iKONIC Places to Visit in Seoul (A Guide to a DIY iKON Tour in Korea)

Get ready? TRAVEL!

Early this year, I went on a DIY iKON-inspired tour and visited iKONIC places in Seoul with a friend. We had so much fun and made so many memories!

• We visited Cafe Platte, shopped at Colorful Title and met Jinhwan's noona
• We ate at the Song Family Restaurant (twice) and met Yunhyeong's mom
• We randomly saw Bobby's mom at our favorite bakery/cafe in Yeonnmadong
• We saw iKON at a fansign event!

Here's a list of the places we visited and directions on how to get there + photos from the iKON Mexicana fansign event!

Where we stayed in Hongdae / Yeonnamdong

Hongdae Family Guesthouse

The place is affordable, strategically located (the closest station is Hongik University, exit 3), has very clean rooms, provides breakfast, and has friendly staff.

Three places we visited below (Bobby's favorite soondaeguk restaurant, Cafe Platte, and Fave Bakery) are all walking distance from this guest house! I strongly recommend you stay here if you want to experience Yeonnamdong.

Click here to check for available rooms on your travel dates.

Around the area:
Fave Bakery

This was our favorite bakery and went there everyday for coffee, the chocolate-covered Madelines, the biscuits and the Mont Blanc!

More importantly, this is where we ran into Bobby's mom! She was out hanging out with her friends. 

Find this location on Google Maps here.

Must-Visit iKONIC Places and Spots around Seoul!

BobDong’s Soondaeguk Restaurant from iKON TV Episode 2
(aka Tobaki Sundaekuk Kamjatang)

Find this location on Google Maps here.

Directions / How to Get There:

• Get off at Hongik University Station and take Exit 3.
• Walk straight parallel to Yeonnamdong park.
• Turn left on the third corner (you will see Innis Free to your left).
• Walk Straight until you get to the large intersection (you will see a chicken restaurant called The Chicken Specialists to your right).
• Cross the road and turn left on the main road.
• Walk straight, and turn right when you find Olive Young in the corner.
• Walk straight until you see the FNC Academy building to your right (it has an Ediya Coffee at the ground floor).
• You will see the restaurant after you walk past Ediya Coffee (the restaurant will be right next to it).  

Café Platte (Jinhwan's Noona's Cafe)

Find this location on Google Maps here.

Directions / How to Get There:

• Get off at Hongik University Station and take Exit 3.
• Walk straight parallel to Yeonnamdong park (this will be a VERY LONG walk. Brace yourselves).
• When you get to the 2nd intersection (you will see the Apartment Buildings numbered 103 in front of you), turn left. 
• Walk straight (another slightly long walk) until you see Cafe Platte to your right). 

Colorful Title (Jinhwan's Noona's Boutique)

Find this location on Google Maps here.

Directions / How to Get There:

• Get off at Sangsu Station and take Exit 2. As soon as you exit, make a U-turn, then turn right. 
• Walk straight until you get to an intersection with Dongmak-ro 19-gil Street (you will see It's Skin and GS25 on your left). Turn right at the intersection.
• On the second corner, turn left. 
• Walk straight until you find Colorful Title on your left. 

Around the area:
Club Gabbia
Find this location on Google Maps here.

Pinkage (as seen on iKON TV)

Find this location on Google Maps here.

X Academy
Find this location on Google Maps here.

Yunhyeong’s Family Restaurant

Find this location on Google Maps here.

Directions / How to Get There:

• Get off at Jamsil Station and take Exit 8. Walk straight and you will immediately come upon a bus stop. 
• Take Bus Number 30-5. 
• Get off at the 12th bus station (counting Jamsil Station Exit 8 Bus Stop as your first). As an alternative (or if you lose count of how many bus stops you have passed), after you stop at Olympic Park station, get off at the 4th station, counting Olympic Park Station as the first. The bus station is called "Baedari Seohanam Nadeulmok".
• Keep on the lookout to the left side of the road to try and spot the restaurant so you know when to get off the bus if you lose count of the stops.
• Once you're off the bus at Baedari Seohanam Nadeulmok station, cross the wide pedestrian lane and you will reach the restaurant. 

