South Korea Travel Tips With Megan

Hey Guys!

I love travelling and a country I've always wanted to visit is South Korea! I haven't had the opportunity yet to get to travel as far as Asia but hopefully in the future I will have the opportunity to visit all the places on my travel bucket list and see more of the world. 

For this post I have collaborated with Megan from the Instagram account @meeho1987 to create this post for you guys. Megan has lived in Korea and has experienced first hand what great things the country has to offer so Megan has answered all my questions and given the best advice to those who are either travelling to South Korea or are planning to. 

What are the top 10 places to visit in Seoul? (In no particular order)

 Bukchon Hanok Village

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (at night)

Myeongdong

 N Seoul Tower

Gyeongbokgung Palace

 Insadong

Lotte World Amusement Park

Changdeokgung Palace

Lotte World Mall & Aquarium

Hapjeong 

Bukchon Hanok Village

Which are the best palaces and museums to visit and is it free entry?

(Not necessarily just palaces and museums but other great places to check out)

N Seoul Tower

Bukchon Hanok Village

Seoul Olympic Park

National Folk Museum

Cheonggyecheon Stream

Seoul Olympic Park 

What is the most traditional thing to do in Korea?

I would suggest to rent a hanbok for a day and visit one of the many palaces or shrines nearby. Be sure to take lots of photos! After some sight seeing stop at a traditional Korean restaurant for lunch. Order something you’ve never heard of or tried. Then wrap up the day at a jimjilbang (Korean bathhouse). 

Traditional Hanbok 

Where are your favourite places in Korea?

I loved the surrounding areas of Seoul such as Byeollae and Nowon. It was quieter and more laid back from the hustle and bustle of the city center. I really enjoyed hiking the surrounding mountains, the scenery was breathtaking. Reaching the summit was a wonderful experience. 

Nowon

Is there anything important to remember about etiquette and manners in Korea?

Blowing your nose in public is frowned upon which is really hard when you have a cold! Go to a restroom or quiet area to do so. When you meet someone for the first time it is polite to bow. Hugging and hand-waving are OK for close friends. It’s also good manners to wait to eat until elderly or people older than you started first.

Considering how busy Seoul is where are the quiet spots that are nice to visit?

I would tell any traveler to Seoul to spend a day going hiking. It’s quite a popular pastime in South Korea. People of all ages enjoy it, and when I say all ages I mean all ages! Haha. I will be struggling or out of breath and an ahjussi in his sixties will sprint past me without hesitation! Take a picnic along and don’t forget to bring makgeolli 막걸리(Korean rice alcohol)! The views of the city and the fresh air is priceless. Stop at a Buddhist temple along the way to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. 

Which method of transport would you recommend? Taxi, the subway or walking?

I recommend taking the subway or walking. Most places (depending on where you are of course) have cafes, restaurants, or grocery stores within walking distance. The subway is easy to navigate, as is purchasing your subway card and refilling it when needed. Taxis are an OK option, but I caution that some taxi drivers are vey aggressive and fast! Haha.

Is there anything like a travel card you recommend getting, similar to a travel pass for the subway and buses?

There’s a travel card you can purchase at the subway kiosk called “CityPass” which works for both subway and bus transportation. All you do is swipe the card on the card pad upon entry and exit. The pad will tell you how much you have on your card incase you need to refill soon.

How much money would you suggest taking for 1 week and how much for 2 weeks?

For spending money, I would suggest adding 600,000 won to 1,200,000 won on top of all your other expenses including airfare, hotel, etc.

Where would you recommend finding a hotel/hostel to stay?

Honestly, I would recommend doing some research and book a place through Airbnb. Places through Airbnb are very reasonable price-wise and the place you book may even have a kitchenette. When it comes to location it’s all about preference. If you love the city and being in the middle of it all, I would recommend staying in Gangnam or Hongdae. For those of you interested in the lesser-traveled areas, I would recommend looking into places a bit outside of the city.

What are the essential items to pack in your suitcase?

Depending on where you’re from, you will definitely need to invest in a power plug adapter. The standard voltage in South Korea is 220 V. Other than personal items such as medications, Seoul has pretty much everything you need. On a side note… If you are a tall person with large feet (such as myself) certain sizes are very difficult to find so bring extra pants and shoes!  

Is it worth buying a Sim Card to use while in Korea? To get access to wifi and 3G?

The great thing about Seoul is that Wifi is pretty much everywhere. However, I do recommend purchasing cellular data/minutes just to be safe because Wifi doesn’t always work in the subway and certain locations. That extra money you spend on data/minutes might come in handy during an emergency.

What are the best street foods to try?

My favorite is hotteok 호떡! It’s like a small, deep fried dough pancake filled with cinnamon-sugar, peanuts, and other spices. Other great street foods to try are bungeoppang붕어빵(fish-shaped bread filled with sweet red bean), tteokbokki 떡볶이 (rice cakes in a spicy chili sauce), gyeran-ppang계란빵(sweet and fluffy egg bread), and eomuk 어묵(fish “cake” served on a skewer).

Hotteok

What are the best Korean dishes to try?

