The 11 most stunning night views in Seoul

The Korea Times W recommends 11 places you should visit in Seoul at night. Above is Top Cloud, one of the picks. Perched up on the 33rd floor of Jongno Tower, Top Cloud offers an upfront view of the high-rise buildings in the office region of Jonggak, downtown Seoul.

• Published Oct 29, 2014 10:19 AM KST
• Updated Oct 29, 2014 10:19 AM KST

Top 11 places to view Seoul’s beautiful nightscape

By Yun Suh-young

Autumn is perfect for photos as the sky is the clearest among the seasons. It’s also a great season to enjoy the nightscape, with the clear sky allowing an unhampered field of vision even at night. Here are places W’s reporter personally visited and recommends to savor the city’s nightscape. Enjoy the deep autumn night with good company and a nice drink!

The Lounge- Park Hyatt Seoul

Most hotels, even the ones that boast of having great views, offer a one-sided view of the city due to their interior structure. But the Park Hyatt Seoul is one exception.

The hotel located right next to Samseong Station in the Tehran-ro intersection offers a view that will make you gasp.

If you’re a Seoulite who has never thought a cityscape in the busiest region in Seoul could come close to being beautiful, the view from the Lounge on the 24th floor of the Park Hyatt Seoul will break your prejudices. The Lounge offers a panoramic (360 degree) view due to the transparent glass walls on all sides.

The main view is of the intersection on the main street stretching all the way to Bongeun Temple, while another is of Tancheon and the Dongbu Expressway on the opposite side.

To get the most breathtaking view of the city’s busiest intersection, take the staircase next to the swimming pool leading to the floor below.

One tip is to visit the hotel at dusk so that you can enjoy the different colors of the nightscape.

Address: 24th floor, Park Hyatt Seoul, 606 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 2016-1205

37 Grill and Bar – Conrad Seoul

To most people, the most obvious location to view Seoul’s nightscape over the Han River is the 63 Square in Yeouido. But those with a deeper understanding of Yeouido would seek the Conrad Seoul instead.

The two-year old hotel has a great restaurant and bar, “37 Grill and Bar,” perched on the 37th floor which offers a fantastical night view and great ambiance that makes it perfect for a date or a proposal.

At the restaurant, many of the seats are situated on the window side, with each table separated into compartments for privacy. The dim lighting and cozy seating enhance the romantic mood. The seating at the bar section is more closely packed but has dimmer lighting.

From any of these seats, you can catch a wide-angle (180 degree) view over the Han River, the Mapo Bridge and of the other side of the river. From time to time, cruise ships will leisurely sail by beautifully adding color to the darkness.

Address: 37th floor, Conrad Seoul, 23-1 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 6137-7000

Graddhyllan

The view overlooking Seoul from Mt. Nam’s N Tower is amazing, but the view of the tower from below Mt. Nam is also fantastic.

Graddhyllan, a café decorated with Swedish furniture in Itaewon’s Gyeongnidan-gil, is where you can relax and chat away on a comfortable Scandinavian chair, gazing at the N Tower blazing beautifully in the dark.

The name of the café, Graddhyllan, means "exclusive place" in Swedish, and it sure proves to be so. The café is both famous for the nightscape of Seoul’s observatory tower and its exclusive chairs imported from Sweden. The most expensive chair costs over $12,000.

Almost all of the seats are terrace seats and windows are opened to appreciate the nightscape. The store offers blankets to keep the legs warm during this season. The drinks may seem a little pricey (14,000 won for a juice) but the view and the chairs can compensate for it.

Address: 60-1 Hoenamu-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 797-9541

The Griffin Bar- JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul

The Sungnyemun Gate, which is National Treasure No. 1 and is known otherwise as Namdaemun (south gate) is one of the favorite photo spots among photographers because of the beautiful city nightscape created by the stark contrast of the office buildings and busy street surrounding the traditional structure. But unfortunately, it’s hard to find a place to relax and enjoy the view while sipping a drink due to the lack of hotels or restaurants nearby.

That’s not the case with Dongdaemun Gate (eastern gate), one of the other four gates surrounding Seoul. The Griffin Bar at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, situated on the 11th floor of the hotel, has an outdoor terrace from which guests can enjoy a diagonal view of the traditional gate. The scene isn’t as dynamic as the one in Namdaemun, but it sure is more relaxing due to fewer traffic and smaller buildings.

The bar has electric heaters to keep you warm outdoors.

