Join us in a very interesting trip to Korea, a country that is a caught between tradition and modernity.
We had been here before, about 5 years ago. It was a non-planned trip, during our summer vacation of 2 weeks in Indonesia. We were by the sea, in Seminyak, Bali, where we stayed in the fantastic Legian Hotel. I really enjoyed the service, the villa, the food and the driver who took me shopping every day.
After we finished our stay there we moved to Ubud, for our week in the rice paddies. During our drive there they called husbanito from work and told him that he had to go very urgently to the USA for a business emergency. Our vacation was cut in half. The fastest way to go to the USA was with Korean Airways, passing through Seoul.
As you can imagine I was disappointed, but he promised me that on our way back home, we would stay a few days in Seoul. That was the first time I was in this city. I really liked it the first time and again on this longer trip, during which we were able to see very well the city and also had the opportunity to go by train to Busan, the second largest city in Korea, which is very important because of its port. By the way, as husbanito promised he took me back to Ubud some months later, for the rest of our vacation.
There are lots of shops in Seoul and some very good ones. Especially cosmetics, luxury brands and the famous ginseng. The three most famous things to buy in Korea are cosmetics (the snail and other facial masks are excellent and not expensive; ginseng (the red one) and amethyst stones (they take it from inside the granite). The Koreans are famous for aesthetic surgery. The women are very keen to be super white. That’s why there are so many hat shops around the city and so many cosmetics available.
In Korea you can feel that the people are happy and relaxed, with a very good standard of life.
Arrival and the airport
Most countries don’t need a visa to come to Korea but check before starting your trip if you need one or not. Incheon airport is very well connected to different parts of the city, with very new and comfortable buses.
The buses are in line outside the airport, look for them and buy the tickets before you alight. They cost around 10 dollars per person and take you to the different hotels – make sure you get on the right one. They are very comfortable and not expensive. The airport is quite far from the city and there is a lot of traffic. With the bus you have to calculate that you need almost 2 hours to the city. The bus stops in both terminals of the airport, which are not at all close to one to the other. The return bus from the city picks you up from most of the hotels. Make sure to check which terminal you are flying from. Korean Airlines and the Skyteam airlines fly from terminal 2.
There is also a city air terminal in the Coex complex in Gangnam, where you can check in, do customs and immigration. You arrive in the airport with everything already done. You need to check with which airlines it is possible to do this. Not with all of them. It is very convenient if you are flying with one of the airlines that do it.
The taxi from the airport costs around 60 US dollars, depending where you go.
Incheon airport is one of a kind. It has been selected as being one of the best airports in the world. It has a very modern structure. Lots of very good shops. What I enjoyed most was to see the traditionally dressed royal army, dressed as they were when Korea was a kingdom. I saw them marching along the corridors at a fast speed playing their drums along the way. If you are lucky you can see a representation of the queen and the king and part of their guard.
You can also learn for free some Korean art. They will provide you with the materials. Alternatively, if you have time between flights there are a number of city tours available, which are free. Incredible. Check if you have time to join one.
Seoul – the City
Seoul is the capital city of Korea, divided in 2 big areas by the river: one is Gangnam, south of the river, looking like New York, and the other is Gangbuk, north of it, with lots of narrow streets. We crossed the river lots of times on the metro every day. The public transportation works very well and connects Seoul to Gyeonggi-do Province and the outskirts of Gangwon-do Province. There is also a high-speed train network, which we used to go to Busan. The service was very good, the trains are excellent and fast. You can go from one part of the country to another in a few hours. Seoul was the capital of the Joseon Dynasty, which was called Hanyang during that time. The town is home to ancient palaces and relics that have been preserved for more than 600 years.
Seoul is a very clean city. My first impression was in Incheon Airport: the floors of the airport and the subways are immaculate. It is a paradise for us coming from countries where people are not civilised and could not care less about throwing things on the floors (papers, cigarettes, etc). I really enjoyed this. The bathrooms, wherever you go, are super clean, and they have lavatory paper. As in Japan you find the electronic loos with bidets incorporated, with heat and other amenities! It is so funny that there are functions that are programmed in the WC to start alone when you don’t expect them. You end up laughing and if somebody hears you from outside they will think you are mad! Je..je…
Seoul is a very prosperous and nice city, particularly in the spring during the cherry blossom season. All of the city is enlivened by the beautiful flowers around the town. It is very green with lots of beautiful trees, in parks and along the streets. Lots of Maples, which I love. It is worth the visit and not very touristy and not expensive. It is like visiting any major European city, only it is Asian. You can combine in a trip to Seoul with one to Tokyo. They are very near geographically but very far culturally. They are very different and interesting. I love them both. Tokyo is old, expensive, conservative, no space, whilst Seoul is a young, vibrant, modern, growing city of big avenues and friendly people. Historically they have always been related, with Japan dominating Korea in the past. However, don’t ignore Korea.
