Spending 7 Days In Seoul

Hi

I am planning a trip to Seoul in mid March with husband and 2 kids (age 2,8). This is our first trip to Seoul. Can someone recommend us what we can do in the city itself for 7 days? Or are there any day trips worth considering? Thank you!

Spending 7 Days In Seoul

first of all, what reason do you have to be in Seoul?

In other words, do you come for a conference, a vacation, shopping?

Seoul is a big place so if you%26#39;ve free choice where to stay, you might want to consider choosing some neighbourhood that fits in with what you expect to do.

For things to do, take a look at ';things to do'; on this page on the left.

There are plenty of things in Seoul, but they might not fit in with your expectations- so for instance you could spend a day at Bongeun temple as a temple experience, but that might not be at all what you%26#39;re after.

For day trips, there are plenty; some not suitable for kids (eg DMZ). Others -eg Suwon Folk Village might suit you very well.

Give us more info as to what you%26#39;re looking for in your visit, or it%26#39;s underlying purpose.

Spending 7 Days In Seoul

I agree with the first poster. Why are you coming? What are you interested in seeing? Shopping, temples, palaces, amusement parks, nature -- its all there (here) ....

Hi everyone

Thanks for all your posting. My family and I will be in Korea for a holiday. Some of the areas suggested sounds really good. In general, we want to do some shopping, visit palaces, try some good food and lastly, my older kid want to have some fun (Everland seems fit). We will be travelling by subway most of the time. Please do let us know if there are any places for good and affordable Korean food. Thank you!

I think Insa-dong is my favorite street. There are trendy design shops as well as traditional art and craft, and souvenir stores. There are many restaurants in the back allies, I tried three different places, (one specialize in temple cuisine, another in hand-made noodle soup and last one in North Korean style dumpling soup and they are all good.) Even the sweet red-bean filled pancake I got from street cart was so good. And I had one of the most sublime tea-drinking experience (love that flower tea!) at traditional Korean tea cafes. If you go on weekend, there is many traditional food-making and craft street demonstrations, so your children will enjoy watching them or participating.

buying ski gear in Seoul, South Korea

Hello there..

i%26#39;m travelling to s.korea next week for skiing, and plan to buy a ski set there.. can anyone suggest me a good ski shop around Seoul or Yongpyong ski resort?

i%26#39;ll be staying in Seoul for a couple of days and then move to Yongpyong ski resort. do they sell ski gear in YP resort? .. i guess it can be expensive in YP? any good deal in Seoul?

been googling, it%26#39;s very difficult .. everything i found is in korean.. i found this website

snowvalley.co.kr/mall/inc.php鈥?/a>

but it%26#39;s all in korean..;%26#39;( can anyone help me locating this shop?

many thanks in advance ;-)

PW gal

buying ski gear in Seoul, South Korea

Hi, Parkweg

Welcome to forum. I am sorry that you are having hard time finding ski/snowboard wears store in Korea. There is plenty of online mall stores in Korea, but they mainly geared to domestic clients so it won%26#39;t be easy to find English site. Oh well, when one in Rome, one do as Romans do...=)

I checked out the link you have posted. the store is actually in Bundang, a suburb of Seoul. I am not sure it will be easy for you to locate since it is outside of Seoul. I found another store which was recommended by Korean portal site, they sell snowboards stuffs, try this place which is located in Miliore Shopping mall, 6th floor, in Myeong-dong, downtown area of Seoul, http://www.exsnow.co.kr/

tel:02-2124-1985-6

Good luck

buying ski gear in Seoul, South Korea

Thanks blee246, much appreciated ;-)

i checked the website, i%26#39;m not sure if they have what i%26#39;m looking for .. which i didn%26#39;t state clearly, i%26#39;m looking for Ski set of Ski+Ski pole..

i have a few models of skis already in my mind.. the ';Snowvalley'; shop seems to have what i%26#39;m seeking(according to their korean website)..

is the Myeong-Dong good area for my search?

Sorry, I did quick research again through Korean search engine. It seems there many ski shops in Gangnam (literally means south of Han river) area. Maybe you can ask for exact location to you hotel concierge when you arrive in Korea.

One of skip shop recommended from search engine is called Phoenix Sports, check out the store website to see if this place carries the stuff you want (http://www.phoenixsports.co.kr/) also for map of store (phoenixsports.co.kr/front/php/com_intro.php) Roughly translating the direction to store is to take Metro (subway) line 2, get off at Bangbae station, exit#3

Another is http://www.ilovesnow.com/shop/

direction to their store is www.ilovesnow.com/shop/wizhtml.php鈥?/a>

Take Metro line 5 to Omokgyo Station, exit #6

Good luck!

Phoenix seems very good for me :D

thanks so much agian..blee246.. you are truly of great help!!

cheers,

PW gal

Asiana airlines overnight stop Seoul

Will be travelling LHR to SYD return in October. Will have enforced overnight stay in Seoul on return flight. Asiana Airlines provide a hotel stay. Does anyone know which hotel they use? Unable to find any up-to-date info.

Asiana airlines overnight stop Seoul

We recently flew Asiana (highly recommended; good prices, superb Flight Attendants, roomy seats etc) and our Transit Hotel was the Royal Seoul.

About an hour%26#39;s travel from the airport. Very pleasant, with food vouchers for both dinner %26amp; breakfast thrown in. Food is not fantastic but it was complimentary so no complaints. There are a couple of Premium restaurants in the hotel if you prefer.

Everything is pretty well organised, the coachs are on time to take you to and from the hotel, the Hotel staff are helpful. Organising the transit is straightforward but make sure the FA%26#39;s direct you to the Asiana desk - we spent forever wandering around the airport looking for it (not signposted) and ended up at the back of a very long queue. But all is fine when you get to the desk, they issue you with a hotel voucher and you%26#39;ll wait maybe 20 mins or so whilst everyone else is dealt with then hop onto the transit coach.

The Rpyal is in a buzzy district too, Myong-dong. Just remember to ensure that you have suitable clothing packed for the time of year. We flew in from Sydney in shorts and Tshirts to minus 7 degrees with nothing else to keep us warm in our hand luggage ! The sensible thing is to send your main luggage through without checking it out.

Other people were sent onto another hotel, not sure which one but it may have been the Hilton as I saw a coach waiting outside. I was also told by a regular traveller that they also have a deal with the Sheraton but I didn%26#39;t see any evidence of anyone from our flight being sent there.

Asiana airlines overnight stop Seoul

It varies.

Dont count on Royal Seoul- we got Hotel June, near airport.

Thanks for your replies but all a bit of a moot point now as we were there in October, however, we were also put into the Hotel June near the airport. Room was ok but food not great- not warm enough. Perfectly fine for one night. However, don%26#39;t think will fly with Asiana again unless it was the only option available. I couldn%26#39;t face rice for at least 3 weeks after we got home %26amp; I%26#39;d had the ';western'; meal options on the plane.

funny that. I always fly Asiana to anywhere in Asia or Australia, or NZ.

I find the food excellent.

I did get 1 good meal on the plane-out of 8- which is not a good percentage. Just a bit of variety would have been nice but each meal was either some non-descript fish with a gloopy sauce + rice or beef with a gloopy sauce + rice.It all tasted the same %26amp; was quite nasty as a breakfast. Now you are probably thinking I%26#39;m a ';burger %26amp; chips'; type of person- definately not. I will try anything once %26amp; I really love Asian food, especially Thai %26amp; Malaysian. Maybe the catering co. was having a bad month. Didn%26#39;t find the plane too comfortable either- think I%26#39;ve been spoiled using Malaysian Airways

Traveling to South Korea - Jan 09 end - Feb 09 end

Hi there

I%26#39;m heading to S. Korea towards end of Jan 09 and will stay till end of Feb 09. This is my 2nd trip. On my last trip I was in Seoul, Seosan-Haemi and did everything from the the Yong-In folk village to a jim-jill-bang in Seoul (which was a unique experience btw). I%26#39;d like to explore more this year and meet travel enthusiasts and perhaps make new friends. Let me know if anyone is interested.

CV from USA

Traveling to South Korea - Jan 09 end - Feb 09 end

That%26#39;s a great plan

don%26#39;t forget to go to samchung-dong and Insa-dong

there are lots of cute things to buy and also you can have traditional or fusion food

hope you to have a good trip

Overnight Layover in Incheon

I was just informed by Asiana that my award flight was canceled due to maintenance, I was forced to reschedule on a flight on United. Consequently my fiancee and I will be required to stay overnight in Incheon, we arrive at 7:35 pm and fly out on Thai Airways at 10:05 am the next morning.

Couple questions... I can%26#39;t imagine this but is there a lounge at the airport to comfortably await the flight?

Are there comfortable, convenient and reasonably priced hotels nearby that might provide an airport shuttle?

.

I imagine we%26#39;d have to clear customs to check into a hotel, will our US passports gain us entry and typically, do we get our bags or are they automatically transferred to our connecting flight? (Her entire trip itinerary was set up through United and my entire trip was booked through ANA)

Should we decide to book a room and considering we land at 7:35pm, is there anything to do near the airport worth while?

