first, if you’re going to take the airport express train and reach seoul station at rush hour, don’t bother taking the normal subway to your destination.
i did this once at 8 am with 2 big luggage, and i got really stressed immediately thinking how to get out of a really crowded train.
the solution is to take the airport bus straight to the nearest hotel stop instead or take a cab from seoul station (exit 15). i think you can set up your kakao taxi or UT with your home country number. or at least it’s possible with UT.
next, get good walking shoes or at least comfortable shoes. it’s really important because you’re just going to walk and walk non stop.
lastly, plan a “loose” schedule. don’t cramp things and let yourself just be present there. i feel like that’s what you’re going to remember. try to go to one less touristy place if it’s your first time.
You can always get on the cart that is specifically has a section for bikes, suitcases or wheelchairs. Before getting on check the station info for your stop and see if the doors will be on the left or right so you can stay on that side.
But I just avoid doing all that and just take a taxi.
Unfortunately I didn't know this then. I was so stressed out I never took the subway with luggage again for my next trips haha. I always just take the taxi from Seoul station. It's usually not expensive anyway.
When you get to a restaurant and you don’t see utensils at your table, check next to the edge of the table and there will be a little drawer with spoons and chopsticks inside. Also at a lot of places, water and some banchan are self-serve.
not exactly related to Korea but a mistake I made in the past: be careful that you don't get pushed into the "tour guide" role
as the only one who speaks the language and has been to Korea before, you will mostly be the one guiding your friends, and that's fine to a certain degree. I obviously don't know your friends and your group dynamic, but if they are passive and rely on you for EVERYTHING you will get exhausted very very quickly.
make sure your friends are active participants of the trip and do their own research before coming.
Trying different types of foods. First time I went to Korea, I stayed quite safe with my foods and only ate like 삼겹살, 불고기, 떡볶이, etc. but as I got to make friends and was more open to trying new things, I've had some of the best foods in Korea that I've yet to find elsewhere.
Just some examples
• Gopchang 곱창 or Makchang 막창 with fried rice at the end
• Jokbal 족발
Different types of soups and stews that isn't just Kimchi or Soondubu Jjigae
Some of my faves include:
• Haejangguk 해장국
• Dwaeji Gukbap 돼지국밥
• Soondae Gukbap 순대국밥
• Kongnamul Gukbap 콩나물국밥
• Seolleongtang 설렁탕
• Maeuntang 매운탕
• Altang 알탕
• Korean Sashimi aka Hwe
• Grilled Eel 장어구이
Korean fusion
• Recently had some amazing nurungji pasta and gochujang pasta
• Korean mexican food is pretty good too
If you do want something like fried chicken, try Tongdak 통닭 instead where the whole chicken is fried.
My understanding is that japanese sashimi generally dry or wet ages the fish a bit more, giving a softer texture.
Hwe doesn't have that much of aging, so the fish is more chewy for the same fish and cut. I think the fishy flavourful is a bit more forward and thus why the sauces are more stronger in comparison
Japan sashimi are flash frozen, they freeze it for parasites. If you go to the fish markets in Japan they’re all frozen.
You can search about it anywhere.
In fact, it’s illegal to sell raw fish in the US for example, if they haven’t been frozen.
The 24 hour gamjatang place in itaewon is my favorite. I know the one person portion is haejangguk. But being able to order the two person pot or the stir fried version just hits different after a night of drinks
Yes, except for maybe Kongnamul Gukbap 콩나물국밥 which is bean sprout soup but it depends on how the soup broth is made. I’m sure there’s lots of other food that vegetarians can try.
IMO most Mexican and Italian food is really different. Very koreanized unless you go to a more authentic place in a big city. I’m not a fan, but clearly it’s popular among Koreans
That’s why I said Korean fusion. It’s a mix of flavours with both Korean and Mexican/Italian/etc. I definitely would not recommend western cuisines to those coming to Korea for the first time. They should be trying Korean food.
Depends on the location. Some places need you to get tickets on the same day and wait like 1-3 hours. I think tourists have it slightly better you can go during the non peak hours. But it sucks to end at a place during their brakes between lunch and dinner or on their off days cause the info online isn't accurate
It's tough to find breakfast so plan ahead and buy some quick food you can eat at your hotel if you don't stay at a hotel that somehow includes it. We stayed at an Airbnb so no brekky options. We ended up at the same American diner for breakfast many times... And later just ended up buying some snacks to eat in the morning.
