One of the most popular areas to visit in Seoul is the Hongdae area. It is located around Hongik University and you will find not only a lot of students but also a wide variety of things to do including café's to visit, bars, restaurants, busking performances, shopping areas, clubs, karaoke, and even fortune telling. In this blog I am going to give  you a brief overview of just some of the fun things to do in Hongdae.

Cafés

There are countless amounts of cafes and coffee shops in Hongdae, and if you ever think that you've visited them all, look again because there are many cafes that are hidden in nooks or upstairs so they require some searching. You can find themed cafes such as 943 Kings Cross which is a Harry Potter themed cafe, cafes that have furry friends such as Thanks Nature Cafe which is a super cute cafe that has real sheep that you can play with out front, we actually just featured this cafe on our instagram, go check it out! There are even cafes that have really unique aesthetics such as Urban Plant which is a cafe that has plants all inside and around the cafe for a jungle feel. So make sure to check out this area if you're looking for a unique cafe vibe.

Thanks Nature Cafe - Source: Naver Blog

943 Kings Cross Cafe - Source: Wix

Entrance of Urban Plant Cafe - Source: Enkor Team

 

Shopping

Hongdae has a very large shopping selection to choose from and is very up to date on all of the fashion trends and is known to have quite a few sales going on all of the time. Make sure to check your size before going, Korean sizes are much different from other countries, and if an item of clothing says free on the tag it means that the item is only in one size sort of like a one size fits all. 

Source: Why Not Ju

Busking Performances

Busking in Hongdae - Source: Why Not Ju

Hongdae is no stranger to the busking scene, and at any point in time you can find a collection of street performers that are singing, dancing, performing magic, and so much more. I would definitely recommend checking out this area if you haven't done so already!

Clubs

Like other areas of Seoul, Hongdae is one of the areas known for its clubbing scene and its openness towards foreigners. Since this area is located by the university they tend to be generally open to foreigners, but don't be surprised if you are denied entrance into a club because you are a foreigner. For a list of clubs to visit in this area visit Trazy.

Mike's Cabin- Source: Facebook

Restaurants

There is a wide variety of restaurants to enjoy in the Hongdae area, and generally they are pretty cost effective because of the surrounding student population. They have anything from traditional Korean food, Korean bbq, dakgalbi, chicken & beer, tacos, street food, and so much more! If you are in the mood for a particular food, definitely look up that genre on google or naver blog first to see the reviews!

Source: Hotels.com

Cheese Dakgalbi - Source: Gyfcat

Karaoke

Karaoke, as you probably know by now, is really big in Korea,  and Hongdae is no exception. You will find a variety of really cool karaoke places in Hongdae ranging in prices from 8,000 - 22,000 won per hour. Generally the way that Karaoke or norabang works is you rent a private room dependent on your group size and can sing privately among your friends. Make sure that you ask how much it is before you pay, because some places may take advantage of foreigners who are new to the area. 

Luxury Karaoke - Source: Pinterest

 

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Source Links:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=385274033603414&set=a.385274006936750
Gyfcat:
https://gfycat.com/ko/gifs/search/dak+galbi
Hotel.com
https://www.hotels.com/go/south-korea/kr-best-seoul-dining-areas
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/405957353885857341/
Why Not Ju:
https://www.whynotju.com/what-to-do-in-hongdae-seoul/
Why Not Ju: Hongdae Street
https://www.whynotju.com/what-to-do-in-hongdae-seoul/
Wix:
https://dettejournal.wixsite.com/travel/post/943-king-s-cross-harry-potter-cafe