Many thanks in advance!

Reply to this post

Overnight Layover in Incheon

look at www.airgarden.com.

o/wise you could use Hyatt or go to Incheon airport town, eg Hotel June.

Overnight Layover in Incheon

Thank you, I booked the AirGarden.

Koreadon,

I see you have replied to 5 posts since you%26#39;ve been a member, you have offered your services ranging from $30, $50, $100 and for me $150! I am only there 14 hrs and you offer to charge me more? Thanks for your solicitation but I can get taken advantage of here at home, no need to travel around the world for this...

Koreandon,

I understand you are upset at being unfairly accused of soliciting business or trying to riff-off tourist money by GableDog. I am sure you are running very honest business from you response. But please understand that your past posts which openly solicited your guide service could make new visitors misunderstand your good intention.

In the past, I went to several different forums of this website, asking reference on local guides for several places such as Italy or Egypt. While I mainly received many recommendations from visitors themselves, some local guides approached me but they were not as direct or open as you were. They either sent me private messages or left discreet and brief replies with their email address for me to contact, not as detailed and openly business soliciting messages as yours. Most importantly they replied to my direct inquiries. Not unrequested offerings like you did. This could trigger very distrustful responses like you just received.

Problem is that I don%26#39;t see any recommendations from past visitors who have used your services in this forum, so I have no way of checking your credit. You made your point about how foreign visitors of Korea should have certain attitude, but I also think you should have different attitude approaching your clients who are not Koreans and have their own standards. Since this forum is strictly offering advices and recommendations your direct soliciting of business will make many people feel uneasy about you.

Although, GableDog%26#39;s response was certainly blunt, but it%26#39;s no worse than many New Yorkers who doesn%26#39;t mince words (I should know =)

Please try to offer free advices first. This forum could definitely use many locals%26#39; advices.

Cheers.

Beware of anti-foreigner violence!

On January 6, 2009, I was with my parents and wife at one of the inter-city bus terminals in South Korea when a man began yelling at us, swore at us, threatened us, made obscene gestures at us, pulled down his pants and exposed himself, pulling on his penis for over a minute. He made more obscene gestures and backed away through the bus termianl. The whole time no one did anything. People stared or stared and laughed. The bus drivers, who were in the bus terminal, did nothing and laughed after the man walked away.

I went into the station after this 10min episode and asked to speak to the manager of the bus terminal. A ticket agent walked me over to the manager and he was standing and watching the incident the whole time and did nothing. When I said that I would call the police about the incident and report him to his supervisor for doing nothing he began raising his voice and yelling at me and my wife and glared at us as we walked away. As we were walking out of the terminal, the manager kept walking toward us glaring at me as we left the terminal.

We called the police about 10 minutes later and told us that they could do nothing because the man had left the terminal and that no one else had done anything illegal so there was nothing that they could do.

This man was able to approach us three times and the incident stopped only because he decided to walk away. Please be careful! It is not as safe as it is made out to be and if you do run into problems don%26#39;t expect much help.

Beware of anti-foreigner violence!

sorry; but in what way did violence take place?

I%26#39;ve been to a few places in my time, and I think you get nutters everywhere.

Beware of anti-foreigner violence!

First time forum post and it%26#39;s a complaint. Hmmm.

OK so some guy acted like a nutter. What I%26#39;d like to know is why did JakeJake threaten the station Manager. It may be that the Manager was doing ';nothing'; in order to defuse the situation.

Sorry to hear that. But during my 10 day trip with my family to Korea last December we didn%26#39;t encounter any anti foreigner sentiments.

In fact my overall impression of the Korean people was they were very welcoming, helpful and quite friendly and honest.

When we first arrived at Incheon airport and had trouble buying arex train ticket at the vending machine(in Korean), the uniformed guy went all the way to help us and even accompanied us to the train. He even suggested we take a pic of our family since %26#39;we have 10mins before the train arrives!%26#39; and was very happy to help us.Very pleasant guy!

And when we reached gimpo airport my daughter left her cellphone on the train. The lady quickly ran after us to return it and the same at the ski resort where the guys at the ski rental shop went all the way to our hotel to return our stuff.

And along the way we met with a lot of people who were very helpful and one even without us asking for help. At the metro station, a guy (he himself in a hurry to catch the train) came over to us and ask where we were going and showed us the way.(although it wasnt that necessary)

In PyeongChang(to ski), we arrived late at the pension and no one was at the reception. Some youths at the lobby and one particular girl who was fluent in English went all the way to make calls and help us with the check in (because the pension operator couldn%26#39;t speak English)

We even became acquainted with a group of mountain climbers on the train from Namiseom. Halfway, they even offered us their seats. The tickets with seats were all sold out so we had to stand. We were in a hurry to catch the evening performance so we had no choice.

In Jeju where we drove, we had no trouble getting help with the Korean GPS from the guys at the gas station although after that my son quickly figured out how to set it.

Although we did meet with a slightly drunken man at the subway, it was no issue. He dropped his glasses and my son picked them up. He politely thanked us but when he started blabbering away then we noticed that he%26#39;d had too much to drink. There was also a middle aged woman storekeeper in Insadong who wasn%26#39;t friendly and refused to sell when we bargained but there were many others who were.

Overall we had a great trip and experience. And we are very grateful to all the people who have helped us during our trip in Korea. Even before we left for Korea, a Korean guy in our country helped with our booking at a pension in Jeju.

Sounds overrated but actually almost every Korean (save for that one woman storekeeper at Insadong) we met were very helpful and friendly. Im impressed!

And also thanks for all your tips in this forum that%26#39;s made it possible!

Try living and working in Nigeria, you got off lightly. Why did you not walk away?? you can walk you know you don%26#39;t have to stand there.

makeup

Transferring money from UK to South Korea

Sorry for the cross post but I didn%26#39;t get a reply in the South Korea forum.

I am planning to stay in Seoul for a year. I won%26#39;t be working, so money will have to come from my british bank account.

What are the options in terms of moving money around?

- exchange it beforehand from a high street bank?

- bring cash with me and exchange it at a korean bank

- wire it to a korean bank account. If so, are there any low-commission services such as tranzfers for GBP or AUD -%26gt; KRW, or am I stuck with being ripped off?

Thanks

Transferring money from UK to South Korea

Can%26#39;t help you very much, as I only go for a couple of weeks at a time. However, exchanging in UK is a joke. Many UK banks won%26#39;t or don%26#39;t. The ones that do give you an atrocious rate; recently, when I could get 1950W to the 拢 in a Korean hotel, my bank offered me 1550.

There are HSBCs and the like in Seoul; maybe talk to them?

Transferring money from UK to South Korea

My son lives in Incheon and his bank is here in Washington State. What he does is bank online. He can transfer money from his savings to checking online and then use his debit card to get cash or buy things with the card as a credit card.

I don%26#39;t know how British banks have online accounts but this is what works for our son.

hey, you could try getting an abbey zero credit card where you can use abroad, but possibly pay in full direct debit.

Korea 2009 Lunar New Year public holiday - what to do

Hi, there,

Will be visiting Seoul from 23 Jan - 01 Feb. But 25-27 Jan is public holiday, what can I do ? where can I go ?

Please advise, thanks.

Suling

Korea 2009 Lunar New Year public holiday - what to do

Hello, Welcome to Forum

Koreans usually celebrates Lunar New year with their families and friends. Many of them usually makes long trip to their hometown outside of Seoul, so the traffic in Seoul is actually lighter. Never fear, public transportation will still run with holiday schedule. Many stores, and business will closes, but there will be few restaurants open in touristy areas such as Myeong-dong or Insa-dong. Do try Korea%26#39;s traditional New Year Day meal called ';dduck-guk'; which is blend but yummy rice cake soup. I like it%26#39;s cousin ';dduck-mandoo-guk'; which is rice cake and dumpling soup.

I think the best places for you to visit during holidays are 4 palaces and Namsan Hanok Village. There are many celebratory activities, plus you will get see many Koreans dressed in colorful traditional outfits, ';Hanbok'; This holiday is a few occasions that Koreans wear their traditional costumes. See following link for more info, korea4expats.com/article-lunar-new-year-acti…

Korea 2009 Lunar New Year public holiday - what to do

Thanks Blee246.

This is indeed a good advice, I was a bit worry earlier. Appreciate that.

During lunar new year public holiday, some big shopping malls will be closed, but many small restaurants and pubs will still be open.

Myongdong, HongDae, Kangnam station vicinity would be full of Korean young people, with most of shops still opening.

spas near incheon

I am looking for a spa that is within five miles of the Incheon Airport. I have about eight hours to kill on my way home %26amp; would love to be pampered one last time before leaving on the 18 hour flight home. Thanks!

spas near incheon

try google on ';Incheon'; and ';spa';.

You%26#39;ll find one in the airport itself.

