South Korea Travel Tips

It's not a secret that I fell in love with South Korea the first time I set foot on it. You can't blame me. This country is very charming and full of wonderful surprises. The people are friendly, food is flavorful and there are a lot of sights to behold. After a couple of trips to South Korea, here are very note worthy tips based on my experience.


Getting Informed

Korea Tourism Organization is the only website I truly trust when I plan my itinerary. You'll find all you need to know about Korea tourism here. Find a landmark you want to go to, and this website will show you the most accurate and best way to get there. They also have the friendliest staff. Whenever I have a question about visa, immigration, etc., I just send them a message on their facebook page and I always get the most helpful answers from them.

The internet is also full of wonderful people who share their experiences through their blogs. Traveler reviews from different platforms are also helpful tools in gathering information.

Going About

To/From the Airport
From the airport, take the transportation that you're most comfortable with going to Seoul (or anywhere else). There are many options - airport limousine bus, cab, airport express (AREX) and Seoul Metropolitan Subway.

For my first visit, my sister familiarized herself with Seoul Subway, so that's what brought us to Seoul. It was a long way, with the transfer and baggage in tow, but we got to know their subway system more which helped us throughout our trip. Plus it's cheaper (only less than 5,000KRW) than the airport bus, cab and AREX. Taking the subway is definitely not the best option especially because of the transfers and if you have heavy luggage.

The airport bus is the most convenient choice. It's a bit pricier than using the subway (one way trip is 10,000KRW), but it is hassle-free. The one hour trip from the airport to Seoul (and vice versa) is comfortable. Just make sure you get on the right bus that will take you to your destination.

Single journey ticket to Seoul.

Seoul Subway
Going to places in and around Seoul is one reason why I love this city. No hours wasted seated in a vehicle while trapped in traffic, but lots of exercise walking underground. This Android app, Metroid, will help you with the subway. KakaoMap which I used and found very useful when I switched from Android to Apple. Just type in your station of origin and destination and it will show you which line you should take. The Seoul Subway trains are oh so clean and spacious. Rush hour? NO PROBLEM! There are trains after trains after trains! Waiting period doesn't take more than 15 minutes. Oh and be aware that the subway goes way, way, way underground, which will never cease to amaze me.

Seoul Bus
I've tried riding the bus (really cheap fare, less than 1,000KRW!) a few times only and those times were not the most chill I've been while in Korea. I think bus drivers aren't used to foreign passengers. Asking them questions while they are driving can be stressful to them. So if you decide on riding the bus, make sure you know where exactly you are going, because unlike here, they will only really load/unload passengers at designated bus stops.

Cabs
I've only tried taking a cab a few times and those were always pleasant trips. On my first ever cab ride, the driver was friendly and even taught me a few Korean phrases that would be helpful when taking a cab (I've absolutely forgotten those phrases! :)). The trip was from Itaewon to Myeongdong, and the cab fare only cost 5,000KRW, including the late night surcharge. Take caution when taking a cab because flag down rates differ, and surcharge are applied on weekends or holidays.

Asking Around

Do not be afraid to ask.
My first time with my sisters, on our first day, while looking for Beewon Guesthouse, we came across 2 policemen and asked for directions. One of them knew exactly where it was and he even escorted us to the guesthouse. If we didn't ask, we would've wasted a lot of precious time trying to locate it. The policeman even made small talk in Korean. A year teaching Koreans and learning their language through all the Koreanovelas and movies I have watched paid off, because I was able to tell him how thankful we were for his assistance.

Find the nearest Tourist Information Center.
There are also a lot of Tourist Information Centers where English speaking tour guides can help you with anything. Throughout the city, specially on weekends, local volunteers who speak English, Chinese (and maybe Japanese too?) can be spotted with their red hat and vest. They have maps and pens ready for all your direction needs. Most Koreans understand English and will try their best to answer in English. But if you happen to know a little Hangul, it will come in handy too.

Tourist Information Lady to the rescue!

Using Your T-card

T-card isn't just for the subway, it can be used for all modes of public transportation. According to KTO, using the T-card on public transportation makes the fare 100KRW cheaper than paying cash. Load it up because you can even use your T-money to purchase from GS convenience stores and other establishments. Use it and get discounts. We used ours to avail of this buy 2 get 1 on yogurt drinks and ice cream that has become our favorite.

Keep your T-card! It will never expire.

Eating Out

Eat where the locals eat.
You will never run out of places to eat at in Seoul. It is true that long lines equal good food.

Try Local Fastfood
These are the local fastfood that I've tried:

Lotteria - not a fan. The Korean burger I had was just not to my liking at all. But I loved their mozzarella sticks.

Lotteria burger, fries and mozzarella sticks.

Bekseju-

Haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), maekjeok gui (grilled pork with garlic and chives) 

Try Street Food
We ate street food only once. It was really clean and tasty. All street food carts that I saw there were spotless. I wish we were able to try the ones near Beewon.

