Seoul · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Cheap subway, free museums and 24-hour food make Seoul unusually kind to a thin wallet.
Hongdae and Ikseon-dong
Hongdae's student quarter has the highest hostel density and the latest nights; Ikseon-dong and Jongno offer quieter guesthouses in restored hanok lanes.
What a day costs
Roughly ₩55,000–90,000, about $40–65: dorm ₩22,000–35,000, gimbap and stew ₩15,000–25,000, subway ₩5,000, one night out on top.
T-money and night buses
A T-money card works on subway, bus and taxi with free transfers. Blue N-buses run through the small hours; Ttareungi bikes cost pocket change per hour.
Free by day
The National Museum of Korea and the War Memorial charge nothing, nor does wandering Bukchon's hanok lanes or walking the Cheonggyecheon stream.
Hongdae playground
The paved square beside Hongik University fills nightly with buskers and drinking circles — the default meeting point for anyone travelling alone.