I wouldn’t call myself a pro, but I definitely am pretty good in saving $$. so as you read, you’d probably wanna jot down some notes ;).
HOTELS/GUESTHOUSES :
it’s always better to book earlier online. 3 months in advance would be cool.
and the website that would be handy will be www.booking.com. the greatest advantage..? it’s not only for Korea. but basically for EVERYWHERE around the globe.
if you’re looking forward to live in guesthouses, I would recommend you to google or search through tripadvisor to read about the comments.
normally, guesthouses in Korea are clean but aren’t exactly too comfortable and are also very very small. I stayed in Namsan Guesthouse which costs me 45,000won per night for a double.
FOOD :
a city filled with glorious food, you’d probably have to get used to the healthy kimchi. what happens would be.. you’d probably stop yourself at a beautiful restaurant with prices even more beautiful.
I’ll have to say, it’s not so advisable. it’s awesome if you could find decent looking restaurants serving typical Korean food like Kimchi Jjigae (kimchi stew), Bibimbap (mixed rice), Dalggalbi (marinated chicken) just to name a few.
price ranges from 4000won-6000won usually. but if you REALLY want to save more. you should find Kimbab Kingdom (a kimbab fast food chain) and order takeaway kimbab (seaweed rolls) which are usually 1500won for take away. ramen would cost around the same too. so no point eating it there when you could get them here.
there’s also an 8000won BBQ buffet in Sinchon! read my post here.
as for my muslim friends : Halal restaurants are really expensive and I also heard that it sucks. so just become a vegan for a few days =S. there are plenty of vegan stores! and is very delicious too according to what I heard!
TRANSPORT :
T MONEY CARD is a MUST BUY. it’s like our Touch and Go. sold in various forms and it can usually be found at all convenience stores or at the subway itself. you can use it for subways and buses; saving you at least 100won per trip.
the most precious thing being overseas would be TIME. so having this, it really saves you A LOT OF TIME.
buses in Korea are pretty complicating as it’s in Korean most of the time so it’s either you learn how to read Korean/print out Korean alphabets if not, just take the subway where English is widely used for the convenience of foreigners.
LANGUAGE BARRIER :
so far, I’ve walked around alone countless times even in Japan where I know nothing about their language. it isn’t that scary, really.
normally, Koreans do not speak English AT ALL. they might understand simple English better when typed though. so for your own safety, it’s a MUST to carry the address of where you’re staying where ever you go. as for shopping in places where prices are not stated, do bring a calculator or so for them to key the prices in for you.
here’s a list of words you SHOULD memorise as a form of respect to them :
Hello : an-nyeong ha-se-yo
Thank You : gam-sa-ham-ni-da
How much? : ol-ma-ye-yo?
Bye : bbai-bbai << they’d understand =).
Yes : ne/ye
No : a-ni-yo
Toilet : hwa-jang-sil (incredulously important)
Left : when-jjok
Right : o-reun-jjok
Straight : i-jjok
TOILET :
speaking about toilets, there are very very very little public toilets in outdoor shopping areas. so just go to any fast food store, head up to the 2nd floor(where it usually is) and use their toilet. any building is fine =). so the best is that you settle your business at the subways. =D.
ETIQUETTES :
you’d probably already know the usual Asian etiquette of not wearing shoes into homes, never eat before an elder etc. but in Korea, there are really a few where you have to pay attention to.
DO NOT :
1. wear shorts which are quite short (esp when it ain’t summer), you’d find people talking about you around =S.
2. take your own sweet time in taking pictures. always do it fast. taking more than a few shots and the ajumma’s (aunties) will start to grumble.
3. you hold your chopsticks with your right hand. but you also hold your spoon with your right hand. get what I mean?
4. share food in commercialised places like Itaewon, Insadong etc. (means order a set for every person) they might probably slam your food onto the table and spoil your mood.
5. order one person’s BBQ meat because the usual minimum is TWO person.
