Where the Girls Go: Seoul Edition

By: Seoyoung Hong

Seoul is the kind of city that lets you do everything in one weekend—slow mornings that feel cinematic, shopping streets that somehow turn into photo shoots, and nights that start with “just one drink” and end with the last subway (or the first coffee). Consider this your shortcut to doing Seoul the right way: curated, neighbourhood-led, and deliberately biased toward places that feel stylish without trying too hard. 

Below are the spots to build the perfect Seoul rotation: one matcha moment, one “I planned this” rooftop, one intimate bar that makes you dress better, one café that feels like everyone’s mood board, and a river-night finale that always works.

Where girls go to feel seen ( Apgujeong · Cheongdam-dong )

If you want that clean, polished “Seoul at night” feeling without committing to a full club plan, start here. VVERTIGO is a rooftop sky bar at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, grown-up, glossy, and made for lingering over drinks while the city does its thing around you. 

What makes it a “girls go” spot is the ease: it reads elevated without being intimidating. Yeouido is business-district energy in the best way—sleek towers, wide roads, and a skyline that looks especially good once the lights come on. Treat it like your first stop on a night out (or your last stop when you want to end on something chic rather than chaotic). If you are building a weekend itinerary, this is where you put the first proper outfit.

Where girls go to capture the moment 

Photo booths in Seoul are more than just pictures; they're proof you were there, together, feeling good. 

Girls duck into Photomatic, Photoism, or Photogray between shopping stops, before clubbing, or after dinner. Hair is a little messy. Makeup is still perfect. It’s playful, slightly chaotic, and always a good idea. 

You don’t overthink the poses. You just smile, lean in, and let the camera do the rest.

Where girls go to flirt with the city: (Hongdae · Itaewon)

This is where plans are loose, and expectations are lower in the best way. You don’t come here looking for clarity. You come to feel alive again. Bold outfits, spontaneous nights, conversations that don’t need to mean anything tomorrow. 

It’s playful, chaotic, and unapologetic. Exactly as it should be.

The Seoul Rite of Passage: Hangang Picnic at Yeouido Hangang Park 

If you do one “only in Seoul” activity, do this. A Hangang picnic is not a tourist gimmick; it is genuinely part of how people enjoy the city, especially when the weather is good. Yeouido Hangang Park is a classic option: wide river views, space to spread out, and the simple joy of eating convenience-store snacks by the water. 

This is also where Seoul becomes very easy: you do not need a complicated plan. Bring (or buy) something to eat, sit by the river, talk for hours, and let the day stretch. If your group wants more structure, rent a bike and make it a proper river circuit, then come back for snacks when you are ready to collapse into the grass.

The Night Finale That Always Works: Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain 

When you want a cinematic ending without a club, go to Banpo. The Moonlight Rainbow Fountain is a nighttime show on Banpo Bridge with illuminated water jets and music, typically operating seasonally from around April to October. 

It is the kind of plan that feels romantic even if you are only there with friends: the river, the lights, the city in the background, and that specific Seoul feeling of public spaces being truly alive at night. Pair it with a casual walk, a dessert run, or a convenience-store drink, and it becomes the perfect “end scene” to your weekend.