Finally, some photos from the Mexicana fansign event!

Six Instagram-worthy Locations Loved by Hong Kong Locals

The drone of your daily routine getting to you, but don’t have the time or money to spare for a long holiday? For a quick escape, I recommend a long weekend getaway in a city like Hong Kong.

It’s a compact city that packs a punch. What it lacks in land mass (at just 2,700 square kilometers), it makes up for in a plethora of things to do, attractions to visit, and food to eat. And everything is within reach a quick walk, MRT ride, or Uber away, which makes it the perfect destination for a short getaway!

You’ll also have plenty of content for your social media feed after a trip to Hong Kong, with its many picture-perfect destinations hidden in the most non-descript locations. So here’s a pro tip: if you’re short on time for planning and want to make the most out of your trip, booking a Hong Kong private tour with an expert local guide is the way to go.

Here are a few Instagram-worthy destinations to visit on your next trip to Hong Kong!

1. Choi Hung Estate

Everyone who’s spent an inordinate amount of time on Instagram (and let’s be real, who hasn’t?) would’ve seen the aesthetically inspiring photos taken at this unexpected location. The pastel-colored backdrop of the basketball court at Hong Kong’s oldest public housing estate makes for a great shot for your Instagram profile photo.

It’s a little ways away from the Hong Kong regular tourist route, so it’ll be good to have a local show you around.

Choi Hung Estate, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon East, Hong Kong

2. PMQ

Hong Kong’s coolest new creative hub is a great place to shop, eat, and take Instagram-worthy photos in. The site used to be the location of Queen’s College, the first school to offer a Western education to Chinese students. After the war, it became a dormitory for police officers (hence the name PMQ, which stands for “Police Married Quarters”).

Now the area is home to numerous cafes and shops selling local, handmade products. Our faves include G.O.D. (Goods of Desire) for the coolest and sometimes irreverent Hong Kong souvenirs you can take home, The HK room for home goods and other trinkets, and for food, visit Levain Bakery for their amazing sourdoughs and the PMG Taste Library where you can attend various food-related workshops and events.

pmq.org.hk

3. 65 Peel

Not far from PMQ is a great lowkey bar serving local craft beer in a beautiful space. If you like the aesthetic and visual mood of the movie “In the Mood for Love”, you’ll love 65 Peel. Try one (or two, or three!) of the twelve local brews they always have on hand, sourced from various microbreweries around Hong Kong.  

65 Peel St, Central, Hong Kong

4. Ho Lee Fook

Let’s face it, you really need to go to Ho Lee Fook for the food, first and foremost. But their wall of lucky cats and the local artwork that dot the restaurant’s interior are definitely worthy of space on your Instagram stories.

A self-proclaimed “funky Chinese restaurant”, you can’t leave Ho Lee Fook without trying the roast Wagyu short ribs and the grilled pork belly with Taiwanese caper salsa.

holeefook.com.hk

5. Quinary

Hong Kong is known as one of the cities with the best nightlife spots in Asia, sporting a number of bars that serve award-winning craft cocktails. Among them, a locals’ favorite is Quinary. Their imaginative cocktails are as pretty and visually pleasing as they are delicious. Don’t forget to snap a photo or a story before taking a sip!

My go-to cocktail is a whisky sour, so any place that serves an amazing whisky sour gets a check on my book. I’m happy to report that the Quinary Sour, their own unique take on the classic, gets my approval!

If you want something a little more fun and flirty, try the Lavender Meringue Pie, and if you want something a little more adventurous, try their seasonal cocktails!

6. Yumcha

Hong Kong is also a city that thrives on cuteness, no better demonstrated anywhere else than in Yumcha. Not only are their food delicious and a great introduction to Hong Kong cuisine, they’re also so adorably pretty! The dimsum are particularly overflowing in cuteness, they’re almost too cute to eat!

yumchahk.com