South Korea Travel Forum

Hi All..

I am headed to Seoul on the 11th Dec with three other friends. I know that it is quite cold there at that time. The thing is we are going with a tour but planning to stay an extra day to explore the city. Are there any interesting places to go to? Was thinking of travelling by subway as well.

I heard from a friend who visited Seoul last month that she had problems communicating as not many people spoke English. If so, can anyone help?

Thanks for any replies !

More questions to follow :)

Hi, I was in Korea 2 years ago and communication can be a pain (small one ;)), but many young people speak English and they approach to you on the street to talk to you and improve the language. People are really nice and ready to help, so I don't that will be a problem.

Underground is cheap and effective way to travel in Seoul (mind the traffic) and it's really easy to figure out.

There are many places you should see, I don't know if you only have that one day for sight-seeing or will you be able to get away from the group on some occasion to?

Hi...

Good to hear that the people are friendly!

I am on tour but my friends and I decided to stay one extra day in Seoul on our own.. So we are going to the usual touristy places like the Palace, Folk Village, Dongdaemun markets and spending a day skiing during our tour..

I was wondering if there were any places we shouldn't miss out on the extra day.

I have just come back from 4 months in Seoul. I had a fantastic time mainly because of the people, they are so friendly and willing to try out their English so communication wasn't too big a problem. The subway is very efficient and easy to use, all the signs and announcements are in English as well as Korean. As to what to do all depends on what you like but a favourite area of mine was Insasdong, it's the artsy craftsy area of Seoul, another is Myeundong which is a major shopping area and is very lively. If you need any other info feel free to email me at garybrettc@yahoo.co.uk I will be going back to Seoul next year and plan to stay a year or so, I loved it there that much.

I agree with Gary about Insadong and Myeongdong.

Insadong is one of my favorite places to shop, people-watch, and just walk around. There are interesting restaurants and traditional tea shops in the area. Pretty much all of the shops have the same exact items, and I saw there was as much as US$4-5 difference between shops, so definitely shop around.

Myeongdong has a fun, younger vibe. There is a cosmetics store called The Face Shop where you can get scrubs, masks, etc., for US$3-4. The shopkeepers in Insadong and Myeondong speak pretty good English, too.

Speak slowly, use simple sentences, use a lot of gestures, and you'll be fine.

-Terri

Thanks!

I will definitely try out Insadong and Myeongdong. Is it possible to get there by subway?

To get to Insadong, you take Line 3 (I think... you may want to double-check) to Anguk station. On your way out, you'll see a sign in English that tells you which way to exit if you want to get to Insadong (I think it may be exit number 6). Turn left at the street between the bakery and LG25 (convenience store) - that's where Insadong Street starts.

You can also check out the Insadong pages here at VT (under Seoul/Shopping).

As far as Myeongdong, I'm sure there's a subway stop to get there, but I was driven there. I'm sure someone else here could help you out?

-Terri

We have been to Seoul twice.

This is some of the things I would do again:

City Tour Bus - this takes you around the city to all the main touris attractions. You will also get a handy city attraction guide with good maps.

Nanta Theatre - Whats cooking. This is a must-see!! There is no speaking, so you do not need to understand korean.

Shopping i Dongdaemum and Namdnemun market.

Have a nice trip!

Nanta and the Tour Bus are two of the things that I really wish I'd had time for.

I've talked to some Seoul natives who say the Tour Bus is worth it, even for people who have lived there all their lives.

Also, Nanta was sold out when I got there, so I recommend that you book those tickets early. It's supposed to be like Stomp, only better.

-Terri

Terri is spot on about the subway, for Insadong take the orange line 3 and get of at Anguk exit 6. there you will see signs in english guiding you to the area. For Myeongdong take blue line 4 get of at Myeondong station exit 6 and then just follow the crowds of youngsters that will inevitably be going the same way.
If you can get tickets then Nanta is a must, excellent show and very easy to understand.

