Top Tips For Travel In South Korea
I visited South Korea in 2018 with my sister as part of our seven-week Asian adventure, where we also visited Mongolia, Laos, and Thailand.
We had not heard that much about it or knew many others who had been. We did only a little research, as we were so busy prior to leaving, so we just winged it and discovered a lot while we were over there.
We visited the main parts; Seoul, Busan and then had some relaxation time on Jeju Island.
You will find public transport in South Korea super easy, I’m sure. You buy a T-money card which is the Korean rechargeable smartcard for taking subways and buses and you can even use it in lieu of cash to pay taxis and at convenience stores. The cards come in many different cute designs you can choose from. You can buy single journey tickets but it is much more convenient to go for the T-money card.
When you arrive, getting from the Incheon airport into Seoul, you have the subway, the Limousine City bus or taxi options. If you take the train, be prepared to change lines. Taking the bus or taxi both work, it just depends on the time of day. It should take about one hour before arriving in the city.
The Seoul central area is handy as there are so many sights close by. You have;
Starfield COEX Mall - Asia’s largest underground shopping mall. Starfield Library is inside - visit if you want to get your Instagram hit
Gyeongbokgung Palace - guard changing from 10am - 4pm on the hour
N Seoul Tower - expect to queue
Myeong-dong - for shopping and eating
Bukchon Hanok Village
Changdeokgung - temple
Cheonggyecheon - park
Namdaemun Market - day market
Gangnam - not much there, but worth a visit to see home of Gangnam style
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) - cool architecture - visit at night for the markets
Namsangol or Iksaedong Hanok Village
Seoul – Namsan tower take the cable car to the top from Myeongdong Station
K-Pop Concert
Damyang Bamboo Forest - also known as Juknokwon
Seoul Grand Park – has hills and hiking trails, Seoul Grand Park Zoo, Children's Zoo, a rose garden, Seoul Land Amusement Park, and the Seoul Museum of Modern Art
Lotte World - the world's largest indoor theme park, an outdoor amusement park called ‘Magic Island’, an artificial island inside a lake linked by monorail, shopping malls, a luxury hotel, a Korean Folk Museum, sports facilities, and movie theaters
Insadong - has a pedestrianized main street, which is crammed with teahouses and Korean eateries, plus shops selling traditional goods like pottery, tea and handmade hanji paper.
You can be overwhelmed by the Temples and Hanok Villages so choose carefully and maybe narrow it down to one or two.
The food in Korea is so fresh, and they have great fruit. Expect to eat Bibimbap as it is stable everywhere, which is rice, meat and vegetables as well as Korean BBQ. Many restaurants you will be seated on the floor so take your shoes off. Restaurants also offer for you to cook your own food on a hot plate in the centre of your table.
Taking the KTX high-speed train from Seoul to Busan is awesome. You are only on the train for two and a half hours and you have crossed the country.
We found the people in Busan to be super friendly and helpful. We never had to be vigilant about our safety as the place as a real nice vibe to it. It is a smaller city than Seoul which I think you will love.
Busan has some pretty cool attractions to check out as well;
Haeundae Beach
Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan bridge
Haedong Yonggungsa - a temple by the water
Taejongdae Park
Seokbulsa Temple
Gamcheon Culture Village
We found travelling throughout South Korea to be safe and comfortable. The people were friendly, and you notice how good they are by following their rules. We appreciated as well that the streets and parks were clean. It was a great experience for us. It is a bloody hot and sweaty place though during the wet season so choose carefully when the best time to visit is for you.
Have you been to South Korea before? What are your thoughts on attractions or places to go? We would love it if you joined the conversation and left a comment below.