Seoul Travel Forum

Hi, i will be staying in Seoul from 19-22 Jan'08 at the Coex Intercontinental Seoul. It's my first time there.Virtually I have the 19th & 20th (weekend) to spend shopping. So can you advise some main shopping area that I can get through this 2 days. Is location of the hotel convenient to go shopping. Thanks

Seoul itself is one huge shopping area. That said, where you are staying is an area called Gangnam and is one of the most expensive parts of Seoul. The major shopping areas are Dongdaemun, Namdaemun, Myongdong, Itaewon, Insadong, and Apkujong. Apkujong is close to your hotel but it is rather expensive. The other areas are easily accessible via subway. Don't worry the subway is very easy to use. Just check my pages or Vita500 (Robert) pages for more info. Here is one of the most extensive sites about Korea that you will find on the web:

www.tour2korea.com

Coex is actually a large mall, so you could start there. Depending on what you're looking for, MyeongDong, is the most popular shopping district for people 20 ~ 30. Apgujeong is full of designer shops and there's an upscale Hyundai department store there. Dongdaemun caters more to the high-school crowd and many of the shops require bartering skills.

MyeongDong is probably your best bet because it's centrally located, easy to get to by subway, and there are also lots of great restaurants. MyeongDong is also close to InsaDong. This is a great neighbourhood to shop for souvenirs as well as traditional and contemporary art. Many great restaurants in traditional houses along the back alleys of InsaDong, as well.

Happy shopping!