Seoul City and N Seoul Tower, South Korea

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N Seoul Tower & Namsan

Top choice in Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

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The iconic N Seoul tower (236m), atop the city’s guardian mountain Namsan, offers panoramic views of this immense metropolis from its observation deck. Come at sunset and you can watch the city morph into a galaxy of twinkling stars. Up top is the upmarket N.Grill and a cafe. The tower has become a hot date spot with the railings around it festooned with locks inscribed with lovers’ names.

Walking up Namsan isn’t difficult, but riding the cable car is popular for more good views.

Shuttle buses run from 7.30am to 11.30pm from various subway stations around the mountain (such as Myeong-dong Exit 3, Chungmuro Exit 2, and Seoul Exit 9); normal bus fares apply.

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Nearby Myeong-dong & Jung-gu attractions

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Near the summit of Namsan you can see the Bongsudae, a smoke-signal communications system used for 500 years to notify the central government of urgent…

2. Waryongmyo

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Along the Namsan Northern Circuit, a pedestrian path that snakes for 3km from the lower cable-car station to the National Theater, you’ll find the…

3. Namsan Park

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Beloved by locals as a place for exercise, peaceful contemplation and hanging out with loved ones, Namsan was a sacred shamanistic spot when the Joseon…

4. Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall

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In a striking contemporary building on the west flank of Namsan, this well-presented museum is dedicated to Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-guen. Ahn…

5. Seoul Animation Center

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Up the hill on the way to the cable car you’ll find this museum and cinema devoted to cartoons and animation from Korea and beyond. It's part of a whole…

6. Namsangol Hanok Village

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Located in a park at the foot of Namsan, this peaceful village is a wonderful spot to encounter traditional Korean culture. It features five differing…

7. Namsan Botanical Garden

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8. Namdaemun Market

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You could spend all day in this swarming night-and-day market and not see it at all. The largest market in Korea, each section has hundreds of stalls,…