7 Days, 6 Nights

Seoul Photo Tour

Explore Seoul, South Korea by camera...the foods, architectures, and hidden lookups. Discover why photographers call this place the next Tokyo.

  • Places

    • Seoul
    • Busan
    • Paradise City
    • Dongdaemun Plaza
  • Guides

  • Activity Level

    • Level 1: Easy
  • Skill Level

    • Level 1: New
Moment Travel
Seoul Photo Tour
$0 USD
       

What we'll do

Photographers call Seoul the next Tokyo and we want to show you why. From the stunning architecture to the incredible food we’re going to explore Seoul by foot and by camera.

You'll see and photograph some of the latest realisations from worldwide known architecture firms such as Zaha Hadid, MVRVD, Coop Himmelb(l)au, David Chipperfield and so much more. Constantly evolving, Seoul has several architectural wonders we’re going to learn how to photograph.

In order to get the most out of the trip, we’re going to teach you a photography workflow on how to shoot facades, lookups, staircases, and interior spaces. Plus lots of time spend developing your own editing process and style. By the end of the week your architecture shots will reach a whole new level.

In between the buildings we’ll visit several local foodie spots. We'll find amazing dumplings and cold bean soup at a tiny hole in the wall restaurant nestled between clothing stores, get lost on our way to have typical Korean fried chicken, and probably eat so much Korean BBQ at dinner we'll never want to eat again...until the next morning, when we’ll stop for coffee at one of the artisan cafes in Bukchon Hanok Village.

If you want to explore South Korea and everything it has to offer, join us on this photo adventure.

Your Guides

    Tour Preview

    Itinerary

    Itinerary

    Day 0: Half Day Camera Workshop

    • Summary:

      OPTIONAL ADD ON: Add a half day camera workshop to your trip. You get an extra day (and night) in Seoul. Your guide will go deep with you on what camera you have, how all the settings work, and then spend half day shooting with you at Paradise City as you learn how to shoot in manual. You’ll learn the fundamentals in settings, ISO, shutter speed, framing, and exposure...and then go outside and shoot Paradise City vibes practicing what you just learned. Whether shooting on your phone or a DSLR camera you’ll walk away with the confidence and knowledge to make the most out of the week. Price: $400 (includes two meals, a hotel, and workshop).

    • Photo Spots:

      Incheon, Paradise City

    • Meals:

      Dinner at a local hotspot

    • Lodging:

      Standard: Hotel near Incheon Airport

    Day 1: Paradise City & Cimer Spa

    • Summary:

      Upon landing in Seoul, we’ll all meet at the hotel to drop off our luggage before heading to our first photo spot: Paradise City, the new arts and entertainment complex near the Inhcheon airport. Comprised of six buildings, including the white and gold Club Chroma and Wonderbox designed by MVRDV, this has been one of my absolute favorite spots to visit in Seoul. While here, we’ll cover camera basics for those who need them, as well as capturing entire buildings versus focusing on details. We’ll also spend some time at the Cimer Spa, combining a beautifully designed environment with relaxation, perfect after a long flight. We’ll grab dinner at Paradise Plaza and talk more about our plans for the week before we head back to the hotel for some rest.

    • Photo Spots:

      Paradise City, Paradise Plaza, Cimer Spa, Hotel Art Paradiso

    • Food:

      Local eats in Paradise City

    • Lodging:

      Standard: Hotel near Incheon Airport

    Day 2: Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Downtown Seoul

    • Summary:

      This morning, we’ll check out of our hotel in Incheon City and move straight into the heart of downtown Seoul. Our first stop will be a section of the Seoullo Bridge known as the Seoul Skygarden, which will take us to the City Hall. You’ll spend some time here focusing on capturing both the curvy glazed facades of the exterior and the intricate interior, implementing photography techniques of symmetry and angles, and how to direct the viewer’s eye by leading lines. A bird’s eye view is always the best place to admire a big city, so we’ll head to Deoksugung, a historical palace in downtown Seoul. After grabbing a bite to eat, you’ll spend time at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, designed by Zaha Hadid. There will be plenty of time to photograph all the complexities of the Plaza, observing how the plaza changes throughout different light conditions, from sunset to blue hour.

