Welcome to South Korea! Some tips:
Some Helpful Apps to Download Before Your Trip: 1. Naver Map (Google Map is not the best here) 2. Kakao T (it's Korean Uber)
- Landing in Incheon International Airport
- Use Train from Incheon to South Korea Train Station.
- Express Train (Arex Train) is $7.00 /per person from Incheon to South Korea Train Station.
- At South Korea - Bus Transfer Station to Hotel 2600 Won
- Don’t forget to carry umbrella. It’s heavy rain season in Korea
TRAVEL
Day 1
GyeongbokGung Palace - Changing of the Guards 10am and 2pm
Bukchon Hanok - Traditional Houses
Namsan Tower
Day 2
Myeongdong, Changdeokgung Palace (Secrets Garden Tour)
Dongdeamun Market
Day 3
Hongdae - Night Life, Art, street show music, Sulbing
Yeonnam-Dong- Cafe
Day 4 (Day out of Seoul)
Nami Island or
Everland Theme Park, 2 hr bus ride from Seoul show rides, Zoo
Day 5
Gangnam - , high end stores, underground shopping mall, COEX Mall
Bongeunsa Temple - Budda statue
South Korea to Busan with Bullet Train KTX cost $60 per person
Busan -Boat Ride 1hr 30min cruse 25,000 Won from Jagalchi Fish Market Pier. Biff Square
Busan's Main Streets- Seomyeon; Gwangbok-ro; Haeundaehaebyeon-ro https://www.hotels.com/go/south-korea/kr-most-popular-streets-busan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saFn0RUtXjo
- T-money card SmartCard (buses, subways, convenience store purchases)
- you can but it at the emart24 convenient store T-Money Smart Card cost 2500Won then you have to load it at the Self Serving Ticket Serving Card Recharge station/Kayos
Busan
- At many restaurants the silverware/napkins are in a side drawer of your table (some foreigners think the waitress is neglecting them by not bringing them)
- Drinking water is often self serve. Walk to the corner of the restaurant and fill a cup from the carafe or dispenser
- Waiters will not routinely come check on you. There is a buzzer on the table you press if you need one to come over
- Just like in Japan, it's fairly safe to leave your belongings to claim an open table at a coffee shop while you go up to the counter to order
- If all your bowls/plates came out on a tray (instead of individually), there's an expectation that you take the used bowls/tray to the counter when done instead of expecting the waitress to come get them. Best tip is watch what other diners are doing.
- That thing at a crosswalk that resembles the button you push in the US to make the light turn green isn't that. It's a button to alert someone nearby that a blind pedestrian needs assistance crossing the street
- Korea overall isn't as scam-culture as other places (the mental energy I exerted in Paris, Italy, Morocco, etc. to not get scammed at every turn) but what has happened is the growing tourism caused an inflation of prices to match western expectations. So a street snack that used to be $1.75 is now $3 (what an American might expect). Such pricing is most common where the foreigners per capita are. Go to stalls where you only see locals and they're often much cheaper (and better tasting).
- Fancy coffee/pastry are two items that's exactly as expensive as they might be in North America, but a lot of other things are cheaper (just not southeast Asia or eastern Europe cheap). You could take a taxi from Seoul Station to Hongdae for about 11,000. But in nightlife districts after midnight (when trains stop running) there will be obscene surge pricing.
- When on public transport, don't speak using outdoor voice, or even have a long sustained conversation in indoor voice. Just like in Japan, public space is quieter than in the west. If you read the room you'll find many locals are watching their phones with airpods on or eyes closed because they're tired from work.
- Pay attention around cars especially in narrow alleyways. Pedestrians don't have the right of way like in America. It's not like the driver will run over you but they'll angrily honk.
- I like your positive attitude in the face of stressful events and look forward to watching future videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMLgFKYvH0M
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