Undoubtedly, it has become a very interesting alternative to classics like China and Japan. South Korea offers everything a traveler could imagine from a destination. It has a long and captivating history, a delightful and pleasing culture, incredible food, friendly people, and an exceptional tourism infrastructure. That can surely blow your mind and give you goosebumps.
It also has some of the unique charms in the world that can be visited anytime. South Korea is a far-fetched country to travel in. A thought-provoking fact is that when it comes to South Korea, maximum people only know about the capital city, Seoul and consider that it is the only place worth visiting in the country and it doesn't have any other locations to travel.
However, that is not the case as many eye-catching places in South Korea can surely take your heart. The indefinable, exotic land of South Korea can be a lifetime experience for any traveller. For now, these are some of the best destinations that can make your trip to South Korea the most memorable in life.
If you are the one who loves travelling and looking for a new place to check out, then you must check in to some of the best places for South Korea.
1. Suncheon-si
The spell appears to stand still in the Naganeupseong folk village, with houses, castles, and monuments seeming almost accurately as they did 600 years ago. It is a beautiful place as cultural implication sidewise; the village is an exclusive tourist magnet. All the visitors get to visit houses, watch traditional dance shows, and enjoy the Korean tea ceremony customs.
2. Seoul
Seoul is no exception in the land of morning calm. It is essential to get lost in the Insa-dong area and its narrow streets. It is full of cookie shops and leisure options, as well as very interesting street stalls and art galleries. Ikseondong is the hottest place in Seoul, when this retro trend become a thing. Ikseondong is one of the best preserved areas in Seoul, which still retains the original houses of 1930s.
This creates its very unique atmosphere that brings you right back into what Seoul would’ve felt like in 1930s to 1940s. Because of this irreplaceable value of this place, a lot of trendy cafes and restaurants have come into Ikseondong.
Themed cafés are all the rage in Seoul. Whether it’s an animal café specializing in cats, dogs, raccoons, meerkats, sheep, etc. or a café where you can dress up as a princess or one where you can eat food shaped like poop, the options are truly endless. Don’t leave without spending some time in a themed café in Seoul!
If you have very little time, an interesting option is a one-day tour of the main attractions of the city. Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung are close to each other. Gyeongbokgung is the main palace of Seoul and should definitely be up on your list. It also contains the National Folk Museum, which is awesome to browse.
If you wear hanbok, you get free entrance into the palace and don’t need to line up! If you want a guide to tell you the ins and outs of these historic buildings, you can book a guided tour of the palaces. Bukchon Hanok Village is situated next to Gyeongbokgung Palace and is a true gem. While it is quite touristy, you can also find lovely tea houses to relax here and dig into Korean culture. Close to the palaces is the Jongmyo Shrine, which is one of Korea's most important treasures and a place for walks surrounded by gardens and trees.
The Cheonggyecheon stream is the parenthesis, an oasis in the middle of the asphalt jungle that Koreans try to visit the more times better. Nearby is the peculiar Jongno tower, the Tapgol Park and the Bosingak bell. If you want to know where the PSY hit originated, you can move to Gangnam.
In addition to huge shopping centers, it is a cocktail of avant-garde buildings, beautiful people who dress the latest, dressed with a little taekwondo, one of the most popular sports in Korea. However, if you want tranquility in Gangnam you also have the Bongeunsa temple, a haven of peace in the middle of the maelstrom of the metropolis.
The Jogyesa temple is the core of Zen Buddhism in Korea and its altar is one of the most sacred to Korean Buddhists. This 620-year-old Buddhist temple is an excellent Instagram friendly photographic place in the Insadong district with its natural beauty. It streams in many different shades like pink, blue, and yellow, which enhance its view and gather more people towards the place.
If you are traveling with children, the traditional Korean village of Namsangol will enchant you. An outdoor space with traditional hanok style houses and many fun plans to have a great time. For those who like good views, its place is the N Seoul Tower, one of the great icons of the city to which you must add those of Mount Namsan.
For nostalgics and sports fans, take a look at the old Olympic Stadium in Seoul where Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis battled in an unequal doping duel. If you want to do some shopping you can go to the Dongdaemun market or the Myeong-dong area. Myeongdong is Seoul’s major shopping district but also filled with delicious street food and good restaurants! Definitely a great place to check out, especially in the evening!