Getting Connected
South Korea is an awesomely wired country. There is free wifi in subway stations, tourist spots and convenience stores. But renting your own pocket wifi is easy and unbelievably affordable too. Whenever I go to Seoul, I make sure I rent Mifi from sk telecoms. They charge less than 10,000KRW per day. But they usually give special discounts. Last time I rented one, they only charged 5,500KRW per day. Not bad at all especially if you are traveling in groups.

I will keep updating this particular post, because there is always something changing in South Korea.

Day 5: Seoul Mate: Dongdaemun, Namdaemun and Myeongdong

By this time, I've become really really at home in Seoul. After a tiring day traveling from Seoul to Osan and back, we've decided to stay close to home. Market day for us! Taking pictures feel so touristy, hence photo shortage in this post. :P

First stop was Dongdaemun Market, a shopper's haven, so we thought it would be ours too. But it caters more to wholesale shoppers. Most products here like clothes, are sold in bulk and would be too expensive if you'd get just one. Cheap buys for re-sellers. We were able to buy cheaper I love Korea shirts at one of the street stalls. What I noticed here was most stall owners weren't so nice to customers. Touching their products would easily tick them off and say things that doesn't sound Korean. Which made me realize that many of them aren't locals.

To Dongdaemun Shopping Complex.

Since we set foot in Korea, we haven't seen a mall till we went to Dongdaemun. But this mall, Doota was not open until 7pm, so we missed the chance to go window shopping.

This part of Dongdaemun became my favorite. I was happy in an instant when we came across these bookstores that sell used books at bargain price. My sister was able to buy a hard bound, dual language (English and Korean) and illustrated Little Prince book for only KRW2000.

 

We also got to try street food for the first time. Didn't have time for breakfast, so at around 1PM, we were already starving. Tried this food stall at Dongdaemun. They sell tteokbokki, fish cakes and mini kimbap. Delicious, affordable and very clean too!

You'll also find the Seoul Heunginjumin or the Seoul Gate. We didn't cross the street to get closer to the gate. I don't recall why we didn't, and it sure is another reason why I should go back to Seoul: to get a closer look at the Seoul Gate. Hahah!

Front view of the gate.

Side view of the Seoul Gate.

Pedestrian crossing.

And oh! We also took our time taking photos of the Cheonggyecheon Stream. This part of the stream in Dongdaemun has a very nice pathway where locals and tourists alike can just explore.

Next stop was Namdaemun Market. We were able to buy pasalubong here, lots of pasalubong! The market was clean and organized. My sister needed to buy some trail mix nuts and dried cranberry and the sellers were really helpful and even offered taste test. I bought a box of my favorite sunflower seed coated with chocolate for only KRW12,000!

After pasalubong shopping, we headed back to our guesthouse to drop off our purchases and to clean up a little. Last place to shop was Myeongdong again. More than the stores, I really just love how busy this place is at night.

How cool is this building? ;)

I won't leave Seoul without finding ARTBOX. Most cutesy stationery I've received during my stint as an ESL teacher were from ARTBOX, so I had to see the shop for myself. I tell you, I was not disappointed with what I saw! :D

Shopping could be tiring too. So since it's our last night in Seoul, we went back to the guesthouse a little bit earlier that we usually do. Time to pack our bags and get ready for the journey home.

Day 3: Old Seoul - Tapgol Park and Insadong Market

Insadong Street and Tapgol Park.

Tapgol Park or Pagoda Park is, according to Visit Korea, the first modern park to be built in Seoul. You'll find here the glass enclosed, 10 story pagoda. It was a Saturday and there was an event for the elderly at that time (or maybe the elder Koreans really hangout here), so there were a lot of people at the park. 

The glass enclosed pagoda.

There's a pavillion in the middle of the park. And yes, you can tell that this park is also from the successful Joseon dynasty.

The pavillion.

We crossed the street from Tapgol to get to Insadong.
Perfect day for some Insadong experience. On weekend, some streets around Insadong are closed to vehicles. Shops are set up on the streets. Traditional Korean craft and culture will be seen all over Insadong. There are art galleries, traditional tea houses and stores that sell different Korean art.

Performance at Insadong.

Comfort room art at Insadong.

Thinly sliced squid cooked on hot walnuts. (?)

Red bean goodness!

Famous teahouse.

Book sale.

Free hugs, anyone? ;)

More huggers!

Colorful characters strolling.

Souvenir shopping.

Insa Art Gallery.

This way to more art galleries.

We also found this very unique mall, Ssamziegil Mall. It's not your usual indoor mall. It has 4 floors, connected by spiral staircases. Just like the rest of Insadong, Ssamziegil Mall is an artwork in itself. Each floor has a different theme. It's like walking in an art gallery with all the paintings on the walls and staircases.

Mall facade.

Ssamziegil Mall map.

The mall.

Giraffes at the mall?

I really enjoyed this day. Just relaxed and steady. It was already dark when we walked backed to our guesthouse. And on our way back, we saw Changdeokgung Palace at night. 

Oh tired feet! Rest some for another long day awaits. :)