Hi and welcome! If you're reading this, I'm sure that you're curious and wanting to learn how to make it the best out of your prospective South Korea trip! If you haven't read about my personal visit to South Korea, check it out here. I've described my itinerary and the places that I've visited there! With that being said, ready to find out how to maximize your trip there? Let's go!
TIPS:
1. Get the app, KakaoMaps.
This app was significant helpful during our trip. To get around, we mainly relied on bus and subways and this app provided the best routes. Simply type in your destination, and it'll show you how to get around. The GPS red arrow helps to make sure that you are heading in the right direction!
2. Purchase a wifi egg/sim card.
I personally did not get one during our trip, but my best friend did. And wow, how much it helped us get around! We were there for about 5 days and it was only $30.
3. Get a DiscoverSeoul pass!
It's an all-in-one pass that gives you free and discounted entries to their listed places on their site! We got to go to many cool and popular tourist places using this pass. You can qualify for some discounts in certain places also! Not only that, if you purchase a card, it also doubles up as a Tmoney card, which is a transportation card that you use to get around via bus, subway, and taxis after filling it with money. There will be stands posted around subway stations to fill it up!
4. Ride the AREX (Airport Railroad Express Train).
This helped us when we were heading back to the airport to head home. Prevents missed flights! The AREX is an express train that takes you from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station (and vice versa). If you have the DiscoverSeoul pass, you qualify for one free one way ride! Otherwise it's ~9,000 won for a one way ticket (about $8).
5. Check your airlines to see if you qualify for discounts and free admission to things!
We flew Asiana Airlines and on their website, they have a list of places that you can get discounts/free admission to as long as you have your boarding pass! Just remember to bring it to show proof!
6. Keep your passport with you at all times!
It turns out that if you make purchases that are more than 30,000 won (about $25), you can get tax exempt! To show proof that you are visiting Korea, you have to show them your passport. Some stores offer that and will give you a receipt for you to bring to the airport!
7. Keep your receipts!
Along with the previous tip, keep your receipts! When Shaina and I arrived at the airport to fly home, there was a booth in the airport terminal that allows you to get money back from your purchases! I made that mistake by accidentally packing my receipts away in my check-in luggage!
8. Get The Mobile Passport app!
This is was a lifesaver! Once we arrived back to our home airport, we immediately were greeted by a devastating long line just to get through customs. However, with this app, you can cut the line. This saved us many hours of just waiting in line.
7. Bring tissues with you!
This one might sound odd, but coming from a country that provides napkin dispensers on each table, it was hard finding more napkins to wipe my hands and mouth during meals. At places that you will eat at, it is most likely that they will only provide one napkin during your meal so make sure to always carry some napkins/tissues with you!
8. Carry cash with you.
Since many things in Seoul were relatively cheap and didn't include tax, it sometimes was easier to carry cash with you. And the exchange rate from US dollar was pretty good!
9. Wear comfortable shoes!
It seems pretty obvious but it's so important that you wear shoes that you have already broken into. I brought two pairs with me: one pair of comfy Teva sandals and my Adidas sneakers. Shaina unfortunately made the mistake of bringing two brand new shoes to wear for the trip. While they were both super cute and looked comfortable, Shaina left the trip with multiple blisters. But she was a trooper with all the walking that we did!
10. Don't be afraid to talk to the locals!
Since Seoul is a tourist destination, you are most likely going to run into a local who can speak/understand basic English. The locals there are super nice and would help us get around. I remember on the night that Shaina and I were trying to find our Airbnb, two locals from the neighborhood kindly took their time to help us find the place. Even called our Airbnb host for us! You're also in another country to understand the country and that comes with interacting with the locals. Don't be scared, they know that you are coming from another country.
And that's all I have for you! I hope that this post sparked your travel bug. Safe travels!
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
– Ibn Battuta
*shoutout to Shaina and Angely for your help in writing this post!
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*I am not paid or sponsored for anything in this blog! Everything that I said here are my genuine experiences and expressions of Seoul.