One of the best ways to get to know a new culture is through its food. In addition to eating Korean barbeque, participating in a noraebang (karaoke) session, and getting naked in a public sauna, visiting the Noryangjin fish market is the highlight of any trip to Seoul. Leave your luxury clothes and luxury bags at home. Instead, choose to wear closed-toed shoes or boots that can cope with puddles of fishy (and often icy) water.
Noryangjin Fish Market offers the most authentic and interesting aspect of Seoul's local food culture. Visiting the market is as good as visiting an aquarium, but the best part is after you have made your purchases of clams, fish, octopus, squid, sea cucumber, shrimp or crabs, to name a few, you can take them to a restaurant in the market.
If you prefer your style of fish sashimi, the server will gut, skin and slice your purchase just before your eyes, serving it with pickled onion, raw wasabi, green chile, fermented bean paste to dip and lettuce leaves to wrap it all. If an item needs to be cooked, the internal chef will do it. Shrimp are usually broiled in their shells, while crabs are boiled.
If you eat crab, ask for bokkeumbap, tasty fried rice, which is served in the shell of the crab. Or, if you have bought fish, ask for maeuntang at the beginning of your meal. This deliciously spicy dish is cooked with fish bones to give it more flavor and traditionally spreads seafood.
Of course, no Noryangjin food would be complete without a little soju, order a bottle or two to drink alone, or mix with some maekju (beers) - a Korean cocktail appropriately called somaek. Do you feel bold? Do what the adventurous eaters do and ask for a plate of sannakji, live octopus. It is served minced (but still moving) and with a selection of dips to dip.
Just make sure you have your camera ready. This is a moment of Noryangjin that you do not want to forget! While you will have to pay the restaurant separately for fish sellers, there is no need to worry as the charge for the service is very reasonable.
Let your senses be awakened by the sights, sounds and smells as you wander from one vendor to another. Feel free to take pictures of the strange and wonderful sea creatures on display, many of which you will probably be seeing for the first time. Koreans generally visit Noryangjin to buy sliced fresh fish hwe. While some seafood such as king crab and abalone can be quite expensive, many items are quite affordable.
Itaewon is a much-frequented, expat area jam-packed with gift shops and street food that can be an exciting place for a foodie traveller. Korean Fried Chicken is very sauced up and usually the fried chicken straight out of the fryer is bland and they toss it in a Korean style sauce for flavor.
However, the Itaewon neighbourhood is a good place if you are looking to chill out your afternoon travelling around. It is especially entertaining in the early evening when residents also come out to eat dinner and so you can interact with the locals.
And most importantly they can guide you with some of the best dishes to try. This place is full of energy, and no matter what is the age group you are going to enjoy.
Yongsan Gamers Alley is the Akihabara of South Korea. If you want a game go there as they will likely have it. Nambu doe s have a more open selection. If your Korean’s okay, you can go to Playstation stores within the smaller towns, but the selection may be limited. Travel to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and the shared security area between the two Koreas or JSA.
Southern Cheongsando Island is known for its safe and sound beauty that can activate your inner soul with peace and happiness. You can see terraced rice fields, panoramic ocean views, and fields of yellow rapeseed flowers that you cannot see anywhere. The island is also famous for perceptions of slow living and even for a Slow Walking Festival every year.
If you have a choice about your visit to Seoul and when to come, the ultra-blue skies + delightfully dry heat of September is a better thing to come experience, along with gorgeous mid-October days and foliage, which stretches into the first two weeks of November with the the lovely ginkos that turn nearly every major street in Seoul into pure gold.
Seoul will be a trip to a swiftly modernized, always changing, and very busy city with palaces and restored temples being the only landmarks of “old Korea” that can be found. As such, knowing in advance what you need to do in Seoul should be considered in light of the potentially banal this-and-that want-to-dos, which is not too unlike what can be found in one’s home country.
Don’t spend all of your time in Seoul stressing out among the ocean of tourists in Myeongdong. Just as there is a reason why NYC residents never go to Times Square and Hollywood Blvd. is mostly devoid of L.A. natives, Seoul has so much more to offer that is actually Seoul, and is not the daily congested, human bowl of soup that Myeongdong has become in the last 20 years. Restaurants are also more expensive there.
