Unusual Things To Do In Seoul That Are Not In Your Guidebook

Have a coffee at a pet café

By now, you might have heard of the trend where people flock to coffee shops to enjoy their gelato and coffee while stroking adorable and unusual animals. Seoul is no exception to this trend, but what makes the pet cafeś in Seoul different is the exotic selection of animals available to stroke or just marvel at. Most of these spots take good care of their animals, but do your research beforehand to ensure you are supporting an ethical animal cafe. Koreans have the third longest average work week in the world – 60 hours – which combined with tiny apartments means that we can’t keep pets. So pet cafeś provide an excellent opportunity to unwind in the midst of friendly (furry) faces. There are many choices with regard to which animal you would prefer to interact with. Bau House Dog Cafe is (as the name suggests) is dedicated to dogs and takes especially good care of its well-groomed, clean and fluffy pooches, while Blind Alley is packed with mischievous raccoons sure win your heart (and possibly some of your possessions) with their antics. For other curious options try out Koopet cafe, which has a wide collection of reptiles to interact with, or visit the trendy Thanks Nature – an especially popular spot with a relaxed atmosphere and two charming sheep.

Attend one of the many unusual festivals

Korea has many unusual festivals, and one of the stranger ones by far is the Boryeong mud festival. It’s about 2 hours from Seoul by car, but it’s well worth the drive. The festival is on for two weeks every July and during that period thousands come from all around the peninsula for, uh, mud! It was first established in 1999 and mud sliding, swimming and even mud wrestling are all on the menu at this bizarre festival. The origins of the festival lay in the cosmetic benefit of mud – specifically, Boryeong mud which is rich in germanium and bentonite, both of which are very beneficial for the skin. The appeal of the mud festival quickly grew beyond the cosmetic appeal and nowadays the main attraction is the beachside party, a huge event which features mud pits, mud fountains, mud pools, mud massage zones and even a mud prison (yikes!). There are one-day passes available that will enable you to gain entry to all the ticketed areas such as inflatable playgrounds, obstacle courses, and mudslides. If you are not too keen on immersing yourself in mud, there are also non-mud activities to enjoy such as fireworks and live music (and of course, watching the mud-crazed antics from a safe distance).

Experience the Lotus Lantern Festival

If you happen to be traveling to Seoul in May, you may be fortunate enough to experience the Lotus Lantern Festival. This is a huge event that is similar in scale to a Christmas celebration in a European country. It is an annual event of profound religious significance, and celebrates the birth of Buddha. During this time, Seoul will be bursting with color and lanterns, so it is definitely one of the best things to do in Seoul at night. The highlight of this festival is the lantern parade, where the participants will bear their uniquely designed lanterns while parading through the city. Prior to the parade is the Buddhist Cheer Rally, where all the parade-goers will gather to sing songs and dance. Once the parade is done, there is a post-parade celebration - Hoehyang Hanmadang. This is a massive after-party with live music, traditional dance performance, food and drink. If you just miss these festivities, not to worry. The traditional lanterns will be on display in various parts of Seoul for a 10 day period, and a Traditional Culture Zone will be set up in front of the Jogyesa Temple, which features around 130 booths manned by Buddhist organizations.

Gorge yourself on a traditional Hanjeongsik

Hangjeongsik is the pinnacle of Korean fine dining and will most assuredly have you walking – or rolling – away with a big of a regal swagger in your step. The Hangjeongsik is a full, usually 10-course meal that was traditionally reserved for the aristocrats and royalty. Each person will receive a bowl of rice and soup, and the table will be covered with a variety of dishes ranging in color, ingredients and preparation methods. There is an art to preparing the food for a Hangjeongsik which involves a philosophy known as Eumyang Ohaeng. This philosophy values the concepts of Yin, Yang and the primary 5 elements. There is a harmony present between the 5 preparation methods (grilled, boiled, steamed, fried and salted) and the 5 colors (red, blue, green, white and black) that you will see in the dishes presented to you. Typical fare includes Korean pancakes, fried foods, soybean paste stew, eel, crab, fish, soups, pickles and more. A great place to experience the Hangjeongsik is San Deul Hae, a restaurant with five different branches and 23 different signature dishes in addition to numerous sides.

Trick Eye Museum

Located in Hongdae, which in itself is an amazing area full of fun and exciting activities, the Trick Eye Museum is probably the most famous activity in the district. Quirky and irreverent, the Trick Eye Museum is full of exhibitions which make use of visual illusions to create strange, whimsical and sometimes hysterical scenes with you at the center. Whether you’re participating in a medieval scene, hanging upside down or being eaten by a shark, you’ll be amazed at where you’ll end up in this museum where nothing is as it seems! The museum also features an indoor ice slide, action figure painting station and costumes that make for the perfect Instagram pic. Especially noteworthy are the three-dimensional illusions that recreate world-famous artworks such as the Mona Lisa.