Taegu Garden Hotel

We just spent two horrible nights at this hotel. Supposedly a 1st class hotel- it was grossly dirty, no heat in the room, no warm water in the shower and no restaurant services. To make it worse, the karoke party started at midnight and ended at 5am- rattled our room for five hours. The front desk clerk and management would not do anything about the disturbance. This is a hotel that IS NOT WHAT THEY SAY- it is BAD. Needless to say- we got out of that armpit of a hotel and went to Seoul. DO NOT STAY HERE

Taegu Garden Hotel

You seem to have done a good job on several review sites about this place. Good. Sounds like it deserves it.

Don%26#39;t tar all out-of-Seoul hotels with a like brush, though. There are lots of well run inexpensive places where the management would be mortified if you had a bad experience.

If, as seems possible, you can get someone to write in Korean to the hotel themselves to tell them what you think and what your experience was, that might produce results. Even if it%26#39;s only money back.

penguins at everland

We%26#39;re planning on doing a circle pacific flight next December and saw the pictures of the penguins dressed up in santa suits at everland. The english language site mentions special christmas events during December but doesn%26#39;t mention the penguins.

Does anyone know if this was a one time thing or is it done every year?

long layovers there & back

Hello all, I am a first time international traveller and I will be laying over in Korea on my way to Viet Nam %26amp; on my way back to the US. I have roughly twelve hours there %26amp; back. I don%26#39;t know where to stay or what to do with my time. I am thinking about getting a room while I land the first time and would like to see the sights but also stay close to the airport. I am travelling alone. My trip is not until October, any advice?

long layovers there %26amp; back

which airline do you fly with?

And what times of day are you at Incheon?

There is a transit hotel in the airport, and there are transit tours of Seoul. But some airlines make special arrangements for the layover.

long layovers there %26amp; back

shanna - I had about a 5 hour layover in Seoul on my way back to the US..I have to say it actually went very fast. They have a free internet cafe with comfy couches...so, I caught up on a lot of things and then walked around looking at the duty free shops and before I knew it, it was time to board my plane. If you like the internet, you can waste a lot of time there!

Not sure about tours..when I looked into it it seemed like the airport was far out..but, I%26#39;m really not sure.

Janet you truely are a gem! I didn%26#39;t want to get lost in Korea and was hoping to just kinda stay close so I get where I intend to be. I do not know enough about Korea to chance taking a taxi into the city and would just prefer to not be hasseled by it at all. I could definately use the downtime to chat with family and friends. Thanks Again little Washington Gem!

Janet don%26#39;t know what made me think you were in Washington however finding a Gem in California is not easy either LOL.

Ethelman, I am flying Asiana Airlines and my layovers are for aprox 12 hours each one during the night and one during the day. I have from 5:30 am til about 6:30 pm that same day to do what ever. What makes me nervous is not knowing enough about Korea to venture out. Is there anything to do near the airport? I do not plan to shop but food is always a good thing. Thanks!

If you%26#39;re traveling on Asiana and you paid for your ticket, (not miles) you should be given a choice of a transit tour or a hotel to use during your layover. Call them and find out. I%26#39;m flying on Asiana, but on a free ticket, but I think I will take one of the tours that leaves from the airport.

Check out this link:

鈥isitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_5_5.jsp

Thanks Adomatic! I had read a few people mention that on their blogs about Asiana Air, when I purchased my round trip tickets there was no mention of any tour or hotel stay. I apreciate your advice and will be calling them shortly for more info.

A couple of things: Asiana do arrange transit tours.

You could easily get into Seoul, if you wanted to. There are buses outside that take you in and back, but you%26#39;d need Korean money.

You could stay in the airport; there are things to do there (but not very exciting -except perhaps the spa!

There is a transit hotel www.airgarden.co.kr, I think.

Not sure if you have to immigrate for the transit tour.

Oooohhh did you say spa? Now thats time well spent. Any ideas on how much I could expect to spend? What about food in the immedieate area any suggestions?

There%26#39;s also a ';spa tour'; to Haesu Waterpia Spa which is $30 according to this site:

鈥isitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_5_3.jsp

makeup

Why no trip report

Hi, what%26#39;s surpricing me is while there%26#39;re questions on this forum, I couldn%26#39;t find any trip report/ just back report(yet)? Is there nothing to write about which I don%26#39;t think so? Or you just want to keep the experience to yourself instead of sharing with us? Hmmm.

Yeoju Chelsea Factory Outlet

Hi

Anybody been to the Yeoju Chelsea Factory Outlet? Was wondering whether it is same as those Chelsea Factory Outlets in US? How far is it from the Seoul City and is it convenient to travel there?

Thanks.

Yeoju Chelsea Factory Outlet

sorry; never heard of it.

look at

visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp…

Or google ';Yeoju'; and look for visitkorea.

A picture there, and also says it%26#39;s about 70 mins away from Seoul.

Yeoju Chelsea Factory Outlet

Hi

Thanks for the link. Those outlets in US have fantastic shopping. If this outlet is also as good in terms of pricing, i would think it is work to make a trip there.

Tks. With this info, i will probably go with lower expectations.

Can anyone estimate a taxi transfer from Daegu to Gimhae Air

Hi,

I`m staying in Daegu for two nights and afterwards need to go to Busan Airport Gimhae to take my flight to Fukuoka. The flight leaves at 8.30 am, and so I need a transport from Daegu to Gimhae. I think it is about 50 miles - can anyone guess how long it takes and what it will cost?

Thanks so much

Andy

Can anyone estimate a taxi transfer from Daegu to Gimhae Air

Hi, I just asked my friend who used to live in Busan. She said the driving time from Daegu and Busan is more close to 2 hrs. If you travel via taxi, you will have to pay round trip fare which can be pretty expensive. She said fastest way is to take KTX train from Daegu, get off at Gupo station (town next to Gimhae) and take 15 min taxi ride from there to airport. Train traveling time is about 1.5 hr.

Check out this link for KTX, www.lifeinkorea.com/Information/Trans/ktx.cfm

Good luck

Can anyone estimate a taxi transfer from Daegu to Gimhae Air

Thank you very much.

This would be a great solution, but there`s no train running so early!

Can you guess what it may cost for such a taxi trip? Or should I rent a car for one day?

You are right! The earliest train leaves 6 am at Dongdaegu station, arriving Gupo at 7:25 am, which does not give you enough time to check in, although this airport is smaller than Gimpo or Incheon.

Oh, well I guess you better take taxi ride then. Please ask your hotel concierge to arrange taxi ride maybe they can negotiate the price for you. I don%26#39;t think the price will be as expensive as Seoul%26#39;s but I really can%26#39;t estimate at this point.

Good luck

how about leaving last thing on day 2 for the Gimhae area, staying there overnight?. There ARE late trains

Andy,

If I were you I wouldn%26#39;t take bullet taxi. I once have to take one in Seoul, but as good will guide mentioned, at the end of my ride, I just thanked God I was safe, because it was the most scariest ride I ever experienced. I speak fluent Korean, but the driver was savvy enough to recognize my English accent, so he didn%26#39;t negotiate down from his fixed price. T.T

I think you better take ethelmann%26#39;s advice and take a night train, I think there was one leaving around midnight, then camp out at airport before your flight.

i am so wanting to go to Coex Mall's aquarium

i just would like to know how much does the ticket cost to get in...

i am so wanting to go to Coex Mall's aquarium

15,500 won

Places to visit in Korea

We%26#39;re visiting a daughter in Seoul first two weeks in August and would like to see more of the country. Any suggestions? Must sees? Recommended tour companies? Thanks

Places to visit in Korea

Plenty to see...

Definitely in Seoul, there are many options. don%26#39;t miss seeing Insadong and the palaces, those are the top places to visit. Also, Myon-dong is the top modern area to visit. There is so much to see. A half day trip to the DMZ is very interesting as well, there are a number of tour companies that do this trip.

Outside of Seoul there is a lot of places to see as well. We went to Gyonju in south-eastern south korea, this area has the most history and ancient shilla dynasty relics. It is about three hours from Seoul by bus.

I also recommend Jeju Island which requires a flight from Seoul and also the Seorak Mountains, which are about three hours from Seoul by bus.

Have a good time!

Places to visit in Korea

The Korean Folk Village near Seoul is a great way to see some of the arts, crafts, culture and history of Korea.

Also, be sure to go to the Korean War Memorial and Museum.

Don%26#39;t miss a walk around the traditional area of Bukchon (North Village) right in central Seoul. Visit www.hanokgirl.net to find out more.

Any idea when will Cherry Blossom bloom in Korea in 2009

I%26#39;m planning for a trip to Seoul during spring for cherry blossom. Anyone here can give me advice when will be the best time to visit Seoul as this year weather change a lot. Cherry Blossom only last for about a week in Korea, just wondering when will it be this year so that i won%26#39;t miss it ^^v

Thanks !!

Any idea when will Cherry Blossom bloom in Korea in 2009

I think you ask the impossible.

These things all depend on the weather- if it is warm, then sooner, if it is cold, then later.

I am surprised you say '; only one week';. I think longer than that!

Any idea when will Cherry Blossom bloom in Korea in 2009

I was in Korea end of march beginning of april 2007 and experienced the cherry blossom both in Gyeongju and Seoul. Truly a beautiful experience!

