my goal for this trip was to have enough of an itinerary that i didn’t waste time, but not so much that it was inflexible or that i couldn’t do what i want. there are many pros and cons to traveling by yourself, but i think the biggest “pro” is being able to do exactly what you want, so i wanted to take advantage to that and not feel like a slave to pre purchased tickets or appointments. while i was researching seoul, i found an excellent blog post from another solo traveler that felt like it would give me the flexible structure i was looking for, so my first two days are a rough attempt at 48 Hours In Seoul.
first, a few quick navigation logistics for anyone inspired to visit seoul that would have saved me about an hour on my first morning.
- there are various apps out there, but i’ve been using seoul subway from mapway and it’s very straightforward and easy to use. my other navigation tool is google maps. it does a great job with public transit here – which is really what i need it for – but if you ask for “walking” or “driving” directions to somewhere, it oftens says it can’t find a way. i’ve been using it for the bus/subway lines and it does a great job showing how to walk between the transit stop and your final destination, so i’m not sure why the “walk” function doesn’t work. if you’re looking to do a lot of walking only, you might try a different app. kakao is the local favorite, but there isn’t an english version for ios (there is for android) so you need to be comfortable with your hangul.
- incidentally, the use of all of these apps is courtesy of verizon’s international plan: $10/day for 24 hr of not getting lost is a screaming deal. note: these apps suck down some battery and if you don’t want to end up making that last crucial transfer, praying that your 1% charge will hold until you get off, watch your battery or bring a charger with you.
- pick yourself up a t-money card (or any of it’s permutations, like city pass or city pass +) as soon as it makes sense. they have easy to use kiosks at the airport or any subway station. the cards are prepaid and absolutely the key to easy public transit. swipe on, swipe off (unless you have city pass plus, then just swipe on) and you’re in and out.
on to day one. i went to bukchon hanok village first, per my “itinerary”. incredibly beautiful, it was a very quiet walk on a saturday morning. i did a quick walk through later that afternoon and there were more shops open, better people watching. if i had to make a “scheduling change”, i would recommend hitting the palaces in the morning, before the masses arrive, and walking through bukchon later in the day when there is more going on. my other note from bukchon, especially if you’re taking kids, do some research ahead of time on activities – there were a ton of traditional crafts to learn, most for low-no cost.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”31″ gal_title=”seoul day one : bukchon hanok village”]
next stop was gyeongbokgung palace. coming from bukchon, i came in through the “backdoor” of this national park. the “front door” entrance is the main gate to the palace and definitely most impressive right off the top (this is where the guard change and every historical k-drama entrance is), but the back was not to be missed. something i did not know going into this: much like little girls going to disneyland often dress like princesses, people going to the palaces often rent traditional clothes of various historic periods. all ages, both genders – there are stores surrounding the palaces that will help you do your hair and dress up. i’m told this gives you free admission but for 3,000 won (approx 3 USD) entrance fee at each palace, i’m pretty sure you’re still paying more for the costume rentals. that said, it was fun to walk around these amazing buildings with people in hanbok everywhere.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”32″ gal_title=”seoul day one : gyeongbokgung”]
for lunch, i followed the itinerary for what is still my favorite korean dish of all time: samgyetang. i was earlier than the itinerary (11:30am vs 1pm, i think) which turned out to be good because by the time i left, the line was already down the block. if you’re in seoul, this historical restaurant needs to be on your list. easily the best samgyetang i’ve ever had.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”33″ gal_title=”seoul day one : tosokchon”]
this is when i realized my cell phone was getting low (oops), so instead of using maps, i figured i’d wing in getting to changdeokgong, having seeing where it was when i was in bukchon. so dumb. instead of taking the main road directly to the smaller of the palaces, i meandered back through gyeongbokgung, through bukchon and then still had to go around to the front of the palace, killing a bunch of time when i was racing for the free english tour. speaking of, the tour is definitely worth taking, but highheelsandabackpack is right, get your tickets for the secret garden early if you want to go. i waited, thinking i had low season on my side, but not factoring in the weekend and i missed it. i may go back to see it if i have time (now that i now how to get there fast!) but honestly, i’d had enough culture at that point, i was tired and my phone had a 3% charge left so I headed back “home”.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”34″ gal_title=”seoul day one : changdeokgong”]
skipping the remaining suggested itinerary, i met up with my good friend from college, jin tae, who i’d last visited here twenty-ish years ago. we toured around hapjeong so we could get the full experience of being in our twenties again and then ended up at a nice restaurant for dinner and wine… because in the end, we’re not.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”35″ gal_title=”seoul day one”]
final tip: if you’re going to be out after the subway closes down, have a full cell phone charge (you would think i’d learn) and/or call a taxi in advance of needed one.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”70″ gal_title=”seoul day one”]