Seoul with Kids: Dongdaemun, Seoul Forest & Easy Food

Q: Is Seoul hard with kids?

The subway makes getting around easy. But there are plenty of station stairs and escalators, so the trick is to stash bags in a locker and move light.

Q: Isn't everything too spicy for children?

It was fine once we mixed in the mild options at bakeries, convenience stores, and stalls. Paris Baguette pastries and convenience-store drinks double as kid snacks.

Q: How many nights do you recommend?

For an unhurried mix of shopping, parks, and food, three to four days felt right. We stayed three nights.

Note: this article contains affiliate links (advertising).

Hello. Over Japan's Golden Week holidays in early May 2025, our family (with a young child) spent a few days in Seoul, South Korea. Every photo here is my own. If you're wondering what Seoul is really like with kids, here's an honest account of how it went.

What you'll find here

A relaxed three-night family plan (Dongdaemun, Seoul Forest, food)
How WOWPASS / transit cards make paying and getting around easy
The nature playground at Seoul Forest that our child loved
Low-key Korean food via convenience stores, bakeries, and street stalls

1. Getting around & paying: WOWPASS and station lockers

Seoul has an excellent subway, and it's an easy city to move through with kids. The first thing we set up was a rechargeable card (such as WOWPASS) — it combines currency exchange and a transit card, works at station machines, and cuts down on fiddling with coins.

For big bags, station coin lockers made moving with a child far easier. At the Dongdaemun station lockers, the posted board showed around ₩2,200 per small locker on weekdays and ₩4,400 per large one (rates vary by time and location). Some unlock by QR code.

*Coin lockers at Dongdaemun (a WOWPASS exchange machine stood nearby)*

💡 Tip with kids: stash anything you won't need that day — a stroller, coats — in a locker first thing. Traveling light lets you move at your child's pace.

2. A kid-friendly itinerary: Seoul Forest, food, and shopping

The nature playground at Seoul Forest (서울숲)

📍 Seoul Forest (서울숲) — 273 Ttukseom-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul / +82-2-460-2905 / free, park open 24h (some facilities closed Mondays) / official site

What our child loved most was the leafy Seoul Forest area. A rope-and-timber climbing structure (a net playground) sits among the trees, and — hard to believe you're in the middle of the city — our child climbed up and down again and again, thrilled.

*Playing on the rope-and-timber climbing structure in the Seoul Forest area*

It was a little damp after rain, but running through the dappled light made for a lovely time. Nearby were photogenic shops too, like the pajamas boutique "Juuneedu (HOUSE OF JUUNEEDU)."

*The storefront of "Juuneedu" (a pajamas boutique) in the Seoul Forest area*

💡 Tip with kids: playground time gets clothes wet — a spare pair of socks brought peace of mind.

Easy Korean food at bakeries and convenience stores

With kids, bakeries and convenience stores often beat sit-down restaurants. Korea's bakery chain Paris Baguette is everywhere, and grabbing pastries and drinks made an easy snack break for our child.

*Inside a Paris Baguette bakery in Korea*

We stopped by "BETON," a famous salt-bread bakery in Seoul's Seongsu neighborhood. The pastries ran to kid-pleasing kinds too — chocolate-topped buns, cream buns, and more. Even for takeout, we waited in line for about 30 minutes, but it was worth it. Sharing them side by side from a paper bag made a happy little memory (note: faces are covered with stickers in the photo).

*The kids eating pastries we bought at the bakery*

The convenience-store drinks fridge was a fun discovery. Rows of Coke Zero, Pepsi, Chilsung Cider, and bottled Gong Cha tea ran about ₩2,300 for a 500ml bottle, with "2+1" and "2 for ₩3,000" multi-buy promotions. For keeping the family hydrated, the convenience store was the simplest option.

*A Korean convenience-store drinks fridge (with promotional pricing shown)*

Street food, together

In the evenings we enjoyed street-stall food too — skewers and griddled snacks. Eating something hot on the spot was a small adventure for our child. For anything that might be too spicy, pairing it with mild options (bread, juice) kept things easy.

*Our child tucking into a street-stall snack*

💡 Tip with kids: some stalls are cash-only, so carry a little small cash just in case.

Dak-hanmari (whole-chicken hot pot) in Dongdaemun

A perfect kid-friendly dinner was dak-hanmari (닭한마리, "one whole chicken") — a mild, non-spicy chicken hot pot. A whole chicken simmers with vegetables in a big pot, and the staff snip it into bite-size pieces with kitchen scissors right at your table. The clear broth is gentle and comforting — easy even for a child who can't take spice.

We went to "Wonhalmae Somunnan Dak-hanmari" (원할매소문난닭한마리 / onesodak) in Dongdaemun's "Dak-hanmari Alley," one of the long-established shops lining a lane a short walk from Dongdaemun Station.

*The dak-hanmari pot, with the whole chicken snipped to size (Wonhalmae Somunnan Dak-hanmari)*

📍 Location: Dongdaemun "Dak-hanmari Alley" (닭한마리골목), a short walk from Dongdaemun Station (Subway Lines 1 & 4). Wonhalmae Somunnan Dak-hanmari is at 282-22 Jongno 5-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul / +82-2-2279-2078 Prices and hours can change — please confirm the latest before you visit.
💡 Tip with kids: adding udon-style noodles or tteok (Korean rice cakes) to the broth makes a filling finish kids love.

3. A few honest parent Q&As

Q. Is Seoul hard with kids? A. The subway makes getting around easy. But there are plenty of station stairs and escalators, so the trick is to stash bags in a locker and move light.

Q. Isn't everything too spicy for children? A. It was fine once we mixed in the mild options at bakeries, convenience stores, and stalls. Paris Baguette pastries and convenience-store drinks double as kid snacks.

Q. How many nights do you recommend? A. For an unhurried mix of shopping, parks, and food, three to four days felt right. We stayed three nights.

4. When to go & what to wear (Seoul in May)

Our visit in early May (Golden Week) brought comfortable days and a few cooler mornings and evenings — a fine season for outdoor park time (impressions only; always check the latest forecast before you travel).

Daytime: easy walking weather; a light layer helps
Mornings/evenings: can be cool — bring a light jacket for kids
Rain: the odd shower depending on timing; a folding umbrella helps

5. A rough budget & tickets (please verify)

Just an example (amounts vary — always confirm on-site/officially).

Drinks (convenience store): roughly ₩2,300 for a 500ml bottle (multi-buy promos available)
Station coin lockers, per locker: from ~₩2,200 (small) to ~₩4,400 (large) (varies by time/location)
Transit & exchange: a rechargeable card like WOWPASS is convenient
Meals: bakeries, convenience stores, and stalls start cheap; restaurants vary by choice

6. Practical parent notes (transport, payment, packing)

Travel light: locker anything you won't need — you can move at your child's pace
Payment: a rechargeable card plus a little cash (for stalls) covers most situations
Connectivity: an eSIM keeps maps and translation smooth
Packing: a change of clothes and spare socks (for playgrounds), wet wipes, a folding umbrella

📌 Last updated: July 2026. Prices, shop details, and operations change. Please reconfirm on official sites and current info just before you go.

7. You might also like

Another family trip, in winter → Hokkaido (Sapporo) with Kids
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All photos were taken by me in May 2025. Prices, hours, and shop details change, so please confirm on official sites or on-site before you go.

Where to book

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