By PIN-AGENCY KOREA
Seoul has moved ahead of Tokyo in the U.S. edition of Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, taking first place in the magazine’s international big-city ranking. Tokyo placed second. It is an attention-grabbing result, especially if Japan has always been the obvious starting point for your next East Asia trip.[1]
But a travel vote cannot tell you which city you will love more. The more useful question is what Seoul offers that deserves a trip of its own. One answer lies in the way a visit can move between very different versions of the city: a royal palace shaped around a hillside, a former industrial district remade for cafés and design, and a walk along a defensive wall above the streets.
Seoul does not need to be a better Tokyo to be your next favorite city. It needs to give you a reason to be curious beyond the ranking. Here is where to look, and how to turn that curiosity into a trip that is more than a collection of saved posts.
What did Seoul actually win?
The result appeared in the U.S. edition of Condé Nast Traveler on October 6, 2026. Seoul’s city government described it as the capital’s first top finish in this category, up from fifth in 2025.[1][2]
This was a reader-rated award, not a panel’s verdict on the objectively best place to visit. Condé Nast says respondents submitted ratings online between April 1 and June 30, 2026. Relevant category criteria were rated on a five-point scale, converted to percentages and averaged; candidates also had to meet minimum response and rating requirements.[3]
That makes the result worth noticing without turning it into a universal recommendation. It does not establish that Seoul is cheaper, easier to navigate or a better fit for every traveler. Nor does the ranking tell us which particular experience persuaded each reader. The places below are reasons to explore Seoul, not a claim to have decoded the voters’ minds.
The interesting comparison is not “traditional vs. modern”
Seoul is often introduced through contrasts: palace roofs and tall buildings, old streets and new technology. Those contrasts are real enough to build a photograph around, but they are not an exclusive claim. Tokyo also has neighborhoods where older buildings, small shops and contemporary life sit together. Japan’s national tourism organization, for example, describes the Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi area through small shops, traditional coffee houses and a contemporary art gallery in a former bathhouse.[4]
So instead of asking which city combines old and new, ask which histories and present-day interests you want to spend time with. A palace is not interchangeable with a shrine, and a Korean hanok neighborhood is not simply the Korean version of a Japanese old town. Looking for equivalents can make both destinations less interesting.
If you already love Tokyo, you do not have to demote it to enjoy Seoul. Bring the same attention you give a favorite Tokyo neighborhood, but let the Korean city explain itself through its own buildings, food and spaces. That approach is more rewarding than expecting a familiar trip with different signs.
Start with the shape of the old capital
At Changdeokgung, the relationship between architecture and landscape is part of the story, not just an attractive background. UNESCO describes a palace complex developed in the early 15th century whose buildings and gardens adapt to the terrain. Its significance includes the way the built spaces fit their natural setting.[5]
That gives you something specific to notice. Look at how a route bends, where a building sits against the hillside and how the view changes as you move. You do not need to memorize a dynasty’s chronology before arriving. Start with the question of why this place was arranged this way, rather than treating it only as a setting for a picture.
Nearby Ikseon-dong offers a different encounter with older architecture. Seoul’s tourism guide describes its hanok lanes as home to contemporary cafés, restaurants and shops. A hanok is a traditional Korean house; here, the interest is partly in the new uses occupying an older form.[6] A palace visit followed by time in these lanes makes a useful pairing: one asks you to consider royal space, the other how architectural heritage can become a place to meet, eat and browse.
Do not confuse a commercial hanok lane with permission to wander through every residential one. Bukchon is a lived-in neighborhood, and its designated red zone restricts tourist visits between 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. The city also asks visitors to respect the alleyways’ Sunday rest day. Check the official zone map before visiting, keep voices low and do not photograph into homes.[7] Seeing older Seoul should not mean turning someone’s front door into a public attraction.
Then look at what Seoul does with a factory
Seongsu tells a more recent story. Seoul’s official tourism coverage traces the neighborhood’s factories and handmade-shoe workshops alongside its newer cafés, design businesses, fashion spaces and temporary pop-ups. Former industrial buildings provide part of the setting for those uses.[8]
This is a useful place to look beyond a list of famous coffee shops. Notice the scale of the buildings, the old workshop fronts and the difference between a permanent business and an installation designed to last a few weeks. The neighborhood becomes more legible when you see both the work that preceded its current popularity and the commercial creativity now drawing visitors.