Don’t go to Bukchon Hanok Village and make a lot of noise. Please be considerate. As one of Seoul’s last hanok neighborhoods, people actually live there, and they daily have to deal with loud tourists making a racket outside their homes from dawn to dusk. Also, try to avoid talking loudly in congested public areas such as on buses and subways… it makes the locals feel a bit uneasy.
Don’t get upset when bumped by someone in public. It likely wasn’t intentional, and we tend to deal with our unwanted contact with a little reserve of heart and mind. Think of it this way: If you accidentally brush by someone, they likely won’t take it personally, so try to remember to be both careful and carefree when moving about in the city. You’ll leave Korea with less of a heavy heart.
If you’re from a place that already has a Korean BBQ restaurant or not, don’t just seek out the best grilled meat you can find while in Seoul. Proper Korean cuisine has a wonderful range of delicate flavors, some of the best of which continues to go completely unnoticed by the international community.
These complex culinary creations include shiraegi-guk (w/dried radish leaves), bbyeo haejang-guk, which is similar to gamjatang and spiced with the wonderfully toasted flavor of ground wild sesame seed, along with chueotang, which has dried freshwater pond loach in it and tastes everything but fishy.
Gochujang may be enjoying international appeal as a trendy condiment at the moment, but the real magic will eventually be found abroad in what doenjang has been known for centuries over here and can do as in the above three soups, all of which can be found at so many restaurants in Seoul if you do your homework in advance.
Don’t spend a few hours at one of the big markets like Namdaemun or Dongdaemun unless you feel you really need to. For most folks visiting, their time in Seoul is short, and walking around looking mostly at things you might be able to also find at a shopping malls in your country of origin (if not, then at the tourist shops next to your hotel!) just might be a little unnecessary, to be honest.
Nice if you’re into setting out on an adventurous urban shopping excursion for something superficially “Korean” for your little cousin, but may not be an especially fruitful use of limited time. Don’t take taxis everywhere, especially if you need to travel around the city center by Seoul City Hall and the palaces.
Nothing against taxi drivers and their current plight to stay competitive among newly emerging transportation services, but the Seoul metro/bus system is so efficient and inexpensive that it really shouldn’t be missed (especially when most downtown sights are a short walk from subway stops), even if just to head on one direction and get lost for an hour or two to see the city.
The tourist-minded buses are also a fantastic value for bopping around the more active parts of downtown. Don’t just make a frantic effort to see just the palaces, which frankly will feel a bit ”samey” if you try to experience all of them in a day or two.
Take a half-day trip to visit one or more of Korea’s scenic university campuses, both Yonsei University and Ewha Women’s University being in the same neighborhood and a very charming visit to see an urban campus tucked in between hills and the trees that surround them.
For that matter, a decent hike at one of the many hills that are within and around Seoul are a nice way to enjoy things as Seoulites do…if there is a hill with trees on it, there will be a trail to the top, not to mention some ostentatious exercise equipment as well for locals to enjoy.
Don’t come to Korea in the late winter or springtime, unless you like fine dust choking your poor lungs. It’s become a huge issue in the last 20 years that goes well beyond the seasonal yellow dust from northern China/Mongolia that we used to be well aware of and has been documented for centuries, and springtime is by all means a time of year that you definitely need to avoid.
If you have a choice about your visit to Seoul and when to come, the ultra-blue skies + delightfully dry heat of September is a better thing to come experience, along with gorgeous mid-October days and foliage, which stretches into the first two weeks of November with the the lovely ginkos that turn nearly every major street in Seoul into pure gold.
3. Boseong-gun
About 40 percent of the countries green tea supply growns in the fields of Boseong. It may not sound so attractive, but once you see the place, then it's going to blow your mind for sure. The location is a wonderland in itself where you are surely going to feel good after visiting.
It is measured to be the largest inland wetland in Korea, Upo March is a natural spot for all tourists and one of the best free tourist magnetism in South Korea. This land was formed over nearly 140 million years ago, and it is home-grown to around 1500 species of plants and animals too. Now, if you are a nature lover, then you should not stop yourself from going to Upo Marsh.
