After spearheading Korea’s rapid ascent to one of the wealthiest countries in the world by virtue of its auto and technology sectors, Seoul is placing new focus on becoming a world-renowned tourist destination. The concerted effort to cater to more than just business travelers means that now is the time to take advantage of all Seoul has to offer before it becomes too well-worn by the tourist trail.

Just like its inhabitants, Seoul is a contrast in styles. While it is enormously sprawled out over two sides of the Han River, it is still navigable by foot. Perhaps the best starting location for a stay in Seoul is around City Hall. From here, it is a quick walk north to the Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, and Gyeonghuigung palaces, which are all grouped together. If you take these sites in order from west to east, then the serene park surrounding the Gyeonghuigung Palace is the ideal place to reflect and relax after a morning of palatial exploration.

Once rejuvenated from the gardens, it is a short walk either south to the Insadong neighborhood or a little farther north to the Bukchon village. Either direction will take you deeper into the core of Korean culture. While Insadong is a pedestrian street lined with traditional shops, restaurants, and artisan stands, Bukchon is the only swatch of Seoul in which both skyscrapers and Starbucks have been denied access. Here, there are attractions designed for the tourist—from traditional tea houses, cultural workshops, and museums of everything from embroidery to Korean Buddhist art—but the preeminent appeal is to observe mundane, daily activities against the backdrop of the single level, wood-framed, clay shingled homes and buildings that envelop all who wander the narrow streets of Bukchon.

As a modern city, Seoul has more to offer than just glimpses at the past. Again, with City Hall as the center of one’s travels in Seoul, it is only a matter of choosing what one is in the mood for and then following one’s compass. If it is a peaceful stroll along a revitalized river, complete with neon lights and faux-ancient bridges, then head east to the Cheonggyecheon stream. This stream, older than the city itself, was completely covered by a highway overpass in 1971 but was set free again in 2005. It is now a top spot for locals and visitors alike to walk and wonder. As a result of its renewed vitality, the old auto part shops that line its banks—many so small they only sell one type of part—are being replaced by chain restaurants and theme bars just as swiftly as the stream’s artificial current.

If your compass spins southeast, then it is shopping you will find. Whether you prefer indoor, multi-storied shopping malls or shoulder to shoulder, heel to toe, outdoor window shopping, Myeong-dong has you covered. This district is full of popular brands from Nike and Adidas to Dolce & Gabbana and there are several great places to eat here as well.

If due south is your destination, then you will be embarking on all the adventures of Namsan Park. In addition to several hiking trails, there is a traditional, Namsangol Hanok Village which is a great place for pictures. But few pictures will compare to what you take after riding the cable car up to the top of the mountain. There, at 777ft, stands N Seoul Tower. The tower has four observation decks, the fourth of which is a revolving restaurant.

Finally, if your feet still have it in them, then they may lead you west. In this direction lies Hongdae, the hub for nightclubs in Seoul. Here there are several vintage and specialty shops to check out during the day, but at night, the area is overrun with club goers on their way to and from the many clubs pulsating at or just below the surface of the sidewalk. The clubs range from the simple to the seedy to extravagant; but they are all loud and they will stay open until the sun tells them to close.

The Seoul of today is vast in size and substance and, for those willing to experiment, a place of unending possibilities. It is sure to keep you on your toes both visually and contemplatively. Whether it is wondering down tapered side streets beneath the dazzling lights of a neon circus above or crossing city streets wide enough to drive a tank down, Seoul’s identity can be hard to understand or ignored: is it the television screen as big as a bus suspended against the skyline or the shrine the size of a McDonald’s sitting on the corner? Whatever Seoul is, it will surely be quick to impress and slow to dissolve.