6. pour your own drink if you’re not alone.
7. drink facing somebody elder. always turn to the side.
8. take photographs of artsy stuff which are for sale. do it secretly =X.
9. laugh at a Korean’s English. they are pretty sensitive on that. always respect them as they are trying very hard.
practice some Korean phrases as they’d be very happy to hear you speak their language =D.
SEASONS :
Summer (June-Aug) – a lot of cheap shopping for summer clothes! incredulously hot and it rains quite often so please carry an umbrella with you
Autumn (Sept-Nov) – peak season for the pretty autumn maple leaves will usually be at late October to mid November. no summer clothes for sale. best season for photography. seldom rains. pretty cold.
Winter (Dec-Feb) – snows. skiing is the best activity. beautiful but very cold. many spots might not be available. not recommended for the old.
Spring (Mar-May) – good season for photography. awesome season to visit Jeju Island. Sakura Season on early April. not too hot. just right =).
I’ll answer (and add them into this post) any questions you have so please leave it on the comment box =D.
please proceed to my Travel page to view the other topics on Korea. =)
I was going Seoul last year in Autumn and very enjoy the trip.
Thanks for your tips. ;D
i want to ask what the minimum budget you should have if you plan to travel to seoul. live in canada btw
excluding the plane ticket and if you want to realllly live on budget, about 600,000won-700,000won for a week I suppose? but you really have to live in cheap places and eat cheap =).
hi, thanks for all the tips! As u mentioned, the Namsam Guesthouse was not too comfortable to stay, do u recommend to stay at tat guesthouse? Coz 3 of us plan to travel on feb 2012 and intend to book a room at namsan guesthouse 2. Or do u have any other recommendation? ur advise is very much appreciated! TQ!
hi! you’re welcome! it was okay for me. but if theres 3 of you I would recommend namsan 2. but it’s a little more expensive. the perks of it is that namsan 2 is below the hill and you wouldn’t have to dread up the slopy hill after an exhausted day! i very much loved the location and I bet you would too! =). it’s least comfortable if you’d have to compare with hotels.
Hi Jamie, does the hostel provide any heater? coz we are traveling next month and its freaking cold now at seoul..is the room warm enough?
nice info…… btw i’m from the philippines and planning to go to busan in july…… could you give me a rough estimate on how much i would spend???? i also wanna go to hongde……… i would gladly appreciate your help… tnx
Would u recommend to get a prepaid card? (or do they even have there?) I heard foreigners need to get Korean to sign up such prepaid simcard. Any advice?? π
Alright! thanks!! π
hi, i am going to korea this may. 10-19th may to be exact. can u give me the range of weather at that time? do i need to bring sweater etc. haha i am just curious and since the date is still far, there’s no forecast whatsoever. would appreciate your help.
p/s:i love your blog! very informative!! thankss
wow you’re fast! thankss. awhh i’m dissapointed. i want it to be cold (but not too cold like winter). haha
thanks again
Hi Jamie, read your blog and it was very interesting. I’ll be going to Korea in April and wonder if you have any itinerary for Seoul. Im kinda worried that i will get lost in Seoul. my friends keep telling me it’s very expensive to go on free n easy in Seoul.
Hi Jamie, i going to korea on may 13-19 but havent find any place to stay yet..is it too late for us for the preparation? we r on free n easy basic… any good place to rekomen?
jamie~ so may i know how to get conatct with namsan guesthouse? if i want get a local land tour guide in korea got any recomendation?
wow im so impressed. did you go alone or something? i recently went on a taiwan trip and found that free and easy is really much more fun than going on packaged tour. not only do i get to shop longer at places i like, i get to plan my own time and etc. meaning no need to rush around.
now im thinking of trying korea, but i dont speak korean, which wasnt a prob when i go taiwan as i speak chinese.
thus im wondering if the transports are easy? u can get to places by transport easily and not get messed up etc? are their shopping malls/streets or those places u can get cheap clothes at easy to access to or is it far from the subways?
am sorry for my many questions as im trying to plan a korea trip which seemed really hard for me now as i dont know much >.<
yeah i was thinking of that too! maybe like guide books and everything. but not sure if i would be able to find a friend that wants to do the same. my parents arent a fan of travelling so i always travel w friends or cousin. haha π
Dear Janice,
Really appreciate for your help for recommend me the Namsan guest house.
