Gangnam and Jamsil, Seoul: where to stay, Bongeunsa and the Han river

Gangnam, Samseong or Jamsil: choose by subway line

"Gangnam" is used loosely for the whole south bank, but the useful distinction is between three clusters. Gangnam Station and the streets around Yeoksam and Sinnonhyeon are the busiest, with the widest choice of hotels and restaurants. Samseong-dong, around COEX and Bongeunsa, is the convention and business district. Jamsil, in neighbouring Songpa-gu, is built around Lotte World Tower, Lotte World and Seokchon Lake. Seocho's Express Bus Terminal and Banpo area lies to the west, closer to the river.

Two lines tie these together. Line 2 runs east–west through Seocho, Gangnam, Yeoksam, Seolleung, Samseong and Sports Complex to Jamsil. Line 9 runs closer to the river, from Express Bus Terminal through Sinnonhyeon, Seonjeongneung and Bongeunsa to Sports Complex, Seokchon, Songpanaru and Olympic Park. A hotel within a short walk of a Line 9 station is the more useful choice if you will arrive from Gimpo or leave by express bus; one on Line 2 is better for the loop line's reach across the rest of Seoul.

Distances here are bigger than the map suggests. The blocks are long and the boulevards wide, so check the walk from the hotel door to the station exit rather than the district name. Samseong to Jamsil is a few stops on Line 2, not a stroll.

Bongeunsa, COEX and the royal tombs: one morning

Bongeunsa sits just north of the COEX complex, across Bongeunsa-ro, and the contrast is the reason to come. VisitKorea dates its founding to 794 under the Silla king Wonseong; it was renamed Bongeunsa in 1498 and moved to its present site under King Myeongjong. It holds 3,479 Buddhist scriptures of 13 types, including works by the calligrapher Kim Jeong-hee. VisitSeoul lists it a short walk from Line 9 Bongeunsa Station exit 1 and says visiting times vary with services and prayer ceremonies, so keep your voice down and step around worshippers in the halls.

The temple also runs a templestay programme, which VisitSeoul describes as covering the dawn service, Korean Zen meditation, a tea ceremony and balwoo gongyang, the formal Buddhist meal eaten from traditional bowls. Every May, around Buddha's Birthday, Bongeunsa holds a Lotus Lantern Festival on the street outside. Book a templestay ahead rather than turning up; we could not check current programme dates or fees.

Inside COEX, Starfield Library is the one stop worth making even if you dislike malls: a free open reading space with tall shelves of books and close to 600 magazines. When we checked on 2026-10-03, VisitSeoul listed it as open daily from 10:30 to 22:00 with free entry. The SEA LIFE COEX aquarium is in the same complex if the weather turns.

Close to Seolleung station on Line 2, Seonjeongneung is the burial ground of King Seongjong, his queen Jeonghyeon and their son King Jungjong, and part of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty World Heritage listing since 2009. It is a quiet wooded park with grass mounds, stone figures and a small hill path between the tombs. When we checked on 2026-10-03, VisitSeoul listed it as closed on Mondays, open 06:00–21:00 from March to October (06:30–17:30 from November to January, 06:00–18:00 in February), with a 1,000-won fee for foreign adults aged 19 to 64.

Jamsil: Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake

Lotte World Tower is 555 m tall with 123 storeys, and holds a mall, a hotel and the Seoul Sky observation deck on its upper floors at about 500 m. When we checked on 2026-10-03, VisitSeoul listed Seoul Sky as open 10:30–22:00 Sunday to Thursday and 10:30–23:00 on Friday and Saturday, with tickets of 33,000 won for adults (13 and over) and 29,000 won for children aged 3 to 12. Check the operator's own site before going, and only go up on a clear day: on a hazy one the view from the lake is better value.

Seokchon Lake, formally Songpanaru Park, is the free half of the visit. VisitKorea describes a 2.5 km path around its two basins, two minutes' walk from Jamsil Station exit 2, with Lotte World appearing to float on the western lake. Walk the circuit in the late afternoon and finish on Songnidan-gil, the café and restaurant street just south-east of the lake, near Line 9 Songpanaru Station.

Lotte World Adventure, the indoor theme park with its outdoor Magic Island on the lake, is a day out for families rather than a quick stop. VisitSeoul notes that Magic Island's rides can stop in rain, snow, sub-zero cold or strong wind while the indoor rides continue, so check the forecast. Further east, by Olympic Park station (Lines 5 and 9) and Hanseong Baekje station (Line 9), Olympic Park was laid out around the 1988 Olympic venues and contains Mongchontoseong, the earthen walls of a Baekje-period fortress with a free 2.4 km walking trail; KSPO Dome, one of Seoul's main concert arenas, is inside the park.

The Han river from the south bank

The south bank has the riverside parks that Seoul uses on summer evenings. Banpo Hangang Park, about 1.1 km from Express Bus Terminal Station exit 8-1, is the place for the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain on Banpodaegyo Bridge, listed by Guinness as the world's longest bridge fountain. When we checked on 2026-10-03, VisitSeoul listed 20-minute shows at 20:00, 20:30 and 21:00 Monday to Thursday, with an extra 19:30 show from Friday to Sunday and on holidays, running from 15 March to October (plus a 21:30 show at weekends in July and August); shows can be cancelled in bad weather.

Jamsil Hangang Park is the riverside park closest to Lotte World: cycle paths, a swimming pool, a nature learning centre and an observation café on Jamsildaegyo Bridge. VisitSeoul lists it as free and open 24 hours, about 1.4 km from Jamsil Station exit 5.

The Hangang River Bus runs along the river itself. VisitSeoul says it resumed on 1 March 2026 with an eastern route between Jamsil and Yeouido; when we checked on 2026-10-03, it listed 40 trips a day between 11:00 and 21:39 on the two routes and a 3,000-won adult fare, with transport-card transfers. It is a scenic ride rather than the fast way across town; check the operator's timetable before planning around it.

Leaving Seoul southwards

This is the practical case for Gangnam. Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, on Line 3 and the Suin–Bundang Line, is the Seoul end of the high-speed line that the SRT trains used to Busan and Mokpo. Wikipedia reports that SRT services were merged into the national KTX network on 1 September 2026, and we could not confirm the new ticketing arrangements from an official page, so check which operator and booking site your train uses before you travel.

Seoul Express Bus Terminal, on Lines 3, 7 and 9 in Seocho, is the hub for express coaches to the regions; VisitKorea's Daegu guide, for example, lists the coach from here to Seodaegu at about 3 hours 40 minutes. Goto Mall, a large underground shopping arcade, is in the station below it.

For Suwon, the Suwon Cultural Foundation lists red express bus 3000 from near Gangnam Station exit 5 to the Paldalmun stop, and bus 1007 from near Jamsil Station exit 6 to the Hwaseong Haenggung stop, both for the Hwaseong Fortress. That makes Suwon an easy day out from a south-bank hotel.

A day south of the river

This is an editorial suggestion, not a timetable. Check the opening days of each place first; Seonjeongneung closes on Mondays.

• Morning — temple and tombs: Bongeunsa early, then one Line 2 stop from Samseong to Seolleung for Seonjeongneung; Starfield Library in COEX on the way back.
• Afternoon — Jamsil: Line 2 to Jamsil (or Line 9 to Songpanaru), the walk around Seokchon Lake, and Seoul Sky if the sky is clear.
• Evening — the river: dinner on Songnidan-gil, or west to Banpo Hangang Park for the fountain show.
• Another day: a bus to Suwon's fortress from Gangnam or Jamsil, or Olympic Park and Mongchontoseong at a slower pace.