Address: 11th floor, JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, 279 Cheongyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 2276-3000

Some Sevit / Banpo Bridge

Some Sevit, a multi-purpose culture complex established alongside the Han River, officially opened after renewal on Oct. 15, eight years following its initial construction. Some Sevit is the renewed version of former Sevit Floating Island which remained closed after a partial opening in 2011 due to management problems.

The complex, which consists of three domed structures called “islands” that “float” on the Han River, transform with beautiful colors at night.

Located off Banpo Hangang Park in the Han River, the islands are nothing more than steel structures during the day but glow beautifully with various colors at night.

The recommended nightscape is from outside the Some Sevit viewing its vibrant exterior, as there’s not much of a view to be seen from inside the structures as the view is blocked by the building and dotted glass.

While visiting Some Sevit, another attractive night view can be caught from the nearby Banpo Bridge which offers rainbow-colored fountain shows three times a day (12 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m.) on weekdays and additionally at 5 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekends.

Address: 683 Olympic-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 707-8849

Naksan Park

A zero-cost, on-foot option for viewing the city’s nightscape is the Naksan Park in Dongsung-dong, northern Seoul.

Located near Daehangno, Seoul’s theater district, the park is accessible from Hyehwa Station where Daehangno starts.The walk can seem a bit long from the station as the park is located high up Naksan (Mount Nak) which is one of the four main mountains surrounding Seoul along with Mounts Bugak, Nam and Inwang.

The park is surrounded by Seoul Fortress which offers a mesmerizing view at night as it lights up.

The pathway beneath the fortress is a good place for a nighttime stroll but to get an overall view of the city, it’s better to view it from above the fortress wall. There are streams of couples at night sitting on top of the fortress wall gazing down at the city although sitting atop the walls is not allowed. The park offers a panoramic view of the city from any point.

Address: 41 Naksan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 743-7985

Transportation: Subway line 4 Hyehwa Station exit 2, line 6 Changsin Station

N Seoul Tower- Mount Nam

The place that boasts of by far the greatest view in Seoul is the N Seoul Tower situated atop Mount Nam in the center of the city.

The 236.7 meter tower at the top of the 479.7 meter mountain offers one of the highest locations from which to view the entire city.

The view up at the tower isn’t as mesmerizing during the day as it is at night. The view is most spectacular when the buildings and bridges light up at night, sparkling quietly in the distance.

You can get a panoramic view from any point you stand and need not necessarily visit the observatory to enjoy it. The view from the lobby deck is just as beautiful as the view from the observatory; although the higher up, the more breathtaking it is.

For a more romantic experience, try dining at the N Grill, a French restaurant at the fifth floor of the tower, which is where you can enjoy the city nightscape from the highest point in Seoul while enjoying your dinner.

Address: N Seoul Tower, 105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 3455-9277

Transportation: Hop on a shuttle bus from Chungmuro Station exit 2 or from Dongguk University Station exit 6.

Top Cloud – Jongno Tower

For an office worker in Gwanghwamun looking for the closest location with a great night view to take a date out on, Top Cloud can be the answer.

Perched up on the 33rd floor of Jongno Tower, the restaurant with a bar offers an upfront view of the high-rise buildings in the office region. The angle of the scenery overlooking the Jonggak intersection offers a view of the densely packed Seoul metropolis.

One shortfall is that the seats are placed a bit too close to each other without any division of compartments, providing less privacy. Only the window seats are an option to opt for if you seek more privacy.

Ironically, the most interesting view from Top Cloud is not one from the dining area. It’s actually the view from the bridge connecting the restaurant to the elevator (the structure is like a ring donut) where you can get a breathtaking view of the streets below. The view from the restroom is also fantastic.

Address: 33rd floor, Top Cloud, Jongno Tower, Jongno 51, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 2198-3300

E-land Cruise / Seoul Marina Club & Yacht

The E-land Cruise offers various tour programs from the night tour course at 15,000 won per adult, or with a dining option offering lunch and dinner buffets. (Lunch from 29,900 won on weekdays, 35,900 won on weekends; dinner from 60,000 won on weekdays, 65,000 won on weekends)

But because the cruise can accommodate dozens of people, it may not be the most private experience for those seeking a quiet date.

A more recommendable option for couples or small groups of friends seeking private space is to take the yacht tour from Seoul Marina Club & Yacht where you can rent a yacht for an hour at 120,000 won per maximum eight people. There are also four, 12, 24 people options at different price ranges.

The yacht tour also comes with a buffet option where you can dine before or after taking the yacht.

E-land Cruise

Address: 290 Yeouidong-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 3271-6900

Seoul Marina Club & Yacht

Address: 160 Yeouiseo-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

Phone number: (02) 3780-8400