Aside from Korea’s national dish, kimchi, I recommend trying bibimbap 비빔밥(a hot bowl of rice you mix with vegetables and chili paste), bulgogi 불고기(thinly sliced marinated beef), pajeon 파전(thin seafood pancake), galbi 갈비(marinated beef ribs), samgyetang 삼계탕(chicken ginseng soup), and samgyeopsal 삼겹살(grilled pork belly). One of my favorite dishes is jajang-bokkeumbap 관련볶음밥, which is fried rice served with a black bean sauce. Korean cuisine is not only delicious but the ingredients are so fresh. Most dishes are prepared and cooked right in front of you. 

Samgyeopsal

In restaurants do you have to use chopsticks or are knives and forks available as well?

Restaurants in Korea have a box on the table filled with chopsticks and spoons. Most places today have forks and knives if needed. Sometimes, the waitress/waiter may see a foreign customer struggling with chopsticks and give them a fork. But do give chopsticks a try! I was so clumsy at first but now after practice and determination even my husband is surprised how well I eat with them. 

Other than traditional Korean dishes are any other types of food that are popular to eat in Korea?

Gimbap (seaweed rolls filled with rice, veggies and meat), haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), kalguksu (noodle soup in a clear broth), doenjang jjigae (tofu soup), and patbingsu (red beans with shaved ice). 

What are the best snacks to try from the convenience store?

I was a sucker for convenience store ice cream! Korean ice cream (not the traditional kind) is so creamy and not super sweet. Other great things to try are Nongshim shrimp crackers, Lotte Kancho biscuits, Pepero sticks, Orion choco pies, Nongshim banana kick, and Cosmos Wang Sora (my favorite!)

How much is it to rent a Hanbok for a day and where are the best places to rent a Hanbok from?

I’m not particularly sure about price but I do know you can rent them daily at historical sites such as Bukchon Hanok Village and Gwanghwamun Square. Some historical places will even let you enter for free if you’re wearing a hanbok! I rented one for my wedding which cost around 200,000 won. I had it custom fitted and was able to choose the colors and style.  

What are the best themed cafes to visit?

My husband and I visited the cat café in Myeongdong. They have over twenty cats! It was nice to enjoy a cup of coffee in the company of some new feline friends. There’s also a really neat design-your-own cellphone case café in Hongdae called DB Story Café that’s worth checking out.  

Where are the best places to go shopping?

Myeongdong has many Korean beauty shops as well as Uniqlo, H&M, and Zara. Garosu-gilis great for those who are looking for high-end designer brands. For traditional Korean gifts and unique items, I recommend Insadong and Namdaemun. Ewha Women’s University is another great shopping area. Plenty of unique boutiques and delicious street food vendors! The best place, however, to find great deals on clothing and accessories is the underground Express Bus Terminal mall. It’s ENORMOUS! You could spend a couple days just looking through every store. I’ve found tops for 10,000 won and accessories for less than 5,000 won. The downside at Express Bus Terminal is the majority of stores only offer “free size”. 

Namdaemun Market 

What is the best thing to do at night in Seoul?

Definitely check out the street food! Afterwards, head to a noraebong for some late night belting out of Adele or Big Bang. 

What does the average night out in Hongdae cost?

It depends on what you’re looking to do; hang out with a group of friends, date night, etc. My husband and I usually went out with a group of friends, it’s more fun that way! In South Korea, you go to three to four different places for drinking and eating. You can enjoy soju, beer, or both (called somaek 소맥). Bottle service is also available. Afterwards, you can go to a noraebong for some late night karaoke! A night like this can cost anywhere from 50,000 won to 200,000 won. It all comes down to how much you want to spend and how much you want to do.

Soju

Which Korean beauty stores should be on our itinerary?

I highly recommend Innisfree, Nature Republic, Skinfood, and Etude House. Innisfree and Nature Republic offer great natural skincare products. Innisfree has a green tea skincare line that I love and Nature Republic has the best sheet masks and hand cream. Skinfood sells heavenly smelling body wash, scrubs, and creams. Etude House has the cutest packaging ever! Their makeup line is feminine and colorful with lots of products to choose from. All of these brands are reasonably priced and sell high quality products.

What Korean beauty products would you suggest checking out and buying?

I would look into purchasing skincare products such as sheet makes, serums, essences, and treatment creams. Basically anything that may be hard to find or expensive where you live.  The popular new thing in skincare is cleansing sticks. I would suggest purchasing  one or two!

What are the best souvenir gifts to take back for friends and family?

I suggest bringing back traditional Korean made good such as fans, handkerchiefs, paintings, makeup pouches, scarves, etc. Their silk-work and paper crafts are gorgeous and very well made. Of course you have to bring back Gangnam Style and Kpop socks! 

I hope this is helpful for those of you who are wanting to travel to South Korea like me and needed some tips. I know it will help me when it comes to organising my trip :)

Where do you guys want to travel to in the future? Let me know in the comments below.

And a big thank you to Megan for helping me with the content for this post and giving such great advice for tourists and myself. Go send her some love over on her Instagram account ❤ 

See you on Wednesday lovelies!

Amy xx