Korea, 2026
Our first vacation abroad as a family took us to Hong Kong and China where we visited extended relatives (Clover met her great-grandmas!) Since we were making the trek all the way out to Asia, we decided to end the trip exploring somewhere new, just the three of us. A week in South Korea felt like the perfect getaway. I asked ChatGPT for rough itinerary, and off we went.
Part I: Seoul
Seoul is such a beautiful city, and we got to experience it during a really lovely time of year. Even in a bustling metropolis, trees line the streets, dramatic mountains surround the city, and rivers and streams create natural walking paths that make the urban landscape charming and inviting to pedestrians. And you know I love a walkable city.
This capital city is a melting pot of temples and palaces and modern skyscrapers alike. But what I appreciate most was how historic buildings like hanoks have been preserved and repurposed into modern-day storefronts. Hanok villages have rehabilitated traditional houses into trendy cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. Curved tiled roofs, wooden lattice doors, open courtyards… there was a reason these buildings were designed the way they were, and stepping into them now feels like you’re honoring tradition even while ordering a latte. The quaintness of third place invites you to slow down and pause.
We stayed in Insadong, and found it not only easy but also surprisingly pleasant to walk to nearby tourist attractions. In the mornings, we saw schoolchildren doing morning stretches to K-pop, expats headed to cafes, and briefcases-toting coffee-sipping salarymen commuting during rush hour. When day turned into night, we witnessed nearby ikseondong come to life. Locals in their work attire filled the streets, sitting on plastic stools while chatting over beers and seafood at pojangmacha. Romance lingers in the air as you wind into the vibrant alleyways to find young people shopping, dining, and sharing soufflé pancakes in the courtyards of gorgeous cafes. The k-dramas weren’t lying — there is serious magic in these streets.
To me, this city is urbanity done right.
Gyeongbokgung palace
The most popular tourist attraction in Seoul, the Gyeongbokgung Palace is known for its grand architecture and royal grounds. Limited by wake windows and baby priorities, we didn’t exactly plan our visit well. By the time we rented our hanboks, we only had an hour to see the palace. (We went to Hanboknam and I do not recommend. Simon described the chaos as “Ross Dress for Less on Black Friday.”) But since we rented the clothes, we had to spend time taking pictures. And between the sweltering heat, lack of shade, and increasingly fussy baby, we did a quick loop before returning our rentals. The palace was grand, but since there are no exhibits, the palace felt extremely empty. Pockets of landscaping offered respite from the heat, but the majority of the grounds was dominated by concrete and stone nothingness. No wonder why everyone seemed more focused on renting hanboks and doing photoshoots. At least we look good, right?
Bukchon Hanok Village
This is a residential neighborhood full of restored traditional hanoks. It was hilly but much interesting than the palace, and I loved stepping into teahouses and boutiques located within meticulously restored hanoks. I always have reservations about visiting large metropolitan cities because they tend to feel the same, but the historic architecture exemplified here ground Seoul in it unique history. Dating back to the 15th century, the Bukchon Hanok Village’s location allowed noblemen to live in close proximity to the royal palaces. Since then, it’s remained a living, breathing neighborhood.
Other Favorite Seoul spots
Ikseondong, a trendy neighborhood that locals actually visit. Come for the vibrant nightlife and experience authentic pojangmacha.
Orakai Insadong Suites, for a conveniently-located suite-style hotel option. The bedding was the most comfortable hotel bed I’ve ever slept on.
Cheonggyecheon, an urban stream in downtown Seoul. Perfect for a nice stroller walk or a morning jog.
Myeongdong, the Times Square of Seoul, for shopping and street food. I would come back just for a potato cheese corn dog.
Olive Young, the k-beauty chain found on practically every corner of this city.
Acorn Caricatures for cute caricatures in a modern illustration style. The artists work super quickly too.
Money Box to exchange cash for local currency, useful for buying street food.
Part II: Busan
After Seoul, we spent a long weekend in Busan. Not having done much research beforehand, I was shocked by this city that resembled a combination of Las Vegas, Honolulu, and Big Sur. A bustling metropolis with a relaxing seaside atmosphere, Busan was a whole different vibe. If Seoul was where young people live and work, Busan felt like where the the rich families vacationed.
