Is Seoul Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Solo travel

Seoul was fascinating in a way that I haven’t experienced before. Because it is a capital, you just realize after a while that it’s impossible to see all the places and find all the communities there. I stayed for 10 months and had the best time of my life! It felt much safer than Europe, but of course, no place (that I know of) qualifies as 100% safe. I lived in itaewon, a place with lots of tourists and night clubs, but going out at night was fun and if one place didn’t have the right energy, I could just move on to the next. My friend visited me while I lived there and she liked it as well :)

Group travel

It was my first travel so I went with an agency. Seoul is very lively! There is always entertainment in the street. Even the shops are open until late at night. I felt really safe there. I didnt try clubs and bar.

Solo travel

My experience in Seoul was incredible. I felt safe at all times even after 10pm walking alone. I took the train and bus everywhere which was really cheap. My main issue was finding places who catered to solo diners. I went to all the main tourist attractions but really loved the museums most, and also sitting in cafes and people watching!

Solo travel

Seoul was one of my favorites. I stayed at a very nice hostel, which was also a shared flat for local students. So it was very easy to connect to locals. Everyone was so friendly and as a female solo traveler I felt safe. There also have been good vegetarian and vegan options. 😊

Solo travel

Travelled here alone for 2 weeks. I stayed in Hongdae in a hostel. I walked and used the public transit system to get around. Very easy and convenient. Tourist friendly place. I felt very safe. Just went back again earlier in 2024 and had a great time too. Amazing food!

Family travel

Our trip to Seoul, South Korea was enjoyable. We made it just in time for the cherry blossoms. There is a variety of activities to do from a range of budgets. The cultural facilities such as museums, palaces, and temples were either free or exceptionally affordable. The hanbok rentals were fairly priced and allows you to get into the palace free of charge when one is worn. Please note renting a hanbok is more than getting paying to enter the palace. Overall we did feel safe. We visited various areas of Seoul and even did a nature hike up one of the mountains. Gyeongbokgung Palace was a lovely visit and Myeongdong market was extremely busy but fun. The gangnam area in the evenings has adult entertainment fliers spread across the floor so you will see inappropriate fliers whilst walking. Unfortunately, for my experience being plus size (Trousers: US size 9/UK size 12) was not the greatest. I had an underground shop employee in Gangnam be extremely rude to me and didn't let me try on clothing (a cardigan). I left holding back tears and cried in the hotel room while my husband comforted me. I have never been treated so terribly. I also had multiple locals remark on my weight and how I would look better if I lost some weight. Unfortunately this is a cultural thing and it was not my first trip to Korea but was my 1st trip at my current size.

Solo travel

Safe, clean and cheap. Every meal can be under 10usd each person. But some traditional cuisine serves only large size, single person cannot order it. Activities are interesting. There are several exhibitions in the city and some ancient buildings. People can rent traditional dress nearby. U can also reserve a K-pop makeup service and experience a new, beautiful, gorgeous face of yourself 😍. Taking a ride to countryside for 2hour, you can enjoy snowfall or skiing.

Solo travel

If I were to visit South Korea again, it definitely wouldn’t be Seoul but instead probably Jeju or a beach city like Busan. Seoul is cool for a day, but anything more than that is redundant. It’s a mountain town, so the views are very cool. The food is amazing. I felt very safe walking around at night in the center of the city. However, unless you’re big into Korean pop culture like k-pop and k-dramas, you should make Seoul only a stop on your South Korea itinerary. Amazing café’s though! Super Instagramable. :p

Family travel

My experience was nice but I felt like I missed a lot of things as I couldn’t enjoy to the fullest being with my family (night life) But I was also glad because I was young and dumb. I sometimes went by myself to meet “friends” but you should not trust Korean men you met online easily. Some where clingy to the point it was creepy and wanted me to go to some places with them, some also tried to make me drunk on purpose even though I didn’t want to, which was very suspicious. Korea was safe overall, they have CCTV almost everywhere but always be careful.

Couple travel

I love love love love Seoul :) Is the reason I am creating this account because I want to come back, and unfortunately, none of my friends would join me :( As you see from my pictures, my favourite thing about it is FOOD and drinking ;). But I fell in love with everything; I felt like a local there because there are no “ tourists “ kind of scams, and it is not a touristic city. But I loved it, I felt like I was living there, visiting every corner of the city, restaurants, nightlife, shops, museums, and art galleries. And the vibe is extremely unique; I have been to more than 25 countries and this is my favorite by far :)

Should be cautious of hidden cameras in public ladies room and sexual harassment by glance at breast and legs of women. Must be careful to drink anything in clubs or so. Mind to take public transportation on commuting time because it would be packed and disgusting boys get closer and touch.

Attacks and assault in public do not happen as often as they do in other places, but when they do the law always favors the man’s side and you cannot protect yourself so in that sense it is unsafe, a lot of men here think they are entitled to your attention and will be very pushy because they think foreign women are “easy”.