Last Updated on January 28, 2026
This October, Luna and I made our first trip to South Korea. Traveling to East Asia has been a longtime dream of mine. While JC and I went to India two years ago, I longed to see more of Asia, specifically the far east. The stars seemed to align this year, as I reconnected with an MBA friend of mine who lives in Seoul. I told her of my dream to make a trip to Asia, and we immediately started planning for me to come and visit her in Seoul. I shared my plans with my best friend, Nikki, who lives in the US, and she didn’t falter to jump on board too and join me (with her baby). Read below for how to plan a first visit to South Korea and Seoul with a baby. And spoiler alert – South Korea is incredibly baby friendly, so don’t be afraid to travel with kids.
Should you bring your baby to South Korea?
The short answer – YES. South Korea is the most baby friendly destination I have ever been to. Even more than Greece. People are SO friendly towards babies. There are designated seats on trains and buses for passengers with children. And people actually respect that the seats are for those designated passengers (unlike in Berlin). But most of all, people want to interact and entertain your children. Especially seniors age 65+ (who were usually seated next to me on the train). Luna was the star and she absolutely loved it. People helped me push my stroller on and off elevators when I was holding Luna. I had bus drivers give Luna bags of snacks and even a Jeju orange to stop her crying. Women cooed over Luna in the elevator. If you take a baby with you to South Korea, be prepared to feel like a celebrity wherever you go.
How to Plan a First Visit to South Korea with a Baby – Flying to Seoul
When planning our trip to Seoul, the first thing to sort were the flights. I originally spied very cheap (600 EUR round trip) flights from Barcelona with Shenzhen Airlines. However, after reading reviews of the airline and consulting with my Chinese friend, I decided to book instead with Qatar Airways. Why did I make this decision? Well, I was concerned about the transit in China (I read online that very few people speak English). Luna also does not have a Chinese visa and I was concerned that was going to be an issue. Shenzhen is a low cost airline, so I also worried about mine and Luna’s comfort while flying.
Although I paid 780 EUR total for our flights on Qatar, I felt like the 180 EUR extra spent was well worth it. Why? Qatar is known as being the best airline in the world so I knew we would fly comfortably. The layover in Qatar I was certain we did not need a visa for. And of course, in the Doha airport and on the plane, English was guaranteed. My recommendation? Fly with a premium airline when flying long distance with a baby (especially if you are traveling solo).
Read more: How to Travel with a Baby
Book the bassinet seat when flying with a baby
My BIGGEST recommendation when flying internationally with a baby is: book the bassinet seat! When flying with an infant with Qatar airways, sometimes you are automatically booked in the bassinet seat without paying extra. This happened for me with one of my two flights on Qatar headed to Seoul. Our first flight from Barcelona to Doha the bassinet seat was unfortunately unavailable and had not been automatically assigned to me. However, on our 10 hour night flight from Doha to Seoul, we thankfully did have the bassinet aisle seat and this was a lifesaver! Since Luna is already 18 months I didn’t think she would fit in the bassinet. But with Qatar there is a weight limit of 11 kilos (she’s just at the limit) and they never questioned her fitting. Being able to put Luna in the bassinet for the majority of the flight allowed us both to sleep and even meant I could eat without her on my lap. Whatever you do, try and check in to your flight ASAP and secure the bassinet seat! I am not sure of the price with Qatar, but it would probably be worth it to reserve (and pay for) the bassinet seat right when you buy the tickets to be 100% guaranteed.
How to Plan a First Visit to South Korea with a Baby – Our 14 day itinerary in South Korea
Our itinerary in South Korea was jam packed! We had very ambitious plans; and we managed to fit in almost everything we had originally intended. My advice would be to go with the pace of the children and not push yourself too much. And usually 1 or maximum 2 activities per day is more than enough (for yourself and the babies!) Read our entire itinerary below, focusing on the activities in Seoul (I will do another post focused on Jeju island):
Day 1 – Fly Barcelona to Doha, Doha to Seoul, all with Qatar Airways. Around 17 hour journey. Land in Seoul the following day (7 hour time difference with Barcelona).
Day 2 – Land in Seoul, check into Airbnb, rest and relax, adjusting to time zone.
Day 3 – Visit Eunpyeong Hanok Village
Day 4 – Lotte World Mall & Lotte World Tower
Day 5 – Hanguk Minsokchon (Korean Folk Village outside of Seoul)
Day 6 – Hanbok rental and visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, walk Insa-dong neighborhood
Day 7 – Seoul Children’s Grand Park and Gwangjang Market for dinner (Netflix Street Food Asia knife-cut noodles!)
Day 8 – Namsan cable car and tower and Myeongdong Shopping Street for street food dinner
Day 9 – Fly to Jeju Island from Seoul
Day 10 – Jeju Island
Day 11 – Jeju Island
Day 12 – Jeju Island
Day 13 – Fly back to Seoul from Jeju, stay in traditional Hanok guest home
Day 14 – Visit Starfield Library and Seoul Forest Park, fly home in evening
How to Plan a First Visit to South Korea with a Baby – Visit Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul
Our first full day in Seoul, we drove with my friend and her boyfriend to visit Eunpyeong Hanok Village, a village filled with homes in the traditional Hanok style. The village is especially breathtaking with the view of the mountains in Bukhansan National Park behind it. There is no entrance fee to enter the village. We also saw some tourists dressed in traditional hanbok taking photos. There is a hanbok rental on site, but you should reserve in advance. Most of the hanoks have been made into businesses; people are not living there. We walked around the village, took photos, and then went for lunch at this cold noodle restaurant.
