How to have the best days in Seoul

Seoul, the capital of South Korea is an extremely fun, hip, and immersive city located in the north of the country. In addition to amazing food, great nightlife, and fantastic shopping the city offers a great range of cultural experiences and the option to discover many places which are only a few hours away. It's definitely not the cheapest city in the world, but let me show you why a trip to Seoul is incredibly worth it:

Before you leave

Get Korean Wons. Even if you, like me, usually prefer to take out cash from a local ATM it was incredibly difficult to find ATMs that would accept international credit cards. While many shops and restaurants can be paid by card there will be occasions where you needs cash (for example Metro fares and food markets). If you can try to obtain Korean Wons before you leave, or bring USD which can be converted at the airport at a good rate.

Getting to Seoul

You will most likely get to Seoul by arriving at Seoul-Incheon airport which is served by airlines from all over the world, including many budget airlines. From here the trip into the city is pretty easy. If you're willing to splurge there's an express train that takes less than half an hour to Seoul main station. However, it is much cheaper to take the slower metro train which serves more stops and takes a bit over an hour to the city. The fact that there are multiple stops means that you may be able to get to your accomodation quicker by not having to go all the way to Seoul main station.

Where to Stay

Where as other parts of Asia have an extremely well developed hostel culture, the hostels we found in South Korea were of a much lower quality than what we've seen in other countries. Many hostels have a very limited social aspect - people go there to sleep and that's it. You should definitely try and find somewhere to stay before arriving - you will have to fill in an accomodation address on your landing card and many places book out well in advance. Prices are relatively high for hostels (~15 Euro per night), but still the cheapest option. Many hostels can only be paid in cash, so as already noted make sure you are prepared for this.

Hotels are expensive (upwards of 100 Euro per night), although a few budget options, such as the Tokyo Inn chain that exists all over South Korea, are available.

If you're travelling in a larger group your best bet is probably an AirBnB. Prices range from hostel to hotel prices.

How to Get Around

Seoul, and most of South Korea for that matter, has an extremely well developed public transport system. The metro and buses serve every corner of the city. A standard fare is around 1 Euro. It's best to get a top up card (called a T-Money card) which can be obtained and topped up at every station (cash only! ). Single journeys can also be bought, but are 20% more expensive and instead of receiving a paper ticket you may get a card that you have to refund again at your destination station (it's a hassle).

One thing to note is that public transport terminates at around 11:30pm. Taxis are affordable, but drivers speak little English. Ride sharing doesn't really exist in Seoul, most available apps will simply call a regular taxi.

Distances in Seoul are quite far. Although many tourist places are close to one another (there is a lot of see around the Myeongdong area), you will not be able to see everything in Seoul in a couple of days by walking only.

Another quirk about Seoul: Google Maps is a bit strange. Due to some licensing issue the Google Maps you'll see in Seoul is not the same that you're used to. While it works ok for most tourist applications, it may help to have some back up options. Citymapper Seoul works well, although most locals use the Kakao Map app.

Itineraries

Your best option is to spend 1 day in each of the main areas of Seoul. One day Myeongdong and surroundings, one day Itaewon and surroundings, one day Gangnam and the southern part of the city, and then at least one day reserved for a day trip. You can easily spend several days in each area, but this will allow you to see a lot and to minimize travel time.

What to See

Myeongdong

Myeongdong is THE main area of Seoul. Hundreds of shops, restaurants, and neon lights span the streets which get really busy in the evenings and on weekends. There are also many food stalls which sell mostly fried snacks (although the prices are a bit higher than in other areas). There isn't much affordable accomodation in the area, mainly because it is mostly a buisness district, but it's an absolute must see.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Not far from Myeongdong is the Gyeongbokgun Palace, the main palace to visit in Seoul. It is maintained in a very good condition. Entrance prices are less than 3 Euros. Free guided tours in English are available three times per day. There is also a Changing of the Guards ceremony every hour as long as it is not raining. Note though that the palace already closes at 5pm and is closed on Tuesdays.

Bukchon Hanok Village

The area around the palace is the Bukchon Hanok Village, an area that preserves what Seoul looked like centuries ago. Streets are lined with shops and cafes. Definitely worth a walk through.

Changdeokgung Palace

This palace, in close proximity to the above mentioned places, may not be as famous, but hence also less croweded than Gyeongbokgun. It spans over vast areas and is also maintained very well. Entrance fees are the same as Gyeongbokgun.

Gwangjang Market

The final main attraction in this area is the Gwangjang Market (found on Google Maps as Kwangjang Market). The market is certainly not aimed at tourists and hence you can see locals buying literally anything here. There is also some excellent food available.

Itaewon

Itaewon is a more upscale area. Many embassies and expats are housed here, along with some finer restaurants and bars.

Seoul Tower

The tower is on top of the hill in the center of Seoul. Even if you don't want to spend the 10, 000 won of going up the tower, the view from the top of the hill is amazing. From Myeongdong it takes around 1 hour climb up to the tower (1. 5 hours from Itaewon).

Hongdae

Hongdae is on the western side of the city. It's a very trendy, hip, and young area with many cheap shops, restaurants, and bars. It's very busy during lunchtime, late afternoons, and of course evenings.

Gangnam

Not where Gangnam Style was filmed, but the area it's based on. A very chic, upscale area. Streets are lined by massive skyscrapers, each housing a mall and countless restaurants. A huge area, but you'll get the idea after wandering the streets for a bit.

DMZ - to visit or not to visit

North Korea only lies around an hour north of Seoul, hence a visit to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) seems obvious. You can only go with a tour and hence have to book in advance. The cheapest tours cost around 50 euros, but this can easily go up into the hundreds. Be careful when you book though: that place you always see on TV where you can actually temporarily cross into North Korea is called the JSA. It gets closed during peace talks (which is quite frequently at the moment). Most tours hence do not visit the JSA. The cheapest tours only get you to a lookout point where you can see into North Korea - except on around 200 days per year where it's extremely cloudy and foggy. This is the view we had:

(Somewhere in the middle of this photos is the central point of the DMZ, i. e. the border to North Korea).

It's not a bad tour, just don't come with too high expectations.

What to eat

This is pretty easy. Korean food is great and there is a lot of it. You won't find that many western restaurants in Seoul, but that really doesn't matter considering how many fantastic local places there are. Tripadvisor is a bit useless in Seoul, most restaurants have no english reviews, so just go with your gut. Here are a few dishes to definitely try:

• Korean BBQ (ranges in prices from a ~7 euros to ~50 euros per person)
• Bibimbap (definitely try the cold version of it that's freshly prepared in the markets)
• Galbi (served with a lot of molten cheese)
• Fried Chicken and Beer (that's what the restaurant will be advertising)
• Hotteok (a Korean pancake with peanuts and sugar

A few final notes

Many Koreans do not speak any English which makes communication tricky at times. Just be patient, you'll always find someone that is willing and able to help.

SIM cards are incredibly expensive. Public Wifi is available in many places.

Tipping is not expected anywhere.

In Conclusion

Seoul is a great place to visit. It's not cheap, but definitely worth it. Make sure to combine a visit to Seoul with some other great places in South Korea (Busan and Jeju are the most popular destinations), Japan, Taiwan, or other amazing destinations in Asia.