    • Photo Spots:

      Seoullo 7017 Bridge, Jeongdong Observatory, Seoul City Hall, Samsung Jongro Tower, Dongdaemun Design Plaza

    • Food:

      Myeongdon Kyoja for amazing Korean dumplings or cold bean soup for lunch, and dinner at Kyochon Chicken for typical fried chicken

    • Lodging:

      Standard: Hotel in Downtown Seoul

    Day 3: Ancient Alleyways & Towering Skyscrapers

    • Summary:

      This morning, we’ll take some time to explore a different side of Seoul from the bustling center filled with skyscrapers. Starting at Bukchon Hanok Village, you’ll wind your way through narrow alleys, marveling at the majestic palaces, peeking into unique boutiques, grabbing a drink from one of many artisan cafes dotting the sidewalks, and checking out the charming traditional Korean houses. These streets will be the perfect place to practice our interior shots in small spaces. Later in the afternoon, we’ll stroll through Seongsu-dong, a neighborhood off the beaten tourist path, but quite trendy among young Koreans. Our day will conclude at the Lotte World Tower, the world’s fifth tallest building. At the top of the building, you’ll get a sweeping view of Seoul for sunset and here you will learn some tricks on how to take photos through glass without getting the dreaded reflections. Whilst just below the tower, you can find some great photo spots both in the interior of the mall as well as its whole exterior facade. Sunset will be the perfect opportunity to shoot HDR photos, and we’ll discuss post-process in a session after we return to the hotel.

    • Photo Spots:

      Bukchon Hanok Village, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seongsu-dong, Lotte World Tower

    • Food:

      Gwangjang Market, Cafe Onion

    • Lodging:

      Standard: Hotel in Downtown Seoul

    Day 4: Hidden Cafes & Architectural Lookups

    • Summary:

      Today is dedicated to the Hongdae and Itaewon districts, filled with architectural look-ups, look-downs, and all the Instagram worthy spots you could imagine. Our first stop is the Ewha Woman’s University, but if we find a well-designed cafe along the way, we’ll definitely duck in to check it out. Since we’re in the hippest areas of Seoul, we will want to hit up the Stylenanda Pink Pool Cafe, as well as Passion 5, a great architecture look-up. We’ll find some spiral staircases in our excursion, and when we stop in a cute cafe for some photos, we can grab a beverage and learn the basics of editing on mobile with Snapseed. We’ll finish the day with dinner at Palsaik Samgyeopsal, one of the best places for Korean BBQ.

    • Photo Spots:

      Ewha Woman's University, Hongdae District, Stylenanda ink pool cafe, Passion 5, Space Shinseon, National Museum of Korea

    • Food:

      Downtowner for lunch, and amazing Korean BBQ at Palsaik Samgyeopsal for dinner

    • Lodging:

      Standard: Hotel in Downtown Seoul

    Day 5: Gangnam District & Architectural Opulence

    • Summary:

      We’re going to make our own real-life music video today as we hit the streets of the Gangnam District, making sure we stop to photograph some of the most iconic places in the area, like the Seocho Garak Tower East, and the Starfield library. You’ll see the architectural opulence at some big flagships in Seoul, and then visit the Floating Island Convention. We’ll continue to eat heaps of incredible food, including Korean cold noodles at Gangnam Myeonok. This afternoon, we’ll find a quieter place to do some editing, talking about a full editing workflow using Adobe Lightroom, and discussing any editing topics you might have questions about. The return to the hotel tonight will be a little earlier so we can all pack our bags for our trip to Busan in the morning.