I've lived in seoul for 6 months and I plan on visiting again during december. As far as my recommendations go, shopping, night life, night life and night life. There's are 2 major areas for cheap shopping. However, as a Korean-American, I'll have to warn you that Koreans who work at the shopping districts, Myong Dong and Dong Dae Moon, won't exactly give tourists the best price. But then again, they'll rip off anyone, even the locals. I recommend shopping there, but just be sure to never pay the price they first quote you. YOU HAVE TO HAGGLE! That's the key to thrifty shopping, even if at that.

Insa Dong is a cool place all tourists go to, but to be honest with you, there wasn't much there for me to see.

For people watching and touring the area, you should try ApkuJeong. There are a ton of young people hanging out there during the daytime. At night time though, it becomes a pricy hangout. You have to know your way around to find the hotspots and good places to drink. Personally, I prefer shinchon and hongdae. Hongdae is where all the college kids go to party it up, with affordable prices for cover and alcohol. Another fiarly reasonable priced area to go to is Kangnam. THis used to be my other favorite hotspot. I'm not sure if it's still the same as I remember it to be. THe hotspots change every year.

As far as my recommendations go for a good night life experience, go to HongDae, Shinchon (not to be confused with Shinchun, the area next to Jamsil) and Kangnam! I hope all goes well for you and your friends. I'm excited myself. I've got a month left before I visit Japan, and then Korea. Can't wait to see my friends in Hongdae! If you have any questions, you can always ask me. As I'm 25, I'm pretty familiar with Seoul's night life and scene.

I lived there for 8 years and personally I prefer Shinchon as well (due to my attendance at Yonsei for a couple of years). However, there are two more shopping areas that other posters neglected. One is Namdaemun, which is walking distance from Myongdong and Itaewon. All of Itaewon's shop owners speak English, however I recommend you only go there during the day time as it becomes pretty seedy at night. I too hang out in Apkujong as well, but it is really for the "well-heeled" set. Lots of money over there; the BMW/Mercedes/Ferrari crowd.

By the way, there is more than one palace in Seoul to see and if you can get to the Seoul House dinner theater to enjoy a tradition 14th century meal and a show....you won't be disappointed.

Thanks everyone.. The information on the nightlife would be good as the bunch of us are in our twenties... :)

I'm back again. I gotta mention a few more things. Hongdae has a few new clubs that I can't wait to check out. From what my friends have told me, they spin some wicked trance and house. I also remember Ferry Crrsten coming into town. That was awesome. I heard there was a "club day" in hongdae in which you purchase a wristband and club hop all night long without cover. I'm not sure when it is, but it sounds worth the try.

Another wonderful fact: You never need to tip, EVER! unless the service was extrodinary or something immaculate happened.

Hey ... good to hear about the clubs cos we will be interested heading there... are they open on Wednesday or Thursday nites cos we are headed back on Friday

I'm not sure about the clubs being open during the weekdays. You're really missing out because from what I can tell, you're coming in on a saturday, primetime. However, the bars are always open and busy, even during the weekdays. Hongdae has a lot of foreigners, but stay away from Itaewon. Like the other guy said, lot of foriegners there as well, but not the friendly bunch.

Hi there,
I saw that a couple people recommended "Nanta" which is a rhythmic cooking/drumming show.

Instead of Nanta, I recommend "Tokebi Storm." I've been to both and Tokebi Storm is a much better show. The drumming is more spot-on, the storyline is cuter/funnier, and it's more high-energy.

If you get tickets, don't worry about not getting the most expensive ones. The theatre is pretty small, and even the "cheap seats" aren't bad.

Oh...and I don't think Nanta could be compared to Stomp, unless it's in the mind of Koreans. :) They also compare Jeju-do to Hawaii....haha.

Enjoy your trip. I've been here 4 years and you've gotten some great recommendations from the posts above.

Erin

Thanks for the replies....

At least I will know what to do there. Hopefully we can try all you have suggested. Will ask more when I finalise my trip!