Cherry blossoms are in bloom, and there is palpable excitement across South Korea as BTS kicks off its Arirang concert tour today in Goyang, a satellite city of Seoul.
While fans from across the world have converged to see the K-pop supergroup’s comeback concerts on April 9, 11, and 12, the country is teeming with visitors who are also looking to make the most of the season.
BTS performs at Gwanghwamun(the southern gate pictured in the background) for BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG in March
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy of Netflix
Seoul’s cherry blossoms are set to peak around April 10. There are iconic sites like Gyeongbokgung Palace and Cheong Wa Dae (the President’s residence), as well as slower pleasures like a Han River picnic at sunset, or reading by the Cheonggyecheon stream on every Seoul itinerary.
But our guide to the city attempts to take you beyond the predictable highlights; eat the best hotteok, load up on cute art and beauty supplies, and then make a K-Pop star-worthy video. So download Naver maps on your phone (Google maps do not work in Korea), recharge your T-Money card for public transport, grab a sweet potato latte, and read on.
Idol-spotting
A park bench at Seoul Forest Park with lyrics rapped by RM of BTS
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
In the heart of Seongsu, Seoul Forest Park is a sprawling green island surrounded by imposing skyscrapers. K-pop fans, look out for the many benches dedicated to your favourite musicians. BTS in particular, has multiple benches and tables scattered across the park. ’Please lean on me and rest sometimes’, reads the engraving on Suga’s bench. For photos, head to J-Hope forest, a small garden marked by a distinctive J-shaped bench in bright yellow. It is open through the day, so you can plan a walk here to recharge, soak in the greenery, and station yourself on a BTS bench to sing ‘Life goes on’.
Will trek for food
At Samcheongdong Hotteok in Seoul
| Photo Credit:
S Poorvaja
Seoul has every imaginable type of cafe — one where it rains inside, another overlooking a waterfall and a third that has cats, of course. There are also several local markets serving up a delectable array of snacks like the ones in Namdaemun and Gwangjang. We also recommend the Ramen Convenience Store at Jongno which is open 24 hours and is manned by no one. Walk in, choose a ramen of your choice, make it using induction machines set up and slurp away at tables facing walls plastered over with post-it notes from travellers across the world. For some delicious warm hotteok or stuffed pancakes, make your way to Samcheongdong Hotteok. Tucked away in a small alley in Jongno district, you can pick from sweet or savoury fillings such as beef bulgogi, sweet and spicy pork, honey and nuts, and more. This spot also has a famous frequent customer; RM of BTS, who has in the past, shared pictures of his favourite hotteok from here.
Dance, sing and make your own music video
At HiKR Ground in Seoul
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
A South Korea tourism publicity centre where you can walk in free of cost, HiKR Ground is ideal for Instagram reels and photos. While one floor has different corners in bright purple, pink and yellow — including one that looks like a very Wes Anderson-esque laundromat – another level comes with an XR Live Studio to record your own K-Pop music video. Also check out their ongoing exhibitions, and cute cafe on the top floor. If you want to begin with the basics, several dance studios across the city offer a range of classes; this includes the ‘tourist experience’ where you can pay upwards of ₹2,000 for a 90-minute session. For a more academic training session, enroll in classes taught by backup dancers to K-Pop idols, and leave with new moves, photos and vidoes of your session, and a certificate.
People watch, read and unwind
People sitting by the Cheonggyecheon stream which runs through parts of Seoul
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images/iStockphoto
A pedestrian plaza right at the centre of a bustling thoroughfare feels strangely surreal. Gwanghwamun Square, which extends from the southern gate of the Gyeongbokgung Palace to City Hall, recently hosted the first comeback concert of BTS which was streamed live on Netflix.On an evening walk, you can see the majestic gate lit up, and then explore the pedestrian plaza while stopping to see statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-sin. There are several spots to sit down and people-watch.
If you are travelling after mid-April, keep an eye out for when the Seoul Outdoor Library initiative. At the Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Square, and the Cheonggyecheon stream, the initiative aims to bring together people to read in open public spaces, setting up bookshelves and comfortable beanbags.
Walk, walk… and walk some more
At Insa-Dong
| Photo Credit:
S Poorvaja
If you have a step count to keep up, Seoul, with its immensely walkable streets (often steep and with the imminent threat of steps) will keep you on your toes. Walk through Hongdae, a hip university-adjacent neighbourhood filled with stores and cafes to spot people busking. At Insa-dong, peep into art studios, buy unique art, learn how to write your name in Korean and engrave it on a stamp. For a mix of high-end designer stores and local boutiques which include perfumes at Tamburins, quirky sunglasses at Gentlemonster, the glitzy Dior flagship and Loewe and Prada Beauty, head to Seongsu, called the ‘Brooklyn of Seoul’ to trend-spot, hop cafes and more.
In search of merch, stationery, and albums
Find K-pop merch and souveneirs aplenty across the city
| Photo Credit:
S Poorvaja
There is an Olive Young to shop for K-Beauty and makeup at every street corner of course, but if you are a stationery hoarder, the many Art Box and Daiso stores across the city have plenty of stickers, notebooks, and pens. Find everything from stationery, an impressive collection of books, reading spaces and albums of your favourite K-Pop groups at the sprawling Kyobo Book Centre in Gwanghwamun. Even if you do not know how to read Korean, the book covers are a thing of beauty. Browse through Korean translations including books by Han Kang, Cho Nam-joo and Bora Chung.
And if it is phone cases and charms, hair accessories, K-Drama/K-pop posters, photocards, and cute socks you are after, head to the Myeong-dong shopping street in the evenings. Pro-tip: Also explore the shops at the subway station underground for souvenirs and local snacks such puffed rice crackers sold in large packets that make you wish you had a larger luggage allowance.
The writer was in Seoul on invitation from Korea Tourism Organization
Published – April 09, 2026 05:29 pm IST