It%26#39;s quite true that the cherry blossom in korea doesn%26#39;t last long like in Japan or Taiwan. The blooming of each region normally not longer than a week as i was told... so it%26#39;s kinda like depends on your luck if u%26#39;r fated to experience the cherry blossom in Korea.

Found one interesting data from one blogger about dates of full bloom of cherry blossom during Yeoido Cherry blossom festival held in every April in Seoul.

1996 - 4/12

1997 - 4/13

1998 - 4/9

1999 - 4/14

2000 - 4/15

2001 - 4/13

2002 - 4/14

2003 - 4/15

2004 - 4/13

2005 - 4/17

You could enjoy full bloom for 1-2 days around the dates above and cherry blossom rain, which describe scattered flowers by wind for 5-6 days after bloom.

The festival period of last year in Yeoido was from Apr.8 to 20. Personally I love cherry blossom in Gyeongju where it starts 1-2 weeks earlier than in Seoul. As posted above, it really depends on the weather, however, you wouldn%26#39;t miss it if you are willing to travel outside of seoul from end of march to middle of april.

THANKS A LOT kimi99 !!

Really appreciate the effort u%26#39;hv put in to update me on the previous blooming date ^^

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Interested in going to South Korea, what to do in Oct

Hello

I am interested in planning a trip to Korea along with other Asian countries and places like HK and TW (To visit a friend). I have never been to Korea nor know much about the North and South. I have no idea about what there are nor planned the amount of time I want to stay there.

Can anyone recommend any places that are a must see in South Korea? Things to do in October? How many days recommended?

Many Thanks!

Elly

Interested in going to South Korea, what to do in Oct

Hello, Welcome to Forum

I think you picked one of the best month to visit Korea as weather there is not too cold and not too hot. One of biggest traditional holiday, Chuseok (similar to Thanksgiving holiday)falls on Oct 3rd this year, toward the end of moneth you will able to see really beautiful autumn foliage on mountains.

Depends on your interest and budget, you can spend easily week to two weeks there.

Seoul is real huge metropolitan city with very convenient public transit system (metro lines have English signs), shopping galore (from traditional markets to trendy boutiques and luxury malls), lots places to eat, and four palaces and many museums.

Another place I highly recommend is UNESCO World Heritage site, city of Gyeongju which is about 5 hrs train ride south of Seoul.

See this website for more information, http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto

Interested in going to South Korea, what to do in Oct

If you stay in Chuseok time, try not to travel outbound Seoul since a lot of Koreans will travel back to their hometown and hence severe traffic jam on almost all highways.

Other than that, October is one of the best time to visit Korea. Since it is time when mountains are colored with beautiful colors of autumn leaves, I suggest you should try visit some moutain outside Seoul also. Seol Ak mountain is the famous one, but if you don%26#39;t have enough time you can choose somewhere nearer to Seoul.

Many Koreans enjoy a fish named ';Jeon Au'; as a autumn delicacy. If you can eat sashimi(raw fish), you can try this, if not you can still enjoy this fish grilled. Koreans have saying that the smell of grilling this fish(Jeon Au) will bring back ran away daughter in law.

Enjoy your planning and your stay.

Hangang excursion ship early February

We are traveling to Seoul early Feb,planning to ride on Hangang Excursion Ship .

We are afraid the cold weather in Seoul .

How about on the hangang ?

Hangang excursion ship early February

Thanks

we would be indoors on the ship

Seoul Stopover - mid September

My wife and I have a 2 day stopover in Seoul on our way to Bali. I would appreciate suggestions for:

The best area to stay and a nice hotel.

Transportation from Airport to Hotel.

Things to do during a 2 day trip.

Thank You

Seoul Stopover - mid September

please give us a bit more info- eg budget and what you mean by nice.

There are airport limousine buses into town for about 14 US which are quick and comfortable. Journey time 90 mins for the 70 km.

Suggest you look at ';things to do'; on this page on the left. But you have palaces (Gyeongbuk, Dokksu and others), the DMZ, shopping or just walking in markets (Namdaemun, Dongdaemun), temples, Namsan ( mountain in middle of Seoul- cable car, restaurant, folk village) Han river cruises etc etc).

Many people like Ibis in Myeongdong, which is cheap and well sited for entertainment. ';Best'; hotels in qulaity terms are probably reckoned to be Shilla and Grand Intercontinental. The latter is by the COEX mall in Gangnam, the business area. Right beside Bongeun tempel, which does temple stay afternoons for foreigners.

Transport within Seoul is dead easy by subway, and dead slow by taxi.

Tour or Solo

Hi I am in the process of planning my first trip to South Korea with my family. It will be me, my brother and my Mom.

The trip is a birthday present for my mom who has always wanted to go go South Korea. We are looking to vist 2-3 cities (Seoul, Busan, Jeju) over 5-7 days or so.

Question is, is it easier to book a tour or is this something that we could do independently?

Tour or Solo

you could do it independently without any Korean language.

Why Busan? not, to my mind, a very exciting place! (sorry people from Busan!)

Tour or Solo

Well, if you go solo you%26#39;ll need at least a week for your itinerary. Five days would really be pushing it, rushed if you do it solo. A week would be better with two days in each place...

I don%26#39;t know your age, but it sounds like it is up to how you like to travel and really, your Mom%26#39;s condition. My parents were just here last summer and they are in their late 60s. Of course, we traveled around on our own since I%26#39;ve lived here for a while. Also, they enjoyed tooling around the different places, wandering on their own. A tour might restrict you somewhat in that aspect.

Still, with your limited amount of time, a tour might be the way to go. Everything will be planned out and you%26#39;ll see the major sites. I haven%26#39;t ever taken a tour here, so I cannot recommend one though I%26#39;m sure I could find a couple of options for you.

You also might try to narrow down what it is you want to see here exactly. Temples, nature, palaces, museums... Then, find a tour that more caters to those areas...

There are many Korean Travel agency in NYC where you can find cheaper airfares and perhaps help you book you hotels in Korea. They also offer escorted tours but I don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s done in English. I am not related anyway to this agency, but I used them when I bought my own air line tickets, http://www.empiretravelny.com/contact.asp

Or you can google search them on your own.

I personally prefer traveling independently over group since it allows more freedom, and Korea has very good public transportation, — especially subways and KTX (bullet trains)have English signs and announcements. I found many Koreans do speak better English than I expected. Although I look like a Korean, many people spoke to me in English first cause I dressed like a American =) when I was there.

Why visit Busan? Why not visit Gyeongju which is about 1 hour from Busan? It is about 3000 years old city, ancient capital of one of old kiongdom. You can see ancient toms, historical sites and temples there.

Thanks for the info. The guide books recommend Busan. If you have other recommendations would love to hear them. Thanks

Thanks for the recommendations.I also prefer to go at these things by myself. My mom is in relatively good health. She does have some knee problems so I worry tours don%26#39;t give flexibility to accomodate fatigue etc.

Maybe there is a way to do a bit of both. Does anyone know of shorter 2-3 day tours can arrange when you arrive in Korea? I will definitely check out Gyeongju.

Gyeongju is do-able either by bus or better by train. It will take you about 4-5 hrs either way. It%26#39;s worth it.

I stay at Hilton on Bomum Lake (all the more decent hotels are there). City is 10,000 Won away by taxi- plenty to see.

Check out ';tumuli Park'; ';Chomseongdae'; ';Anapji Pond'; ';Kyongju National Museum';.

Better still grab an International Driving Permit, and rent a car for a day in Gyeongju. Visit Bulguk Temple, Seokkuram Grotto, Gampo town, Ming Mummu%26#39;s sea tomb.

Try xanadu.co.kr for local tours. That is where I would start. Again, if your mom has knee trouble, a coach tour might be the way to go. Do one in Seoul for a couple of days then KTX on your own to Kyongju or Busan and do another. Still, you will be doing a lot of walking. In Kyongju the tombs are right in the city center which is easy but Bulguksa and Sokkoram are outside of the city. And, those are the two other main ancient sites in Kyongju. Sokkoram is a trek up the mountain to get to. I%26#39;m not sure it can be accessed by car even. Perhaps so but still plan on some physical exertion whatever you do. If you do decide to do it on your own, i.e. subways, buses, trains -- please consider all the walking / stairs involved... well, for your mom%26#39;s sake.

Renting a car? I%26#39;m not so sure about that one. One reason is cost. Rental cars may be affordable but the fuel is another thing... $8 U.S. per gallon I believe. A second is finding your way around. Sure, most road signs are in English, but... count on getting lost at least twice and time is valuable with your itinerary... Third, you have to get the int. ID if you don%26#39;t already have one AND locate a rental car company. Again, time.

If you are intent on seeing the most with the least amount of headaches, especially in Kyongju, just set up a tour before you arrive or even once you get here...

Also, have you thought about touring the DMZ? Pretty fascinating in my opinion...

Enjoy.

We%26#39;ll agree to differ on car rental. The hotels all usually have them on hand, and I usually put in 10,000 Won (about 10 $US) of LPG for a day%26#39;s driving.