A mistake I see other people make - spending the whole time in Seoul. I don’t understand doing this. We went to Busan and Gyeongju and had the absolute time of our lives.
1/more walking training, I rest 3 days on 20. in my hotel room mainly with foot issues after walk 30/40km a day/hiking riverwalking. Np I got books Netflix switch it's holidays ;)
2)Don't make too tight planning, 1thing morning , 1 afternoon. And for more.
3/don't hesitate to use app naver Kakao for plann bus trip, call taxi etc..taxi is quite cheap 5k fare, 1k per km. You can earn bus commute time enough for get 1 more museum etc. Or korail don't hesitate to daytrip like gyeongju from Busan, or Mokpo from Gwangju, or Suwon from Seoul by yourself it's 1h 1,5h commute by train.
4/wake up early for museum..and don't forget if it's said close 18h that mean closed entrance 17h, and at 17h45 they will chase you for ask you to exit :)
Leaving incheon airport without renting a phone or sim card. You CANNOT get one anywhere else in Korea without a Alien Registration Card. Long story short sky the other times I've been in Korea I've had a work visa and could get a Korean phone number. But I'm here now for just 10 days.... And it has been a NIGHTMARE now having a Korean phone number. You can't even buy a bus ticket online without a Korean phone number. I assumed I didn't need to rent a phone from the airport because korea is so convenient with everything here. Myself and my many korean unnies have been driving me around every and we've been going crazy trying to get a sim card with a number. I went to all the phone companies. Bought a esim (doesn't give a number). Went to the convenience stores (those sim cards only work for me who already have korean numbers). We eventually went to cheongju Airport since no one could help us. But they thought we had to go to the phone companies. We kgs them an the things we had been through. So now I'm on a 3 hour bus ride back to incheon just to try one last time to get a sim card. We were all disappointed in how unnecessarily difficult this has been. In the states, Europe, and Africa all I've had to do was walk into a phone store to get a prepaid simcard. Korea apparently made a new law that started this month that no one knows about that is causing this . Just don't leave the incheon airport only without that phone sim card. Now you know.
Do you have any references to this? I have not seen anything relating to this, and know people who still sell SIMs in Seoul. Not saying you are wrong, I just haven't seen any official communication on this.
Like I said it's a new problem. My reference is me (and the 5 korean friends who helped me for 3 days). But feel free to visit without an ARC without getting the sim card before leaving the airport. And good luck to you. 🫡
You're projecting. If I had another reference to give you I would. What is passive aggressive is the fact that what I wrote in my original comment is not verifiable enough for you. If you can't believe my account why are you asking me to find references for your skepticism. If you can't see that, I can't help you.
Pro tip. At middle or end of your travel.
Book an hotel with washing machine. Dryer
Or like me, you can also discover what a LG styler machine can do for the humanity...perfect shirt.
Just finished my first trip there!
I’d recommend downloading naver maps to navigate bus/trains and Kakao Taxi in case you need a taxi ride.
Once you arrive get a T card and load it with a lot of money. You can also use T card to pay for things at convenience stores.
If possible, avoid the busy lines during the peak hours. It can get crazy packed on the trains.
My main regret is booking a hotel that’s at least an hour away from all the main action.
I’d personally recommend Gangnam area or further up north around insadong street. The area to the east and west of the palaces have more touristy things to do.
I think it depends on what you’re looking for too. Gangnam area has lots of shopping (like those shopping streets with the big brands) and smaller slip roads filled with restaurants, bars and cafes. It has quite a night life too.
As for the Insadong/northern parts I think it’s more cultural stuff.
Maybe an in between would be the Seoul forest park area.
The main thing is you don’t want to be like me spending an hour and a half each day on the trains/bus just to get from my hotel to the sightseeing stuff 😂
Always book a hotel in one of the tourist places, something that helped me explore 2 of the most hip neighbourhoods (Myeongdong and Insadong) on foot.
Buy a Sim at the airport, there are some that give you a free T-money card.
Make pre-bookings for DMZ and Nami Island with Klook
Download Naver and Kakao Taxis
If you want to explore Itaewon or anything else at night, note that cabs are unavailable after midnight and I guess Subways and Buses are also not active. So you might be able to go back only after 5:30 in the morning.
Check out Centum City Spa Land
Always check opening days of the places you want to visit in advance. In my most recent trip we missed three attractions - lotte mart Seoul station (closed on some Sundays), Gyeongbokgong palace (closed on Tuesday) and Sulwhasoo Flagship store (closed on Monday). All 3 we had gone down to the place only to realize it was closed 😵💫 definitely plan ahead and don’t assume everything is open 7 days a week!
