Seoul Sky at Lotte World Tower

Seoul Sky is the observatory near the top of Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, the tallest building in South Korea at 555 metres. Lifts run from the basement to the 117th floor in about a minute with a screen show on the way up, and the decks above stack viewing floors, cafes and a glass-floored section where you stand out over the drop. From here the Han river, the ranges that ring the city and the grid of Gangnam read as a single map, and on a clear evening you can watch the lights come on across the whole basin. Tickets are timed, and the slots either side of sunset go first.

What you actually see

• The glass floor - the transparent deck section looking straight down the tower.
• The river and the mountains - the Han cutting through the city with ranges on every side.
• The high-speed lift - the ride from basement to the 117th floor in about a minute.
• Sunset and city lights - the changeover from daylight to the lit grid below.

When to go

Autumn and winter give the clearest air; spring haze and summer humidity can flatten the view to a few kilometres. Book a timed slot roughly an hour before sunset to get daylight, dusk and lights on one ticket. Check visibility on a webcam or from street level before travelling, because the ticket is not cheap.

Honest expectations

It is expensive, and on a hazy or low-cloud day you pay full price to look at soup. The sunset slots sell out and the decks are crowded at exactly that hour, with a wait to reach the window glass. Reflections make photography through the glass difficult after dark. Some visitors find the older N Seoul Tower a better view for less money.

Nearby

Lotte World theme park and Seokchon lake are directly below the tower.