Last year, my offspring—who are obsessed with Godzilla, ramen, and the manga series One Piece—had been pining for a pilgrimage to Japan for months (years?). But Japan hit record tourism numbers in 2025, and that demand pushed the cost of flights during my kids’ fall break just out of our mileage reach. My son, who had recently finished a school project on Seoul, randomly suggested South Korea. I checked, and for about 250,000 United Airlines miles (which we had), all four of us could fly nonstop from San Francisco to the Korean capital city during their early October break, which also happened to coincide with Chuseok, or the fall harvest holiday (like Korean Thanksgiving).
I booked the flights in August, just as the Netflix sleeper hit, KPop Demon Hunters, was gaining serious traction. The rest, as they say, is history. The animated film’s hit song “Golden” won the first-ever Grammy Award for the K-Pop genre, and the movie, set in Seoul, has become the most-watched Netflix credit of all time—my kids having contributed to a good chunk of those views. The movie’s runaway success was the perfect fuel for trip excitement.
With the flights secured, I outlined the details of our vacation, landing on a combination of five days in Seoul—visiting palaces, museums, and markets (including some locations that make an appearance in the movie)—followed by three days of relaxing on the volcanic island of Jeju.
In researching, I came across a new KPop Demon Hunters–themed tour that had been recently launched by bespoke travel company Zicasso. So, I reached out, and Zicasso created a shortened version of that tour (their tours are fully customizable) with a day and a half of guided exploration in Seoul, with some KPDH insights and trivia woven in. And I cannot recommend enough that you work with a professional tour company like Zicasso for at least a part of your South Korea trip. It gave us parents a break from planning and leading, as we handed over the reins to knowledgeable local guides who had endless information at their fingertips.
Ultimately, we accidentally stumbled into what turned out to be one of our favorite international family trips of all time. South Korea stole our hearts, and you should let it steal yours. Our itinerary went off without a hitch, so here’s what we did, saw, ate, and experienced—because there really is no better time than now to travel to South Korea with your all-ages crew.
A couple things to note about traveling to South Korea. Google Maps only partially works. You can search and look up places using Google Maps to see photos and reviews, but the directions will not work. You need to download the Korean app Naver for accurate walking, driving, or public transit directions. Also worth noting: A huge benefit of a family trip to South Korea right now is the strong dollar against the South Korean won (as of press time, US$1 is equivalent to 1,445 won—a cappuccino costs about 5,000 won so about $3, and a pizza costs about 20,000 won or $13), making it an extremely affordable trip for families on the ground.
You can find the locations below plotted in our Seoul for Families Google Map list.
Day 1: Convenience stores, Myeongdong walk, and Seoul Tower
During the fall Chuseok holiday, traditional games are set up around Seoul Tower.
Photo by Michelle Baran
Morning: Hit the shops—the convenience store shops, that is
No matter where in the United States you fly in from, your journey to Seoul has likely been long, and everyone in your group will probably be tired and hungry. There are plenty of great hotels (like Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in the heart of the city) but we chose an Airbnb in an amazing traditional Korean hanok home (built in an architectural style dating back to the 14th century) located near the very walkable Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul’s Jongno District, for the comfort and convenience of having a kitchen and washer and dryer.
Wherever you’re staying in town, it’s not a bad idea to stock up on snacks and instant noodles, or ramyun. You’ll find plenty of options at a neighborhood GS25 or 7-Eleven (they are everywhere) or at a full-service supermarket like Lotte Mart. The cute characters on the food packaging and the endless array of new-to-us nibbles and treats made for a perfectly entertaining postflight pick-me-up. We loved trying all the different noodles—including, of course, the KPDH-branded ramyun—and figuring out the right amount of powder to add to each one, as well as cookies and sticks with Oreo and strawberry flavoring.