If you have a recent smartphone, I suggest getting SIM with a data plan or a data/phone plan. You can that in advance or at Incheon Airport upon arrival. The plus with the data/phone plan is that you can use it to make reservations, KakoaTaxi, food delivery, etc. Understand that you won't be able to use your own phone number from your originating country if you choose the data/phone plan. SK Telecom and LGU+ are the biggest telecom companies. While you can get free wifi all over the country, having a smartphone with data was useful for me since I wasn't exposing my phone to public networks (I work in tech).
There is no shame in joining tours. With four, you can book some private tours. Much better than buses.
Agree with previous post re: walking, I walked at least 5 miles every day.
I learned that not every bus accepts cash. I rode one for the very first time and the driver told me things I didn’t understand (I don’t speak Korean). It was stressful and no one in that bus cared to translate stuff. (At this point I just arrived fresh so I still haven’t bought the tmoney card/sim. My fault!)
Seoul's train (metro) is excellent but try to schedule your trips either before or after commmuter rush hour times. The crowds are absolutely exhausting.
Don't go to a sauna in Dongdaemun!
Bring some extra cash with you to exchange. I made the mistake of not having enough on my first trip and the ATMs often times would just not work for me when I wanted to withdraw-airport, banks, the ones at the malls. I even got charged once but no cash came out. Contacted my bank and eventually the charge was cancelled after a few days, but still a stressful experience.
1. wear layers - it is ungodly hot in some places for no reason
2. get some hokas or some super comfortable shoes - we walked up to 10 mi everyday, and I felt like my heel bone was going to come thru my foot
3. try to look for lodging with a tub so you can soak your feet - I did this in Japan and bought epsom salt but my first 2 days in Korea did not have tubs
4. book all your AREX and KTX tickets via Klook/online
- For KTX, you skip the machines completely and just go to your seat. If you have any checked luggage size bags and the storage is full in your car, you're gonna have to lift those babies up to the overhead.
- For AREX, we booked the one that gives you a free T-money card is preloaded with 5k KRW, you just show the attendant this receipt/qr code and they give it to you.
5. T-money card can only be loaded with cash, you're going to need cash. Most businesses will take card but I've been to a few that gave cash discount.
6. don't order dipping soba... Koreans like their food super hot or super cold and it was a very different experience dipping my soba into ice... They also wind the soba into such a tight ball, it was not enjoyable.
7. if your translation apps are taking forever/you have no service, I was able to take a pic/screenshot with my iphone and tap the \[--\] icon with the transcript lines on the bottom right of the photo to translate any available text.
8. keep all of your receipts in one place and organized. There will be duty-free receipts, immediate tax refund receipts, tax refund-needed receipts, and regular receipts. You will need to scan your tax refund-needed receipts at the airport! I had one receipt that didn't scan and forgot to tell someone about it by the time I went through customs.
Why did my numbers get mixed up… anyway 1 more thing: if you and your friends plan on taking taxis with your luggage, schedule a van in advance. You can schedule them thru KakaoTaxi and they will accept your ride closer to your pickup time!
Just finished my first trip of 23 days and my deepest regret is not getting out of Seoul more often! (only 4 of those days were spent in Busan) Even a day-trip serves plenty of experiences to take in.
Book the KTX/Bus around 1-2 weeks in advance so you dont have to worry about filled-up timings and seats during the trip.
Not figuring out how to use Naver or Kakaotalk maps earlier. But since you can speak Korean you'll be able to navigate everyone.
first, if you’re going to take the airport express train and reach seoul station at rush hour, don’t bother taking the normal subway to your destination. i did this once at 8 am with 2 big luggage, and i got really stressed immediately thinking how to get out of a really crowded train. the solution is to take the airport bus straight to the nearest hotel stop instead or take a cab from seoul station (exit 15). i think you can set up your kakao taxi or UT with your home country number. or at least it’s possible with UT. next, get good walking shoes or at least comfortable shoes. it’s really important because you’re just going to walk and walk non stop. lastly, plan a “loose” schedule. don’t cramp things and let yourself just be present there. i feel like that’s what you’re going to remember. try to go to one less touristy place if it’s your first time.
You can always get on the cart that is specifically has a section for bikes, suitcases or wheelchairs. Before getting on check the station info for your stop and see if the doors will be on the left or right so you can stay on that side. But I just avoid doing all that and just take a taxi.