OTOH you can easily get a cab for the day at hotels in Gyeongju; they can drive the disabled to Bulguksa high level car park (I know because I had a damaged knee last year and was driven to the temple gate). Seokkuram IS a hike.

I personally hate tours, but it may be exactly what you need- so long as it%26#39;s a good one. I know of people who have had bad tour experiences, sitting in a bus for hours and driving past the sights they thought they were visiting. I%26#39;ve had one bad tour like that in Korea, where we did Suanbo, Hahoe, Andong, Gyongju and Kwangju all in one day from Seoul. BUT there are really good tours; others may have good recommendations- and I think it%26#39;s recommendations you need.

And DMZ can be excellent.

worldwide00, if you have time, try to visit one of those visit mega spas called Jjimjilbang or hot spring spas. In my opinion, you can definitely get rid of jet-leg or travel fatigues after you soak om various hot pools, sweat on multiple choice of saunas, or get water therapies. My mom loves that kind of stuffs. …visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_4_3_2.jsp

Flights from Seoul to Jeju

Does anyone know if I can purchase flights from Seoul to Jeju for cheap (like on Jeju Air) when I%26#39;m at the airport or should I buy ahead of time? I know there are several flights a day but I don%26#39;t want them to be all booked or crazy expensive when we get there. Thanks so much!

Flights from Seoul to Jeju

You SHOULD book in advance specially in weekend and Summer. That is the busiest route in Korea. Jeju air and Hansung air are low-cost airline but they have only Korea website. If you know someone who understands Korean, you can book the cheapest ticket on their website. It might be hard to find any travel agecy selling Jeju air in the States.

Well-know airlines, Korean Air and Asiana are defitely available in the States and not crazy expensive. Actually it is quite cheap compared to American domestic flight because Korean government is regulating the price of Jeju-Seoul flight.

Flights from Seoul to Jeju

Thanks for the quick response.

Are there any difference between Jeju Air and Hansung Air in your opinion?

I Read somewhere on the internet that the ground staff of these Hansung and Jeju air do not speak much English and hence it may get a bit unpleasant if you unknowingly flout their rules eg. overweight luggage etc.

Is that true? Anybody here has experience taking these airlines before?

You should consider the Korean Airline. I just learned you can book thru on the Korean region of KA%26#39;s website.

Make sure you Visa/Mastercard has the Verfied by Visa or the Securecode by Mastercard enabled.

Hotel Vat tax

Hello,

I%26#39;m getting some conflicting information about the 10% VAT charged by hotels. Some hotel sites automatically add it, some add 1% VAT, and another one swore to me that the VAT for foreigners is waived. Which one is it?!

Thank you.

Hotel Vat tax

In my experience, hotel booking sites - those that are agents, rather than eg hilton.com for Hilton- don%26#39;t get it right either way, and if you pay upfront to the site for a voucher, you may land up paying tax and service charge AND tax on the service charge, of course.

It is the latter that gives rise to the 1 per cent.

If you pay the hotel, you should- according to my last bill from the Intercontinental, anyway, be exempt from the 10 per cent tax but pay the 10 per cent service charge.

Many hotels have the 10 pc service, which confuses things splendidly on the bill.

Hotel Vat tax

Thank you ethelman.

Yes, it%26#39;s rather confusing, also when the hotel%26#39;s own site charges the 10% automatically, as in prepaid rates.

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wibro or any Internet on the go for tourists

I will be in Korea with a tour group . I would like to surf on the go to keep track of my trades. Are there any wireless Internet catering for tourists ? I read so much abt wibro but can%26#39;t seem to find any info on how I can subscribe. Kindly advise.

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Western co-op to Gimpo airport

Hello,

I would like to know what is the travel time between Western co-op to Gimpo by taxi and how much?

Thanks.

Western co-op to Gimpo airport

I don%26#39;t know about the taxi fare but it would take about 30~40 minutes.

There are also subways and buses to Dongdaemun area, though I don%26#39;t know where exactly the Western co-op is.

Summer games

When in Daegu about two years ago I saw signs promoting Summer Asian Games in 2010, I think. I%26#39;m trying to find more information to plan another visit.

RE: Travelling to Seoul thid end of Jan and Early Feb

Hi,

Am looking to travel to Seoul this 30 Jan to early Feb.

Am worried about the weather as i heard that Jan is the coldest month.

Can anyone advise me on the temperature and as the Chines New Year is between 26 to 28 Jan, would Seoul%26#39;s shops be mainly closed for the festival too?

Lastly, as i%26#39;m travelling with my pregnant wife, any advise? Am looking to stay at Hotel Ibis Myeong-Dong, is this place really as good and convenient as the reviews?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

JAson

RE: Travelling to Seoul thid end of Jan and Early Feb

My son is living in Incheon and it has been cold there the past week. There has been some light snow.

I will ask him about the shops being open during the New Year celebration. I don%26#39;t know if he will know but maybe his Korean girlfriend will.

RE: Travelling to Seoul thid end of Jan and Early Feb

Hello.

I%26#39;m koreandon@hotmail.com

It is usually very cold during that time. In Korea, durinf chinese new year holidays, most all shops are closed. However, before and after the holiday, shops will be usually open. I suggest you be aware of this when you plan your trip. During the holidays, it can be boring for visitors because there is not much to do during holidays. Chinese new year holiday is one of the biggest holidays in Korea.

Hotel Ibis is convinient in terms of location. It should also be confortable compared to the price. Visitors are usually satisfied with Hotel ibis mainly due to the low price. If you are traveling with your wife who is pregnent, i suggest you visit with a guide. You can contact me if you need a guide. I can provide good service at low price.

Again, it should be very cold so make sure to bring heavy cloth for your pregenent wife.

Other than that, you should have a good time.

Hi Hester,

Many thanks! Can you also inquire on my behalf when will the Chinese New Year holidays end in Seoul? May be thinking of going in mid Feb instead. Hopping to see better weather then as I%26#39;m not really a winter person...Thanks in advance!

Temperature is not much different in February than January in Korea, if slightly higher. If you don%26#39;%26#39;t like cold weather, then go after March. April is cherry blossom season.

During Lunar New Year (Korean use this term not Chinese New Year) holiday which lasts about 2 days. big department and banks are closed but many small business will stay open. If you search on this forum more, you can easily find threads covering your question.

Oops sorry Lunar new year holiday is from Jan 25 through Jan 27th.

We have gone in April and found the weather very nice, that was two years ago. The weather was so nice we didn%26#39;t need to wear jackets. We are also going to see our son in Incheon around the middle of April this year. My son told me tonight it was 30degrees F today, he said it had warmed up.

SingaporeZaszon,

If you were the one that contacted me about snow in Seoul in March, I lost the email. I asked my son and he said they didn%26#39;t think there would be any then. Maybe up in the mountains but not in Seoul itself.

Sorry about the lost email.

DMZ tour from ICN

I am planning a trip from LAX to Hanoi, but would like to schedule a layover in ICN to do a tour of the DMZ. Does anyone know how to arrange this? Is there a website address for a tour company at the airport. Also, what time do the tours leave and return to the airport?

Thanks, Eliot

DMZ tour from ICN

Check out following site for info, …visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_5_7_1.jsp

DMZ tour from ICN

Thank you, that was exactly what I was looking for. Did you do this tour? Is it the only one available at the airport?

Eliot

No, I didn%26#39;t do tour itself since I stayed longer at Seoul, so didn%26#39;t need tour starting from airport. Many people do DMZ tour through USO, which is highly recommended (www.uso.org/Korea/default.cfm?contentid=347)

Thanks again, I%26#39;ll check that out

indeed the USO tour is , in my view, the best as you get more. I think you need early reservation, tohugh?

Does the USO tour leave from ICN airport? Also, I am mostly interested in visiting Pamunjong. Does it go there?

The USO tour description does not include a visit to Tunnel 3. Any one have other recommendations that include Tunnel 3?

Thanks,

The transit tour place in the airport goes to the 3rd tunnel, but I%26#39;m trying to find out if there is one from the airport that goes to Panmunjom.

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Need help with Directions and Itinerary planning

Hi!

First of all, we plan on going to YongPyong resort straight from the airport. What is the easiest, safest and not so expensive way to travel-- by bus or taxi or is there a shuttle van that we can hire for that? Any idea on how much it will cost us roughly? Will it be difficult that we don鈥檛 speak Korean? We plan to stay at YP resort for 2 nights, is this advisable? Are there other interesting sights near the resort that we can go to? If not, we will make it just an overnight stay and might stay at Incheon on the second night instead.

We are open to suggestions. We prefer scenic landscape sights that are either famous landmarks or shooting places of tv series, some of us not much into museums and temples or religious sites.

Secondly, we plan on going to Sub-Zero Ice bar after checking in at Ramada Songdo hotel at Incheon and we plan on going to Seoul tower after COEX mall. Are these places close to each other? Or should we do it the other way around? We badly need help with directions as we don鈥檛 really know where these places are located.