Seoul has very good shopping malls with expensive things and luxury brands, which you can find in The Hyundai in Gangnam (as in the famous song, Gangnam Style) in the Starfield Coex mall. Here you can find an incredible library, that is the most impressive that I ever saw, with an enormous collection of books. It is very nice to see and consult the books and it is always full of people. I don’t know exactly how it works, whether you buy or only consult the books or both. There is also an aquarium (like in the Dubai Mall in Dubai, only smaller). A big attraction for children and grown-ups.
In the modern part of the city there are very wide and long avenues, particularly around Gangnam. I was there in April and there were lots of roads full of blossoming cherry trees. Especially the one that connects the airport to the city. Lines of cherry trees, all flowering at the same time. The city is also full of very colourful azaleas, all well looked after with lots of gardeners working to maintain such a large number of plants around all the city.
The people are very nice and friendly and as I told you before, a very good balance between modernity and tradition.
It is not expensive to use a taxi around the city, however there is a very good metro that connects all the city and is very reasonable. You should be very careful not to make a mistake where you are going. We got lost trying to change trains in one of the stations. In the end we had to exit the station and buy another ticket to re-enter. When you finish your ride you redeem the actual ticket. You get some money back giving back the used ticket, that can be recycled. Very clever: no ticket waste and less rubbish. By the way all of the metro stations have elevators so there is no need to use the stairs.
Spring is a very good time to visit this country. There is fresh weather and the city is full of flowers.
Palaces
There are five palaces. There is an integrated admission for the 5 palaces and the Jongmyo shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It costs 10,000 won (around 10 US dollars) for a ticket, which can be purchased at the palace ticket offices and is valid for 3 months.
Deoksugung Palace, of the Virtuous Longevity, combines traditional Korean and western architecture. It was constructed next to the mountains and was built on flat terrain. It is interesting to see the changing of the guard which takes place 3 times a day, at 11 am, 2 pm, and 3.30 pm by the main entrance. The palace is closed on Mondays. The metro stop is City Hall station, subway lines 1 or 2.
Gyeonghuigung Palace is the palace where the founder of the Joseon dynasty, King Taejo, lived. It was constructed as a secondary palace for use in an emergency, in case the main palace had to be evacuated. Later it became a major palace as succeeding kings used it as their main palace. Nearby you can visit Gyeonghuigung Museum of Art and the Seoul Museum of History. It is closed on Mondays. The metro station is Gwanghuigung, subway line 5.
Gyeongbokgung Palace was the first of all the palaces in Seoul. The name means “greatly blessed”. Here you can see the elegant Royal Joseon culture, also the facilities for the Royal affairs. The Geunjeongjeon hall, symbol of royal authority is open from 9.00 to 17.00. This palace closes on Tuesdays. During summer you can visit it at night. It is open until 22.00 and is very well illuminated. Please see below for more details of my visit to this museum and the surrounding area.
Changdeokgung Palace was also constructed as a secondary palace, to use during emergencies. The gardens and the buildings blend very well with the natural topography of the place and looks like the palace is part of the nature. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. Closed on Mondays. The metro station is Anguk, subway line 3.
Changgyeonggung Palace is connected with the Changdeokgung palace, but it stands like an independent palace. Originally it was used to provide more residential spaces for Changdeokgung. It has a very nice botanical garden, completed in 1909. It was the first western style garden in Korea. It is very interesting and exotic near to a traditional building. Closed on Mondays. The metro station is Anguk, subway line 3 or you can also use Hyehwa station on subway line 4.
Visit the Seoul Royal Palace, Gyeongbokgung. The size and its splendour is not what it was in the 18th century, but it is very well kept and super nice to see the locals and some of the tourists dressed up in traditional costumes. The palace is in the district of Jongno-gu, which was the powerful heart of the old city. The inside of the compound of the Royal city is a lot better looked after than the forbidden city in Beijing, that I adore. This Royal Palace has been destroyed and rebuilt not too long ago.
You can get in the palace either from the main entrance by the metro stop or the stop before and walk through an area of traditional houses, which has nice boutiques, restaurants and coffee and sweet shops in the narrow streets. You can enter it either through the main entrance or the back entrance. To get to this one you go through the park by the folk art museum. Outside the entrance to the folk art museum there is the area known as the Bukchon Hanok village (see later for more information). In this area you will find a lot of shops that will rent you the traditional costumes for both men and woman, by the hour. They are for all the ages. You have the possibility to be a traditional Korean for some hours. Lots of people are dressed up and making very nice pictures to remember a nice moment. You need at least 3 hours or more to look around and visit the compound together with the museum. A pity we really had little time, if not we would have got dressed up to enjoy being a member of the Royal Korean court for some hours.