4. Jeonju-si
If you are a big-time fan of history, then you are in the right place as Jeonju is a historic town. The divine capital of the Joseon Dynasty is about 90 minutes by train from Seoul. It's home-based for too many historical temples. This place improves the beauty of South Korea and makes it a more exciting place to visit.
Jeonju Hanok Village is located in the city of Jeonju and overlaps Pungnam-dong and Gyo-dong. There are 735 traditional Korean hanok houses. Hanok Village retains its historical charms and traditions. There is also a rice wine museum. Their street markets are good too.
5. Daegu
Are you looking to go to a cold place that is full of mountains and ice? Then you need to see Daegu which is bounded by mesmerising mountains. Daegu is a sparkling and almost shimmering city to visit that can sound a bit weird. But few locations in the world cannot be described, and you need to check it out, and Daegu is one of those locations.
Not only this here, but you can also taste one of the mouths- watering food that not only fills your tummy at cheap rates. Even give you a one-time experience to taste some of the traditional Korean dishes.
6. Busan
Pusan or Busan, is the second largest city in South Korea behind Seoul. Now if you are a romantic person and love seeing some of the most romantic places in South Korea, then you should go to Gwang. It is known as the Diamond Bridge not only this but it is so famous that people travel as a couple to see its beauty. It is a hold-up bridge located in Busan, South Korea that is connected from Haeundae-gu to Suyeong-gu.
The road outward is about 6,500 m long, and although it is not an ordinary bridge, you can still relish the spectacular visions of the bridge and the neighbouring areas from far away.
The main attraction of the city are its six beaches, one of the most famous being Haeundae Beach, surrounded by a promenade and luxury hotels. You can not miss Gwangalli beach either if you visit Pusan, with a more youthful atmosphere.
The Beomeosa Temple is one of the most frequented by those who want to know Pusan and all its charm. In addition to this, there are other religious temples, forts and vestiges of the Joseon dynasty in the city. You just have to plan your route well and travel to Pusan with your batteries fully charged.
Do not leave the city without trying dishes like the dongnae pajeon, the milmyeon which is a version of the fine noodles that are prepared with wheat flour, the Dwaeji gukbap or the Naengchae Jokbal, steamed pork hocks with vegetables in restaurants in Korea.
7. Damyang-gun
Do you want to visit South Korea and appreciate the slow pace of life? Then you need to visit Juknokwon. Juknokwon cannot be missed out in any way for sure as it offers some of the most important tourist attractions in Korea and is never short of tourists. The dense bamboo land has 8 unique trails and 8 different theme songs through which you can walk through and gather some loving memories.
If you travel a bit more towards the end, you can spot clearly the green tea leaves shining with the dew that drops off the bamboo leaves, known as Jukro tea.
8. Jinhae-gu
The city of Jinhae is at the end of the Korean peninsula, near Busan. In spring it becomes one of the most visited cities by Koreans! Gyeonghwa Station used to be one of the train stops until a couple of years ago, but the service was discontinued and nowadays it is one of the famous places in Jinhae to enjoy the cherry blossoms.
Yeojwacheon Stream is provided with lighting and different decoration, although always with a romantic theme. Along the creek there are several bridges, and the main one is known as Romance Bridge.
9. Jeju-do
The Jeju island is, after Seoul, the most famous place in South Korea. Jeju island is considered the Hawaii of Korea for good reason. It is exotic compared to mainland Korea because it's a volcanic island. In addition, the island has a subtropical climate meaning it rarely drops below freezing during the winter. Both combined makes for wonderful beaches and scenery equal to Hawaii.
Jeju island packs a unique environment, culture, and cuisine that draws Korean and other foreign tourists. It is an especially popular honeymoon spot for many Koreans. Jeju has two small cities, Jeju City and Seogwipo. One is in the north and one in the south. In both you will find everything like shops, restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, etc.
Jeju has several areas declared World Heritage by UNESCO and is included in the famous list of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The island is dominated by Mount Hallasan, a volcano located at its center and which, if frequent clouds do not cover it, can be seen from practically any point. The locals say that Monte Hallasan is like a shy woman who frequently covers her face. The mountain is, indeed, often covered with clouds and fog.