Eating in restaurants in South Korea (with a baby)
Just a quick word about eating in restaurants in South Korea! Do not be surprised that at every restaurant you order your food from a touch screen at your table (not from the waiter). Also, most restaurants in South Korea do not have high chairs. Koreans usually just keep their child in the stroller and then put the stroller at the table. For this reason, I packed my own portable high chair to take to restaurants. Another thing to note: Koreans do not like to see mothers breast feeding in public! The culture is very conservative, and especially the older generation is not very accustomed to seeing this. At the restaurant, I was breast feeding at the table, and one guest complained to the waitress. In the end, nothing happened, but just good to know so that you are not surprised. Best to cover yourself if possible when breastfeeding in public in South Korea.
How to Plan a First Visit to South Korea with a Baby – Visit Lotte World Mall and Lotte Tower
On our second day in Seoul, it was raining, so we decided to go inside to Lotte World Mall. Lotte World Mall is HUGE! There is even an aquarium in the mall and Lotte World Amusement park is also next door. You can easily entertain a child for at least 3 days with all of these activities! Inside Lotte World Mall we went to this indoor children’s playground. For older children, you can actually leave your child there under supervision for different activities; we saw kids playing in a ‘dirt room’. There was also a Halloween themed paint room. South Korea definitely has a plentitude of entertainment for children! We didn’t get a chance to visit more, but it seems that the city is full of kid’s cafes or children amusement centers.
While we had intended to go up Lotte World Tower while we were inside Lotte World Mall, the line was so long we didn’t think it was worth the wait. It was Korean Thanksgiving holiday while we were in Seoul, so it was much more crowded than it would be on a normal weekday. My suggestion would be to visit the tower on a weekday and not weekend or holiday in order to avoid queuing for too long. From the top of the tower you have a view of the city. However, you can also visit Namsan Tower as we did for another panoramic view.
Travel Outside of Seoul to Visit a Traditional Folk Village
On our fourth day in Seoul, we took the train outside of the city to meet with my Korean friend’s family for the Thanksgiving holiday. While my Korean friend celebrated Thanksgiving with her family, Nikki and I (plus the babies) went to a Korean Folk Village to spend the day. The village is composed of many preserved houses meant to show how the common folk lived in Korea’s past. It was also specially decorated for Halloween time, and there were many scary characters walking around the village. There were also opportunities to listen to traditional Korean singing and music performances, which were very beautiful. Beware that the village is almost all outside, so it is not the best place to visit in case of bad weather! We unfortunately had a lot of rain in the afternoon and had to take shelter in the cafeteria until closing!
How to Plan a First Visit to South Korea with a Baby – Rent Hanboks and Visit the Palaces in Seoul
One of my absolute favorite experiences while in South Korea was renting traditional hanboks and visiting the many beautiful palaces and shrines in Seoul. There are many places to rent hanbok near the Gyeongbokgung Palace – no need to reserve ahead of time. We went right after lunch to look around and choose a hanbok rental and found one we liked right away. When dressed in hanbok, you can enter all palaces for free. Since it was the Korean holiday period, the entrances to the palaces were free anyways. When renting the hanbok, you can choose an hourly rate or all day. If you plan to visit multiple palaces, it makes sense to rent for the entire day. The shops usually close around 7 pm. I rented the ‘premium’ style hanbok with hairstyling (also comes with bag) plus a hanbok for Luna, and it cost me 92,000 Korean Won in total (56 EUR) for the entire day. And keep in mind that with this you can enter all palaces for free. Prices are very reasonable in Seoul in general.
Dressed in our traditional hanboks, we proceeded to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. If you time your visit right, you can watch the changing of the guard in front of the palace. We unfortunately only caught the very end of the performance. After Gyeongbokgung Palace, we walked to Changgyeonggung Palace. We had booked tickets to visit the Changdeokgung Secret Garden; however, we had to cancel last minute as we arrived too late (you need to be there 20 minutes ahead of the tour start). Our last stop was the Jongmyo Shrine. Getting to all three of these locations is easily walkable. It was also fun to walk the Insadong neighborhood dressed in our hanbok. We definitely got a lot of looks and smiles our way!
How to Plan a First Visit to South Korea with a Baby – Visit Seoul Children’s Grand Park
One of the best experiences with children in Seoul is by far visiting the Seoul Children’s Grand Park. First of all, entrance is free. Inside there are playgrounds, botanical gardens, a zoo, and all for FREE! There are cafes and 7Elevens to buy food inside, but many people bring a picnic lunch with them. There are also some indoor kids playgrounds that you need to reserve and pay for in advance. They also have an amusement park with rides, but mainly for older children. You can easily bring your lunch and spend the whole day in the park without spending a cent. For Nikki and I, it was a perfect place to bring the kids and spend an entire day.
