Annyeong! To anyone who is even reading this.. hahaha.. Gonna be sharing my own itinerary of Korea when I visited it this year in April.
It was my first time visiting the country, so I definitely visited many of the tourist attractions. It was a 12D11N trip, from
2nd April to 13th April 2018. My friends and I visited both Busan and Seoul during the trip. We spent
3 nights in Busan, and 8 nights in Seoul.
We spent less than
SGD$1500 (PS. I'm from Singapore) for 12 days, and in fact lived in very good accommodations, and didn't scrimp and save much. So if you want your holiday to be more budget friendly, feel free to choose cheaper accommodations!
Price Breakdown:
Flight: SGD$670
Accomodation: SGD$100+ (GnB Hotel, Busan, 3 nights) & SGD$200+ (Ricenz Condominium, AirBnb, 8 nights). Total: $324.14
KTX: $116
Subway: I think if you set aside approx $30 it's enough! (for my itinerary)
So you've already spent SGD$1.1K!
Food: This totally depends on what type of foods you go for!
Shopping: also depends on what you buy!
Apps you might want to use for your trip to Korea:
1. Naver Map - aka my life saver in Korea. I'm not too sure why but Google Maps isn't really accurate in Korea. So travelling around with Never Maps was a life saver for me. It's also pretty easy to use and there's some English (but also some Korean). And with Never Maps, you can see how to walk/take train/bus. It's basically a Korean Google Maps. (If you downloaded it and need help, you can comment and request a tutorial!)
2. Korea Rail / Subway / Seoul (the m one) / Korea Subway
These are some of the train maps. I'm sorry though. I can't remember which one I used the most often. But all were pretty easy to use. So you can download all of them and see which one you find the easiest to use / gives you the most information! (The purple m Seoul one only has Seoul, so if you're heading to other parts of Korea, downloading the other apps would be better)
I didn't really use the other apps tbh.
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Step 1: Finding which airline takes you there.
Hooooo, if you thought that it's easy to choose... you might be wrong!! It totally depends on your budget.
We had 3 options:
1. Singapore Airlines: Singapore to Incheon - it was around SGD$500. Buuuuuuut, the timing was just really bad. I think our flight would be in the evening, and we would reach Korea around 10/11pm. And maybe it would have been fine if we were just going to Seoul, but we were headed to Busan first. Which meant that we would have to either stay in the airport overnight and take the earliest train to Seoul Station to take the KTX (it's like a fast train to the other states in Korea I guess?) to Busan.
pros: cheapest
cons: unsafe (we're all girls)
2. Singapore Airlines: Singapore to Incheon - still around SGD$500. But instead of staying overnight in the airport, we would be staying in a hotel (possibly at the airport). And then catch the train in the morning to Seoul Station before taking the KTX to Busan.
pros: possibly not that expensive if the hotel is cheap, safe
cons: wasting a day of travel, extra fee for the hotel
3. Korean Air: Singapore to Incheon - around
SGD$670. Flight would be at midnight, and we'd reach Korea in the morning at 7/8am.
pros: most time efficient
cons: $170 more expensive
We ended up choosing the 3rd option because we all agreed that we wanted to be more time efficient, and that we didn't really need to scrimp and save every cent since we saved $2k for the trip.
Also, if you really do want to save more money, there are deals from SQ occasionally which offers 1 for 1 tickets, and the tickets were quite cheap too. Tempting, but we already bought our tickets then. On top of that, if time isn't an issue for you (and cost is), then maybe transiting at another country before flying to Korea would be better. Totally up to you and your travel buddies (and your needs).
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Okay, now its time for the actual itinerary!
Day 1: Singapore to Incheon to Seoul to Busan
Singapore to Seoul is pretty straightforward.. haha by plane! Which I've mentioned before.
Incheon to Seoul: There's a few ways you could do this. Taxi, bus, or train.