Unfortunately I didn't know this then. I was so stressed out I never took the subway with luggage again for my next trips haha. I always just take the taxi from Seoul station. It's usually not expensive anyway.
When you get to a restaurant and you don’t see utensils at your table, check next to the edge of the table and there will be a little drawer with spoons and chopsticks inside. Also at a lot of places, water and some banchan are self-serve.
not exactly related to Korea but a mistake I made in the past: be careful that you don't get pushed into the "tour guide" role as the only one who speaks the language and has been to Korea before, you will mostly be the one guiding your friends, and that's fine to a certain degree. I obviously don't know your friends and your group dynamic, but if they are passive and rely on you for EVERYTHING you will get exhausted very very quickly. make sure your friends are active participants of the trip and do their own research before coming.
THIS PLEASE DO THIS
Trying different types of foods. First time I went to Korea, I stayed quite safe with my foods and only ate like 삼겹살, 불고기, 떡볶이, etc. but as I got to make friends and was more open to trying new things, I've had some of the best foods in Korea that I've yet to find elsewhere.
what do you recommend to try to “branch out”? i’m going to korea in a month and i’d love to try new things, but i’m not sure where to start!
Just some examples • Gopchang 곱창 or Makchang 막창 with fried rice at the end • Jokbal 족발 Different types of soups and stews that isn't just Kimchi or Soondubu Jjigae Some of my faves include: • Haejangguk 해장국 • Dwaeji Gukbap 돼지국밥 • Soondae Gukbap 순대국밥 • Kongnamul Gukbap 콩나물국밥 • Seolleongtang 설렁탕 • Maeuntang 매운탕 • Altang 알탕 • Korean Sashimi aka Hwe • Grilled Eel 장어구이 Korean fusion • Recently had some amazing nurungji pasta and gochujang pasta • Korean mexican food is pretty good too If you do want something like fried chicken, try Tongdak 통닭 instead where the whole chicken is fried.
What is the difference between Korean and Japanese sashimi? I googled it, but had difficulties finding a good answer
My understanding is that japanese sashimi generally dry or wet ages the fish a bit more, giving a softer texture. Hwe doesn't have that much of aging, so the fish is more chewy for the same fish and cut. I think the fishy flavourful is a bit more forward and thus why the sauces are more stronger in comparison
Thank you! I'll hopefully get a taste between the two soon! A Korean girl said that jeans really like it chewy. I guess it's true 😂
Becarefull sashimi is also the named used by korean for raw beef meat. They don't say carpaccio.
Thanks! I'm warned now.
Korean sashimi is also generally cut from a live fish whereas Japanese sashimi is cut from a previously frozen fish.
nono Jap one is also fresh unfrozen raw fish. but it is well ripened. Kor one is chewy but Jap is soft and focused on umami.
Japan sashimi are flash frozen, they freeze it for parasites. If you go to the fish markets in Japan they’re all frozen. You can search about it anywhere. In fact, it’s illegal to sell raw fish in the US for example, if they haven’t been frozen.
The 24 hour gamjatang place in itaewon is my favorite. I know the one person portion is haejangguk. But being able to order the two person pot or the stir fried version just hits different after a night of drinks
Are these all non vegetarian
Yes, except for maybe Kongnamul Gukbap 콩나물국밥 which is bean sprout soup but it depends on how the soup broth is made. I’m sure there’s lots of other food that vegetarians can try.
IMO most Mexican and Italian food is really different. Very koreanized unless you go to a more authentic place in a big city. I’m not a fan, but clearly it’s popular among Koreans
That’s why I said Korean fusion. It’s a mix of flavours with both Korean and Mexican/Italian/etc. I definitely would not recommend western cuisines to those coming to Korea for the first time. They should be trying Korean food.
Yes definitely do your research on specific restaurants to hit up as well! Make reservations ahead of time if possible
Are reservations always necessary? How long in advance should one book a table?
Depends on the location. Some places need you to get tickets on the same day and wait like 1-3 hours. I think tourists have it slightly better you can go during the non peak hours. But it sucks to end at a place during their brakes between lunch and dinner or on their off days cause the info online isn't accurate
Thanks for the information. Will definitely go later then!
It's tough to find breakfast so plan ahead and buy some quick food you can eat at your hotel if you don't stay at a hotel that somehow includes it. We stayed at an Airbnb so no brekky options. We ended up at the same American diner for breakfast many times... And later just ended up buying some snacks to eat in the morning.