Eat at Gwangjang Market for Street Food
One of Nikki and I’s must do’s for Seoul was to visit Gwangjang Market and eat the Netflix Street Food Asia documentary famous knife cut noodles. Cho Yonsoon’s stall is easy to find as it is located right in the middle of the market. We timed our visit perfectly, arriving at 5:30 pm, which was about 1 hour before the dinner crowd started. My advice would be to get to the market early to avoid a big queue! I ordered the vegetarian version of the noodles with kimchi dumplings and Nikki ordered the pork. The good news is that the broth is not made with shellfish (Nikki is allergic). The noodles are also very baby friendly (although Luna slept through the meal). Nikki loved her pork dumplings and ordered more to-go. The experience is a lot of fun, and you get to watch Cho Yonsoon cooking right in front of you, which is definitely a highlight. The market also has a lot more to see, including shops to buy souvenirs, sweets and nuts (which Nikki bought a TON of). I would highly recommend! Go earlier, especially with the stroller, to avoid crowds.
How to Plan a First Visit to South Korea with a Baby – Ride up to N Seoul Tower
When visiting Seoul, one must visit is the N Seoul Tower. To do so you can take the Namsan Cable Car, walk or take the bus. With the strollers, we definitely did not want to walk. Our original plan was to take the cable car; however, when we got there the line was so long that we decided instead to take the bus. My advice would be to try and visit during the week and not during the holiday period. Or, do like us and take the cable car down instead of up. Once at the tower, there are lots of things to do and eat. There is even a German biergarten outside. However, to go to the top of the tower you need to buy a ticket. You can buy it onsite and for a little extra money you can skip the wait and do the fast track (i.e. go up to the top immediately). I would definitely recommend buying the fast track ticket (the cost is negligible). At the top of the tower you have a panoramic view of the city and can also buy some souvenirs. You also take a souvenir photo before going up the elevator to the top, which is a nice memento of the experience.
Eat street food at Myeongdong Shopping Street
After our visit to Namsan Tower, we ventured to Myeongdong Night Market for a dinner of street food. I loved the vibe of Myeongdong! It is kind of like being in NYC Times Square, but with TONS of street food vendors. One of my favorite snacks was the ‘egg bread’ which is exactly like how it sounds. Luna loved the mango mochi. You can easily have dinner and dessert there with all the options. We didn’t even see all the food vendors, that’s how many options there are! And I went back again alone with Luna at the end of my visit in Seoul. While eating, you can also pop your head into one of the many shops lining the streets. I, for instance, visited VT Cosmetics to buy some much hyped Korean skincare. The Myeongdong market is a great option to eat with kids, because you don’t need to sit anywhere and be quiet. You just eat on the go and go with the flow! Perfect with a baby.
How to Plan a First Visit to South Korea with a Baby – Visit Jeju Island
When visiting South Korea, I was torn on whether to make a visit to Japan during the same trip. Japan is only a 2 hour flight from South Korea. However, in the end, I chose to make a trip to Jeju island instead. I would highly recommend visiting Jeju when in South Korea. I think 3 full days is a great amount of time to see a lot of the island. You MUST rent a car when visiting Jeju (there aren’t many buses). That being said, it is difficult to find car rental companies who will rent to foreigners. I will do another post with all the details on Jeju, but definitely fit it into your South Korea itinerary! It is an easy 1 hour domestic flight and a great nature escape from the hustle and bustle of Seoul. And super baby friendly!
Stay in a Traditional Hanok Guest House When in Seoul
One of my bucket list items for the trip was to stay in a traditional hanok for the night. On my last night in Seoul, after Nikki and Violet had already flown home, Lune and I stayed in this traditional hanok guest home, called ‘Supia Guesthouse’, hosted by the lovely Misuk. We could not have had a better stay. The guest house was completely private for our use only, including the lovely garden, complete with tea. Misuk was so kind and helpful and made us the most delicious Korean breakfast in the morning. The location is also ideal, right by the palaces and the Insadong neighborhood. I cannot recommend the guest home enough! The futons were also incredibly comfortable, you wouldn’t believe that you were sleeping on the floor. I believe that staying in a traditional hanok is a must-do while in South Korea and completely baby friendly.
If time permits, visit Starfield library and Seoul Forest Park
On our last day in Seoul and South Korea, Luna and I took the train to visit the Starfield Library. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily say that the library is a kid centered activity, but it is beautiful to look at and located inside of a shopping mall. After taking some photos (Luna was asleep the entire time), we then journeyed to Seoul Forest Park. Seoul Forest Park is a great place for kids, with a butterfly/insect house as well as a deer corral. You can easily spend several hours walking the park and visiting the animals.
And that concludes our adventures in Seoul and South Korea! We had a fantastic time and cannot wait to make a return trip to Asia! We are planning on Japan next. Where else in South Korea have you visited and loved? What are your favorite baby and kid friendly destinations in Asia? Let us know in the comments below! But definitely add South Korea to your bucket list with babies. It is the safest and most baby friendly country I have ever been to!