Any day of the week you visit you will see lots of locals and tourists of all ages dressed up in traditional clothes. I found it a very nice and enjoyable tradition. The outfits are of different fabrics and designs. They also use the traditional outfits to get married. In the fabric market that I mention later they tailor them, with the immense variety of fabrics you can find there. They have a lot of beautiful silks in the Gwangjang market.
Stop in the Folk museum, that is also in the gardens beside the palace. It is worth it. You can see the story of the country in the permanent Exhibition of Korean Traditional Daily life. The art, clothes and daily lives are very well presented. Entrance is free. If you are with children there is a lot of entertainment for them. There are interactive games and people dedicated to entertain them while you look around. Very nice and practical.
Near the back entrance to the Royal Palace, by the folk museum you can see a number of old constructions which are very well kept. The open-air exhibition presents houses from a traditional village as well as the modern and contemporary streets of Korea.
From the park you pay an entrance fee of about 3 US dollars to enter the Royal Palace compound.
Museums
Seoul is one of the cities in the world that has more museums.
The Leeum Samsung Museum of art is a large museum divided into three buildings, where you can find traditional, modern and contemporary art.
The National Museum of Korea shows Korea’s ancient treasures. It is very interesting to see the Baekje Incense burner and examples of the art works of the 7th century Baekje Kingdom and the Golden treasures for the Great Tomb of Hwangham. Ichon station, subway line 4. Open 9 to 18 (free entrance).
War Memorial of Korea. The museum documents the history of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. There are also 9,000 artifacts which record Korea’s 5,000 years of history. Samgakji station, subway line 4 or 6. From 9 to 6 pm, Mondays closed and free entrance.
MMCA Seoul is a new branch of the city’s premier contemporary art museum
The Seoul Museum of history charts the city’s history since the Joseon dynasty. Free entry.
National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. The last century has been a tumultuous time for Korea and the key moments are memorialized in the museum. Gwanghwamun station, subway line 5. Open from 9 to 6pm. Free entrance.
Other sights
Hanyangdoseong (Seoul city wall) was constructed to protect the city of Seoul from invaders and was built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) to mark the limits of Hanyang (current Seoul). The wall was constructed along the ridges of four mountains, with paths alongside. This paths where you can walk offer beautiful city views. Along the wall you can see Jongmyo Shrine, which is a Confucian shrine dedicated to the perpetuation of memorial services for the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. You can learn the ancestral ritual called “Jongmyo Jerye”, which has been held at the shrine for the past six hundred years. This ceremony can be seen every May together with some other royal events. There are tours available in different languages. Metro station is Jongno 3-ga, subway lines 1, 3 or 5.
The most recommended paths to walk are between Hyehwamun gate and Heunginjimun gate and also the Naksan trail which takes approximately one hour to walk. It is a very nice experience for those that like walking, so put on your comfortable shoes and enjoy.
Royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty consist of forty well -preserved royal tombs of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty are from 2009 a UNESCO World Heritage site.
We went to the Bukchon Hanok village, where you will find the beautiful Hanok buildings (traditional Korean houses) which were the residences of the nobles during the Joseon dynasty. Today these very well maintained buildings are museums, workshops, residences and some are guest houses, offering an unique experience for tourists and locals, who want to experience part of the traditional life of Korea. There is also a Traditional Culture Center. Within the village you can climb a steep hill to see more old houses and a very good view of Seoul. Anguk Station, subway line 3.
Then visit Cheongwadae Sarangchae, where you can find exhibits of traditional Korean culture.
K-style Hub is a multi -purpose space where you can see and experience hallyu (Korean cuisine) and tradition through various exhibits. It consists of a tourist information center located on the second floor; a Korean food exhibition hall on the 3rd floor; and the Korean Food Experience hall on the fourth floor. Jongak station, subway line 1.
Insa-dong is one of the most popular destinations in Seoul, which is close to the Gyeongbokgung palace. The shops here specialize in Korean antiques and traditional items that you can only find in this country. It used to be a place of study for painters during the Joseon Dynasty. The main street goes from Tapgol park to Anguk station. In Insa-dong you can find fashion, lots of Korean designers, crafts and things for the house.
