Lotte World Tower & Seoul Sky

Finished in 2017, Lotte World Tower stands 555m tall across 123 floors — Korea's tallest building, and one of the tallest in the world at the time it opened. It rises straight out of Jamsil and is visible from huge stretches of the city, an unmissable part of the Seoul skyline.

Floors 117 through 123 make up the Seoul Sky observation deck, and the ride up in a double-deck elevator to 478m is part of the fun. Level 118's glass floor, where you look straight down through the ground beneath your feet, is the spot everyone lines up to photograph.

Honest heads-up: ticket prices shift fairly often with the season and current promotions (typically around ₩27,000-29,000 for adults), and the official pricing isn't always obvious upfront — check seoulsky.lotteworld.com directly before you go. Booking online ahead is usually cheaper than buying at the counter.

Local tip: sunset time slots are the most popular and can mean long waits, so reserve a timed online ticket in advance. The tower's lower floors hold Lotte World Mall, an aquarium, and a concert hall — a solid backup plan for a rainy day.