Cheonggyecheon Stream Night Walk, Seoul's Nightlife Most Loved by Foreigners | ITTIKOREA

There's a place that truly reveals its true colors only after the sun sets. During the day, it's just an ordinary river cutting through the city, but the moment the lights turn on, it takes on a completely different atmosphere., Cheonggyecheonis.

You can easily find reviews of Cheonggyecheon's night view on Reddit, the largest community in English-speaking countries. One user wrote that walking along Cheonggyecheon on a summer night was the best moment of their trip to Korea. If you search for ‘Cheonggyecheon' on Instagram in English, you'll find a flood of similar reviews and posts expressing anticipation for future visits.

In fact, a new travel trend has taken hold among foreign tourists, where they spend their days and nights in completely different ways. They spend the sweltering daytime hours at shopping malls or pop-up stores, and only venture out onto the streets once the sun goes down. According to the Korea Tourism Data Lab, nighttime visits by foreign tourists have increased by nearly 20% in just one month, so it’s probably no coincidence that Cheonggyecheon is at the center of this trend.

“Cheonggyecheon Stream is a great place to walk when the sun goes down. It connects to various tourist attractions, so as you walk, you'll discover other spots, and the atmosphere completely changes when the lights come on.” - Jack, a traveler from Canada

One of the reasons Cheonggyecheon Stream is great is that ‘you can just walk and it leads you to the next attraction.' As you pass by restored traditional bridges like Gwangtonggyo and Supyo Bridge, enjoying the lighting and color fountains, you'll suddenly find yourself right in front of Gwangjang Market. In fact, many foreign tourists enjoy Cheonggyecheon Stream stroll → Gwangjang Market late-night snack → Naksan Park night view as a single night course.

A traveler from Taiwan mentioned that during the day, they spend time at pop-up stores and shopping malls near their hotel, and at night, they experience the local Korean atmosphere by eating market food and exploring bar alleys. They also added that the city offers a more enjoyable trip because the atmosphere completely differs between day and night.

🚇 Directions

From Cheonggye Plaza, it's about a 1-minute walk from Exit 5 of Gwanghwamun Station (Subway Line 5), and it's also easily accessible on foot from Exit 4 of City Hall Station (Subway Lines 1 and 2). No matter where you start, if you follow the walking path, you'll naturally reach the next attraction, so you don't need to worry too much about which exit to choose.

A good time to enjoy

Cheonggyecheon is open 24 hours a day and has no entrance fee. However, to truly appreciate its charm, we recommend visiting shortly after sunset, when the lights are just beginning to turn on. If it's summer, a stroll in the cool night breeze is especially enjoyable.

The easiest place to confirm that Seoul is a city with two faces, day and night, is right here. I recommend walking along Cheonggyecheon Stream once after sunset.