BTS is back. After nearly four years of military service and solo projects, all seven members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — have reunited, released their fifth album ARIRANG in March 2026, and launched a world tour that’s selling out stadiums worldwide. If the reunion is pulling you toward Seoul, here’s the good news: many of the places tied to BTS’s story are real spots you can walk into yourself. This is a self-guided guide to the ones actually worth your time — what happened at each, and how to get there.
Short answer: The essential BTS spots cluster in two areas — Yongsan (the current HYBE headquarters) and Gangnam (their trainee days). Start there, then use the City of Seoul’s official 13-stop “Seoul BTS Tour” map to fill in the rest. Most spots are free, outdoors, and easy to photograph. You’ll need Naver Map or KakaoMap to find them — Google Maps can’t navigate in Korea.
The core pilgrimage: Yongsan & Gangnam
These cluster close together, so you can see them in a single afternoon.
HYBE Headquarters (하이브 사옥), Yongsan
BTS’s current agency building. Fans can’t go inside, but the exterior is a pilgrimage stop in itself, and the cafes behind the building regularly host fan-run “cup-sleeve” events around member birthdays and debut anniversaries. (Note: the former HYBE Insight museum has closed, so don’t plan a visit around it.)
Hyuga Café (former BTS dorm)
BTS’s old dorm, now a cozy café famously featured in Run BTS Episode 29 — you can sit where they actually lived. Inside, one wall is completely covered in handwritten letters from ARMY around the world. It might be the most quietly moving photo you take all trip.
Yoojung Sikdang (유정식당)
The restaurant where the members ate ssambap (쌈밥) — pork and rice wraps — almost every day as trainees. It even has a special “BTS menu,” which makes this the rare pilgrimage stop where you actually get to eat. (Worth checking current hours before you go.)
RM’s art stop: MMCA Seoul
MMCA Seoul (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) is a museum RM is known to have visited often in his free time. If you know his love of art, it’s a fitting, low-key stop — and a genuinely great museum in its own right, sitting right next to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
The 2026 comeback corner: Gwanghwamun
Gwanghwamun Square (광화문광장) became the heart of BTS’s 2026 return — their ARIRANG comeback performance here, with the palace and mountains rising behind the stage, was streamed worldwide. Standing in the wide plaza in front of Gyeongbokgung with the comeback still fresh, it’s the most “right now” stop on this list.
BTS perform at Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, March 2026. © HYBE
The City of Seoul’s official “Seoul BTS Tour”
You don’t have to guess which spots are real. To mark BTS’s 10th anniversary, the City of Seoul selected 13 BTS-connected places and built them into an official “Seoul BTS Tour” (Map the SEOUL) — from pre-debut hangouts to Run BTS filming sites.
“Seoul in Purple” — official BTS tour graphic. © City of Seoul / Visit Seoul
| # | Place | BTS connection |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sungnyemun Gate (Namdaemun) | 2021 Global Citizen Live performance site |
| 2 | HYBE Yongsan HQ | BTS’s agency headquarters |
| 3 | Geunjeongjeon Hall, Gyeongbokgung Palace | 2020 Jimmy Fallon Show filming site |
| 4 | Yeouido Hangang Park | BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA venue |
| 5 | Euljiro | 2021 Season’s Greetings photoshoot |
| 6 | National Museum of Korea | 2021 BTS Seoul tourism promo film |
| 7 | Seoul Sports Complex (Jamsil) | Permission to Dance on Stage – Seoul concert venue |
| 8 | Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Gyeongbokgung Palace | 2020 Jimmy Fallon Show filming site |
| 9 | World Cup Bridge | 2021 Jimmy Fallon Show filming site |
| 10 | Nodeul Island | 2021 Season’s Greetings photoshoot |
| 11 | Achasan Mountain | Run BTS filming site |
| 12 | Seoul Oil Tank Culture Park | Run BTS filming site |
| 13 | Hakdong Neighborhood Park | Trainee-era memory spot |
Worth a day trip (outside Seoul)
With extra time, a few iconic spots sit outside the city:
- Daejanggeum Park (Yongin) — filming site of SUGA’s “Daechwita” MV.
- Hyangho Beach bus stop (Gangneung) — the seaside stop from “Spring Day.”
- Maengbang Beach (Samcheok) — the “Butter” album photoshoot site, still decorated with album-themed props.
Getting around
Two practical things make this route easy. First, Google Maps can’t navigate in Korea — you’ll need Naver Map or KakaoMap to find every spot above. (Here’s how to set them up in English.) Second, almost everything here sits near a subway station, so a transit card and the subway will get you door to door. Just landed? Here’s how to get from Incheon Airport to Seoul.
FAQ
Can you go inside the HYBE building? No — it’s not open to the public. You can photograph the exterior and visit the cafes behind it. The former HYBE Insight museum has closed.
Is there an official BTS map of Seoul? Yes — the City of Seoul runs an official “Seoul BTS Tour” (Map the SEOUL) with 13 BTS-connected places.
Are these places free? Most are free and outdoors. Museums and cafes may have entry or menu costs.
How long do I need? The Yongsan–Gangnam core fits in an afternoon; the full 13-stop map is a comfortable one to two days.
Will I see BTS members there? No. These are places connected to their story — not spots to meet the members.
More honest Korea
Location photos in this guide are my own, taken on site. The Gwanghwamun performance image is © HYBE, and the “Seoul in Purple” graphic is © City of Seoul / Visit Seoul, both used with credit. No other BTS member photos are used.
For the rest of your trip: set up Naver Map & KakaoMap, and get from Incheon Airport to Seoul.