    • Photo Spots:

      Gangnam District, Seocho Garak Tower East, Starfield Library, Seoul flagship stores, Floating Island Convention

    • Food:

      Lunch at Gangnam Myeonok for Korean cold noodles

    • Lodging:

      Standard: Hotel in Downtown Seoul

    Day 6: Contemporary Architecture & Hillsides of Terraced Houses

    • Summary:

      This morning, we’ll head south on a three hour train ride to Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. You’ll have come time to photograph some contemporary architecture projects, such as the Busan Cinema Center by Coop Himmelblaue and the residential trio of towers Haeundae l’Park by Daniel Libeskind. Later, in the Gamcheon Culture Village, we’ll enjoy photographing the colourful terraced houses on the mountainside, a stark architectural contrast to what we’ve seen earlier. We’ll end our day at the Hilton Busan Hotel, a true gem for architecture aficionados (and also where we’ll stay this evening).

    • Photo Spots:

      Haeundae Beach, Haeundae I'Park, Busan Cinema Center, Hilton Busan

    • Food:

      Local hotspots

    • Lodging:

      Standard: Hotel in Busan

    Day 7: Return to Seoul & Final Goodbyes

    • Summary:

      Wake up early this morning to photograph the Hilton Busan devoid of people and bathed in a soft golden light, photos similar to what you may have seen on my Instagram. We’ll have breakfast and then head back to Seoul, where we’ll say our final goodbyes and you’ll either catch a flight home, or continue on your next adventure.

    • Photo Spots:

      Hilton Busan

    • Food:

      Local hotspots

    Where we're going

    Paradise City - The most eye-catching landmark you’ll see. We will be visiting the newly completed sibling buildings, the Wonderbox and Nightclub, designed by the Dutch firm MVRDV.

    It is still relatively new so you can get your unique shots before it gets too popular.

    Dongdaemun Design Plaza - Futuristic sinuous shapes by Zaha Hadid. This is Seoul most iconic landmark with its unique neofuturistic design characterized by Zaha Hadid signature style. Its powerful, curving forms of elongated structures are a must-see for every architecture lover.

    Hilton hotel Busan - Unique interior design not to be missed if you are in Busan. This hotel is all about contemporary design with beautiful architectural details. Every space is picture-perfect from the indoor swimming pool to the wooden chapel with sea view.

    Busan Cinema Center - A beautiful metal vortex. This is one of the latest creations of Viennese architectural firm Coop Himmelb(l)au. We’ll be capturing its dynamic shapes from a variety of angles.

    Seoul

    What You Will Learn

    On this trip we’ll dive deep in teaching you how to see, shoot, and edit architecture. We’ll cover spacing, exteriors, interiors, city look-ups, look-downs from a high perspective, staircases and anything that will catch our eyes while exploring the beautiful cities of Seoul and Busan.

    There’s no need of having fancy and expensive gear, the secret to capturing architecture in a unique way lays in your eyes. That’s why we will primarily focus on composition and on training your eyes to notice lines and patterns in architecture.

    During this week you will learn to notice and frame correctly:

    • leading lines
    • symmetry
    • the best perspectives to capture curves and spirals
    • use of the rule of thirds (and when to break it)
    • details and patterns to create abstract images

    Of course we will talk about technical topics as well covering:

    • HDR photography for interiors
    • how to shoot through glass without unwanted reflections
    • when to use a tripod
    • how to post-process and enhance your photos
    • when and how it’s better to use Photoshop over Lightroom

    What's Included

    • HotelCreated with Sketch.

      6 nights hotel (price per person, based on double occupancy)

    • Ticket-Entrancefee-ActivityCreated with Sketch.

      Entrance to all activities

    • TransportationCreated with Sketch.

      Transportation to/from airport

    • TransportationCreated with Sketch.

      Transportation around South Korea

    • Photography teacherCreated with Sketch.

      Photography and editing lessons

    • DiscountsCreated with Sketch.

      Discount on gear from the Moment shop

    • MealsCreated with Sketch.

      3 great meals per day (except breakfast on day 1, lunch/dinner on day 7)

    What's Not Included

    • Airfare to and from South Korea
    • Alcoholic beverages
    • Guide gratuities
    • Insurance of any kind, including travel insurance
    • Breakfast on day 1
    • Lunch/dinner on day 7