As winter approaches, Seoul is providing residents and visitors with diverse weekend activities ranging from traditional wellness experiences to mountain dining and interior design shopping. The city's cultural venues and local businesses are launching special programs and seasonal offerings to help people embrace the colder months with warmth, good food, and creative inspiration.
Namsangol Hanok Village is introducing a comprehensive winter wellness program called "Warm Winter Healing in Hanok," running from November 15 to December 6. The program reinterprets traditional Korean medicine wisdom under the theme of warming the body and boosting energy levels during the cold season. Visitors can participate in various wellness and beauty treatments within the peaceful atmosphere of authentic traditional hanok houses, including foot massages, galvanic treatments, hand acupressure point evaluations, and dry foot baths.
The village is collaborating with Korean Medicine Experience Town to offer specialized tea therapy sessions on Saturdays, specifically November 22, 29, and December 6. Each day features two 70-minute sessions that provide desserts and custom tea blends tailored to each participant's individual constitution. The experience also includes hands-on crafting activities such as making herbal sachets. The program costs 20,000 won per person, and organizers recommend making advance reservations due to expected high demand.
For those seeking more interactive entertainment, Namsangol Hanok Village will host "Dokkaebi's Time Signal: Restoring Seoul's Memory," a free outdoor escape game running from November 21 to December 21. Players use the Real World mobile app to navigate the hanok village while solving puzzles and recovering Seoul's lost memories from a mysterious forgetfulness virus. The game is guided by signals from a mischievous dokkaebi, or traditional Korean goblin, and takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes to complete. Namsangol Hanok Village is located at 28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul.
Hiking enthusiasts looking for the perfect post-exercise dining experience can visit Sodamchae, a restaurant strategically positioned at the base of Cheonggyesan mountain. Located just five minutes on foot from Exit No. 1 of Cheonggyesan Station on the Shinbundang Line, the restaurant sits directly in front of the mountain's hiking trail entrance. The establishment features a spacious parking lot, allowing visitors to park their cars and head straight to the trail after enjoying a hearty meal.
Sodamchae's extensive menu includes nearly 20 dishes, ranging from tofu kimchi, corn jelly salad, and scallion pancakes to smoked duck and chicken stew. However, the restaurant's signature offerings are the ssambap jeongsik (rice with assorted vegetable wraps) and seoksoe bulgogi (charcoal-grilled marinated pork). The thick-cut meat is grilled over an open flame, delivering a distinctive smoky aroma and tender texture, while the slightly sweet soy-based marinade creates an excellent pairing with makgeolli, Korea's traditional rice wine.
The fresh greens and seasoned vegetables served with the ssambap are particularly enjoyable in the crisp mountain air. Diners can mix the vegetables with sesame oil and gochujang to create a simple yet satisfying bibimbap-style meal. The restaurant offers more than five different types of makgeolli to complement the food. Even during busy periods, wait times are typically short due to the restaurant's efficient table turnover. Sodamchae operates daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is located at 5 Wonteo 6-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul.
For those interested in home decoration and unique design items, Hour Haru in Seoul's trendy Seongsu-dong district offers an opportunity to transform living spaces into personal sanctuaries. The interior design shop recognizes that decorating a home extends beyond simply arranging furniture or selecting colors – it serves as a powerful means of self-expression through meaningful objects and design choices that reflect individual taste and personal stories.
Hour Haru provides an extensive selection of items including stationery, key rings, postcards, bags, and kitchenware, all thoughtfully displayed on wooden shelves throughout the cozy space. The shop is situated on a charming small street alongside other boutiques and cafes, just a 10-minute walk from Ttukseom Station on Subway Line No. 2. The store specializes in vintage-style interior goods, unique lighting fixtures, decorative magnets, pastel-toned notebooks, artistic posters, patterned washi tapes, and items featuring popular characters like the rabbit Miffy and various Sanrio characters.
Design enthusiasts and creative individuals will find Hour Haru particularly appealing as a boutique destination for discovering aesthetically pleasing decorative treasures that can make any home feel uniquely personal. The shop operates from noon to 9 p.m. daily and is closed on Tuesdays. Hour Haru is located at 11-7 Seoulsup 2-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, providing easy access for weekend shopping excursions.