I think personally, train is the cheapest. But I took the bus (it was direct!) to Seoul Station. We took the Korean Air Limo (just ask the Korean Air counter). We paid
W16, 000 I think? A bit wasted because I heard from my friend KAL is supposed to be free for Korean Air customers.. but we paid. Maybe if you asked around more you could get it for free (I had a friend who got her KAL for free). Btw, in the bus it's highly likely you would get seats (it was completely empty for us!).
Seoul to Busan: We took the KTX! Costs around
SGD $116 and it took around 3-4 hours to reach Busan. I recommend that you purchase the ticket 1 month in advance (anyways you can only book it one month in advance but do book it really on the dot. I travelled on the 2nd and I think I booked the ticket on 12 March and there weren't many spaces left that we had to take the 4hr train ride instead of 3hr train ride. Also can't imagine if all the seats were filled and we had to travel another day because we already booked our accommodations...). Also, for the KTX, you can book the ones that are
We didn't do much that day. Once we reached Busan station (KTX), we went to eat some fishcake (eomuk) before heading to the Busan station (MRT equivalent). I'll warn you now that... there's TONS of stairs to take and we couldn't find the elevator (so don't bring too many luggages with you!!)
We took the Busan train to our hotel which was located near Toseong station. In Busan, we stayed at the
GnB hotel (and it was quite expensive?) There were 5 of us (initially 6) so we booked 2 rooms - 3 people/room. I think we paid around
SGD$100+ for 3 nights (per person). I also booked using Agoda (a hotel website to get the cheapest price).
<I know we could've been more cost efficient in Busan by staying in an air Bnb but we just wanted our Busan hotel to be convenient and more luxurious.>
If you're wondering if the place is good, my answer is yes! It is definitely a nice place to stay. They have cold and hot water on the first floor for you to top up your bottles. In fact, you won't need to bring a big water bottle (eg. 1L) to Korea because almost every restaurant/food court you go to, there's a water cooler and you can top up your water there. There's even water coolers in the malls, so you won't have to worry (unlike many WESTERN countries where finding water is difficult & buying water? CRAZY EXPENSIVE! Of course, if you're ok with drinking tap water.. you do you.. I guess...) So it's perfectly ok to bring a bottle of water that's 500ml! Oh! And the best part? This hotel is really near the shopping district of Busan!
After checking into the hotel, we rested for a while before walking to Busan Tower. It's definitely not a long walk! (I used Never Maps to walk to the destination)
From Busan Tower, we walked to Lotte (you can see it when you're at Busan Tower!) It's also not a long walk to Lotte. But!!! Just a friendly reminder... the restaurants close at 8pm (and I mean ON TIME!!) So different from Singapore... It's a good thing we got there at 7.30pm so we at least had 30 minutes to eat. Also... 8pm means they're washing up the floor and all... not stop serving food at 8pm... So when we reached at 7.30pm, there weren't many food shops opened at Lotte - only the food court had food.
From Lotte, we went to Shoopen and LesMore (shoe shops) along what we realised was the Orchard Road of Busan. I'm not sure what that street is called... but there were many shops there. It's also pretty near the hotel (maybe a 5mins walk?)
Day 2: Jagalchi Fish Market, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Lotte Mall
All these places are popular tourist destinations that you'd probably head to when in Busan. But when you're there... you may not know some special spots!
1. Jagalchi Fish Market (I think you can walk from the hotel!)
The fish market isn't like Singapore's wet market. It's a whole building with 7 floors. Something you might miss out is the amazing view you can see at the top of the building! After seeing the first level where ahjummas are selling freshly caught seafood, you can head up the 7th (?) floor (or the highest floor). From there, I think you can see a spa area or something... There should be a door which leads to a stair case going up. Climb up those steps and you should see a whole new view of Busan. They even have an angel wing swing up there! Really great if you want to take some Instagram pictures.
I also know that many people sell seafood and even cook it for you right then and there. Of course, the prices are expensive... so this is up to you and your budget.
2. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (a hellllllla long ride from the hotel, but totally worth it!)
It's about a 1.5hr bus ride ONE WAY. And you've got to change 1 bus from where I came from; I came from Jagalchi Fish Market. But it's pretty easy to navigate! Using Never Maps, we found out where to take the bus from, and where to get off before transferring (including journey duration and all).