However its fully book. May I know, is there any other place that you can recommend to me?
haha!! i hope i’ll love HK too. but things there are really exp so idk. i love thai food too! the food there is awesome and cheap. haha! then again theres nice food in singapore too. when you visit SG or when u go back msia and drop by sg maybe u can let me know, i’ll bring you to the shop and have some awesome thai food. heh π
Hello agaon, I just teringat need to charge my hp n ipad at korea. what kinda adapter i should buy?? I think the pins are different too! Do post a pic of the plug n socket u use if possible. Thanks!
Hi Jamie, your blog is great. Keep posting! :] Im going to Seoul in the early September for 8 days, any idea for the minimum budget? We’ll be living at guest house and we’ll be traveling alone. Any idea on the weather around this time? still summer and is it very hot in Seoul? π
Looking forward to your advice. Thanks :]
Hi Jamie,
I’m going to Seoul on 27 Oct – 4 Nov [autumn]. Could you recommend the suitable outfit? Cos I’ll be backpacking and don’t wanna bring too thick clothes
Hi Jamie! I am travelling seoul from 3rd Dec to 13th Dec. I s there any place that you strongly recommend me to go? π
Hi, would you give me the detail information about T-Money? How much we should fill the T-Money. The T-Money can only be used for subway? If there are still remaining charges at the end, can we change it into money?
Hi jamie :]
I will be going to Korea on early april,
I was hoping you could guide me what kind of clothes should i bring there?
and usually what kind of clothes will they be selling during april?
do you have any post and what need to buy in Korea for souvenirs or skincare some sorts?
Hi Jamie,
I will travel to Korea on this coming Sept. To be exact on 6-15 sept.Any idea on the weather around this time?Is it still summer or early autumn? And did you went to Jeju? What is the easiest way for traveling around Jeju? I mean the transportation. Btw, love your writings!!(blog)..it really help..keep up the good work!!
Hi, I plan to travel to Seoul end of may till early June, around 2weeks. It will be together with my husband and 6years old child. Can I know what would be the range of budget I need to expect and weather temperature? My girl cannot eat spicy food, so most of the time, we will need to lookout for cakes and sandwiches and need hot water to get her some warm drinks. Is this troublesome? We want the most budget hotel, as for food, maybe once a fortnight we can spend a little more for a family meal. Thanks!
Hi Jamie, thanks for sharing alot of things about korea. Very informative and helpful! π
I kind of wondering if it is possible to travel alone/backpacking for sightseeing at seoul area? My only concern if I was travel alone how much the budget that I need to consider for 4 days trip?
Hi Jamie,
is it advisable for people who barely know(or not at all) the korean language to have a free and easy trip in seoul? is it easy to get around even if you do not understand the people around you and vice versa? i was planning to visit seoul in the coming month, and i barely know the language (i started reading a ‘learning korean’ book’ ) and i can read abit of hangul but my vocab is close to zero. i am going there mainly to shop and eat haha π hope you can offer me some advice (and some recommendations of hot places to shop)!
P.S: love your blog!
Hi thanks so much for the info about korea!! ^^ I will be going on a backpacking trip this Oct. Any particular place to recommend that is a must go for this season exclude Nami island?
Hi, I’ll be heading to Korea for the first time in end Aug and I’m really happy to have found your blog! Shall take some time to catch up with your old posts^^ Do you mind telling me if I can ever chance upon pretty autumn trees in the first week of Sept? Keep up the good work, love your photos and entries! π
Hi, I’m planning my trip to Korea. So, i would like to know how much does it cost to travel from Busan to Seoul.