Afternoon and evening: Myeongdong side streets, and a cable car up to Seoul Tower
Having fueled up on Korean snacks (including some to bring in your daypack), it’s time to pound the pavement to stave off that travel fatigue. Hop onto the very efficient subway (you can buy refillable cards at many convenience stores—another reason to pop in) to the Myeondong stop. The Myeondong neighborhood is known for being a tourist shopping trap. But instead of joining the throngs on the main retail strips, head south along a small street named Toegye-ro 20 gil, lined with quirky hostels and colorful Mondrian-esque street art. Pop into the high-end Ruli Coffee shop for a caffeine-fueled tasting flight (for the adults); the kids can entertain themselves at the attached gochapon machine store, where balls full of random trinkets and toys tumble out of the gumball-machine–like dispensers.
Make your way to the base of the Namsam Cable Car that carries visitors up the tree-filled Namsam peak to Seoul Tower. Fair warning, we waited two full hours in the cable car line, so this may not be the right choice if you have squirmy little ones. For those who can persevere, the views of sprawling Seoul (with a population of about 10 million) from the hanging cable car are unbeatable. At the top, a bustling Seoul Tower awaits, complete with ample shops and eateries, including the cute Korean diner Durumi Bunsik, which serves gimbap (like small sushi rolls filled with rice, vegetables, and sometimes meat), fried chicken, and the popular fish cake soup. The diner is a solid choice for dinner, and afterward, your crew can walk down Namsam along the leafy paths to head back to the subway.
Day 2: Korean history and a bustling food market
The “Streets of Memories” exhibit outside the National Folk Museum of Korea features ‘70s and ‘80s Seoul street scenes.
Photo by Michelle Baran
Morning: Pastries and a palace
It’s time to get in some culture at Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. But not before loading up on pastries at the nearby Cafe Onion Anguk, a famous bakery and coffee shop where the over-the-top selection of fruit-filled croissants and powdered-sugar cone cakes is almost as beautiful as the historic hanok they are housed in. Powered by carbs and sugar, your family will be primed to dive into centuries of Korean history at Changdeokgung Palace, which dates back to 1405. The buildings and grounds are stunning, a collection of historic architecture connected by well-manicured gardens. No matter how deep you get into the history with your kids, this is a fascinating experience, and the kids will have a lot of fun imagining the life of ancient Korean royalty.
Also popular is renting traditional hanbok clothing from shops in the area so you can experience palace life in outfits fit for royalty. It may seem like cultural appropriation, but as part of the fall Chuseok holiday festivities certain establishments were handing out discounts to people (tourists and visitors included) wearing hanbok formals. So, they were actively encouraging it and seemed to support it. We skipped it, simply because it seemed like a bit of a hassle to change and walk around in formal clothing.
Afternoon and evening: A market and a museum
For lunch, head to the bustling Gwangjang Market, the oldest permanent market in the country. For this outing, we handed ourselves over to Claudia Tönz, a local Swiss guide and cofounder of the tour company Schauplatz Korea, which Zicasso connected us with. Claudia is great with kids, and I was so grateful to have her with us to help identify all the foods in the market. We definitely wouldn’t have had the courage to try as much of the market’s famous prepared food without her. Sitting on short stools at one of the many stalls, Claudia helped us order gimbap, fish cake soup, delicious dumplings, glass noodles, and more. Under her calming presence, my extremely picky eater (six-year-old Catalina) even tried many of the foods, while my nine-year-old son, Niko, happily inhaled it all.
Reenergized by the market fare, make your way to the National Folk Museum of Korea. Here, we met with another local guide through Zicasso, David Mason, who leads cultural tours and contextualized the exhibits and history for us while the kids enjoyed the museum’s interactive displays. He explained some of the lore from KPop Demon Hunters, including about the Saja Boys’ traditional gat-style black-brimmed hats dating back to the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), and the Korean folk art tiger that inspired the film’s lovable Derpy Tiger. I was amazed at how much my kids retained despite how tired they were (the jet lag was setting back in at this point). For younger kids, such as toddlers, there is a Children’s Museum within the National Folk Museum that has more play-based spaces. And don’t miss the open-air “Streets of Memories” exhibit outside the museum, where you can wander in and out of retro re-creations of a comic book store, a supermarket, and other street scenes from ’70s and ’80s Seoul.
