First Day Back in Seoul: Korean Hair Salon Experience, GOTO Mall, and Han River by Bike

First day back in Korea and I immediately booked a hair appointment. This is very on-brand. Here is everything from the day: the hair salon experience, lunch at a My Soul Bike cafe, an afternoon at GOTO Mall underground, a Han River bike ride, and the Banpo Bridge lights at night.

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Morning: Korean Hair Salon (Home Room)

The first stop was a hair salon called Home Room, which has multiple locations across Seoul. This was not a sponsored visit, just a genuinely good experience worth sharing.

What I got: Haircut plus full hair dyeing with curls. The staff were friendly throughout, the hair wash was exceptional (they use high-quality products and are thorough), and they provided a blanket during the shampooing process so you stay warm and comfortable. A pillow was also available to make the chair experience more comfortable.

The complimentary dessert: When you book a haircut combined with a dye, perm, or other treatment, the salon brings you dessert. We got:

• Omelet (small protein bite)
• Korean rice cake (tteok) with honey for dipping
• Mini yakgwa (traditional Korean honey cookies)

They also brought Vincent a set even though he was just accompanying.

What it cost: 55,000 KRW for the haircut, 220,000 KRW for the hair dyeing. Total: 275,000 KRW (approximately $200 USD).

Important note for visitors: South Korea does not have a tipping culture. The 275,000 KRW is exactly what you pay. No service charge to calculate, no tip to add. The flat cost is the cost.

This is not a budget salon. If you want the cozy luxury vibe with good service and complimentary dessert, Home Room is worth it. If budget is the priority, there are cheaper options. But the experience here was a different level.

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Afternoon Stop: My Soul Bike Cafe

Near Olympic Park there is a cycling-themed cafe called My Soul Bike. Very cute interior, obviously themed around bikes and cycling culture.

I ordered their raspberry specialty latte, which came with popping candy and a pink color that made the drink visually unusual in a good way. The flavor was sweet but not overly so, and the popping candy added a texture element that worked better than expected. I also tried their yakgwa fusion dessert (a traditional Korean honey cookie served in a creative way). Vincent got an iced Americano.

Good spot to know if you are in the Olympic Park area and want a place to sit, rest, and have a coffee with something to look at.

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GOTO Mall (Express Bus Terminal Underground Mall)

We headed to GOTO Mall around 4:30 PM. This is located at Seoul Express Bus Terminal station, accessible via subway.

GOTO Mall is one of the largest underground shopping malls in Korea, reportedly over 600 stores and stretching almost one kilometer in length. When you look at the map inside, you realize the mall covers multiple underground levels and connects practically to the next subway station.

What it is: A budget-friendly underground fashion market. Almost entirely women's clothing, accessories, and a few food courts. If you are looking for men's fashion, expect to spend a long time finding anything.

Pricing: Very reasonable. Items we saw ranged from 5,000 KRW on the low end to around 39,000 KRW for clothing. A Korean gong skirt (currently very trendy) was 29,000 KRW for cash. I picked up multiple pieces across the afternoon.

Practical notes:

• Closed on Mondays. Plan accordingly.
• Also closed during major Korean public holidays like Chuseok and Lunar New Year.
• Many stalls are cash preferred, though some take cards.
• Some vendors do not allow you to try items on before buying.
• The mall is enormous. Come with time. The section near the entrance is the most accessible starting point, and there is significantly more if you walk further in.

The Express Bus Terminal connection: GOTO Mall sits inside and around Seoul's major intercity express bus terminal. If you ever need to take a bus to Busan, Gyeongju, Jeonju, or other cities, this is the hub. Even if you are not taking a bus, it is interesting to see the scale of the bus operations here, with dozens of buses loading and departing simultaneously.

Food court at GOTO Mall: There is a large food area inside with Korean, Chinese, sushi, and international options. We ate at Nou Kitchen, which served a BBQ rice set with tteokbokki, sundae (Korean blood sausage), and kimchi. Total for two was 22,500 KRW.

How to eat Korean BBQ wrap (ssam): Take a lettuce leaf, add rice, put a piece of meat on top, add garlic if you want it, spoon some ssamjang (fermented paste sauce) over everything, wrap it up, and eat the whole thing in one bite. This is the classic way.

Water at Korean food courts is typically self-serve: grab a cup and pour it yourself.

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Han River Bike Rental (Evening)

Seoul's public bike system (Ttareungyi) has rental stations along the Han River and throughout the city. We rented bikes from a station near the river.

Cost: 1,000 KRW for a one-hour pass. Same price for foreigners and locals, which is worth noting since some Korean attractions charge differently.

Tip for renting: Buy at least a 2-3 hour pass when you rent. The app is mostly in Korean and it is not straightforward to extend mid-ride. We bought only one hour, could not figure out how to add more time, and ended up riding back to the original station rather than risk the penalty fees. More hours upfront saves this problem entirely.

The Han River at night is well worth the detour. The path is wide, well-lit, and lined with people jogging, cycling, and sitting along the water.

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Banpo Bridge Rainbow Lights (9 PM)

We ended the night by the Han River at Banpo Bridge. The bridge has a rainbow light installation that runs in the evening, and at 9 PM it was fully lit and very beautiful from the riverbank.

The area around the bridge was lively even at that hour: people sitting on the grass, couples, families, food vendors along the path. This felt like the version of Seoul that locals actually use rather than tourist Seoul.

If you are in the Gangnam or Express Bus Terminal area in the evening, the Han River walk to Banpo Bridge is a very easy and free thing to add to your night.

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Practical Notes for This Day

• Hair salon pricing in Korea: No tipping, ever. The price quoted is the price you pay.
• GOTO Mall hours: Closed Mondays and major holidays. Arrive with several hours to explore properly.
• Han River bikes: Buy more hours than you think you need. 2-3 hours is a good starting point.
• October vs December: October is the best weather month for Seoul (clear skies, cooler temperatures, beautiful autumn colors). December is colder but still very doable.