May i know few choices to i can pick the one i think its most suitable for me.
Thanks.
Hi Jamie,
What a wonderful blog! I enjoyed every moment of it. I will be leaving soon to pursue my PhD at SKKU, so I’ll be there for a good 3-4 years. Accommodation and food will be at the uni, so do you have any comments on it? I will be getting a fellowship of around 1000$ a month so will that suffice for living on a budget? My campus will be in Suwon. Have you been there and can you tell me about the banking facilities.. Your blog is bookmarked π
Regards,
Sub
Hello Jemie!
I went across your wonderful blog π
My name is Beau, a Thai girl who is running a guesthouse in Seoul.
You can check out my guesthose from the website http://www.icosguesthouse.com
If you happen to come to Seoul next time. Please visit us ^^
I will offer you a 50% OFF π
Thanks Jamie!
Best,
Beau
I just wanted to thank you for your blog.I’m french and currently planning my trip to korea .I’m going to go alone so it’s really stressfull for me but thanks to you i got a lot of information and tips. So thank you ^_^
Hey Jamie! I’m planning to go on a trip to Korea alone and your blog really helped me a lot. I’m actually visiting Korea because i’m a big fan of kpop.. so i would like to ask when is the best time for me to visit where there are concerts and performance going on.. Plus may i know where to get the tickets? thanks!
hi jamie, how i plan ski trip over night in seoul , i no idea , pls help me jamie , thank u
hello. i’m going on 25th may to 1st jun to Seoul for the first time. where would you suggest we go? and is it a good time to go? how much the budget needed?
do you have any itinerary suggestions for visiting korea on winter? π
May I know how you apply for university in korea? I am from malaysia and am interested to study in korea but not sure how to start to apply and stuff like that…hope to hear from you soon thanks
hi Jamie, I heard that we can purchase the wifi prepaid card frm any of the convenience stores in Seoul for wifi connection anytime anywhere. Izzit true?
Hi. I’m going to Korea next week. How much do we need for a 8day7night in Seoul and Jeju?? Curious about how much each of us need to bring… We need to change KRW but if change too much, it’ll be a waste.
Hi again Jamie,
Now I am abit worried after reading your posts. And oh, thank you for your really elaborated info.. Really appreciate it. I’m changing RM1,200 and 100USD for the 8d7n, something tells me I am not bringing enough.
Errmm, could you take a quick look at my itinerary and advise me if my budget and time is actually sufficient to do all those stuffs? Or perhaps recommend some places/stuffs to do as well? I could really use some help since we are leaving next week and I haven’t really finish my homework on Seoul. We are a group of 4 young energetic guys (at least I think they are). Anyway, below is a quick view of my itinerary.
July 28:
3.20pm Est reach Incheon airport.
-Check in
-Go Myeon-Dong around evening? Depend on how long to check-in.
-Stay either Beewon Guesthouse or Inn Daewon (or any other dorm)
July 29:
5.30am take Subway5νΈμ (no idea how much) to Gimpo Airport to fly to Jeju (DT 7.25am)
-Visit Mysterious Road, Dragon Head Rock
-Stay Greenday Guesthouse or Lazybox (to be decided, cause I have no idea if those are still there or it’s location. Google map seems to show everything in Korean =.=)
July 30:
-Sungsan Sunrise Peak
-Glass Castle, Teddy Bear Museum
– To Be Determined
July 31:
-To Be Determined, maybe visit Museums in Jeju, since I heard it’s famous for alot of museums, or national park
Aug 1:
Jeju free leisure time
-4.30pm Back Seoul (ARVT 5.30pm)
– Check-in Guesthouse (somewhere in Gumpo **any recommendation?**)
– (**Need suggestions on what to do**)
Aug 2:
-Everland, not sure about the water theme park on a summer day.. And heard that it’s a holiday in Korea and will be packed with people. But basically whole day will be here since transportartion time takes almost 2 hours to get to Everland (from what I see in Google)
Aug 3:
-Thinking of Bungee Jump (Yuldong Park Bungee Jump should be nearest to the city)
-To Be Determined
Aug 4:
Departure back to Kuala Lumpur at 11.10am and transit back to Penang.