Haeundae Beach
We stayed at a hotel right on this beach, not knowing it was world famous. Across the street was a Times Square-looking area full of restaurants (that are actually good), as well as a vibrant street food market that came alive at night.
A sand festival happened to be taking place, with the beach covered by large sand sculptures crafted by international artists that showcase the rich history of Busan. I learned that Busan is home of the BIFF, the most prestigious film festival in Asia. (Check out the sand sculpture inspired by the Train to Busan poster.) We spent an early morning strolling around and Clover experienced sand between her fingers for the first time. She was so engaged she forgot about the world around her. Girl knows quality when she sees it.
Blueline Park
A coastal attraction famous for its sky capsules and beach train, most people come to ride one or the other to see Busan’s coastline. However, since we didn’t plan ahead and tickets sell out fast, we decided to hike the route instead, which was 10 times better. We walked the 2km to Cheongsapo twin lighthouse area on a paved wooden deck trail that was stroller friendly and perfect. With access to unobstructed ocean views, a glass skywalk (admission is free), and interesting spots to stop and enjoy the natural scenery, it was a surprisingly delightful way to spend a morning. Once we got to Cheongsapo, a picturesque seaside village, we enjoyed a slow seafood lunch and teas at a cute cafe. Truly a perfect day.
Gamcheon Culture Village & Jagalchi
Gamcheon is a charming little village full of pastel-colored houses located on a steep hillside. While it makes for spectacular photos, I was underwhelmed by how manufactured and gimmicky this place was. I’ve seen colorful small hill towns like this around the world (Cinque Terre, Cusco, etc) and this one didn’t feel very special, especially when all the destinations are photo ops with the Little Prince-themed statues/murals. Because we came early to wander around before crowds of tourists flooded in, the stores and galleries weren’t yet open, so there was nothing to do. Having a map would’ve helped, as we found ourselves wandering around disoriented as we made the trek up and down hills in harsh sun while wearing a sleeping baby.
It’s interesting how this place was virtually unheard of until the houses were restored and brightly painted to attract tourism less than two decades ago. I did like the art and large-scale sculptures placed around the labyrinth-like alleys, but the commercialization was disappointing to witness. I thought I was coming for an authentic cultural experience, but instead found the place gentrified and Disney-fied by a French children’s book. We walked by the famous prince and fox sculpture and didn’t even bother taking a picture; it felt so mediocre.
Once 10am rolled around, hoards of Chinese tourists had flooded the entrance… our signal to leave. We took a taxi over to Jagalchi Fish Market, which was refreshing authentic (although pricey). Even though we didn’t end up eating there, it was cool to see the fishermen (and ajumma vendors) at work. Behind the market, you can walk out onto the harbor boardwalk and see the actual fishing vessels used to catch eel, octopus, clams, cuttlefish, abalone, and so much more.
Other Favorite Busan spots
Grand Josun: Our kid-friendly hotel that turned out to be much fancier that I expected. We enjoyed their nice pools, children’s laundry room, and even their in-house buffet breakfast (pricey but we liked it!) The location of this hotel was unbeatable as you lived right on the beach, although next time we’d consider upgrading to an ocean view room.
Haeundae Market: Right across from the beach, this street market is bustling in the evenings. Street snacks, seafood, and restaurants can be found tucked into the nooks and crannies of this alley. Simon explored this area on his own every single evening of our stay.
Photo Signature 24-hour photo booth was the best one we tried. Remote controlled, DSLR quality, and you can download all digitals afterward.
Food
Korean cuisine is one of my faves, so it deserves a section of its own. We tried everything. From fried chicken (shoutout Pelicana) to cold noodles, tteokbokki to gimbap, kalgutsu to stone pot rice, everything was made-to-order and served with endless amounts of pickled banchan. Luckily Clover can handle flavor, so we didn’t have to sacrifice meals just to make them baby-friendly. She was having mandu everyday, and sometimes we’d slip in a bit of kimchi onto her spoon just to get her used to the spice. Gotta start ‘em young.
For breakfast we’d stop by whatever bakery was open to pick up salt breads and pastries. Then outside of the big meals we tried street food and food market snacks: potato cheese corn dog, mayak gimbap, bingsu, mung bean pancake, twisted donuts, hotteok, citron tea, Osulloc green tea. At airports and train stations, we also enjoyed quick visits to coffee chain Mega MGC Coffee for fresh juice (sorry we don’t drink iced americanos) and fast-food mainstay Lotteria for shrimp burgers.