Also... if you're thinking about giving this a miss because you see the word temple... don't! The view was so good (sea view)! Just search it on google images and the you'll understand why!
Firstly, before you reach anywhere near the temple, the whole road side is covered with cherry blossom trees! (I went at the peak of cherry blossom season)
When you're there, it might get a little confusing to find the place, but you'll see a bunch of shops set up selling from hotteoks to squid to souvenirs. Once you reach the end, you'll see statues of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Head in a little more and you'll see some stairs leading downwards. Take the stairs and head down. There are multiple photo stops I guess. But if you head down even more, you'll be able to see the sea as I mentioned earlier!
3. Lotte Mall
We headed back to Lotte Mall just in time to see the sun set. What you might not know about Lotte Mall is that their rooftop has such a good view of Busan Tower.
Some friends told me that it's pretty hard to find the roof top. But when I went, I found that it was pretty easy to find it..? We just took the lift to the top floor and somehow managed to find ourselves outside and if you just continue walking and taking pictures, you should somehow manage to see this view. (it's a good view for sunsets!)
Day 3: Gamcheon Cultural Village, Bupyeong Kkangtong Market
1. Gamcheon Cultural Village
PLEASE TAKE THE BUS THERE! It is sooooo steep! I'm glad I took the bus (because I saw a blogger saying it was really steep!) It's actually quite near from the hotel but the steepness is CRAZY!
Also, when you reach, go to the Information Centre (it's pretty easy to find if you take the bus) and buy a map. It costs around W2 000, but it's really good because you know where to enter, places of interest, etc. Also, there are areas where you can stamp on the map (and mark it down that you've visited that place!)
2. Bupyeong Kkangtong Market
The market is located right next to the market! Super convenient! It's a bit confusing if you're not really observant though. But they sell many snacks/Korean food. I highly recommend the chives jeon (chives pancake), and of course Korean strawberries (they were W 10 000 for a big bag of them!)
Day 4: Busan to Seoul
Pretty uneventful...
Took the KTX from Busan back to Seoul. And from Seoul, we headed to Jamsilsaenae to find our AirBnb. We stayed in Ricenz Condominium. For 8 nights, we paid
SGD $200+ per person.
Day 5: Ewha Woman's University, Shopping at Style Nanda & Chuu
Nothing much to say about these places because they're pretty easy to find! Ewha even has their own train stop so it's really easy to find it! And around Ewha is good shopping for food and fashion!
Also, if you're planning to try the Style Nanda cafe, please buy 1 item per person (it's required). You can't have 4 items for a group of 6. You have to have 6 items for a group of 6 basically.
Day 6: Lotte, SM Coex Artium, Gangnam
Lotte was right opposite my accommodation at Jamsil.
SM Coex Artium was nearby too at Samseong Station (green line).
From there, we headed to Gangnam which was really nearby too(green and pink line)!
Day 7: Renting Hanboks, Bukchon Hanok Village, Insadong, Tosokchon Samgyetang
You can go to any rental shops at Bukchon Hanok village (Anguk station/Gyeongbokgong station, orange line) because there's MANY of them there!
From there, you can explore the Bukchon Hanok village + the palaces (Gyeongbokgong & the other palace which I can't remember the name of).
If it's cold and you're scared of the cold, you can opt for the 2hr rental. If it's warm, and you love taking pictures, you can rent it for 3hrs. They're not too expensive too. The traditional hanboks are cheaper, and the modern ones are a bit more expensive, but they should cost around W 20 000 and below!
From there, you can head to Insadong! (and head to the famous mall (it's an outdoor-ish mall nearby which is a 5 minutes walk from the train station or less). Insadong has a Poop cafe and Poop museum!
We had dinner at the famous Tosokchon Samgyetang! (NO QUEUE when it's late! Also, really near Insadong) I think we ate at around 8pm that day and we didn't need to queue even though other people have said that they waited for 2hrs! Oh! And the people speak Chinese there, so it's easy to order if you know how to speak Chinese.