For dinner, grab some delicious wood-fired pizzas from Baking Dough. Because pizza with kids is never a bad idea.
Day 3: Lotte World
Take a spin around Lotte World on the Balloon Flight ride.
Photo by Michelle Baran
Morning, afternoon, and evening: A full day of Pokémon, rides, and treats
You didn’t come all the way to Seoul to skip the world’s largest indoor theme park, did you? With loads of Pokémon characters and hilariously cute and quirky rides, this is a good one to save for a rainy or a very hot day. One entire theme park in Lotte World is indoors (there’s also an outdoor section).
We purchased tickets through online experiences vendor Klook, and at the time of publishing, prices range from $35 to $70 per person—you pay the higher price for a Magic Pass that includes three fast passes for access to shorter lines on popular rides. The Magic Pass is well worth the price, reducing wait times in lines from upwards of two to three hours to about 20 to 30 minutes. We were confused for basically the entire morning about how the fast-pass system works and which rides we should try. But we had so much fun taking in all the people and the excitement and trying the theme-park snacks (from classics like churros and popcorn to those with a Korean twist, like soft-serve sandwiched between salt bread).
Our favorite ride of the day was the Flume Ride (a classic log flume coaster with the requisite thrilling splashes), followed by Balloon Flight, with Poké balls made to look like hot-air balloons floating around the park. If you need a break from the crowds, head upstairs to the tucked-away Lotte World Folk Museum, included in the cost of admission; it’s a surprisingly thorough exploration of Korean folk history, with massive miniatures depicting ancient Korean scenes. Or rent some skates for the indoor ice-skating rink on the first floor.
Day 4: Royal guards, North Korean noodles, and modern Seoul
Gentle Monster sells glasses to the backdrop of mind-bending modern art, and the Nudake coffee shop downstairs serves seriously innovative pastries and drinks.
Photos by Michelle Baran
Morning: Palace walks and a Pyeongyang lunch
Following a long day at Lotte World, it’s time to dive back into some culture—old and new. At the Deoksugung Palace, there is a daily royal guard changing ceremony at the Daehanmun Gate at 11 a.m., weather permitting. This is a fun kickoff to exploring the ornate palace structures and grounds dating back to the 15th century. On this day, we again handed the reins back over to Claudia and her partner Daniel Thomas Faller of Schauplatz Korea; again, we were thrilled to have them provide knowledge and insights into Korean history and culture, as well as seamlessly navigate us in a private van throughout the day. For lunch, grab a table at Michelin-recognized Jinmi Pyeongyang Naengmyeon. This casual and bustling eatery serves popular North Korean–style cold noodles (we found these to be a bit plain, but fun to try) alongside a table grill for meats like bulgogi (always fun for the kids), and dumplings.
Afternoon and evening: Gentle Monster and Gangnam
It’s time to explore modern Seoul in the painfully hip and cooler-than-thou Apgujeong neighborhood. Head to House Dosan, which is part art gallery, part retail concept, and part coffeehouse. The upper levels are home to Gentle Monster, the absolutely surreal Korean glasses brand. My kids found the provocative modern art (a sea of moving trash bags when we were there) and the ability to try on futuristic glasses super amusing. Relax with over-the-top pastries (like a squid ink cake and tomato-shaped pomegranate jelly) and inventive coffee and matcha drinks (like a Dutch Latte with a Pieta-shaped coffee ice cube drizzled with milk) in the Nudake coffee shop in the basement.