Hoping that someone can help us.

Thank you so much in advance!

Need help with Directions and Itinerary planning

Ooops sorry! Forgot to mention that we will be arriving at Incheon airport.

Need help with Directions and Itinerary planning

I really need some more specifics on your plans like what time you arrive at ICN and how many days total you plan on being here. Remember that Incheon and Youngpyoung are on opposite ends of the peninsula -- Incheon west coast and Youngpyoung east. That being said, the best way for you to get to Youngpyong from the airport is by bus -- roughly 14,000 won to the express bus terminal in southern Seoul then another bus to Youngpyoung or Hwaengae. I don%26#39;t know how many buses run each day. Hwaegae is a small town at the base of the resort area. You might even have to go all the way to Kangnung on the coast then back track to Youngpyong. Still, you are looking at a 3 hour bus ride from Seoul to that area. I%26#39;m not sure about the exact cost but I would imagine 20,000 won or so...

Understand that Ramada Songdo is in Incheon city while COEX is in Seoul. Not close. At least an hour, probably a bit more by public transportation. Also understand that the airport is well north of Incheon city, another 40 minutes or so by bus.

Again, if you give me more specifics on how long you will be here I can probably be of more help with your questions concerning film locations and scenic areas such as Soraksan which is quite close to Youngpyoung and could be a possibility for you.

Hi seasmoke, thank you so much for the reply. We intend to stay 7 days. Tentatively there might be 4 of us in our group. I have listed down our itinerary below. Days 3-7 have been prepared for us by the travel agency since we will be booking a group tour package with them hence we can not make major changes, except to insert some places that we can go during our free time.

DAY 1

Arrival at Incheon 5am

Check in at Best Western at Incheon. Though we prefer to stay overnight at Lotte World hotel. Our accommodation will depend on where we can go or what we can do in the nearby areas.

DAY 2

Check out of hotel and proceed to YoungPyoung resort for check in, overnight stay.

Go to nearby areas in Young Pyoung

%26gt;we will consider going to Soraksan, as you mentioned. How far is it from the resort and is it accessible by bus or public transport? Any other suggestions on where to go?

%26gt;when does the ski season end? Is there still snow in March? We do not ski but would like to snow sled.

%26gt;%26gt;We still have to iron out days 1 and 2. Is it better to proceed to YP straight from the airport? We are a little time constraint and don鈥檛 want to be running around back and forth.

DAY 3

Group tour starts at Incheon, we will have free time until dinner. So suggestions for DAY 1 or DAY 2 may be done here.

%26gt;we would like to go to the Sub-zero Ice bar after dinner. I understand that it is located at Hongik University%26#39;s, is this anywhere near Incheon?

DAY 4

Everland Theme Park, Strawberry farm, then check in at Mt Seorak

%26gt;could we actually just go to YP resort here instead?? I am guessing it might be night time when we actually check-in for our accommodation at Mt Seorak and therefore would only have a few hours if we went to YP. Are there other ski resorts nearby other than YP?

DAY 5

Shinheungsa temple and Gwongeumseong Fortress then transfer to Nami island. Back to Seoul for check in

%26gt;we would like to explore the city and experience the street food stalls here

DAY 6

Daejanggeum Theme Park, some souvenir shops, COEX aquarium

%26gt;we would like to go to Seoul Tower after dinner or around 8pm. How far is the tower from COEX?

%26gt;may also go to dongdaemun market if time permits. I understand that this is a night market and is open until the wee hours?

DAY 7

Kyungbok Palace, Myeongdong street, more souvenir shops. Our flight departure will be around 8pm

Ok then, I think these are all the questions, for now. Sorry that they are so many!

Is our itinerary doable? Any suggestions and recommendations are most welcome. Many thanks.

Hi!

I%26#39;m not very good at planning itineraries myself, so I%26#39;ll just skip about that.

But I think I have some comments.

1. Hongik University is in Mapo-gu(district), Seoul, so nowhere near Incheon. You%26#39;d better plan to visit there when you%26#39;re staying at Seoul.

For your information, Hongik university area is a famous district for bars.

2. From COEX to Seoul Tower, it%26#39;s not far - it takes less than 30 minutes by taxi.

3. Dongdaemun market generally closes around 4~7 am, so you don%26#39;t have to worry if time permits after dinner.

I hope this helps.

Have a wonderful time in Korea!

Wow. Okay. Well, my biggest concern is Yongpyong. Like I said before, Yongpyong is on the near the east coast of Korea while Incheon is on the west coast -- a good three hours away by bus at the least. If you go direct once you get here, then you%26#39;ll have to come all the way back to Incheon to begin your tour. Also, included in your tour is Mt. Sorak, correct? If so, then you would be traversing the peninsula for a 3rd time. That adds up to a lot of travel time in a short period of stay here. Allow me to ask why you are so intent on Yongpyoung if you guys don%26#39;t really ski anyways. If you are just looking for a little sledding and snow, go somewhere closer to Seoul like Yangi Pine Resort, about an hour outside of Seoul. That way, you won%26#39;t be racing all over the place.

Let%26#39;s see... COEX and Namsan are close enough to one another in Seoul. 20 minute by taxi max. No problem there. Dongdaemun is thriving at all hours like Namdaemun which I prefer -- outdoor and indoor market. Hongdae is in western Seoul, about an hour by Subway, perhaps less, by subway or bus from Incheon.

Again, I would re-think the Youngpyoung situation. Let me know if you have any other questions...

Seasmoke, thanks for your advice.

It鈥檚 not that we鈥檙e intent on going to YP, it鈥檚 just that we have heard it鈥檚 top-rated and popular. We are really just after the snow and of course, the beautiful scenery as well. What I am worried about is whether there will still be snow in March since it is the start of Spring already! As I have gathered, temperature will still be quite cold for us, coming from a tropical country. But there won鈥檛 be any more snow, right?

I see that there is a Korean folk village in YongIn and also hot springs in Ichon, how far are these from Yangji resort and are they worth going?

From Korea, thank you for your comments.

We will revise our itin accordingly.

I was skiing at Yangji late February last year. Depending on the weather, I do think some resorts will be open in early March as they have artificial snow machines. Try checking their websites, I know Yangji Pine has one in English...

As far as Ichon and the Suwon folk village, yes, they are relatively close to Yangji. I haven%26#39;t been to Ichon, and I consider the folk village to be a bit touristy for my taste, though it offers a glimpse into traditional Korean culture and many visitors enjoy their time there. The village and Yangji are perhaps 30 minutes apart, maybe less.

Just keep up with the weather reports and remember that March can be as cold as Jan., snow too, in South Korea...

You can enjoy skiing or snowboarding in the ski resorts in Gangwon province such as YoungPyong, High1, and Pheonix park in March, but you%26#39;d be better try there before mid of march when the snow gets slush.

All the premier resorts have hitech snow when needed. No worries on that one. Upper elevations will enrich your white dust fancy, don%26#39;t worry about that one...

Summer in the city ...

I may have to go to Seoul this summer on business. My business contacts are against it, because they say the weather is too bad. But because of family reasons I must visit some time between July 15 and September 1.

I don%26#39;t know what to expect in terms of weather. Is it absolutely impossible to go outside and to sightsee? Pouring rain all the time? Is there any particular time in that six week period when the weather is not awful?

I assume everywhere indoors in Seoul is air conditioned, or will that be a problem too? Does the city empty out during the summer, i.e. many things closing like in France or Italy?

Advice is welcome. Thank you.

Summer in the city ...

Usually monsoon rain season starts around late June and it lasts about 3 to 4 weeks, but the amount of rain has been hard to predict in recent years, it could rain for one whole day or you can see sun breaks out between rain for more than several hours. I think Seoul%26#39;s summer is very similar to D.C. weather, very hot, humid and hazy. But Seoul is very modern city with lots ACs around. Subways have pretty decent cooling system. :)

Although many people do go out on vacation, Seoul doesn%26#39;t get empty out like Europe since they don%26#39;t enjoy month-long vacation like Europeans. So you can definitely enjoy what city has to offer.

Summer in the city ...

There is no problem except weather. Seoul is hottest between July 15 and September 1. I strongly recomend to visit Seoul as late as possible. From August 20, temp falls.

largely agree with other posters; the weather is NOT awful, just warm and humid. I%26#39;ve had worse in NY.

But beware: you may not find a/c turned on a business meetings. I often visit people at this time of year, and I reckon 40 per cent cope without their a/c in the conference room. So, cultivate a liking for iced green tea and take short sleeved shirts. In this scenario, everyone takes their jackets and ties off; Americans I%26#39;ve travelled with have not been comfortable doing this, but it is OK as long as you don%26#39;t start it but leave it to someone else.

The subway is a good place to dive into to get off wet or hot streets.

Rent an umbrella from your hotel, otherwise you%26#39;ll find your business contact getting worried about you, and walking you to the taxi or station using their umbrellas.

YongPyong Ski Resort or Muju resort

Hi, i%26#39;ll be travelling to Seoul in December with a group of friends. We are planning to visit to visit a ski resort but are not sure if we should go with YongPyong or Muju.