The famous Seongsan Ilchulbong is a cone-shaped mountain species in the middle of the sea but connected to earth. The islet of Udo, is a small island near Seongsan Ilchulbong, to which you can go for a few hours. The most famous waterfalls are the Cheonjeyeon Falls and the Jeongbang Waterfall. One of the areas where you will see volcanic stones is in Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff. Despite Busan being known as the ‘beach city,’ the overcrowded (and often dirty) beaches have nothing on what you can find in Jeju. While every Korean knows this, they also have their favorites, mainly Jungmun and Samyang Beaches.
Hamdeok Beach is an area with 3 beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise blue waters ideal for a swim during the warmer months. Hamdeok Beach has very bright blue and incredibly calm waters like nothing else in Korea. This gem is not as crowded as the other two, even though it is very close to Jeju city. If you like sun tanning, catching a game of volleyball, or just having a little piece of paradise to yourself, this is it.
Manjanggul lava tube is a volcanic cave in the form of a tube of many kilometres although only one is open to the public. They say there are more than 30,000 bats living in the cave. Being an island, Jeju also has indigenous fauna such as the Jeju horse and cow. The Maze Park on Jeju Island is one of about 50 ridiculous tourist traps distracting from the natural beauty of the island. The difference is, this one is actually worth visiting, and is also one of the most seldom visited.
10. Seogwipo-si
Another interesting beach is the Jungmun Saekdal Beach, in the south of the island. It is a more virgin beach, surrounded by forest and in which it is common to see people surfing.
11. Gwangju
Visit Jeungdo Salt Farm in South Korea and take pictures with the Salt Mirror, mudfish and red plants of Taepyeong Halophyte Garden before finishing with a Sea Salt Ice Cream. You can find Jeungdo Island at about an hour and fifteen minutes' drive from Mokpo and Gwangju.
12. Incheon
Masian Beach is one of the multiple beaches located on the same island as Incheon International Airport, the largest airport in South Korea and an international air travel hub. In fact, the drive from the airport’s Terminal 1 to the beach takes only ten minutes.
It’s difficult to imagine nature and tranquility next to a huge transportation hub. If you think about a beach next to an airport, you probably imagine a loud and polluted piece of coast, a view that nobody could ever enjoy. Well, Masian Beach completely disproves this stereotype.
Being part of the second-largest wadden sea in the world, Masian Beach hosts a unique ecosystem that you won’t see in many other parts of the world. If you want to experience the effect of the tides to its fullest extent, this is a great place to do so since half of the time the seawater is completely gone from the beach.
On top of that, Masian Beach is a relatively quiet place. There’s a camping ground nearby and a few barking dogs roaming around but otherwise, it’s pretty tranquil.
What many people don’t know is that Korea actually holds 40% of all dolmens in the world, the largest share of any country. The Gochang dolmen sites in Korea are in three main zones (Ganghwa, Hwasun, and Gochang). While every Korean learns about them in school, very few visit them, making this one desolate wonderland for pre-historic enthusiasts. This incredible piece of early human history is not easy to reach, but definitely worth the trouble. The Gochang zone holds a few hundred and if you manage to get out there, you will be greeted with a wonderful museum, fantastic hikes, and the whole park almost to yourself.
13. Baekje Cultural Land, Chungcheong
Baekje was one of these kingdoms which thrived until its demise in 660 CE. The once prosperous capital of Baekje was in Buyeo, a town known, but seldom visited by Koreans.
What most don’t know is that the old palace, the royal temple, and the very first throne were all rebuilt in 2012 in an attempt to reconstruct one of Korea’s lost treasures. The Baekje Cultural Complex sits a few kilometers outside of the modern town of Buyeo and gets only a handful of visitors every day, despite being truly remarkable.
14. Sado Island
Sado, also known as ‘dinosaur island’ is home to one of the only places with preserved dinosaur footprints. There are only around 3-5 ‘minbak’ style hotels, a single restaurant (not always open) and a single convenience store (ice cream and drinks only). Better bring some food or you’ll end up hungry.
15. Changwon
It's very rare for a Korean temple to be overstated, which makes Seongbulsa or Ssangmireuksa Temple very unique. The name of the temple means Twin Future Buddha Temple in English.
