Traveling alone with 1 day

I have a 15 hour layover in Seoul on eachdirection to and from Phuket. I would like to potentiate that 5am to 8 pm time in Seoul, but want to be sure to be safe as a 50 year old woman traveling alone. I like food, but I%26#39;d furhter like to experience some tqaste of the local culture and distinction. This is my first trip to Asia.

Teri

Traveling alone with 1 day

Kudos to you for choosing DIY Seoul as a first timer, and in less than 15hours too. I assume your bags are checked through to your final destination Phuket.

At 5am, you should be able to clear Korean immigration in 0.5 hours; deducting 1.5 hours for each journey between Incheon International Airport and downtown Seoul, and the need to check in for your flight out of Seoul 2.5 hours prior to takeoff, this leaves you with only 9 hours to explore Seoul. Not enough time IMHO to do justice to this sprawling, vibrant city which is steeped in history and culture.

You%26#39;ll need to look for the Limousine Bus counter near the right-end of the arrival hall where you can buy an Airport Bus ticket (KRW14,000) and a Seoul City Bus ticket (KRW10,000 and pick up a city map. Then, board Airport Bus #605 which will get you to downtown Seoul in about 90mins +/-, depending on traffic conditions. When the bus reaches the city, you can alight at City Hall (Gwanghwamun) stop and look for the Dongwha DFS store entrance where you can board the Seoul City Bus (bright blue bus with recorded English commentary) which takes you around the city%26#39;s major attractions including the palaces, UNESCO heritage site and War Memorial. Along the way, you can alight and reboard the City Bus several times, but keep an eagle eye on the time. Stops for the City Bus are marked clearly with their logo, and you should be able to spot fellow American tourists in the queue if you%26#39;re travelling during peak season. You should be back at the City Hall/Gwanghwamun busstop no later than 4pm, to transfer to Airport Bus #605 back to Incheon Airport, paying another KRW14,000 cash to the driver for the return journey.

On your return sector,you can do the Seoul City Bus jaunt again if you wish to spend more time at the other tourist stops that you%26#39;ve missed. Alternatively, when the airport coach hits the city area, you can catch a cab to the Namsan Hanok Village which has exhibits and activities to engage you till it is time to return to the Airport. Or you can take the KAL Limousine Bus #4 to Jamsil Lotte World Hotel which is opposite Lotte World - an integrated complex with a huge department store, an indoor theme park- Lotte World, that Seoul is famous for, and a mini Korean (indoor) cultural village.

One last travel tip: there are few pedestrian crossings in Seoul, and with the heavy and chaotic traffic, the safest way to cross roads is to use the network of subterranean walkways - which are unfortunately not served by escalators, so wear the most comfortable shoes you can find for your Seoul jaunt. Good luck.

Traveling alone with 1 day

adding a little to frappeo%26#39;s post: beware : it IS a long ride to the airport, so leave plenty of time for your return esp if in the rush hour.

On safety: don%26#39;t beware)!) It really is safe- the worst that might happen is you could get a bit lost, but even then people will help, and actually it%26#39;s not hard to get around.

For lunch, you could do worse than try the Korea House -right by Namsan Hanok village. Pricey but pretty authentic stuff. Alternatively, find your way to Insa-dong ( Anguk station close to north end; Jongno 3 ga stn near south end, or grab a taxi). Plenty of western-friendly places there.

But anywhere with menu is English or with (sorry, they really do this!) models of the meals outside will likely be able to cope readily with a non-Korean speaker. I%26#39;d go for Dolsot bibimbap as a hearty simple lunch: red hot stone pot with rice, beef, veggies and an egg (and spices). You stir it cooks.

I also have 2 long layovers in Seoul. If you are flying into Incheon airport, you can easily take one of several Transit Tour that are arranged by the airport/Korean Tourism.

Here%26#39;s one link:

…visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_5_5.jsp

But google and you%26#39;ll find lots of info. I think I%26#39;m going to do a tour on at least one of my legs, since it leaves (and returns) directly from the airport. There%26#39;s also a ';tour'; to a nearby Spa!

Also, if you happen to be flying on Asiana and you paid for your ticket (not using miles), you can have your choice of a tour or a hotel room to use during your layover...free!

I have a 27 hour layover myself enroute to Thailand and Vietnam soon, and I%26#39;ve contacted the free Goodwill Guide service, and applied for a guide just for the day. They just notified me a few minutes ago that a man of similar age will be helping me see central Seoul. Here%26#39;s the information:

…visitkorea.or.kr/enu/GK/GK_EN_2_7_3_1.jsp