Squid Game Filming Locations Worth Visiting: A Self-Guided Korea Travel Guide
Squid Game (오징어 게임) is a Netflix original series that premiered in 2021 and returned for a second season in December 2024 and a third in June 2025. This guide does not list every reported filming location. Instead, it focuses only on places that are actually worth visiting — locations that have real travel value for international visitors traveling on their own.
Note: Most of Squid Game's game sequences were filmed on constructed sets at Daejeon Expo Science Park, which have since been dismantled. The actual game island, Seongapdo, is private land and not accessible to the public. This guide focuses on the real-world Seoul and Incheon locations that appear in the series and can be visited.
Drama Info
| Director | Hwang Dong-hyuk (Season 1–3) |
| Writer | Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Genre | Thriller, Survival Drama |
| Episodes | 9 (Season 1), 7 (Season 2), 6 (Season 3) |
| Released | Season 1: September 17, 2021 / Season 2: December 26, 2024 / Season 3: June 27, 2025 (Netflix) |
| Cast | Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, Yim Si-wan |
Spoiler-Free Synopsis
456 people, each in desperate financial circumstances, are invited to compete in a series of children's games for a prize of 45.6 billion Korean won. The games are simple. The consequences for losing are not. Squid Game uses its survival competition premise to examine class, debt, desperation, and the systems that produce them. It became the most-watched Netflix series in history on its release and returned for a second and third season.
Why This Drama Works for Travelers
While most of Squid Game's iconic game sequences were filmed on constructed sets, the series grounds its real-world scenes in recognizable parts of Seoul and Incheon. Several of these locations have genuine travel value — from a historic elementary school and traditional market in northern Seoul to the iconic Incheon waterfront. For travelers who want to connect the series to real Korean places, this guide focuses on spots that are worth visiting on their own terms.
Filming Locations Worth Visiting
The locations below are associated with the drama and are real places that travelers can visit or consider adding to a Korea itinerary.
1. Ssangmun-dong Neighborhood (쌍문동)
About this location: A quiet residential neighborhood in Dobong-gu, northern Seoul, associated with Seong Gi-hun's everyday life scenes in the series. Ssangmun-dong appears in the series as a working-class urban neighborhood — narrow streets, local markets, low-rise apartment buildings, and small shops. The area around Ssangmun Station retains this character and gives visitors a genuine sense of the ordinary Seoul that the series contrasts against the extremity of the games. Baegun Market (백운시장), a traditional covered market in the area, also appears in early scenes of the series.
Region: Dobong-gu, Seoul
Can you visit? Yes — a public residential neighborhood.
Worth visiting without a car? Yes — direct subway access.
Public transport access: Take Line 4 to Ssangmun Station, Exit 2. The neighborhood streets and Baegun Market are within walking distance. Routes and travel times may vary, so check Naver Map or Google Maps before traveling.
Best time to visit: Morning for the market atmosphere. Year-round.
Self-guided tip: This is a residential area — visit respectfully. Baegun Market is best experienced in the morning when vendors are active. The neighborhood's unassuming streets are the main draw for fans of the series.
Local food tip: Baegun Market and the surrounding streets have several traditional Korean food vendors and small restaurants serving inexpensive local dishes.
2. Tapgol Park (탑골공원)
About this location: A historic public park in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, associated with Season 2 scenes where Gi-hun tracks the Recruiter through the city. Tapgol Park is Korea's first modern public park, established in 1897, and is historically significant as the site where the March 1st Independence Movement declaration was read in 1919. The park is home to the Wongaksa Pagoda, a 10-story stone pagoda from the Joseon Dynasty, and is surrounded by the old streets of Jongno — one of Seoul's most historically layered neighborhoods. The park is a genuine cultural site independent of any drama connection.
Region: Jongno-gu, Seoul
Can you visit? Yes — open to the public. Check current opening hours before visiting.
Worth visiting without a car? Yes — located in central Seoul.
Public transport access: Take Line 1 or 3 to Jongno 3-ga Station. The park is a short walk from the exit. Routes and travel times may vary, so check Naver Map or Google Maps before traveling.
Best time to visit: Year-round. Combine with a walk through Insadong and the surrounding Jongno area.
Self-guided tip: The Wongaksa Pagoda is the park's main historical artifact. Combine with nearby Insadong-gil, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Changdeokgung Palace for a full day in the Jongno heritage area.
Local food tip: The Jongno 3-ga area is known for traditional Korean pojangmacha (street food tents) and is a good area for affordable Korean food and street snacks.
