South Korea - Recomendations

Berserker

Planning a trip to South Korea later this year and I was just wondering if anyone has any tips on places to stay and things to do in Seoul. We are also looking to do a day trip up to the DMZ, so any recommendations on companies who run these trips would be good. Also, from reading online, I believe that we can get a tourist visa on arrival at the airport. Is this correct?

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Berserker wrote: »

Planning a trip to South Korea later this year and I was just wondering if anyone has any tips on places to stay and things to do in Seoul. We are also looking to do a day trip up to the DMZ, so any recommendations on companies who run these trips would be good. Also, from reading online, I believe that we can get a tourist visa on arrival at the airport. Is this correct?

Correct, Busan is a lovely city too, a few hours by bus from Seoul. Hongdae is the university district of Seoul, good for nights out. Memory is a bit hazy otherwise lol

retalivity

Seoul is a massive city, with heaps of things to do. I lived there for a year and there were still places in it I had never been and stuff to see that I never did. Although it is huge, the public transport system is pretty simple to use and relatively fast to get around. A few bullet points...

• Also, almost of all the historical sites in the city are not far from each other. Got to Gyeongbukgung & Cheongdukgung palaces, probably the best of the 5(?) in the city, for a taste of old korea.
• See the historical gates, and the areas around them - dongdaemun is now surrounded by massive shopping malls and markets, namdaemun is surrounded by all the knock off stuff you could want for next to nothing
• Go to the gwangjang market in jong-no and eat street food
• Walk along insadong street toward bukcheon to see the traditional korean houses - hanok
• Go to one of the <insert name here>-towns that specialise in a particular korean food - ddeokbokki-town in sindang, sundae-town in sillim etc
• Go to hongdae, it is the university town and is quite 'arty'....if you are under 30, stay well into the night, you may not be home for days.
• Gangnam is the newer district south of the river, head here to see all the rich young people party away, head to apgujeong or cheongdamdong, the beverly hills of korea for the k-pop spotting tours.
• Go hiking on bukhansan north of the city for the best views
• If you thats too far and awkward, just get the cable car to Namsan in the centre from myeongdong, dont bother with the overpriced namsan tower
• Go drink outside with a bottle of soju at a 7/11 with the locals, theyre always trying to practice their english and love drinking
• Drink makgeolli (fermented rice wine), bakesaeju (plum wine), avoid korean beer as its sh1te
• Go to a noraebang, its korean karaoke and a national pastime. Drink, eat, sing you heart out.
• If you need western food & a more familiar bar scene, head to itaewon...it used to be seedy as hell and was populated exclusively by foreigners and americans from the nearby army base, seems to have been gentrified recently (last year when i was there) and is now full of hipster koreans.
• Go play screen golf, its great craic. Land is scarce in Korea, and they love golf. So people play it inside in a room, with a full VR setup and a crap load of beer.
• If you're stuck for somewhere to stay, just go to the nearest jjimjilbang (sauna), they are open 24h, you can wander in and sleep/sweat your hangover away.
• If you're with koreans, get them to bring you to a 'night' club - its men only and very, very strange...

Hotels:
Stay near Jongno, Yongsan, gangnam, you;re not too far from anywhere then. The international chains can be quite expensive in Seoul, THe local ones can be cheaper but not sure how bookable they are from abroad. Be wary of the love motels as well!

I'll come back with more, from outside Seoul too!