I find it really hard to arrange the trip because my best friend, Google is not really helping me with maps and places to go. So there are alot of To Be Determine, hoping you could help me clear some doubts. And if possible, maybe we can meet up and let me buy you a nice meal (regardless of how tight our budget is).
I have read through many of your posts. I find them really really helpful. On etiquette and manners, and some basic languages, places to go. (I’m not gonna go on because you really wrote an essay long of it for me to summarize :P) It’s really nice of you to give people ideas on how to travel to Korea. Really helpful indeed. And did I mention that you looked really pretty as well as your sister and mum.. (hoping it didn’t come off cheesy, didn’t meant it that way)
Anyway, hoping to hear from you soon.. Thanks alot again!! π
Hi, i will be going to Korea on 23.10.2014 to 04.11.2014 with my bf for the first time. Want to ask is there enough if i allocate 2 days for Busan, 4 days for Jeju, and 6 days for Seoul?? Or should i remove Busan from my itinerary? As from what i saw from your blog there are plenty of places to go in Seoul during Autumn.
By the way, will there be enough if we change rm3k (exclude pre-book flight and guesthouse) to won per person for our trip?
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks in advance π
Hi Alyssa,
I think 4 days Jeju should be fine. It’s actually alot, remember buy your air ticket quick, or it’ll be expensive..
I spend almost 700k won. I forgot the currency exchange, but 700k won for 8d/7n. No expensive foods, or massive shopping of course. π
HI Jamie
i’m traveling to Seon Korea next month and now still very confuse what to wear and how much money (minimum budget) i should have to travel around seol.
How much is the subway cost to hongdae?
Thx.
Hi Jamie,
Malaysia boys here :), i’m backpaking travel alone to Seoul korea this coming oct 8-12/2014 can you give an advice what suit i wear on oct and how much minimum suit i bring there?? Still very confuse. i will be staying in namdaemun guest house, is it far to go to hangdae from dangdaemun ? estimate how much?
Many Thanks!!
Hi Jammie,
I’m planning to go to korea in April 2015 ( 16 to 26 April 2015) . Just ask what it felt like during the month. Will it be hot or cold ? And , what kind of clothes to prepare ? And the cherry blossoms are still there at that time ? Btw , love your blog ! and keep writing !
Have a nice day!
=)
Hi Jamie!
From PH here. π
We’re going to Seoul this Oct (first week) for good 9days. Few questions: Is that a good time for the yellow-orange leaves (I loveeeeee it!)? How would the weather be and what do we need to pack? Can we squeeze in Jeju at that time? Or is Jeju in Autumn ok? I like the basic Korean phrases you put in here. Will definitely note that!
Hi Jamie! π
I’m planning to have my Seoul trip in this mid of September (around 16th Sep to 20th Sep), will the weather too cold? Because from what I heard, summer is too hot in Seoul, so I plan to go on autumn season. But then, totally have no summer clothes to sell in that season? (Like what we usually wear in KL) And how much money I should prepare for a 5 Days 4 Night Seoul Trip? Only in Seoul, I’m not going to travel to other cities. Lastly, any suggestion or any notes for a solo female backpacker to South Korea like me? This is my very first time I travel overseas alone, and not really understand Korea’s culture π
Anyway, thanks for this blog post! ^^
hi jamie..
i’m planning to go to korea 1-11/9/2015..it’s early autumn right.. should i bring a thick clothes @ etc? how about their weather.. my budget is about rm3000 for 11 days.. it’s enough? i already google about halal food in korea and get a few info about them..so excited + nervous because this my 1st time backpacker…