Both places look fun but since we are travelling on our own, we would like to visit one that is more convenient.

Was just wondering, which of the 2 will be a better option?

Thank you in advance for your advice! =D

YongPyong Ski Resort or Muju resort

I live in Cheonan,South korea.

I think yongpyong resort is more good for travel.

because it has many famous places more then muju.

also, yongpyong is a candidate resort of 2018 winter olympic games.

YongPyong Ski Resort or Muju resort

Thanks for the advice. =)

We are planning to stay somewhere near Myeong Dong and due to time constraints, we would like to visit one that is nearer and more accesible. In this case, would it be Muju or YongPyong?

May we know the directions and time it will take to get to these 2 places?

(REally sorry, tried looking through their website but was unable to click on the locations link.)

Thanks!

YongPyong is eastbound of Seoul and Muju is southbound. Both ski resort takes 3 hours from Seoul.

if you%26#39;re beginner of ski skill, you%26#39;d better go to ski resort near Seoul.

Yangji fine resort or Jisan forest resort is one of them. It takes about 1 hour from Seoul, but avoid weekend, Sat. and Sunday.

JJKorea,

Thank you so much for the recommndations. Just realised that all of us can barely ski. Will probably go for sled rides instead. =)

YongPyong is a Olympic grade Ski resort. with many kind of slopes. You can always get a coach there for skiing. The resort is very scenic and beautiful Take the cable car to the peak and you will enjoy the view.. Winter Sonata scenes was taken from there.

Hi,

Yes, ditto on Yangae / Yangi which is quite close to Suwon, just south of Seoul. We were there last winter and it is a good little resort with a number of lifts for vaious skill levels. I%26#39;m sure there%26#39;s a shuttle leaving from somewhere near Myongdong. Enjoy...

Thanks JasLoo. Think YongPyong will be a great place for photo-taking. After some thoughts, realised that none of us in the party can ski.

Thanks seasmoke, do you have any information on the Yangae/Yangji Ski resort? I can%26#39;t seem to find any.

Hi I planning my trips to ski this dec08 too. I found that the accommodation in the ski resort is expensive. do you think i can have a day trip or some accommodation nearby the ski resort ?

Hello, We live in Geoje Do and are planning atrip to Yongpyung this January. Does anyone know if there are discounts available for lift tickets and rentals? We curently use one on our mobile phone for Muju and would like the same for Yongpyung.

Hi cyau,

Grace Travel quoted me a day trip price as below -

I am not sure what is a lift price and a tour price, so I am still checking with them..

';Also we have dailly ski tour, so it will be fine about make room reservation on very high peak season.

Ji-san or Yang ji resort is pretty close with Seoul, so it will be perfect to daily ski tour.

price is 75,000 krw (child:70,000krw) per person (included are hotel pick up%26amp;sending service,transportation,guide,ski gear), and if you want half day lift price is 110,000 krw(child 105,000krw)';

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Mobile Phone in Seoul

Hello,

I%26#39;ll be in Seoul next weekend and I don%26#39;t have a 3G Korean frequency phone. Should I rent a phone from the airport for 4 days, or should I buy a new 3G phone while I%26#39;m in Seoul? (I need a new 3G phone anyway). Does anyone know of a good mobile phone store or electronics store? I want to check out a Samsung netbook also.

Thank you!

Mobile Phone in Seoul

EliasNYC,

As far as I know, Korean phone system is different from US%26#39;s phone. When I went there last year although my Verizon rep assured me that I can use my LG phone in Korea, it didn%26#39;t work out well. I was able to make phone calls to US number but not to Korean number. I ended up rent a cell phone so I can use it to call within Korea. Things may have developed more since then, and I am no expert in cell phone technology, but I wouldn%26#39;t want to risk it yet. There is KTF rental desk at Incheon airport.

Mobile Phone in Seoul

hi there,

korea has a unique cell phone system. (unformtunaletly i don%26#39;t know the technical name of it)

a phone which will work everywhere in the world will still not work in korea. they even had a special ';protection-law'; for there system, so that hardly no foreign companies were able to sell there phones there.

as far as i know they recently changed that especially for the iphone, so maybe there will be some changes in the next few months.

i would recommend to rent one at the airport.

If you are in korea frequently you could think about buying a used one at yongsan-electronic market. (yongsan subway station)

buying a ';normal'; phone will not be cheap and maybe even hard to find.

hope that helps.

Hello Blee and Takaramono,

thank you both, yes they use a special 3G frequency. I%26#39;ll check out yongsan also.

Indian restaurant

I am wondering if any one here has recommendations for THEIR FAVOURITE AUTHENTIC Indian restaurant in Seoul. It%26#39;s a favour I want to return to my friend as we ate Indian together when she came to London, so it would be perfect to go eat Indian together in Seoul. Something not too expensive and cos restaurant is what I am after. Any suggestions welcome.I want to surprise my friend :)

Indian restaurant

Your best options will be around Itaewon. I like either Moghul or Ashoka. Ashoka is in the Hamilton Hotel and Moghul is up the hill just above the Hamilton. Then there is curry house by the name of Ganga that has 7 locations in Seoul. They were not very authentic, however.

Indian restaurant

My Korean friends say that you%26#39;ll be out of luck for authentic. Even Chinese food is uniquely modified for Korea- separate dishes to make up courses and quite different flavourings to conventional Chinese food.

I think the spices in Indian food, in combination, don%26#39;t work for the Korean palate.

I ate once in an Indian near Teheranro in Gangnam, and was amused to have gimchi on the table, and sticky rice.

Now, Mexican.... (plenty of authentic mexican food)

thanks for all of your suggestions, i checked out the ganga website, and yes it seems a little limited in variety.

my korean friend already said she enjoyed the indian meal we had in london the most ever :) so i will take all of the advice and not get my hopes up too much. lol at the kimchi in indian restaurant!

thanks again for all the help, and i%26#39;ll let you know if i manage to find somewhere that meets the required tastes.

even if the indian food isn%26#39;t too tasty, it%26#39;s the experience i am after :)

There are a couple of places behind the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon. There%26#39;s a Pakistani place, don%26#39;t remember the name, that has a nightly buffet of naan and curries. You can order off the menu as well. I believe the buffet is 18,000 won or so. Last time I was there, it was very good and had a very wide selection...

I%26#39;ve tried Ganga and DAL. Enjoyed both..but then again, I%26#39;ve never had authentic Indian, so I don%26#39;t know how different it is from the real stuff. But I think both places taste good. Heard there are cheaper places in Itaewon, but never gone. If they%26#39;re just as good as the two above, would go... they%26#39;re nice, but too expensive.

I tried ';Everest'; restaurant in Dongdaemoon.

Some people say they are best in town. but I don%26#39;t know much. Anyway curry and lassi I had were good and quite cheap.

http://www.everestfood.com/index.htm

Hi i know 1 indian restaurant in gangnam.. Its name is Bindya indian restaurant. The food is really fantastic. specially tandoori chicken is no.1. and prices also resonable specially lunch set is only 10,000. and course dishes also cheaper than all other restaurants in gangnam. i have visited there several times.

www.menupan.com/Restaurant/Onepage.asp鈥?/a>

This is a link of discount coupan. Enjoy your meal.

Hmm have you ever visit Bindya indian restaurant in gangnam. Real indian style restaurnat i have ever seen. i love their foood. Even discount coupon also available.

www.menupan.com/Restaurant/Onepage.asp鈥?/a>

check this for all information..

Questions about clothes shopping

I%26#39;m going to Seoul for the first time later this year. Usually when I shop at some dept stores or boutiques like Mango, after I try on an item of clothing from the display rack and decide I want to buy it, I ask the sales assistant to get me a new piece for that item.

I was wondering whether you can do that in Seoul as well and how would you ask the sales assistant in Korean then?

Questions about clothes shopping

Of course you can.

In Korean, say ';(Igeo) Saegul-lo jooseyo'; meaning please give me (this) a new one.

Have a nice trip!

Questions about clothes shopping

Thanks very much!

Markets in Seoul

Are Namdaemun and Dongdaemun Markets (for cheap and wholesale) the main ones in Seoul? Are these two markets similar to Bangkok Chatuchak Weekend Market?

Any other markets beside these two in Seoul?

Also for both Namdaemun and Dongdaemun markets, are most of the things sold there orginial or fake?

Thanks much

Markets in Seoul

I believe those are the best markets in Seoul. I am not familiar with the Bangkok weekend market which you have mentioned. These markets are not your typical markets. Most of the items sold here are for ';buyers'; of other retail stores. They are huge!! They sell everything from clothing, home decor, leather goods, fresh food (vegetables, fruit, seafood, meat), beautiful costume jewelry, camping equipment, -- I mean everything!!

Most of the things sold are original but they do have stalls that sell the fake or lookalike items.

Definitely worth the visit but go early cause it could get pretty crowded after lunchtime.

Markets in Seoul

Thanks. I read that the retailers mainly appear in the afternoon, while the wholesalers appear after midnight - for Namdaemun market. Can someone verify this please?