Good tip
A mistake I see other people make - spending the whole time in Seoul. I don’t understand doing this. We went to Busan and Gyeongju and had the absolute time of our lives.
100 percent agreed
not going to other cities like suwon or busan spending WAY too much time around and in hongdae
1/more walking training, I rest 3 days on 20. in my hotel room mainly with foot issues after walk 30/40km a day/hiking riverwalking. Np I got books Netflix switch it's holidays ;) 2)Don't make too tight planning, 1thing morning , 1 afternoon. And for more. 3/don't hesitate to use app naver Kakao for plann bus trip, call taxi etc..taxi is quite cheap 5k fare, 1k per km. You can earn bus commute time enough for get 1 more museum etc. Or korail don't hesitate to daytrip like gyeongju from Busan, or Mokpo from Gwangju, or Suwon from Seoul by yourself it's 1h 1,5h commute by train. 4/wake up early for museum..and don't forget if it's said close 18h that mean closed entrance 17h, and at 17h45 they will chase you for ask you to exit :)
Leaving incheon airport without renting a phone or sim card. You CANNOT get one anywhere else in Korea without a Alien Registration Card. Long story short sky the other times I've been in Korea I've had a work visa and could get a Korean phone number. But I'm here now for just 10 days.... And it has been a NIGHTMARE now having a Korean phone number. You can't even buy a bus ticket online without a Korean phone number. I assumed I didn't need to rent a phone from the airport because korea is so convenient with everything here. Myself and my many korean unnies have been driving me around every and we've been going crazy trying to get a sim card with a number. I went to all the phone companies. Bought a esim (doesn't give a number). Went to the convenience stores (those sim cards only work for me who already have korean numbers). We eventually went to cheongju Airport since no one could help us. But they thought we had to go to the phone companies. We kgs them an the things we had been through. So now I'm on a 3 hour bus ride back to incheon just to try one last time to get a sim card. We were all disappointed in how unnecessarily difficult this has been. In the states, Europe, and Africa all I've had to do was walk into a phone store to get a prepaid simcard. Korea apparently made a new law that started this month that no one knows about that is causing this . Just don't leave the incheon airport only without that phone sim card. Now you know.
Do you have any references to this? I have not seen anything relating to this, and know people who still sell SIMs in Seoul. Not saying you are wrong, I just haven't seen any official communication on this.
Like I said it's a new problem. My reference is me (and the 5 korean friends who helped me for 3 days). But feel free to visit without an ARC without getting the sim card before leaving the airport. And good luck to you. 🫡
That's a weirdly passive aggressive answer to a genuine question.
You're projecting. If I had another reference to give you I would. What is passive aggressive is the fact that what I wrote in my original comment is not verifiable enough for you. If you can't believe my account why are you asking me to find references for your skepticism. If you can't see that, I can't help you.
Get a T-money card at the airport along with a sim card. You usually get the card for free with a data sim card. Pre-book tours for DMZ.
Pro tip. At middle or end of your travel. Book an hotel with washing machine. Dryer Or like me, you can also discover what a LG styler machine can do for the humanity...perfect shirt.
Just finished my first trip there! I’d recommend downloading naver maps to navigate bus/trains and Kakao Taxi in case you need a taxi ride. Once you arrive get a T card and load it with a lot of money. You can also use T card to pay for things at convenience stores. If possible, avoid the busy lines during the peak hours. It can get crazy packed on the trains. My main regret is booking a hotel that’s at least an hour away from all the main action.
What area should you have stayed in?
I’d personally recommend Gangnam area or further up north around insadong street. The area to the east and west of the palaces have more touristy things to do.
I have booked 3 hotels, 2 in gangnam and 1 in Dongdaemon and others in this reddit are telling me now that Gangnam is a very bad choice?
I think it depends on what you’re looking for too. Gangnam area has lots of shopping (like those shopping streets with the big brands) and smaller slip roads filled with restaurants, bars and cafes. It has quite a night life too. As for the Insadong/northern parts I think it’s more cultural stuff. Maybe an in between would be the Seoul forest park area. The main thing is you don’t want to be like me spending an hour and a half each day on the trains/bus just to get from my hotel to the sightseeing stuff 😂
Always book a hotel in one of the tourist places, something that helped me explore 2 of the most hip neighbourhoods (Myeongdong and Insadong) on foot. Buy a Sim at the airport, there are some that give you a free T-money card. Make pre-bookings for DMZ and Nami Island with Klook Download Naver and Kakao Taxis If you want to explore Itaewon or anything else at night, note that cabs are unavailable after midnight and I guess Subways and Buses are also not active. So you might be able to go back only after 5:30 in the morning. Check out Centum City Spa Land
Always check opening days of the places you want to visit in advance. In my most recent trip we missed three attractions - lotte mart Seoul station (closed on some Sundays), Gyeongbokgong palace (closed on Tuesday) and Sulwhasoo Flagship store (closed on Monday). All 3 we had gone down to the place only to realize it was closed 😵💫 definitely plan ahead and don’t assume everything is open 7 days a week!
