Solo Travel in Seoul: Everything You Need to Know

My soul sister! You’re about to solo travel in Seoul? I AM OBSESSED. You know South Korea is one of my favorite countries, and I can’t even remember the amount of times… (OK, lies… actually I have them pretty well counted. I spent an entire year there in 2014, came back in 2015, then stayed for a month in 2016, another month in 2018, and a month and a half in 2025). I LOVE KOREA AHHH.

While it’s a beautiful country that I absolutely recommend exploring from top to bottom, it’s also true that Seoul is worth the trip and, as a good capital city, it has plenty of things you won’t find elsewhere in the country. Depending on what you’re looking for, Seoul might actually be all you need if you’re traveling alone in South Korea. Now, if you really want to get to know Korean culture, of course I’m going to encourage you to venture beyond the capital and explore the rest of the country.

Seoul (along with Busan) is a great gateway to South Korea, so I’m glad you picked it. Now, let’s get to what you actually want to know.

Solo Travel in Seoul

Distances

The first thing you need to keep in mind if you’re traveling alone in Seoul is that this city is HUGE. And I’m telling you this as someone who basically walks everywhere… Seoul is not exactly a walking-friendly city in the sense that everything is at least two hours away on foot.

And while I LOVE walking around a city to really get to know it, if you’re only spending five days in Seoul, you probably don’t want to waste half your trip getting from one place to another.

So here are my two recommendations:

Choose your accommodation based on your own preferences. Choosing the right neighborhood can save you a LOT of trouble when it comes to distances. I wrote a whole post about the most popular areas in Seoul so you can figure out where to stay depending on what you want to see. Personally, I’d recommend staying around Myeongdong. Not necessarily IN Myeongdong, but somewhere in the surrounding area. Still, check out this guide and decide for yourself: Best Areas to Stay in Seoul
As soon as you land at the airport, get a transportation card to save money on subway and bus rides. Of course, I also have a post to help you decide which one to use: T-Money vs. Climate Card

Taking a taxi can be cheaper than in some other countries, but traffic in Seoul can get so chaotic that I’d always recommend taking the subway, train, or bus instead (buses even have their own lanes in many places).

Safety

South Korea is one of the safest countries for solo travel. And I’m telling you this from experience after traveling alone through more than 40 countries.

Now, yes, Korea has problems — like every country — including issues involving men who abuse women, etc. In Korea, these situations tend to happen mostly among Koreans themselves; it’s relatively uncommon (although obviously not impossible) for something to happen to you specifically because you’re a foreign woman.

BUT… that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay alert.

That’s my only real piece of advice: always stay aware of your surroundings. Can you walk alone at 3 a.m. almost anywhere in Seoul? Yes. But stay alert. There are countries where I would straight-up tell you not to go out alone at night. That’s the difference here.

You can walk around alone at night, pretty much wherever you want… but just in case, always stay aware 🙂

There have been some reported cases of pickpocketing in recent years, particularly in crowded areas such as Myeongdong. So, as a good Latina, keep your eyes open.

Communication

Seoul is one of the most connected cities in the world. You can get Wi-Fi even while hiking in the mountains (I swear).

There’s Wi-Fi available in tons of places around the city, and some of the most popular neighborhoods also have free public Wi-Fi. But it really depends on how connected you like to be — and whether you need a reliable connection for work.

If you do, I definitely recommend getting an eSIM.

If you’re only staying for a few days, I recommend buying an eSIM before you arrive and activating it once you land in South Korea. I’d only recommend getting a local SIM card if you’re staying for several months. Otherwise, an eSIM is more than enough.

Solo Travel in Seoul: Frequently Asked Questions

Traveling alone in Seoul can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve never traveled to a culture that’s very different from your own. But let me tell you: it’s actually one of the best options.

Seoul — and South Korea in general — is a fantastic destination for a first solo trip, so seriously, relax. You’re going to figure things out just fine.

Now, let’s get to those questions I know you probably have but might be too embarrassed to ask.

Is Seoul a good place to eat alone?

It’s true that in Korea, just like in Latin America, food is a big part of socializing, and it’s very common for people to go out to eat in groups.

But yes, you can absolutely eat alone.

Street food stalls often have one long counter or table in front of the stand, so everyone ends up eating together. I highly recommend this if you like socializing or want to make some Korean friends.

Otherwise, pretty much any restaurant you go to will have a table for you. Nobody is going to freak out because you’re alone. It might not be the most common thing for Koreans, but obviously, being a foreigner is a whole different story. You’ll see plenty of solo travelers eating alone.

Is public transportation easy to navigate?

Yes! Super easy.

You’ll quickly realize that Seoul is an insanely well-connected city. There are subway and train stations serving pretty much every neighborhood, and everything is very clearly signposted. The maps in each station are also super easy to understand.

Is Google Maps enough in Seoul?

No. Actually… if you want to find cafés and those little hidden gems that are mostly known by locals, I strongly recommend downloading Naver Maps.

That’s the map app Koreans actually use, and it will take you pretty much everywhere — with tons of detail, reviews, and even blog posts about individual places.

That’s all for now, amiguita! You know I’m here if you have any other questions.

And I’ll leave you with my podcast to get you excited about traveling solo out there: Historias que Molestan

Big travel hug,

Angie