Seachon village is located west of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Compared with Bukchon Hanok village it has a simpler and more comfortable atmosphere. The Hanoks, which are the traditional Korean houses, are integrated with more modern buildings and a lot of old structures have been restored and converted into boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants. It is very nice to walk around. Buy something or have a nice Korean or international meal. Gyeongbokgung station, subway line 3.
Well worth a visit for its fascinating architecture is the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, designed by the famous Iraqi architect, Zaha Hadid. When I visited there was lots of empty space inside, no exhibitions, but the building is fascinating.
Very interesting is the Seoul fish market (Noryangjin). The best time to visit it is at 1 am, when the auctions are going on. Like in Tokyo the auction of the fish is very interesting. However, as in Tokyo, you have to get up in the middle of the night. Or you can go to the fish market during meal times and have lunch there. You can buy the fish and then take it to one of the restaurants in the market to have it cooked for you for around 5 US dollars. They will serve you a variety of side dishes for around 3 US dollars per person. Alternatively, you can just sit and try some of the already prepared food that they sell at lots of different stands.
Gwanghwamun square is located on Sejong-daero, a business district of Seoul. The square hosts various ceremonies and events. There are several statues that you can see there including one for King Sejong the Great. There is also an underground exhibition hall where you can find the King Sejong Hangeul museum and the Admiral Yi Sunsin Hall. Gwanghwamun station, subway line 5.
Seodaemun Prison history hall was used to incarcerate independence activists during the Japanese occupation and pro-democracy activists after Korea became independent again. The old prison facilities have been restored to show most vividly the torture and imprisonment of that time. Dongnimmun station, subway line 3. Open from 9 to 5 pm and closed on Mondays. Entrance is 3,000 won (3 US dollars)
Ride the cable car to N Seoul tower. On top of the mountain of Namsan you have a fantastic view of the City of Seoul. It is recommended to go at sunset if you can. You can have lunch or dinner in the up-market N Grill.
Lotte World is a giant indoor/outdoor facility. It has an amusement park (Adventure and Magic island), restaurants, a folk museum, an ice ring, shopping and a major department store. It is one of the big attractions of Seoul. Jamsil station, subway line 2 or 8, from 9.30 to 22.00.
Seoul Arts Center is Korea’s greatest arts complex. It includes the Opera House, the music Hall, the Hangaram art museum and the Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum. Nambu terminal station, subway line 3
Markets
The city offers a big variety of street markets, some of which are open 24 hours. For me the street markets are the most fun. Here you can always find very interesting things. In my favourite market there is a whole building of several floors selling jewelry, don’t miss it, the variety is incredible. It is full of people making jewelry to sell.
You can find lots of traditional painting brushes and shops of traditional Korean souvenirs that you can take back home, for friends and family, with good prices, affordable for all budgets.
The best markets are:
- Namdaemun market. Korea’s biggest market and a very lively one. My favourite. It has a great atmosphere and you can find a lot of interesting things.
- Gwangjang Market. Very famous for food, but also very interesting for tailored traditional clothes and accessories. It has an infinite variety of fabrics and buttons.
- Dongdaemun Market. 24 hours of shopping and good for food.
- Seoul Folk Flea Market. Good luck. You can get treasures or rubbish!
- Seoul Yangnyongsi Herb Medicine market. A very interesting place to find herbs and traditional Korean medicine.
In the markets they have a big assortment of things and the prices are very good. There are clothes, furs, accessories and food, in short, an enormous variety of everything.
Namdaemun market, near the Central Station, is the biggest market in Korea and open every day until midnight. It has over 600 years of history and is the market most visited by locals and tourists alike. You can find mostly everything, but be careful, there are a lot of copies of famous brands. There is a big underground food market and after 5 pm there are food vendors in the middle of the street. You can find a lot of things there. It is one of the most atmospheric markets in town.
Within the market there is also the incredible Jewel Park, a four storey building, of which the first 2 floors are bijoux, where you can find very interesting and reasonably priced things, don’t miss it. Above that there is a whole floor of artificial flowers. Located at Hoehyeon station, subway line 4.
Gwangjang market is a very interesting place, more than 100 years old. It is full of food, including fish, of which there is a very big variety in Korea and which you cannot find anywhere else. By the way, don’t miss a visit to the Seoul fish market. You can walk around this market for hours, and especially interesting is the area where they sell the traditional Korean dresses.
There is an enormous selection of fabrics, with hundreds of different designs. There are beautiful silks and then there are the buttons! There are a thousand styles of fabrics: for sure you are going to find what are you looking for. I did and I came out with several of them. Although I was not looking for buttons, I emerged with a considerable bag full. Prices are very good. They also have an assortment of vintage clothes. You will find also a lot of shops with a big assortment of furs, coats, collars, pieces by the metre, etc. Prices are good.