Finish the day at the Starfield Coex Mall in the Gangnam District, where you can visit the Gangnam Style public art homage to Psy (with “Gangnam Style” playing on a loop in an accompanying video, of course), then head inside for shopping, bopping, and a visit to the Insta-famous Starfield Library (an actual library in the middle of the mall with soaring, 40-foot bookshelves—sadly, social media fame has not made this a calming place to enjoy a book or two, but it’s still a sight to behold). Get dinner at any number of dining establishments in the mall, from Korean standards to Shake Shack.
Day 5: City parks, a cate café, and Korean barbecue
At Hyundai Wonseo Park, the author’s kids played on their own and with other local children.
Photo by Michelle Baran
Morning: Bagels and park relaxation
You have to make a reservation well in advance, but if you score a slot, head to London Bagel Museum to experience one of Seoul’s biggest runaway breakfast successes and one of the most colorful assortments of bagels you’ve ever laid eyes on. Following breakfast, the entire family could probably use some chill time. For as dense as Seoul is, it also has some impressive green spaces, full of open lawns, hiking trails, and play areas. Spend the morning taking it slow at Seoul Forest Park, Botanic Park, or even just a small neighborhood park and playground like Hyundai Wonseo Park. This was one of our most heart-warming mornings, where we just let the kids play and make friends with local Korean kids who were out of school due to the Chuseok holiday.
Afternoon and evening: Cute cats and perfectly grilled meats
It’s a bit touristy, yes, but it’s really hard to resist the playfulness of a cat café in Seoul with kids. Visit Cat Cafe Cat’s Sarangchae in the heart of the Myeondong shopping district to lounge around with a wide range of fluffy, grumpy, sleek, and sultry cats. You can buy some food to give the cats so that they are more inclined to cuddle with you, along with coffees, teas, and juices. There’s plenty of shopping in this area if you want some last-minute souvenirs. For dinner, head around the corner from the cat café to Hansik Wangbijib for a traditional Korean barbecue feast, including a parade of marbled Korean beef tenderloin, sirloin, and soy sauce–marinated short ribs, perfectly grilled and cut up into shareable bites by your server, plus kimchi pancakes, and endless banchan, those appealing small bowls of kimchi and vegetables. This was by far our favorite meal of the entire trip.
Optional side trip: Jeju Island
The beautiful Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls are a short drive from the luxurious JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa.
Photo by Michelle Baran
If you have two or three more days, it’s a great opportunity for a change of scenery. A short, one-hour flight away is the volcanic island of Jeju, also known as the Hawaii of South Korea. We made the luxurious and extremely family-friendly JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa on the south side of the island our home base with beautiful coastal views, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a very impressive kids club with fun and educational programming, and rooms that can accommodate families (including some with bunk beds).
Note that if you want to truly explore the island, look into renting a car. We did not and were a bit resort-bound because of it, but that also made us to slow down a bit and just embrace the hotel’s attractive amenities and services. We did hire a taxi for a half-day trip to nearby Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls, a short hike to a gorgeous collection of falls that tumble over tree-covered boulders. From there, we walked into the nearby, charmingly trapped-in-the-’80s city of Seogwipo and had fun shopping at cutesy stationery stores like Artbox Seogwipo.
Back at JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa, you can take coastal hikes along the rocky shore, or spend the day relaxing at the kid-friendly O’Reve Hot Spring and Spa, with numerous hot spring baths, indoor saunas and relaxation rooms, an interactive kids play room, on-site restaurant with set Korean menus (featuring noodle soup and rice bowls), and larger pools for swimming and splashing.
Book at least one splurge meal at the JW Marriott’s Flying Hog, an upscale wood fire grill dining experience with a tasting menu and wine pairings that is remarkably kid-friendly given the sophistication of the dining experience—our kids were served chicken parmesan with addictive skinny fries while we indulged in whipped potatoes with sea urchin, duck with mustard greens, and the trademark “flying hog” with Jeju soybean paste.
Our time in Jeju was the perfect end to a trip we loved. We were all so sad to leave. And, of course, we cannot wait to go back.
