Is it me or is it getting hot in here ?
Wow, my first post. I am very excited to share with you how I experienced summer in Seoul, when I first came here. You may enjoy the same activities I did if you are planning on coming to this city —with some extra free of charges/ life saving tips I wish someone had told back then.
DISCLAIMER : What is written bellow is from my own, unique experience. I hope we can all share our various stories about living in Seoul and learn from each other !
Let’s begin, shall we ?
2 years ago, I came to Seoul for the first time with all of my college friends to celebrate our graduation.
Six girls, one trip, one month. No need to tell you that it was cra— I mean an absolute BLAST ! It was a really fun trip filled with beautiful memories, I swear 
We all graduated with a Korean bachelor so, yes, we kind of thought we knew everything about Seoul and all the cool places to have fun at—Yep a bunch of cute fools. Seoul is a huge place and even in one month, it’s a challenge to enjoy all the fun activities this amazing city has to offer during summertime— there is so much to do ! Nevertheless, in one month you get to experience a lot of great things and make the most of your summer.
This post is made for those who are planning to come to Seoul for a short OR a longer stay, in order to help them find and enjoy the best activities the city has to offer during summertime—based on my trip !
- A refreshing afternoon in Gwangmyeong Cave
Yes… A cave ! Located one and a half hours away from central Seoul, just outside the city. We went there because a friend of us recommended this place. So let me recap here, the sun was out, people went out to enjoy a HOT summer day but we decided it was a good day to take a long bus trip and visit a mysterious cave ? Yes, and it was worth it. If I could describe in one word how is the cave I would probably choose the word random. But yet, randomly fun, hear me out !
When entering the cave, you will bump into a wine testing booth. Because why not, right ? In fact, as we regained our consciousness from hiking—mark that at this point we are not aware that there is a minibus taking you up to the cave, but it didn’t occur to us, cute fools, to check this precious piece of information beforehand- seeing this booth gave us the strength to keep going. A cave and wine ? Yass, please !
As you go through the cave you may watch amazing lightning features on the ceiling and walls, which would take you back to your best childhood fantasies. Yet, something about the place felt weird, and navigating across endless hallways keeps one suspicious and wondering what the wine testing booth was about, right ? —Is this cave even kid friendly ?
The answer is yes. If you go down some floors you will encounter an aquarium spot —yep don’t ask me, i’m over it. So if you are planning on travelling with your little ones this cave is indeed KID FRIENDLY.
Finally, the highlight of this place ? A hunted house ! Located at the bottom of the cave, you may enjoy being frightened by ghosts and have fun running for your life !
NB: Actually, this unplanned day was the highlight of my trip and I will never forget how fun it was !
NB 2: Did I tell you this cave is the definition of heaven when you feel like melting from the sun ? Fun and REFRESHING ! Much recommended 👌🏾
Feeling tired yet ? Let me introduce you to a different way to enjoy your day during a hot summer day—you are very welcome.
One of the best thing to do without having to plan a ton of things in advance, is a day trip to the Hangang river. After days of excessive/sleep deprived sightseeing with my friends, we found ourselves a bit tired of running around Seoul, so we agreed on going to the Hangang river and enjoy the famous Hangang Mongttang Festival, which takes place from mid July to mid August.
We went and had lunch at the park facing the river and then went for a bike ride. You can rent them per hour at a good price, but don’t forget your passport before going, they will keep it as guarantee that you will return the bike. To end our day, we figured that it would be a good idea to refresh our feet in the water displays located along the river side, and then go swimming at the Yeouido Hangang Park Outdoor Swimming Pool. During summer, you can enjoy some local DJ showcases and participate in awesome pool parties !
There is so much to do on the riverside during summer Hangang Mongttang Festival that you will maybe need to come several times —that is, if your goal is to enjoy the full experience.
NB: Don’t forget your sunscreen and sunglasses. The sun is no joke here !
- A visit to the Seoul Trick Eye Museum
Hongdae district is great place to go shopping and watch the well known KPOP street performances —although it is not all about that.So, after planning on going shopping all day in Hongdae, my friends and I decided that it would be a good idea to drop by the trick eye museum and have some fun. Thing is, we were actually looking for a place to avoid the heat and have a good time 😅
Playing with the psychedelic background elements and taking confusing pictures was a fun way to spend a warm afternoon with my friends.
For you to enjoy even more the experience, try to download the museum app. It will allow you to take the best possible silly pictures with moving backgrounds!
All in all, It’s better to experience it instead of reading about it ! So bring your phone and make sure to have fun with your friends or relatives !
That’s it for the oversharing experience ! Thank you for reading my first post.
I hope it helped you to know more about some of Seoul’s most intriguing spots. Don’t forget to share your own experience and recommendations for those long summer months in Seoul.
Simple Spaces Korea Tip: If you are a student or a professional looking for an accommodation for a short or longer stay in Seoul, don’t forget to visit https://www.simplespaceskorea.com/ and join our Central Seoul flatmates community !