Lotte World

Lotte World sits in the middle of Jamsil, in southeastern Seoul, and splits into two halves. Adventure is a vast indoor park under a glass roof, with rides, parades and a folk museum stacked around a central floor; Magic Island is the outdoor section, built on a small island in Seokchon lake around a castle. The indoor half is the reason Koreans treat this as a year-round outing rather than a summer one, since rain, August humidity and January cold all stop at the door. There is an ice rink on the lower level, a monorail circling above the atrium, and a mix of gentle rides for small children with a handful of faster ones outdoors.

What you actually see

• Adventure - the indoor park under the glass roof, with its parades and central stage.
• Magic Island - the outdoor section on the lake, with the castle and the bigger rides.
• The ice rink - the year-round rink on the lower level of the complex.
• Seokchon lake - the ring walk around the water, lined with cherry trees in April.

When to go

Weekdays in term time are far quieter than weekends and school holidays, when queues for the main rides run long. The indoor section makes rainy days and the worst of summer and winter workable. Arrive at opening and do the outdoor rides first. Evening tickets cost less and the park is lit, but hours shorten off season.

Honest expectations

At weekends and in holidays it is packed, with waits of well over an hour for the headline rides and crowds thick enough to slow walking. The indoor park is noisy and artificially lit, which some people find wearing after a few hours. The outdoor section is small. It is a commercial amusement park in a shopping complex, and prices inside match that.

Nearby

Lotte World Tower and its observatory stand next door, and Seokchon lake wraps around the park.