Travel Diary to SEOUL + TOKYO

Find Tara’s travel diary of her trip to Seoul + Tokyo; where to stay, eat, shop, explore and more.

Seoul and Tokyo are some of the dopest cities around. Asia is definitely one of our favorite places in the world. It was Tara’s first trip to Seoul, but definitely not her first time in Tokyo. With trip planning from Two Nights In, Tara had an incredible trip, so don’t miss out on these tips. Follow along on her travel diary for the goods.

// SEOUL //

Park Hyatt Seoul // Tara started off her trip in South Korea at the Park Hyatt. This is an incredible hotel to call homebase. You’ll fall in love with their stunning and modern hotel rooms with floor to ceiling windows, their incredible breakfast buffet, and amazing indoor pool. They have great service; one of the most special touches was that they had breakfast waiting for us in our room when we landed from our early flight. An amazing start to our trip.

Park Hyatt Seoul Superfood Tea Time // The hotel offers an incredible and intricate tea set, setup high among the sky. The tea is incredible and their food is seriously as beautiful as it is delicious. Highly recommend this experience in the city.

Jogyesa Temple // One of our first stops in the city was early in the morning at Jogyesa temple. The super intricate Buddhist temple advance is and a great way to get in a dose of Korean history. Jogyesa is the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and plays large role in the current state of Seon Buddhism in South Korea.

Underyard // With two locations in the city, you’ll be sure to get all the Cali vibes in Seoul here. Their avoado toast is seirously delicious, as is their range of coffee creations and othe healthy eats.

Apartment 33 // This is one of the cooler coffee shops in Seoul. Set in our favorite neighbhorhood, Itaewan, definitely give this cool spot a visit. Their underground seating is dope as is their amazing coffee.

Rose Bakery // One of our British eateries has an outpost in Seoul. Come here if your craving light organic fare, think salads, quiches, pizzas and cakes – all hearty, homemade creations made with fresh, organic ingredients. It’s located at the bottom of Commes de Garcons in Hannam Dong.

D Museum // This is one of our favorite museums we’ve ever been to. Seriously! This contemperary art museum is a must when visiting Seoul. They feature an array of unique, colorful, and imaginative contemporary art exhibits.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art // Big museum with modern spaces, and a great gift shop.

Anthracite Coffee // This industrial chic coffee shop located in Itaewon roasts right on site, so the coffee is super legit and super strong. They also have great pastries too.

Bookpark // Bookpark is a combination bookshop, cafe, and shop all in one. It’s truly a book-lovers dream, with floor after floor, wall to wall, filled with books.

Beaker Shop // This concept shop has Barneys + Opening Ceremony vibes. Located in Itaewan, don’t miss this spot for special and unique pieces, and one-off Korean collabs.

The Mansion // This cute spot houses a cafe, lounge, flower shop, fashion retail, and furniture. A great spot to chill in Itaewan, get a coffee, eat some glowy food, shop, and more.

Andhari Hannam // The vibes of this coffee shop are very glow. A neutral color palate, sparse design, and greenery. They offer a range of espresso based drinks, toasts, and they are super popular for their strawberry cake.

Margelle de Puits // This is definitely one of the glowiest shops in Seoul. Their clothing is incredible, crystals, sage, woven bags and baskets and more. Don’t miss this spot in Itaewan, glow girls.

One in a Million // Pink coffee shop heaven. This cafe is a popular spot for awesome coffee and their coconut latte, and of course a photo op.

Boon the Shop // Boon is one of the best high-end shops in Gangnam. Come here for special one of a kind luxe pieces, jewelry, beauty, accessories and beyond.

Parc // Parc has some of the best home-cooking style Korean food. Everything is made in-house, they have a beautiful wall of fermented food, and it’s seriously glowy. It’s kind of like the Sqirl of Korean food in Seoul. A Must.

// TOKYO //

Claska Hotel // This was the first time Tara stayed in Nakameguro, a much more local part of the city, and it was definitely a fun experience. Claska is a retro design hotel with a distinct vibe to it. They also house an amazing lifestyle wares shop that is not to be missed. Various Japanese architects have designed CLASKA’s 21 rooms, categorized in 5 design themes.

Udon Yamacho // We discovered this locals only spot five years ago on our first trip to Japan, and it’s still our favorite. Start off with the tempura, and ask for some off-the-english-menu items, trust us. YUM.

Onibus Coffee // This coffee shop in Nakameguro is a must. We visited this spot first thing on our 10,000 step day of walking. It definitely gave us fuel. The shop itself is super cute and great place to chill with a book.

Sidewalk Stand Coffee // Sidewalk Stand is the only coffee shop in Tokyo that we found with almond milk. The two-story shop is super cozy on the corner, and right off the river.

Matsunosuke NY // Sour cream apple pie. Enough said. Oh, and incredibly fluffy AF pancakes. This spot does a few things, and they do it damn well. Come to this eatery in Daikanyama if you have a sweet tooth. But seriously, nothing is too sweet, and all is perfectly balanced.

Owl Cafe in Harajuku // The owl cafe was such a trip. We got to chill and hang with owls for an hour. Bizzare but such a fun Tokyo-only experience.

ZakuZaku // There’s usually a line out the door at this delicious shop on Takeshita street, and it’s for good reason — they make delicious sweets! From their signature Croquant, which is a cross between an eclaire and crunchy almond cookie, filled with light as air pastry cream, to their incredible ice cream swirls… so many amazing sweet combinations to be had.

Cat Street // This is one of the best shopping streets in Tokyo for casual and fun street style.

Shozo Coffee // One of our absolute favorite coffee shops of all in Tokyo. Their coffee is literally perfection and their little wooden house they serve it out of is even cuter.

Sushi Shin // Omakase sushi with a more chill vibe. Sushi Shin is a tiny spot where you get the chance to have a laugh or two with the sushi maestro himself, which is quite rare in Tokyo where the norm is no talking at all as sushi restaurants. The meal started off by us getting to choose our cute sake glasses and ended with lots of uni.

Bar Trench // This vibey, small, dark and cozy bar in Ebisu is one of our favorites. Creative cocktails and good tunes.

Yakumo Sararyo // Yakumo Sarayo is one of the most incredible Japanese experiences around. We enjoyed their Japanese breakfast experience, which requires reservations. and is on the pricier side. From the incredible space, to the every single detail, we couldn’t have been more obsessed with this. Wagashi is their craft, and definitely something you should try when you’re in Tokyo.

Koffee Mameya // Formerly Omotesando Coffee, Koffee Mameya is for LEGIT coffee lovers only. This no-frills spot isn’t so much a coffee shop as it is a coffee experience. The baristas are super friendly and explain their craft, offering you a chart from light to dark roast with every shade in between to choose from. It’s really incredible.

Afuri Ramen // There’s always a line out the door at Afuri Ramen, because it’s DELISH. The move here is to order the Yuzu DIP noodles. The noodles in this dish are thicker and chewier (how we prefer it), and the yuzu sauce is one of the most delicious lemony delights we’ve ever had. Seriously crave this ramen on the regular.

Path // Lives get changed at Path. Their pastries are on another level, and their croissants are the best in the planet, even better than even the ones we’ve had in Paris. No Joke. The food here is beyond incredible.

Yoyogi Park // A must must always when we visit Tokyo. It’s one of our favorite parks in the whole world. Being in there is magical, with endless paths of green wonder.

Cafe Kitsune // It’s all about the matcha at Cafe Kitsune.