It can also be a good fit for someone whose interest in Korea began with beauty, fashion or visual culture. There is nothing wrong with wanting to visit a brand space or try a much-photographed dessert. The trick is not to make a single temporary attraction responsible for the entire afternoon.
Choose one experience you genuinely want, check its current details and leave the rest of the visit flexible. If a pop-up has closed or a café has a long wait, the neighborhood can still be worth your time. Seoul Forest offers another way to spend part of the outing; the Korea Tourism Organization groups it with Seongsu’s reused industrial spaces in its area guide.[9]
This is not a claim that Seoul alone reinvents old buildings. It is a reason to visit this particular district with your eyes open. An industrial shell used for a new purpose tells a more specific story than the label “trendy neighborhood” ever will.
Leave space for the city that is not selling you anything
After palaces, shops and cafés, it is easy to plan another ticket or another purchase. Try leaving a stretch of the trip for a public landscape instead.
The Naksan section of Seoul City Wall runs between Hyehwamun and Heunginjimun. The official route guide lists a 3.2-kilometer course and points out that the different shapes of its stones reflect different construction periods.[10] That is a satisfying change of focus: the city becomes something to read while walking, not something to keep booking.
Allow extra time for stops, and choose a route suited to your mobility, footwear and the weather. A published walking-time estimate is not a promise about your pace. If hills do not suit the day, consider a riverside outing instead. Seoul’s Hangang parks offer walking and cycling landscapes, ecological areas and places for recreation along the river.[11]
These are not filler activities between the “real” attractions. They change the rhythm of a visit. A city can feel very different when you have time to sit down in it, rather than moving continuously toward the next reservation.
How to decide whether Seoul belongs on your trip
Use the award as an invitation, then set it aside. Before choosing between Seoul and Tokyo, write down three things you would be disappointed to miss. Make them specific: Korean palace architecture, a particular design or beauty experience, a Japanese music venue, a favorite regional dish. “Good food” and “interesting culture” are too broad to make the decision for you.
If your strongest interests point toward Korea, Seoul is not a consolation prize for a Japan trip you could not arrange. If they point toward Tokyo, a new ranking is not a reason to abandon that plan. Compare flights, accommodation and access to the experiences you actually want for your dates. Neither city wins every possible trip.
For Seoul, plan in neighborhood-sized blocks rather than trying to cover every name in this article in one day. Give the palace area its own time, pair Seongsu with Seoul Forest on another outing, and choose a wall walk or river visit when the conditions suit. Those are different ways into the city, not a race to complete three categories.
Save your hotel and key destinations before arriving, including their Korean names and street addresses where available. Our guide to Google Maps and local map apps in Korea explains the navigation choices. If a salon visit is part of the appeal, our Seoul hair-salon and head-spa guide helps turn an attractive idea into a more specific appointment.
The ranking gives Seoul a headline. The better reason to visit is the chance to discover what holds your attention after the headline has faded: the placement of a palace, the second life of a workshop, or an unhurried view from the city wall. You do not need to decide that Seoul is better than Tokyo. You only need to decide that it is worth getting to know on its own terms.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked October 25, 2026. The award is a reader-rated result; the travel suggestions and comparisons are editorial interpretation, not findings about why individual readers voted.
- Condé Nast Traveler: The Best Cities in the World, 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. International big-city ranking and announcement date.
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Seoul named No. 1 Best Big City. First-place milestone and previous-year position, reported October 14, 2026.
- Condé Nast Traveler: Readers’ Choice Awards methodology. Survey dates, rating scale and tabulation.
- Japan National Tourism Organization: Yanesen. Tokyo neighborhood context.
- UNESCO: Changdeokgung Palace Complex. Architectural history and relationship with the landscape.
- Visit Seoul: Ikseon-dong Hanok Village. Contemporary uses of the hanok lanes.
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Bukchon visitor restrictions. Red-zone map, restricted hours and residential guidance.
- Visit Seoul: Exploring Seongsu. Industrial background and current uses.
- Korea Tourism Organization: Seongsu area guide. Reused industrial spaces and Seoul Forest.
- Seoul City Wall: Naksan Mountain Trail. Route, distance and masonry details.
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Hangang Parks. River-park landscapes and recreation.
Related Korea Unboxed guides: Map apps in Korea and hair salons and head spas in Seoul.
Editorial note: This article was commissioned and directed by PIN-AGENCY KOREA, researched and drafted with AI, and checked through independent AI review. The cover is an AI-generated conceptual illustration, not a documentary view of either city.