Favorite spots (accompanying photos below):
Cafe Onion (Seoul): For pastries in a beautiful cafe atmosphere. As one of the only bakeries open at 7am, we came here twice even though the pastries were mediocre (imagine Paris Baguette-level). But the ambiance was worth it. Located in a traditional hanok, the unique Anguk location has soban seating designed around the existing courtyard and charming garden. Sitting on the floor enjoying croissants with jazz music and early morning light fully convinced me to embrace the local cafe culture. If I lived here, this is 100% how I would start my everyday.
Bukchon Son Mandu (Seoul): For quick authentic mandu and cold noodles. We liked it so much we ate at two different locations on separate days.
Artist Bakery (Seoul): For really good salt bread. We stumbled upon the long line winding around the building on one of our morning walks, and Simon ended up discovering his favorite bakery. We came on 3 separate mornings, and tried a different assortment of salt breads everyday. Literally every single thing was chef’s kiss 🤌
Gwangjang Market (Seoul): One of the oldest traditional markets in Korea, this place was a big tourist destination known for mung bean pancakes, mayak gimbap, beef tartare, kalguksu, and twisted donuts. We tried a little bit of everything (except for the tartare), and some kind storeowners even gifted Clover extra portions of white rice and a Yakult.
팔도미역 청사포점 Paldomiyeok cheongsapo (Busan): The sea urchin seaweed soup and cockle bibimbap were both super flavorful and refreshing after a long morning walk. Now I’m begging Simon to make me seaweed soup at home.
Haemok Haeundae (Busan): A Japanese place with the best grilled eel (hitsumabushi) in town. This was another restaurant we stumbled upon right when they opened (we now eat dinners at 5pm with baby in tow), and got ourselves on the waitlist when a small crowded started forming. We ordered the hitsumabushi and kaisendon and every bite was divine. I’d forgotten how much I miss decently-priced sashimi.
Accommodating our little explorer
Committing to this trip with a baby was an endeavor in itself, and although certain moments were indeed hard (i.e. that first long-haul flight), having Clover with us allowed us to embrace mornings and make the most of our time. We picked convenient areas to stay in, and from there split up our priorities accordingly. The long dinners and night life we used to enjoy in the pre-kid days turned into early morning stroller walks to whatever bakery was open. Our day was planned around her wake windows, with the main activity taking place between the first two naps. Since restaurant reservations are hard to commit to, we kind of just stumbled upon places to eat (either in person or via ChatGPT recs.) Then at night after she goes down, if we have the energy, mom and dad take turns venturing out to explore some more. Since everything was walking distance, and there’s lots of late night food available, we’d find things to do during these solo adventures, whether it was night markets, a late night swim, a massage, or the climbing gym.
A year ago we couldn’t believe we were having a baby; now we’re toting her around the world like nothing has changed. She fell asleep in the stroller and carrier in all kinds of environments. She tried new foods like ginseng chicken and experienced the craziness that is Lotte Mart. She wore a short-sleeved hanbok, which we joke resembles a quinceañera dress. She cried, she laughed, she stood up for the first time. Traveling with a baby is extra hard, extra chaotic but extra magical. We got really good at planning, making adjustments on the spot, and radically accepting that whatever’s going to happen will happen.
Korea also had nursing/baby rooms everywhere! (See last pic below.) Malls, department stores, airports, random tourist centers, etc. These were an area of refuge when we needed it most on long travel days, with dim and quiet nursing booths, diaper changing stations, and hot water. I even spotted dedicated family/pregnancy parking spots that were given just as much priority as handicap ones.
Traveling with a baby was also surprisingly delightful, as anyone middle aged or older would stop and wave to her. She was like a celebrity as we walked through crowded areas. Grandmas would bend over and peek into the stroller just to see her and talk to her in Korean. People talking on the phone would literally come over and use their free hand to tickle her toes. Everyone sitting next to us or behind us on planes and trains would try to make her smile. In a place that was foreign, people welcomed her without knowing her name. And without exchanging a single word, the world felt nicer, cozier knowing that we could belong.
Still recovering from baby jetlag at the moment (it hit us hard) but grateful to have taken this time to make these memories.
During our first family vacation abroad, we stopped by Seoul and Busan.