Yes I have heard that.

So it%26#39;s better to visit after lunchtime and crowded market is quite interesting too

I had a lot of fun shopping in Itaewon last week. Plenty of choices. Make sure to check out the little side streets...better deals. At night, the area turns into something similar to Roppongi (Tokyo)...many bars, nightlife...a favorite expat location.

The Dongdaemun markets are nice too but I wasn%26#39;t able to spend much time there on this trip. It rained quite heavily the couple hours I had that day (was on a business trip).

Is it similar to the Chatuchak market....no....nothing is similar top the Chatuchak market ;-) That place stands alone.

Please note that a majority of the sellers will close shop starting around 9pm in Namdaemun and won%26#39;t open until past midnight or 1. So, you%26#39;ll need to time your trip carefully.

Namdaemun is more of ';household'; and accessories type market.

It%26#39;s known mainly for selling foodstuffs, dishware, eyeware...and has a large wholesale costume jewelry section (but will usually only sell to retailers).

On the western end of the market, there is Shinsegae Department Store. They have a lot of high-end goods, food court and decent restaurants. If you want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the market. If you like that sort of thing, try some of the street food stalls. There%26#39;s quite a range and very tasty, if you like trying new things.

Dongdaemun is more of a fashion mecca and general goods market. There are main anchor fashion buildings (Doota, APM and Migliore) that houses thousands of individual stalls that hawk the trendiest clothes (meaning...what%26#39;s in but not necessarily what%26#39;s lasting). There is a couple of strip mall areas that houses more of the tourist trinkets, costume/bead jewelry and odd and ends on the near the actual Dongdaemun Gate.

However, on weekends, the old Sports Stadium (a remnant of the summer Olympics) houses a weekly flea market. I do have to warn you...it%26#39;s enclosed within the stadium so it can get really hot in there and there are any decent facilities....so bring water and make sure you hit the restroom somewhere else before diving in.

Note here...the anchor buildings will stay open nearly 24 hours a day, the smaller strip stores will typically start to close around 3~4pm and open up again in the late evening.

You might want to try Itaewon as well. That%26#39;s where you can find all the knockoffs, luggage bags and tourist trinkets. There are also a lot of good leather shops that have a range of leather clothes or will custom tailor them for you. This area also has decent bars, international restaurants and Starbucks and Coffee Bean. Neither Namdaemun or Dongdaemun have any western-friendly restaurants.

i was wondering if anyone knows where i could get wallpaper from?? i want some traditional styles, will i find them at any of the above markets?

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Ski in March

We are planning to go to YongPyong ski resort early this March, as this is our first ski trip to Korea, we don%26#39;t know if is still good season for ski, anyone who has been there in March before, can you please give some comment or tips.

Ski in March

Hi... try this site if you haven%26#39;t already.

www.yongpyong.co.kr/eng/about/intro.asp

Early March I think you%26#39;ll be fine. We were out there last year in late April and it snowed heavily all weekend. Know that YongPyoung is a good three hours east of Seoul and there isn%26#39;t a lot to do there but ski, just in case you are looking for more to do. Still, it is a great resort with top-notch facilities, not to mention the natural beauty of the area...

Enjoy...

Ski in March

Hi, Seasmonk

Thanks for your information. We will ski for 5days, do you know any agent sell discount lift pass %26amp; ski retal?One of my boy will need instructor, how is the ski school over there?

Kelly

I don%26#39;t know about discount lift passes, though I usually rent in the town below the resort to save on dosh. I haven%26#39;t taken any ski lessons but have seen them being conducted and looks pretty professional to me. Of course, they speak Korean. I doubt if they have instructors who speak English, though they might.

hotel location in Jeju

Hi

I would like to know if i better stay in Seowigpo side or city side because almost all the places i would like to visit are on the Seowigpo side except 1 site(dragon head).

I did research for hotel and i like hotels on the city side cause it is close to eating places,convenient store,ect... but far from sight seing,hotels close to places to see is like in a resort,you dont have much choice to eat outside? or shop ?

Would it take a lot of time to travel in the island if i want to stay on the city side?

Thanks very much

hotel location in Jeju

Hi, Ioan

I do like Seowigpo side cause it%26#39;s more scenic than Jeju city area. Are you planning to rent a car and drive around? If so, then you can drive to tourist sites and stay in hotel convenient area. Seowigpo is still a city so I think you can find restaurants and convenient stores.

hotel location in Jeju

Hi Blee246

I will travel by taxi or hire a van with driver cause we are 6 people!

So you said even if i stay in Seogwipo(like the Hyatt or KAL Seogwipo) I still can hope on a taxi to go to the city for a quick breakfast and do the sight seing after?versus staying in Jeju city ,breakfast nearby and drive a long way to do the sight seing?

Do you know if we can squeeze 6 people ( we are small people and 1 children! in a taxi(like we did in Kualalumpur!the driver didn t care!) or Korean taxi is strict for the number of people in term of seatbelt avaibility?

Thanks again

Taxis in Korea usually for 4 people, I doubt you can fit six people.

First week of Apr - Spring flowers in bloom?

Hi

I have arranged a trip to Seoul from 1 to 6 Apr09.

Looking fwd to see some cherry blossoms or beautiful spring flowers...will i be able to see any during the first week of apr? or the 2nd, 3rd week is a better bet?

thanks!

First week of Apr - Spring flowers in bloom?

You will definitely see yellow forsythia or pink azalea blooming since those are early spring flowers. As per cherry blossoms, you may get lucky and see some early blooms but usually they are in peak season on 2nd or 3rd wk of April.

First week of Apr - Spring flowers in bloom?

thanks. thats great info ^^

distance from seoul to kintex

we are visiting seoul for die %26amp; mould exhibition i want to know what is the distance from seoul central to KINTEX

distance from seoul to kintex

Welcome to Tripadvisor and the Seoul forum!

I would think about 30 km, but Seoul is big so depends where you stay. There are buses, from eg Gangnam. It%26#39;s out west towards Incheon airport

www.kintex.com/english/location/bycar.jsp

distance from seoul to kintex

thank you very much for your information

Korea trip end of FEB

Hi,i am coming to Korea this fourth week of Feb.So will there be any snow around? what the temperature there in celcius during that period? where can i get sport bike helmets and racing wear in Seoul? how much is the price in Korean currency,pls adv me the price approximate.Can i get this things in Dongdaemun? which location? how much is the price for a pair of hiking boots?

Korea trip end of FEB

Again, azzu? Check the responses to your previous posts. The answers remain as accurate as always...

Seoul Trip on Feb12-15

Dear Experts,

I will be travelling to Seoul Korea and would like to know places of interest and shopping areas.

What will be the weather on the said date and what should we wear?

Thank you.

Cath

Seoul Trip on Feb12-15

Hi, welcome to forum, please check around this forum for interesting sites. I am not sure what%26#39;s your interest, but seoul have plenty of historical and modern sites of interests. For shopping, there are many places you can go, Myeong-dong, Namdaemoon and Dongdamoon markets, and Shinchon areas are my personal favorite. for more info about Seoul, check out http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/intro.html

As per weather, temp. is hovering 5C around Seoul, but do check local weather, since it%26#39;s only week ahead.

Seoul Trip on Feb12-15

welcome to korea cathygirl! ^^;

nowadays seoul is cold.

myung-dong famous of shopping area~

if you want information, you will send me e-mail.

my job is a ceo of travel agency~

minwoo811202@gmail.com

Outdoor pool and terrace

Looking to travel to Seoul in July school hols.

Can only find Grand Hyatt with outdoor facilities, but reports say location up hill not too conveient as have to get taxis everywhere.

Can anyone recommend another hotel with outdoor pool for sunloving family ?

Many thanks

Outdoor pool and terrace

have you checked out Seoul weather in July?

Outdoor pool and terrace

I thought just hot and wet ...?

Please let me know what u know..

Many thanks

Indeed; hot, perhaps 90, VERY humid.

Not really a lot of sunloving; although it%26#39;s not that awful, but whenever I%26#39;m in Seoul then, I seek aircon.

And carry an umbrella

Check Sheraton Walkerhill hotel Seoul which has more spacious outdoor pool with wide view of Han River.

July is a rainy season in Korea but the weather is getting better at the end of the month. The worst thing is that traffic is not very convenient and that you should take a shuttle bus or taxi in order to get to the downtown.

If you are not requiring a large pool I can recommend Somerset Palace located close to Insa-dong. Only a 3-4 minutes walk away from Anguk subway station.

I stayed here for 2 weeks in April 2007 and loved the place. I posted a review here on tripadvisor. It%26#39;s a serviced residence.

The Somerset palace have a huge rooftop terrace with a small pool and 2 jacuzzis.

How about the shilla? I think the shilla has both indoor and outdoor pool. Location is a bit better than Grand Hyatt.

The Itaewon Hotel has a pool on its rooftop, and you will have NO trouble getting a cab. I am not sure on the rooms or anything. But the surroundings are good as it is very central, touristy, and english is spoken widely!!

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