There are a lot of shops selling hats around the city. The women in this part of the world want to be white, not tanned! It is a part of their look, especially for the older generation. The people are all very well dressed and the women are very feminine. The younger generation is very trendy and loves designer clothes.
If you want to find a big variety of Korean food go to the Gwangjang market, best known as Seoul’s largest food alley. Here you can try the famous Kimchi (like most foreigners I hate the fermented cabbage) and lots of fresh seafood. The specialty is the golden fried nokdu bindaetteok, which is a mung-bean pancake which costs approximately 5 US dollars (5,000 won). You can have it with rice wine or you can have it with some rice with veggies (bibimbap or boribap).
There is lots of fried food, fish, vegetables and tortillas. You should try:
- Mayak Gimbap (they call them drug rolls, they are said to be addictive);
- Bindaetteok, that are thick, crispy Korean style mung bean pancakes;
- Yukhoe, that is a beef tartar garnished with an egg yolk and sometimes pears;
- also very nice is the tempura of veggies and fish:
The market address is 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, metro station is Jongno 5-ga, subway 5.
Seoul Bamdokkaebi night market is open every year from March to October. It opens at nights and closes in the morning.
Shopping
Most of the shops have tax free, for purchases of more than 30,000 Korean Won. Some do it in the shop, giving you the tax back immediately, some you redeem in the airport. There is a machine where you submit your request. Customs is in front of it and then inside, near gate 249, is the tax free office, where you can collect the taxes back, in dollars or won. Obviously, you get more money with the local currency, since the exchange is always in their favour, not ours.
Local specialities
Korea is famous for its cosmetics
As in Japan the face masks are excellent and the prices are very good. Normally the package has about ten masks and costs about 20 to 30 US dollars, depending of the brand. Check for special offers. Sometimes when you buy 2 packages you get 10 masks for free, which is more convenient. You can also get snail cream and other creams that are excellent. Your skin will thank you! In Japan they sell large packages of 50 or 100 masks for 20 US dollars.
There are masks that they sell for use at home with led lights or other systems to improve your skin tone, take spots out and remove wrinkles. I found one to buy at an affordable price. When you put it on you look like the man (woman) with the iron mask. Ja…ja…all for beauty! It is plastic and operates with led light. There are different brands and functions, depending on what you can afford. Some masks have very good prices and it is a nice present for a friend. The masks are of collagen, hyaluronic acid and snail, which is a speciality in Korea. I have so many snails in my garden when it rains that I could do my own snail mask production or prepare a nice escargot for lunch! Well as you can imagine I don’t have the time or desire for this. The little animals live very happily in my garden and die from natural causes! Ja…ja….
Red Ginseng claims to be the best in the world. Apparently, it is very good for your body, gives you energy, helps your immune system, lowers your cholesterol and keeps you healthy and young! Ja…ja…! What more could you want? You can buy it pure or with deer antler, with honey and in different types: chewy, liquid, pills and drops.
Amethyst stones. The tours normally take you to places where they show them to you. They say that the Korean ones are among the best in the world. When you return from the DMZ tour there is a stop in one of the shops that sells them.
Prices for fur are good, and there are lots of shops selling them in the markets. There is a big variety of models, colours and types of fur. There are coats, gilets, bags, collars and accessories in many different types of fur.
Shops and shopping centres
Coex is a global business headquarters which has extensive business infrastructure and lots of entertainment, culture and exhibition facilities, including an aquarium, cinema, shopping malls, the most incredible library I have even seen and a convention centre. Starfield Coex mall has a large underground shopping mall, connecting Coex to the subway station. Here you find the luxurious The Hyundai (a luxury department store), with an excellent underground food area that I recommend if you want to eat very good Korean food. There is a large variety to things to eat there or take away, including a supermarket with a big selection of vegetables and fruit. The fruit is extremely expensive, just like in Japan. It is like buying fruit in Cartier! Ja…;ja.. It is also connected with the Hotel Intercontinental Parnas and the convention Centre, which hosts a lot of international events. Located at the Samseong Station, subway line 2.
Apgujeong Rodeo street is the Korean Beverly Hills, you can find fancy and expensive shops and beauty salons. Apgujeongrodeo Station, Bundang line.
Sinsa-dong Garosu-gil (tree-lined road) is full of trendy boutiques, designer shops, chic cafes and restaurants and art galleries. Sinsa station, subway line 3
Gangnam Terminal underground shopping Center (Goto mall) claims to be the shopping capital of Seoul. Gangnam station, subway line 2.
Hongdae is around the university and is the place to be for young people. It is full of shops, bars, coffee shops, and live clubs. Hongik University station, subway line 2.
