Now let’s go to Shinchon, also in Northwestern Seoul, just one subway stop away from Hongdae or a 15-minute walk. Shinchon definitely has more of a mellow vibe than Hongdae. It’s filled with university students from Yonsei University, which is one of the top universities in Korea, and it has more of a Korean vibe overall rather than being a touristy place.

There still are a lot of tourists here, but a bit less than in Hongdae. It’s another great place for young people to stay in Seoul. You will find some of the cheapest food options in Seoul here. There’s even a donkatsu or pork cutlet place for just 3,001 won—an absolute steal! There’s also the big Hyundai department store in the Uplex, which holds interesting events from time to time.

If you don’t mind spending more money, there are also nicer hotels, such as the H Avenue Hotel, which is closer to Edae Station for about $60, and Ever8 Service Residence for just under $100. There’s also a fair amount of guesthouses here, which seem to go as low as about $25 a night.

Also, one thing to note is these guesthouses will have less of a party vibe than Hongdae and will be a little more relaxed overall. So, if you’re a solo traveler looking for more of a relaxed atmosphere, this could be one of the best places to stay in Seoul.

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Itaewon, Seoul Korea

Now let’s go to Itaewon, also in central Seoul, the international place to stay in Seoul. Itaewon is filled with various international foods that are really hard to find in other places in Korea. There are also a lot of guesthouses here and a pretty famous hotel, but there aren’t many motels in general—just a few here and there. It’s a very famous place for travelers to come.

Guesthouses here are about $20 to $30, including Seoul Cube, which looks like a mix between a capsule hotel and a guesthouse and looks pretty comfortable. There are also hotels such as the Hamilton, which can be booked for under $100 a night and is right next to the subway station.

Itaewon comes to life at nighttime with a ton of bars and clubs that cater a lot to foreigners and tourists. However, I wouldn’t strongly recommend staying here unless you have a strict diet, such as requiring a lot of Halal or vegetarian options nearby.

However, everyone has different needs, and there are definitely a lot of people that prefer to stay in Itaewon, Seoul. So, it’s hard not to put it on my list of Best Areas to Stay in Seoul.

Myeongdong

The next spot is Myeongdong, the shopping district, also in central Seoul. This is typically the most recommended area to stay in online, and for good reason. Myeongdong has been a tourist spot in Seoul since the early 2000s; it’s been around forever, and it’s most known for its shopping. To be honest, there’s a bunch of cosmetics, K-pop stores, and that kind of stuff here.

It’s also really close to another market called Namdaemun, which pretty much sells everything, so you’re in a really central location if you stay here. Myeongdong is the spot for tourist hotels in Seoul. If you’re traveling alone and don’t want to stay at a hostel where you have to interact with other travelers, this would be one of my recommendations as one of the best places to stay in Seoul.

Just because of how many people are doing the same thing, the hotels here range in price drastically, from about $40 all the way up to over $200, so you can take your pick because there are just so many options.

One thing to note is there are guesthouses here too, but because of Myeongdong’s popularity, they’re similar in pricing to the tourist hotels. Myeongdong is also the most famous street food market at night, with a lot of variety that’s marketed mainly towards tourists.

There’s a good amount of international food around too, with lots of Japanese and Chinese restaurants, and even Din Tai Fung, the famous Taiwanese chain.

Jongno District

Now we go to Jongno District, Seoul, a district with the most traditional culture and one of the best places to stay in Seoul, and the spot that I would personally stay in if I were coming to Korea for the first time.

Jongno includes places like Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun Square, Bukchon Hanok Village, Cheonggyecheon Stream, which is right behind me, and then there’s also Insadong, Jogyesa Temple, and Dongdaemun. So, there are a lot of tourist places around here for people to see if you stay nearby.

This is one of the coolest areas that’s a complete mix between traditional and modern Korea. You can see people playing janggi in the park, which is Korea’s version of chess, and then only a few blocks away, you’re in one of Seoul’s modern business districts.

Jongno really captures the charm of Seoul the best, especially for first-time travelers. You can also find Ikseon-dong here, an older traditional hanok village that’s been completely transformed into a nice area with tons of restaurants and cafes. At nighttime, things come to life with the eateries in the area, where you can enjoy tteokbokki or fried chicken.

This is a place that you must go to if you’ve never been before. You can find guesthouses for about $20 to $30, with another Soul Cube branch as well. If you’re looking for hotels, you can find just about anything you can think of, from cheaper motels starting at about $30 to luxury hotels such as the Four Seasons for over $500.

If I were to choose one area in Jongno, I’d try and find a place near Dongdaemun or Gwanghwamun Station, as you’ll have the most central location in terms of things to see and eat, making it one of the Best Areas to Stay in Seoul.

Conclusion

Seoul is a great place for travel, but most of the time, travelers get confused when choosing the place where they will stay. Some of the time, travelers tend to choose the wrong place to stay in Seoul and miss out on many things because of that. You have to choose the right place to stay in Seoul. According to that concern, some of the best areas to stay in Seoul are Hongdae, Sinchon, Itaewon, Myeongdong, and Jongno District, where you can enjoy Seoul to its fullest. So, if you are looking for a trip to Seoul, remember these are the places with the most benefits in Seoul, making them one of the best places to stay in Seoul.

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