3. Wolmi Theme Park, Incheon (월미도 테마파크)
About this location: An amusement park on Wolmido Island in Incheon, associated with scenes in Season 1 where a player has an encounter with a fellow gangster outside the games. Wolmido is a small island connected to Incheon by a causeway, known for its seafood restaurants along the waterfront and the brightly colored rides of the theme park. The island has a relaxed, old-fashioned character that distinguishes it from Seoul's more modern leisure areas. Visiting Wolmido combines a drama location with a genuinely enjoyable half-day in a part of Incheon that international visitors rarely reach.
Region: Jung-gu, Incheon
Can you visit? Yes — the island and theme park are open to the public. Check current theme park hours and admission before visiting.
Worth visiting without a car? Yes — accessible by subway and bus from central Incheon.
Public transport access: Take Incheon Line 1 to Incheon Station, then take a local bus toward Wolmido. Routes and travel times may vary, so check Naver Map or Google Maps before traveling.
Best time to visit: Spring or summer. Weekends are livelier. The waterfront is pleasant in the evening.
Self-guided tip: Combine with a walk along the Wolmido waterfront and a meal at one of the seafood restaurants overlooking the harbor. Incheon Chinatown and Sinpo International Market are nearby and worth adding to the same day.
Local food tip: Wolmido is known for fresh seafood — grilled clams, steamed crabs, and seafood stew are popular along the waterfront. Incheon Chinatown, a short taxi ride away, is known for jajangmyeon (black bean noodles).
4. Daejeon Expo Science Park (대전 엑스포과학공원)
About this location: A large science and leisure park in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, which served as a major filming location for the constructed game sets used in the series. The game sets — including the Red Light, Green Light room and the dormitory — were constructed here and have since been dismantled. While the specific sets no longer exist, the park itself remains open and offers science exhibitions, outdoor attractions, and a sense of the scale of the production that took place here. Daejeon is South Korea's fifth-largest city and a reasonable day trip from Seoul.
Region: Yuseong-gu, Daejeon
Can you visit? Yes — open to the public. Admission required for some areas. Check current hours before visiting.
Worth visiting without a car? Yes — Daejeon is accessible by KTX from Seoul.
Public transport access: From Seoul, take KTX to Daejeon Station. From Daejeon Station, take a local bus or taxi toward Expo Science Park. Routes and travel times may vary, so check Naver Map or Google Maps before traveling.
Best time to visit: Spring or autumn. Year-round for the science exhibitions.
Self-guided tip: The Squid Game sets are gone, but the park is worth visiting as the location where the series was made. Combine with a walk along the Gapcheon River area, a pleasant urban waterway near the park.
Local food tip: Daejeon is known for kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and sundae (Korean blood sausage). The area around Daejeon Station has several well-regarded local restaurants.
How to Watch Outside Korea
All three seasons of Squid Game are available on Netflix in many regions. Search by both the English title and the Korean title, 오징어 게임, if it does not appear in your local library. Availability and subtitle options may vary by country.
Final Travel Summary
| Location | Region | Visitable? | Without a Car? | Best Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ssangmun-dong Neighborhood | Dobong-gu, Seoul | Yes | Yes | Year-round |
| Tapgol Park | Jongno-gu, Seoul | Yes | Yes | Year-round |
| Wolmi Theme Park | Incheon | Yes | Yes | Spring / Summer |
| Daejeon Expo Science Park | Daejeon | Yes | Yes | Spring / Autumn |
Squid Game's most iconic images were created on constructed sets that no longer exist. But the real-world Korea that frames the series — the residential streets of northern Seoul, the historic parks of Jongno, the waterfront of Incheon, and the city of Daejeon where the production was built — is fully accessible. For travelers who want to connect the series to the country it comes from, these are the places worth going.
Sources and Notes
This guide was compiled using Korean and international travel media, Netflix official resources, and location-based travel platforms. Filming location details may vary by source, so some locations are described as "associated with" or "reported as" filming locations.
- Netflix Tudum — Where is Squid Game filmed? A guide to the Korean locations
- Hey Roseanne — 8 Squid Game Season 2 filming locations in Seoul
- Trafalgar — Where was Squid Game filmed?
- Visit Korea — Seoul travel information
- Visit Korea — Incheon travel information
Travel information such as opening hours, admission fees, and public transport access may change. Please check Google Maps, Naver Map, and official tourism pages before visiting.
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