Cheong-gye-cheon has landscaped walkways, footbridges and waterfalls. It is a very relaxing place to walk around, especially during the evening. You can relax, sit and watch people go by. A great city project for which a raised highway was torn down and the cement roads removed, to construct this beautiful place in town. People in the summer escape from the heat and sit with their feet in the very clean waters. A paradise for people of Seoul. You can walk without interruptions and enjoy the lovely place.
The Hyundai. In The Hyundai food hall, you can have excellent Naguiris, in lots of different styles, beautifully presented. There is also a lobster corner, which was very inviting, however it was expensive so we didn’t try it. There is a big space, called the kitchen, that has a very good sushi area, where the Sushi doesn’t look at all like the ones we are used to eating. We didn’t try it. There are also many other food options. Along one side there are lots of cooks who prepare a big selection of Korean recipes.
It is very interesting to watch all the different dishes being prepared. I noticed that it was always full of people eating there or taking away things to eat at home.
10 Corso Como Seoul has high-end fashion by international and local designers and is a spin-off of the Milanese original.
Lab 5 has the latest in K-design.
Shinsegae is Korea’s first department store, which has mostly local designers and a very nice roof garden.
Galleria has haute Couture along Apgujeong Rodeo Drive.
At the Yongsan electronics market, you can find every type of electronic gadget you are looking for. They sell everything from lighting to vintage audio to vinyl discs. We arrived at the metro station and started walking and walking and walking….. after what seemed like hours I saw at the end of the store a mirage: massage chairs! I made my way there as quickly as I could, without attracting too much attention and lay in one of these great machines. However, I was approached by a sales assistant who asked me if I was interested in buying one. He could clearly see that I was not a local and he didn’t look very convinced by my answers, but nevertheless he started the contraption. What heaven! He told me that the program would last 20 minutes and I was thinking that it would have been better if it had lasted for hours. I have tried lots of them in different parts of the world. These were the best I ever had experienced! The best thing I could find in this shop!!!!ja…ja…In the end husbanito bought me a very good little machine for a hand massage given that the chair would not fit in my suitcase. It helps a lot with arthritis, and for relaxing of course.
Always remember to ask for Tax free when you spend more than 30,000 won (about 30 US dollars). By the way you need to have your passport with you.
City tour buses in Seoul
Downtown and Palaces Tour starts at Gwanghwamun, the bus stops along Seoul City Wall and includes the major palaces of Seoul (Deoksugung , Changgyeonggung, Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung) and major tourist areas like Insa-dong, Itaewon, Myeong-dong, Namsan Seoul Tower, Dongdaemun Design Plaza and other places.
Panoramic City tour. This tour offers picturesque views of the natural landscape of Seoul, from places like Namsan Mountain and the Hangang River, as well as city views of downtown areas such as Myeong-dong, Hongik University and Ewha Woman’s University.
Night City Tour offers nightscapes of the city comfortably sited in regular or double decker buses. The regular bus stops at Namsan Seoul tower, and the double decker at the Sebitseom Floating islands or Dongjakdaegyo Bridge, where you will have 20 minutes of photo time.
Gangnam (meaning South of the River) city tour covers the famous Gangnam area (all the world has listened to the song Gangnam style) is booming with new luxury. The tour includes the station, Sinsa-dong, Gorosu-gil, Apgujeong Rodeo Drive, Coex and K-star Road.
DMZ tour. See later section.
Korean food
It is interesting that everyone is very familiar with Japanese food, but no-one has heard of any Korean food apart from Kimchi. Enjoy, as I did, discovering Korean cuisine.
It is very varied. The traditional thing to eat is the Kimchi, fermented cabbage, which I hate. I had a bad experience eating it. I had some traditional Korean food in a very good Korean restaurant in Myanmar. The 2 people that were with me also ate it and were fine.
Fish is very good and fresh, and it is worthwhile to visit the fish markets, especially in Seoul or in Busan, if you are going there. You can find a lot of fish and lots of crab, shrimp, eel, small octopus and many other fish we had never saw before. Koreans eat the octopus raw and still alive. Horrible!
We had dinner in Busan in one of the restaurants around the fish market and we asked for octopus that we love, in 3 different styles. Be careful what you order. In the restaurant that we went to they cooked the octopus only for a short time. It was very chewy and not tasty, even the grilled one, which should be great, was not nice. The secret of cooking octopus, explained to me by a Portuguese cook in the Miami Old Lisbon restaurant, where the octopus is fabulous, is that it should be boiled for 3 hours. And if it has thick tentacles you should beat it first with a meat hammer. Then you boil it for 3 hours, you dry it and cook it as you prefer! My favorite style is grilled and then add olive oil, a little garlic, salt and pepper.
