This is Part 2 of Things to Do in Hannam-dong & Itaewon: A Local’s Day Route in Seoul. While I spent the first part of the day with a friend, from here on, I continued on my own, making my way through Hannam-dong and eventually to Ichon Hangang Park. Just like the route in Part 1, I think this is a nice route whether you’re exploring on your own or spending the day with someone else.
I actually hadn’t planned on visiting the Hyundai Card Vinyl & Plastic that day. I needed somewhere to work on my laptop, so I was planning to go to Maxim Plant, a large cafe nearby. However, there were no seats available, so I wandered around for a bit. Then I heard music coming from inside the Hyundai Card Vinyl & Plastic and decided to go in.
Hyundai Card Vinyl & Plastic
- Address: 248 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- Hours: 12:00–21:00 / Sunday 12:00–18:00 / Closed Mondays
- Official Website: https://dive.hyundaicard.com/web/vinylandplastic/spaceMain.hdc
- Map: Google Maps | Naver Map (Recommended for navigation in Korea)
Hyundai Card Music Library (& Art library)
- Address: 246 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- Hours: 12:00–21:00 / Sunday 12:00–18:00 / Closed Mondays
- Official Website: https://dive.hyundaicard.com/web/musiclibrary/spaceMain.hdc
- Map: Google Maps | Naver Map (Recommended for navigation in Korea)
The first floor is a record shop(Hyundai Card Vinyl & Plastic) that anyone can enter, even if you’re not a Hyundai Card member. You can buy LPs and various merchandise, and one of the nice things about the space is that there is also a listening area where you can choose records and listen to them. You can listen for up to 20 minutes.
If you have more time and want to browse the music- and art-related books as well as listen to more records, you can sign up for the Hyundai Card DIVE app (or visit as a Hyundai Card holder, which allows up to eight visits per year) and go up to the library space on the second floor.
Since I already had a Hyundai Card and had previously visited the Music Library, Art Library, and even the Design Library in Bukchon, I decided to stay on the first floor this time. I had originally planned to just browse the records and leave, but there happened to be an empty seat in the listening area. Well, if there was a seat, I figured I might as well listen for 20 minutes!
I chose two LPs and, following the staff’s instructions, sat down to listen to them. One thing to keep in mind is that there aren’t that many LPs to choose from in the first-floor listening area. It seems like the selection is made up mostly of more popular records. If you want a wider range of choices, I’d recommend going up to the second floor.
+ On the first floor, you can choose two LPs and listen for 20 minutes. On the second floor, you can choose three LPs and listen for 30 minutes when there is a wait.
Travertine Hannam
- Address: 24 Dokseodang-ro 14-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- Hours: 08:00–21:00
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travertinecoffee/
- Map: Google Maps | Naver Map (Recommended for navigation in Korea)
I was craving a really good latte. I wanted to find a cafe where the coffee was good, it wasn’t too crowded, and I could get some work done on my own, so I headed to Travertine. It’s located down toward the Han River from Itaewon and Hangangjin Station, and you can reach it by walking toward Hannam Station. Luckily, there were still a few seats available when I arrived around 5 PM on a Saturday.
I ordered their signature latte. It was slightly sweeter than a regular latte, but I still really enjoyed it. The cafe had just the right amount of background noise—not too loud, but not completely quiet either—and a clean, comfortable atmosphere. I think it would be a nice place to visit alone or to come with a friend and have a conversation, so I’d definitely recommend it.
Walking from Hannam-dong to Ichon Hangang Park
+ Keep in mind that this is a fairly long walking route, but if you enjoy walking, I think it’s one of the nicest ways to spend an afternoon in Seoul.
After spending about an hour getting some work done, I headed back outside. The weather was perfect for walking, so at first I simply started walking in the direction of home. Since it was also around sunset, I decided to head toward the Han River and walk along the river for a while, using the map to figure out the route.
As I was walking through the Bogwang-dong(보광동) area, I reached ‘87-3 Bogwang-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Google Maps | Naver Map)‘, where I saw a sign pointing down toward the Han River Park. I followed the sign down and suddenly the Han River came into view. Just like that, I had reached the riverside underneath Gangbyeonbuk-ro(강변북로). From there, I simply followed the pedestrian path toward Ichon Hangang Park.
The sky was starting to take on a little color from the sunset, and the breeze was cool and comfortable. It was especially nice because it wasn’t crowded. There were all kinds of people along the river—people walking, people running, and people riding bikes after renting a Seoul public bike, Ttareungi(따릉이). As I kept walking, I could see Jamsu Bridge(잠수교) and the area across from Banpo Hangang Park, and after walking a little farther, I eventually reached Ichon Hangang Park.
By the time I reached Jamsu Bridge, the timing happened to line up perfectly with the Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain show at 7:30 PM. So I stopped for a little while, took a break, and watched the fountain.
Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain
- Address: 649-1 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul
- Operating Hours:
Off-peak season (March 15–May, October): 12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00 (20 minutes each)
Peak season (June–September): 12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30 (20 minutes each) - Official Website: https://hangang.seoul.go.kr/www/bbsPost/30/list.do#list/1
- Map: Google Maps | Naver Map (Recommended for navigation in Korea)
After that, the sky gradually became deeper shades of pink and orange. By the time I reached the tennis courts at Ichon Hangang Park, the sun had set and it was completely dark. From there, I found my way out toward Dongjak-daero(동작대로), took public transportation, and headed home. Looking back, that walk along the Han River was one of the happiest parts of my day.
There are so many ways to enjoy the Han River, but if you like walking, I’d definitely recommend simply walking as far as you can along the river. Especially on a nice day around sunset, with your favorite music playing in your ears.
Ichon Hangang Park
- Address: 62 Ichon-ro 72-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- Official Website: https://hangang.seoul.go.kr/www/contents/660.do?mid=458
- Map: Google Maps | Naver Map (Recommended for navigation in Korea)
Safe travels, Soy Kim
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Things to Do in Hannam-dong & Itaewon : A Local’s Day Route in Seoul
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