Hongdae travel blog — How to visit, what to do in Hongdae & what to eat in Hongdae?

Hanging around Hongdae is an activity you definitely can’t miss when you come to Seoul. Hongdae neighborhood is located in Mapo district, near the area of Hongik University so this is the place where many young people gather for food, drinks, clothing stores which have wide variations of unique styles and characters, and the most trending bars in South Korea. Additionally, when going to Hongdae, you cannot miss a variety of free and unrestricted art activities on the weekend.

So, what to do in Hongdae? Let’s check it out our Hongdae travel blog (Hongdae blog): Discover distinct Hongdae area of Seoul on how to visit Hongdae perfectly from how to get there, where to go, what to eat in Hongdae and top things to do in Hongdae… to find out the answer.

Hongdae travel blog: How to get to Hongdae?

To get to Hongdae, it is most convenient and cheapest to travel by subway and the bus. You only need to buy a T-money card, which allows you to use most of the public transport in Korea. So, you can fully enjoy Hongdae by first finding yourself the most reasonable means to get there.

Going by subway, you just need to go to Hongik Univ station to arrive at Hongdae.

T-money card: You can order it in advance from home via KKDay, or purchased at CU at Incheon Airport (3000 Won + top up about 10,000 Won, and you can top up anytime when the balance is running low).

It is recommended that if you are afraid of not finding a place to buy T-money, the best way is to buy it in Vietnam, bring it along with you and use it normally.

Useful apps

Note: You should download the following apps because it is extremely convenient. I am a girl with a sense of disorientation but these apps saved my life in Seoul, especially when exploring every interesting nook and cranny of Hongdae.

• Subway Korea: On how to go by subway. To use subway map, just enter the name of the station you want to go, you will get a detailed guide such how long the train will arrive and how much money to get there which will be displayed in the app. (English download for iOS and Android).

• Navermap: Just type the address you want to go, the app will provide detailed guide to travel by taxi, bus or subway similar to Google Maps. Navermap is an app that replaces Google Maps when we’re in Korea. (English download for iOS and Android).

• Kakaobus: Search for information on how to travel by bus in Seoul. (English download for iOS and Android).

Hongdae blog: Where to stay?

Hotel or hostel in Korea is not too expensive, ranging from $8.61 – $25.83/person/night. Homestay about $8.61 – $17.22 is super comfortable, clean, and has a good location. Choose a hotel as close to the subway as possible (important for commuting).

You can choose to stay right in Hongdae to make it easy to have a late night out and not afraid to miss the last train.

At that time, my group and I have booked a room at Mono House Hongdae Seoul, the room is very nice, clean, comfortable and convenient for traveling to discover Hongdae. The rate for one night for a large room is $86.10, so we share it for only about $21.53/person/night, the price is very affordable for us.

Mono House Hongdae Seoul is a top rated 2-star guesthouse with room rates from $36/night, you can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

In addition, you can refer to one of the best Airbnb in Seoul: [Azit2] Rooftop house Mapo Hongdae/Sinchon/Itaewon at $61/night or Frozen Cactus at $50/night.

–> Airbnb link discount up to $35 for the first booking here: https://www.airbnb.com/c/anht5185

In addition, you can find more, check rates, availability & book for Hongdae hotels on Agoda.com or Booking.com or Airbnb.com.

Hongdae travel blog: What to eat in Hongdae? What to do in Hongdae?

Hongdae is extremely famous for street food, imagine you are walking on the vibrant streets of Hongdae with lots of delicious food in your hands while feeling the excitement of Kpop youth dancing dance cover of their idol’s hit songs. Certainly, Hongdae will help you open up the passionate youth inside you.

Choigozip Hongdae

Also, when it comes to Hongdae, people will talk about the famous grilled dish, which you definitely have to try once when you come to Korea and there is no better choice than Choigozip Hongdae.

Address: 25 World Cup buk-ro 2-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul 121-898, South Korea.

Grilled intestine dish here is super delicious, soft and greasy. In addition, there are a lot of side dishes such as the standard Korean dishes that we often see on TV: kimchi, seaweed soup, chopped vegetables, and many other side dishes that I don’t know their names but when combined, they are perfect together. I just cannot forget the taste so every time coming to Korea, I have to leave an empty slot in my schedule to eat there.

The price is not too expensive:

• Intestine: 17,000 Won/order – about $14.64, only serve 2 or more orders (but it’s so delicious that I can eat two orders at a time to satisfy my craving).
• Rice: 1,000 won/bowl.
• Soju: 4,000 Won/bottle.

If you go in group, you can try variations of meat in the restaurant, and the other types are also quite good. And the staff is also very enthusiastic and cute. The boss is quite funny and witty, knowing we are foreign guests so he gives us lots of food.

Continued reading…