South Korea Food Tips
Ever tried kimchi before? You usually order a main course that is accompanied by many small dishes, so in one go you can experience many flavors, including the typical kimchi. So what is this famous dish that Koreans can’t get enough of? Kimchi is a combination of vegetables and spices that have been fermented underground for months at a time.
Well if you come to Korea, be prepared to get your dose of this spicy, national dish daily. Unlimited kimchi is served at pretty much any restaurant you go in the country and if you like it, dining in Korea will be a mouthwatering experience for you. Kimchi is one of the most popular side dishes in Korea. If you go to any Korean restaurant (that specializes in Korean food, not stuff like pizza or Italian food), you’ll always get a small dish of kimchi, along with other side dishes.
There are Korean food restaurants in Seoul, street stalls in some neighborhoods and international cuisine for the less daring. Meet the octopus bibimbap, which is the most spicy dish in the world. Special mention deserves bulgogi of beef or raw fish that is of exceptional quality and can be found at a very good price. Dog meat restaurants? There are.
Tteok is the Korean variation of rice cakes, made from sweet glutinous rice flour and also include other ingredients such as red bean paste, mung beans, korean dates, fruits, etc. Korean Tteokbokki is the simplest most enjoyable rice cake roll to snack on. Way better than unhealthy instant ramen, this stir-fried rice cakes are seasoned with either spicy gochujang (chili paste) or non-spicy ganjang (soy sauce based) sauce.
Gochujang is the way to go! When ordering food, don't be afraid to shout at the server to get their attention as it can be very loud in some restaurants. Shout Yo-gi-yo! which means Here! Anyways, as you may know, Korean food is some of the healthiest in the world. Most recipes have a heavy emphasis on vegetables, including onions, mushrooms, and most importantly, kimchi.
Pajeon is traditionally eaten on a rainy day. It is like a round dinner pancake and the ingredients are blends of vegetable and flour. Also known in America as instant noodles, ramen/instant noodles are probably one of the most popular foods in Korea. They’re cheap (sell at only about 1,000 won/84 cents per cup/pack), and at the same time, very tasty!
Pizza chains offer a discount on picking up the food in person. Coffee shops dominate the market here. You’d be hard pressed not to find the “perfect cup of coffee. Like Japan, Korea services up hot or cold canned coffee from convenience stores. If you are a regular and use proper honorifics, generally there will be extra food given for free. This may not apply to younger managed stores.
Speaking of free, the best way to save money and get a decent level of nutrition while eating out is to go to Kimbap Jeonguk. In restaurants, there are these little boxes and steel cups. You may wonder what they could be for if you are fresh off the boat/place. Well, they are actually storage places for chopsticks and napkins, so when you order something you should open them, take out some chopsticks and you can use the napkin for sanitation but it’s actually not for that. Napkins are there so you can wipe your mouth.
Koreans eat with metal chopsticks and a spoon. Japan mainly uses lacquered chopsticks and China uses wooden ones. There is a pizza chain called Pizza School. It has thematic pizza. Call it the UN gathering on pizza on the cheap. Corn and sweet potato is often put on pizzas here. If country themed pizza not your thing, you can get a pepperoni for about 6,000~7,000 won.
There are meat buffets. You can stack mountains of protein on the cheap too. The restaurant chain is known as the Chak han Dweji. There are special types of burgers called rice burgers. The bread is simply replaced with rice patties. Unfortunately, that means you cannot hold the burger by the bread, but you can still enjoy the difference in taste.
Meals items are seriously limited by a few items. You will be hard pressed to find a restaurant with more 20 or 30 menu items. This is perhaps due to not using as many preservatives so organic food must be thrown out after awhile or maybe the palette is limited by the tastes the Korean customers have. However, in actuality many restaurants do indeed have an extended menu called hidden menus.
And no, there’s are not to be confused with specials. They are their own thing that everybody except you knows about! They have thematic cafes in Korea. They have cat cafes, archery cafes (yes, you heard right!), retro cafes, PC cafes and manga cafes. Mom’s Touch is a popular restaurant in Korea. Why is it popular you ask? One reason is that they have chicken burgers.
Lotteria is the biggest fast food chain in Korea.