In Korea it is best to eat the crab boiled. The grilled fish are excellent.
Korean food also includes a lot of black pork meat. The ribs are good, but for my taste they can have too much fat. The beef is very good. It sometimes comes thinly sliced, other times thicker. You can have it cooked on a grill on the table, which is very nice and interesting. Above the small grill is a pipe that comes down from the ceiling and which is attached to a smoke extractor to take away the fumes. It is an ingenious way of getting rid of the smoke from the grilled meat.
Every meal comes with a large selection of little plates, with small portions of food, that they refill in case you eat them all. They include lots of traditionally cooked vegetables, Kimchi (which is always present) mushrooms, salads with sesame dressing and other things.
There are many types of soups. When you order them, they offer you different kinds of broth. They bring you a little stove to the table and put on it quite a big pot with the broth of your choice. Then they bring large portions of raw vegetables, several types of mushrooms and depending on which menu you order, they bring meat (for example thinly sliced beef) or fish, together with the little plates that I mentioned before, plus sauces, sesame, chilly and soy, which you add to taste. You cook the vegetables, meat or fish in the broth to your taste, trying not to lose them in the pot! We really enjoyed cooking and eating this way. It is entertaining, good and healthy.
Dakhanmari is a whole chicken boiled with potatoes, rice cakes, ginseng, jujubes, mushrooms and various other flavourful ingredients. Once it is cooked noodles are added to make lunch or dinner.
Korean food can be spicy, or not spicy. Ask before ordering food, if it is spicy or not, so as not to have surprises.
Try Samgak-gimbap, which are triangle shaped rice packets wrapped in seaweed. Depending on what other filling you choose they can be delicious. The ones with tuna salad are very nice.
Try also Korean dumplings in a soup, which are excellent. I ate them in the Coex shopping mall.
Fruit
In Korea, as in Japan, the fruit is very expensive. It is presented very well, often in individual packets, one by one! I assume that since they are not part of the Japanese or Korean diet that in these countries fruit is a treat. A kilo of bananas or of apples costs 15 US dollars! Strawberries were also extremely expensive. It seemed to be popular to have them for afternoon tea.
Sweet things and hot drinks
In Korea, as in Japan, locals are very keen in western desserts, cakes and ice creams. They seem to eat lots of them. The city is full of patisserie of all kinds. There seemed to be one every few hundred metres, with lots of mouth-watering delicacies in the windows.
The trendy thing to drink in Seoul is coffee. Among the many patisseries there is a coffee shop every 50 metres! From Starbucks to a dozen other local brands. People seem to love coffee. Nobody seemed to have tea, unlike other Asian countries.
Try the avocado smoothie, which is very nice, as is the green tea smoothie.
Some places to eat
Yeopjeon Lunchbox is in the Togin Market. The name also refers to coins used in Korea a long time ago. Visitors must purchase these coins and a lunch tray. With this you can walk around the market and buy what you want to eat using the old coins. The market is in 18 Jahamun -ro 15 gil, Jongno-gu Seoul. Gyeongbokgung Station, subway Line 3, from 11am to 4 pm.
Noryangjin Fisheries wholesale market. This is Seoul’s biggest and freshest fish market. Here you can buy fresh seafood to eat right there in the market. You can also find a variety of restaurants serving delicious seafood menus. The secret is to arrive there very hungry! Located at 674 Nodeul -ro, Dongjak-gu. Noryangjin Station, subway Line 1 or 9.
Jangchung-dong Jokbal (pig trotters). Jokbal is a very popular, late night food among Koreans, that is chewier and a bit different from regular pork. It is usually dipped in a salted shrimp sauce and wrapped in lettuce. It goes well with soju. Located at Jangchungdan-ro, Jung -gu, Seoul, Dongguk University Station, subway line 3.
Sillim-dong Sundae (blood Sausage). The Korean style blood sausages are eaten as a soup (like most of the food in Korea) or dipped in salt, soybean paste or tteokbokki sauce. In the Sillim-dong area the sundae is stir-fried with plenty of vegetables. Located at Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, SillimStation, subway line 2.
Sindang-dong Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) is one of the most popular Korean snacks. A large pan is filled with rice cakes, glass noodles, hard boiled eggs, vegetables, broth, and gochujang(Korean Chilly paste). The concoction is brought out to be cooked right at your table. Located at Sindang -dong, Jung_Gu, Sindand Station, subway line 2 or 6.
Also there is lots of food after 5 pm in the Namdaemun market, you can eat while you shop.
