A Day in Seoul

The perfect day in Seoul: a route that blends aesthetics, history and skincare

If I had only one day to spend in Seoul, this is almost certainly the route I would choose. It's a day that starts with the quiet of a typical Korean morning, carries on into a treatment that feels like a cloud, and ends with an unforgettable meal. A day devoted entirely to beauty — the kind you see with your eyes and the kind you feel in your soul.

Start the morning at one of the most photogenic spots in the city, Artist Bakery. It isn't just a café — it's an experience for anyone who loves design and pastry. The place is known for its famous salt rolls and for a European atmosphere with a carefully judged Korean twist. Arrive early to get a table, enjoy excellent coffee and soak up the aesthetic of the neighbourhood before the day properly begins.

A short walk away is Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest and most impressive palace in Seoul. To feel its historical weight, time your arrival for exactly eleven o'clock, when the famous changing of the guard ceremony takes place. The vivid colours of the traditional uniforms and the precision of the guards against the ancient wooden buildings make a moment worth capturing. If you want to feel part of the history, renting a hanbok (traditional Korean dress) gets you free entry to the palace and dreamlike photographs at the same time.

After a dose of history, it's time for the ultimate Korean indulgence: a scalp treatment. A stone's throw from the palace is the Ecojardin Gyeongbok clinic. The Korean head spa has gone viral worldwide, and deservedly so — an hour of deep cleansing, a soothing scalp massage and the very best technology and products. It changes everything you thought about hair care, and you leave with a lightness and freshness that's hard to put into words.

From there, with your hair looking perfect and your energy restored, it's the ideal moment to get lost in the lanes of Bukchon Hanok Village. This lovely neighbourhood preserves the original hanok houses that people still live in, and the combination of pale stone walls and green planting is simply mesmerising. This is the place to put the map away, wander the quiet alleys and discover small boutiques hiding treasures of ceramics or handmade Korean paper.

As evening falls, there's no better way to close the day than dinner at Kukbingwan. It's a very high-end Korean barbecue (KBBQ) restaurant set in a beautiful traditional building with an inner courtyard. The premium meat is grilled over charcoal in front of you, and the attentive service turns the meal into an exceptional culinary and cultural experience. Time for a glass of makgeolli (Korean rice wine) to round off a day that was pure glow and Korean aesthetics at their best.

Which part of this day would you most want to experience? The scalp treatment, or maybe those salt rolls in the morning?