Seoul Holiday Deals

For a chance to experience what it’s like staying in a traditional Korean homestead (hanok) with its characteristic wooden shutters, sloping tiled roof and decorative walls, and set in a manicured garden, book a stay at Rakkojae Hanok. This 140-year-old hanok is synonymous with its name that translates as ‘a place where one can enjoy the traditions of times past and rest one’s soul’. You can feast on authentic Korean cuisine, experience a tea ceremony, try making kimchi (traditional spicy fermented cabbage) or relax in the mud spa.

How about a temple stay in a Buddhist temple that’s been around for more than a millennium? Bongeunsa, in the heart of Seoul, offers introductory and more ‘serious’ overnight stays for visitors looking to experience the Buddhist tradition and daily monastic life. A temple stay (the duration of which depends on the chosen programme) may include a digital detox, silent meditation, communal chores, art and craft activities, as well as vegetarian cuisine and a detox from any stimulants.

If upmarket is more your thing, Signiel Seoul, a five-star hotel in the Lotte World Tower (South Korea’s tallest building at 555.7 metres) is it! Offering panoramic views of Seoul’s cityscape and the Han River from rooms on the 76th to the 101st floors, Signiel Seoul offers you two fine-dining restaurants (a French and Korean 1 Michelin-starred restaurant), and a champagne bar. The luxurious double rooms have bathtubs overlooking the city, and are especially popular. Top tip: gaping at Seoul in all its glory as you bathe is best experienced with the lights down very low unless you want the visual experience to be the other way around.  The hotel’s indoor pool is complemented with a gym and spa. While the hotel connects to Jamsil Subway Station, making it easy to get around, there’s much to do in the tower itself, including observation decks, cafés and bars.