Day 8: Everland
We took the train to Everland (literally at the bottom right hand corner of the map). I'd say it's pretty easy.. just a long journey (and I'm coming from Jamsil... I can't imagine if you're coming from Myeongdong).
I'm aware you can get bus tickets for around W 10 000 from Myeongdong I think? (or was that Nami island?) Just leave early! Hahaha... and buy your tickets on discount at Klook!
You can also sit in a bus where they bring you around (it's like you're in Africa) and the animals will be walking near you and all. Pretty cool.
Day 9: Nami Island
Ok, I'm serious about this. LEAVE EARLY. It takes forever to reach Nami Island (we took the train).
I know that there's a couple of routes to go there. If you want, there's a shuttle bus at Myeongdong and a couple of other touristy places. But it's more expensive than taking the train!
We took the train to Nami Island (Gapyeong Station). And nO! You don't have to buy an ITX ticket. Just your regular Ez Link (train) card will do! Just follow the signs in the train and remember that there's 2 shades of green and take the correct train (and line).
From Gapyeong station, there's a shuttle bus (I think it costs W 6 000) that brings you to the Gapyeong rail bikes (if you want to bike to Nami Island), ferry terminal & zipline for Nami Island, garden of morning calm, petite france, and to 1 other train station. Just pay for the shuttle bus because if you show the ticket again, you can board it multiple times. You can pay with your train card (some are able to some aren't) or cash.
Also! Please check the timings for the places. Petite france closes at 5pm(?) so if you're planning to go, you've got to make sure you have enough time to get there. Nami Island is also really small. I think you can finish exploring the island in less than 2 hours (even if you take lots of pictures). I also don't recommend taking the zipline because it costs around W 38 000 and there's timings for it (if you're in the next batch you might have to wait almost an hour for your turn). Not only that, it's not scary at all. It also only lasts for 90 seconds. Basically, I felt cheated after taking the zipline. I would've rather taken the ferry (to save time) or the Gapyeong rail bikes (if you're going with a group of friends in even numbers. Bikes only have 2 or 4 seater and if you have 6 friends, it's recommended you take three 2 seaters).
Day 10: Seoul Forest, Myeongdong, Watching a baseball game
One of my favourite days!
Seoul forest - you can go to the eco park where you can feed deers! (Seoul forest station, yellow line, pretty near Jamsil)
Myeongdong - shopping and eating street food (if you're wondering! Street food is mostly in the evening, and they're everywhere. So if you're planning on eating street food, they will set up around 5pm). But of course you can go earlier and shop!
Baseball game (LG Twins VS SK Wyverns) - sports complex station
I walked from my accommodation to the Sports Complex, and we bought some drinks and snacks from the convenience store (yes, you can do this!) I would also say that watching the baseball game was the best thing I ever did in Korea! I paid W 11 000 for decent tickets (it depends on where you sit). Also, whichever stadium you go to, buy tickets for the home team to feel the atmosphere! The atmosphere was really something I loved so much! Each player has a cheer and the cheer leaders would guide you and sing the song for the player. Everything about Korean baseball is so extra tbh!!
How to get tickets?
First, arrive 15-30mins before the game. You will see that there's a ticketing booth (or maybe multiple) and just queue and ask them for x number of tickets! (haha, I don't think I'm helping much...) but it's pretty easy! You don't have to do it online (as long as the game isn't a major match I guess) Also, you can check the Korean baseball website for updates such as when there is a game, where it is located at, and who are the teams playing. Sitting near the cheerleaders is really nice (but also probably the more expensive options). If you doubt you'd cheer for the team, then don't sit near the cheerleaders. Sit near them, but not in the box I guess.
Day 11: Common Ground, Myeongdong
Common ground is really easy to get to. Just take the train to Konkkuk station! (near Jamsil!)
Went back to Myeongdong to do last minute shopping at Osulloc (green tea heaven)!
Day 12: Incheon and then back to Singapore
Remember to take to Incheon International Airport station and not Incheon station!