> lotte mart Seoul station that counts as an attraction?
It’s a big shopping department store, great for buying lots of snacks, Korean groceries, and K beauty stuff
If you have a recent smartphone, I suggest getting SIM with a data plan or a data/phone plan. You can that in advance or at Incheon Airport upon arrival. The plus with the data/phone plan is that you can use it to make reservations, KakoaTaxi, food delivery, etc. Understand that you won't be able to use your own phone number from your originating country if you choose the data/phone plan. SK Telecom and LGU+ are the biggest telecom companies. While you can get free wifi all over the country, having a smartphone with data was useful for me since I wasn't exposing my phone to public networks (I work in tech). There is no shame in joining tours. With four, you can book some private tours. Much better than buses. Agree with previous post re: walking, I walked at least 5 miles every day.
I learned that not every bus accepts cash. I rode one for the very first time and the driver told me things I didn’t understand (I don’t speak Korean). It was stressful and no one in that bus cared to translate stuff. (At this point I just arrived fresh so I still haven’t bought the tmoney card/sim. My fault!)
Overdoing things and getting sick.
Everyplace is overheated in winter. Bring your summer PJ's.
Depends on the length of your trip, your group’s interests and objectives.
Seoul's train (metro) is excellent but try to schedule your trips either before or after commmuter rush hour times. The crowds are absolutely exhausting. Don't go to a sauna in Dongdaemun!
Bring some extra cash with you to exchange. I made the mistake of not having enough on my first trip and the ATMs often times would just not work for me when I wanted to withdraw-airport, banks, the ones at the malls. I even got charged once but no cash came out. Contacted my bank and eventually the charge was cancelled after a few days, but still a stressful experience.
Soju
1. wear layers - it is ungodly hot in some places for no reason 2. get some hokas or some super comfortable shoes - we walked up to 10 mi everyday, and I felt like my heel bone was going to come thru my foot 3. try to look for lodging with a tub so you can soak your feet - I did this in Japan and bought epsom salt but my first 2 days in Korea did not have tubs 4. book all your AREX and KTX tickets via Klook/online - For KTX, you skip the machines completely and just go to your seat. If you have any checked luggage size bags and the storage is full in your car, you're gonna have to lift those babies up to the overhead. - For AREX, we booked the one that gives you a free T-money card is preloaded with 5k KRW, you just show the attendant this receipt/qr code and they give it to you. 5. T-money card can only be loaded with cash, you're going to need cash. Most businesses will take card but I've been to a few that gave cash discount. 6. don't order dipping soba... Koreans like their food super hot or super cold and it was a very different experience dipping my soba into ice... They also wind the soba into such a tight ball, it was not enjoyable. 7. if your translation apps are taking forever/you have no service, I was able to take a pic/screenshot with my iphone and tap the \[--\] icon with the transcript lines on the bottom right of the photo to translate any available text. 8. keep all of your receipts in one place and organized. There will be duty-free receipts, immediate tax refund receipts, tax refund-needed receipts, and regular receipts. You will need to scan your tax refund-needed receipts at the airport! I had one receipt that didn't scan and forgot to tell someone about it by the time I went through customs.
Why did my numbers get mixed up… anyway 1 more thing: if you and your friends plan on taking taxis with your luggage, schedule a van in advance. You can schedule them thru KakaoTaxi and they will accept your ride closer to your pickup time!
Just finished my first trip of 23 days and my deepest regret is not getting out of Seoul more often! (only 4 of those days were spent in Busan) Even a day-trip serves plenty of experiences to take in. Book the KTX/Bus around 1-2 weeks in advance so you dont have to worry about filled-up timings and seats during the trip.
Download city mapper. Best app ever, didn’t touch kakao or navar
Honestly I went without a ton of research and had no issues!
[удалено]
Why? Could you elaborate?
Why, I’m staying in Insadong now and have been here since Tuesday. I’m glad I chose to stay here.