South Korea Shopping Tips
Also, just because Korea is the home of big consumer electronics companies such as LG and Samsung doesn't mean they are cheap. Some can cost around 100–150 dollars more than a lot of countries outside of Korea. Like the previous one, just because it's Korean brand, it doesn't mean it is cheaper. Always check the prices.
Speaking of prices, in Korea, the price tag includes tax so you pay how much is printed on the tag.
South Korea Transportation Tips
The fastest way to get to this destination from the Far East is on board a cheap flight to Incheon. Once in Incheon, there are several ways to get to Seoul. The simplest is the Airport Express (AREX) train that runs between 5 am and midnight. The journey takes about 45 minutes to Seoul Central Station.
You can use the planner of the limousine bus to calculate fares and see the schedules, although depending on traffic it is considerably slower than the Airport Express. On the subject of prices there are things that surprised us very pleasantly, such as gastronomy or taxis that are much cheaper.
Seoul literally runs on these apps. Kakao Talk is how most people communicate, KakaoBus is the go to bus schedule, and those apps will save your sanity. They even have a taxi service Kakao app that is amazing when you're in a hurry. It is all in Korean but hey if you can read the alphabet and know military time it's not too bad. This is more accurate than Google Maps and also has a feature that shows you how far a bus is from your station in real time, very useful.
Speaking of taxis, there is a Korean app like Uber called Kakao T that is supported in English. It's recommended to use this app because taxis can be harder to hail especially as a foreigner. Besides, you don't have to explain where you are going. Use public transport instead of taxis because buses and subways are cheap in Korea compared to other countries.
Make sure you get T-Money (a metro card) because that gives you a discount on all fares and it allows you to transfer between buses and trains for free. So you can ride the train, then transfer to a bus and with T-Money, you don't have to pay the bus fare. Venture out of Seoul because most people stay in Seoul when visiting Korea. Especially if you want better food, go to port/coastal cities.
South Korea Accommodation Tips
In terms of accommodation and leisure there is everything. Being the capital of the country, prices are higher in Seoul than in other cities.
South Korea Travel Tips
• Seoul metro/bus system is so efficient and inexpensive that it really shouldn’t be missed (especially when most downtown sights are a short walk from subway stops), even if just to head on one direction and get lost for an hour or two to see the city. The tourist-minded buses are also a fantastic value for bopping around the more active parts of downtown: • At first it is usual to feel a little disoriented by the chaos and posters written in Hangul. Getting to South Korea is not exactly easy, or cheap. The most common is to enter the country through Seoul, a vibrant city.
• If you enjoy partying till the sun comes up then South Korea may be the place for you. There are no laws in Korea that force bars or clubs to stop selling alcohol at a certain point, therefore many of these places will stay open till as late (or as early) as 7 am! Just in time for a hangover breakfast of eggs!
• This should be the first thing you do on your sightseeing day if you’re up for it! Hanbok dresses are incredibly beautiful and available for both guys and girls! What’s best about them is that besides taking incredible travel photos, you’ll also get free admission into palaces and temples! You can rent hanbok clothing for very cheap and you won’t feel weird either cause loads of locals and tourists are dressing up too!
• Hanbok rental stores are located near the palaces because of the trend and demand, although each year the price is falling due to the competition between them. The most favorite experience for young people is the hire of Hanbok from stores for 1 hour to 4 hours to take pictures in the beautiful and old places. To show the photos by Facebook or Instagram to their friends, the Korean girls prefer the prettiest outfit although the price is high.
• At the same time, the Korea Tourism Organization offer a free service to experience the traditional costume to tourists. In that case, you cannot take it outside to visit palace and other places. The free ones are to take pictures in an area that is always ready together with Hanbok.
• Internet is pretty much anywhere and don't worry about speed because they are usually very fast. Be weary of some taxi drivers because like most countries, they will try to earn more money by driving further than needed by using your unfamiliarity of the place.
• Then what you are waiting for when you know that South Korea has so many places to visit? Go and book the tickets. Hold on! If you are looking to arrange funds for that you can go for the safest option of borrowing? By this way, you can enjoy your trip and have a sufficient amount in your pocket. There are many lending options, and you can go to any one of the loans according to your current financial situation.
Visit South Korea and capture as many moments as you can with your friends, family and loved ones.