You can of course find all the chains of American food that you find all over the world.
Live K-pop
I must confess that I had never heard of K-pop before going to Seoul, apart from “Gangnam Style”. However, you cannot miss it in Seoul. Around Seoul there are a lot of places where fans can see their favorite K-pop stars. An option is a K-pop concert hall Wapop where they regularly stage concerts. You can also see live recording of music shows: MBC’s show, KBS’s musik Bank, SBS’s “Inkigayo”. All around the Seoul Subway stations there are pictures with the stars of K-pop. There is a vast program of events. Try Wapophall -216 Neungdong -ro Gwangjin-gu. Children’s Grand Park Station, subway line 7
Hotels
You can find a large range of hotels in the city. All the international chains of the world are present here.
I stayed at the Intercontinental Seoul Parnas where we were very well looked after by the guest relations team member Michelle Kim, who made us very welcome. The location in Gangnam is very good, because it is beside the Hyundai store, which in the underground level has a good variety of places to eat and is integrated with the Springfield mall which offers a very big and good variety of shopping.
DMZ
A trip to the Demilitarized zone (DMZ), between South and North Korea, just outside Seoul is well worth it if you are interested in international geopolitics. You can make a half day or a day tour (including other things to do). The half day tour is quite enough. You have plenty of time to look at North Korea and see the tunnel. It costs 55,000 won (50 US dollars), including the coach from Seoul.
They pick you up and leave you at your hotel. You spend about an hour to pick up other people, then it lasts about 6 hours, from 8 am to 2 pm. The guide gave us a lot of information during the journey. The DMZ is 55 km to the north of Seoul. It is 240 km long and 4 km wide and is lined on both sides by tank traps, electric fences, landmines and armies in full battle readiness.
It is a place where you feel the sadness of separated families, of death and pain, a really sinister place. You can feel the tension between the two countries. It is full of observation points. Where we went was full of people. The human being is attracted by the miseries. I cannot understand it.
You can see the Joint security Area at Panmunjeom. It is here where the demarcation line separates South of North Korea. If it is open you will see inside the meeting room where the 1953 truce was signed. You can visit the Dora Observatory, where lots of binoculars stand in line ready to show you the North. On a clear day you can see the DPRK, Kaesong city and Kaesong industrial Complex.
Third infiltration tunnel. Four tunnels have been found under the DMZ zone since 1974. They were dug by North Koreans so that their army could launch a surprise attack on the South. You can walk for 265 m of tunnels that are 73m underground, if you are not claustrophobic and not tall! Obviously I didn’t go, but husbanito did. They provided him with a hard helmet and off he went. It was a good thing that he had the helmet since he banged his head a number of times. A tunnel is a tunnel, even if it is under a no-go zone between two countries that are formally at war.
You can also visit DMZ by train from Seoul. It is a cheap way to visit and is operated by Korail. It starts from Seoul station at 10.15 on Wednesdays to Sundays (500 won, approx 5 US dollars). It leaves you at the last station before North Korea.
Always carry your passport with you for visiting the DMZ, they check it, if not, you cannot go there. Citizens of certain countries are not permitted to enter the JSA zone (check before if you can go). Only children over 10 years old can go there. Alcohol is forbidden, but you can buy tax free alcohol and other goods during your visit.
Is a very interesting tour to know about and feel the tragic and sad story of the division of this country and their families. You can see old pictures about the war. Is an interesting and moving experience. It shows the futility of war.
North Korea
There are around 32,000 people that have defected from North Korea. If they can reach Thailand they are safe. The Chinese send them back. If they ask for South Korea citizenship they have to be investigated 3 months and then have 3 months of training. Only then can they receive citizenship. They want to check that they are not spies and whether they are able to give interesting and important information about North Korea.
The populations are different. In the north they eat less and that’s why the population is shorter. They eat mostly corn porridge. A lot of workers from North Korea are working abroad and their pay goes to the government. They get only food in exchange: corn and rice. They work mostly in China.
If the people want to escape, they get in contact with brokers that cheat them and put these people in slavery. They charge about 15,000 US dollars to take someone to the south.
You can travel to North Korea if you are not from one of the banned countries. You can travel for tourism (they do if for propaganda and dollars). US citizens are banned from going to North Korea after the young American tourist that had stupidly stolen a sign as a souvenir and was sentenced to 10 years of prison. He was tortured and returned to the USA in a coma and died after returning.
I want to thank the following travelling guides very much. They gave me very good information and tips during our trip. Lonely Planet -pocket Seoul as well as Lonely Planet Korea and Korea travel guide book from Korea Tourism, free and excellently done, with lots of information. A great help in my trip.