Life is naturally all about something that is about to work out but then it may not. The most important thing is you should never give up on what you’ve chosen until it becomes yours”
– Heo Joon Jae (Legends of the Blue Sea)
Table of Contents
Introduction
It’s time to meet some Oppas.❤ My trip to South Korea was last 2018 when I celebrated my birthday with the whole family and relatives (on a budget). If you’re planning to travel to South Korea, then this detailed DIY trip is surely for you. I’ll be sharing my trip itinerary, budget, expense breakdown, places visited, and places to stay in Korea.
For this trip, we stayed for four (4) days in Korea and lounged in the Myeongdong area. It is the central area in Seoul where you can find lots of beauty shops, products, and street-food kiosks. Literally, the place to go if you’re visiting Korea!
South Korea Preparation
Best Time to Visit
In all honesty, any time is the BEST time to visit South Korea. It will actually depend on you and your family. Factors such as ticket price and season matter most, especially when you’re traveling. For us, we got a GREAT deal via Cebu Pacific where we spent at most Php 7,970.93~ 160 USD (per person) to travel to Korea. Not bad right?
I’m sharing with you links to websites you could visit to SAVE Ticket costs (if you’re planning to DIY your South Korea trip)
- https://www.skyscanner.com.ph/?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=&utm_term=DYNAMIC+SEARCH+ADS&associateID=SEM_GGF_19370_00051&gclid=Cj0KCQiAy4eNBhCaARIsAFDVtI2WNjLa_jj-MmhLwayiMyKZp6o2pH55dcdulzbqxmGEQWVN-5pXIL8aAvJJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
- https://www.traveloka.com/en-ph/flight
- https://www.kayak.com/flights
Aside from the cost of your ticket, the season you visit Korea has a significant impact on your decision. Here are a few insights that I’d like to share with you in order to aid you in making better decisions.
Visit during Spring
During the spring, South Korea becomes a popular tourist destination. The cherry blossom impact in Japan is similar to Korea’s version of cherry blossom. The city’s blossoming flora panorama makes it a popular tourist destination. As a result, more people prefer to visit in the spring, and ticket costs are slightly more than usual.
Visit during Summer
You guessed it correctly! Summertime in Korea is by far the most expensive season of the year to visit. It’s because, for the most part, all Asian countries celebrate summer during the same months. As a result, a large number of tourists is expected. There will be no school and no work, ergo you will have time to travel. In my opinion, you should not visit Korea during this time, especially if you’re on a budget.
Visit during Autumn
Visiting during autumn, may be the greatest time to visit Korea since the weather is nice (not too cold and not too humid), the costs are lower, and the crowds are smaller. Not to mention the abundance of fantastic must-see destinations of autumn leaves falling
Again, it’s totally up to you when you plan to visit Korea. Nonetheless, the experience will be worthwhile especially when you get to see your biased K-Pop groups or favorite Kdrama scene locations!
Visa for South Korea
I’m pretty sure the majority of us Filipinos are greatly influenced by Korean culture. May it be through K-Pop, K-dramas, cosmetics, or food (Samgyup!). Because of their strong influence, we’ll all WISH TO VISIT KOREA.
Source: https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2018/05/new-korean-visa-requirements-application/
If you are not a citizen of one of South Korea’s exempted countries, you must apply for a visa in advance. (If you’re from the Philippines, check out my instructions for getting a South Korean visa in Manila.)
https://lakwatsanisay.com/how-i-got-my-korean-visa-a-full-guide/
My Travel Preparations
Traveling to a different country may be exhilarating! However, we must make minor preparations such as where to stay, how to go about the country, and other details. Having a general knowledge of these things makes traveling a LOT EASIER and more enjoyable!
Where to Stay in South Korea
I recommend comparing hotel costs on Agoda and Booking.com to find the best hotel accommodations in South Korea at the best pricing. However, if you’re looking to rent a decent house or apartment, you should look at Airbnb.
For my trip, we stayed in the Myeongdong area and got an apartment that was very near to Lee Min Ho’s apartment in the K-drama series Legends of the Blue Sea. I’ll be sharing my Myeongdong experience below.
Understanding Korea’s Currency
The South Korean Won (KRW /) is a currency in South Korea, where one KRW equals roughly $0.9 USD, €0.7, or Php 49.00. (this is as of May 2021). If you need to exchange money for KRW, I strongly urge you not to do it at the airport since the prices are not competitive.
Best Place to Exchange Currency
The cheapest site to exchange money is in Myeongdong. Money changers abound in the neighborhood, and they’re recognized for offering the finest rates in the city. In other places, the rates at currency exchange offices were never as good.
In December 2018, the rate I was offered at the airport was KRW 1,041.10 to the dollar (USD). However, in Myeongdong, I exchanged money at two locations and received rates of KRW 1,096 and KRW 1,093, respectively. They were approximately KRW 1,085 or much less in some places.
Other options for currency exchange
Once in the city, I recommend changing a modest amount of money at the airport, no more than USD 100. The rest may be changed in Myeongdong.
You can also withdraw KRW from an ATM if you like. The prices are reasonable. Simply notify your bank that you will be using your ATM card outside of the Philippines to avoid any issues. My ATM card works in some machines but not in others, in my experience. In Seoul, I had no issues with utilizing it.
I’ll be sharing with you the contact information of the Korea Embassy in the Philippines, if you have any further questions on this front they’ll gladly answer them!
How to get around Seoul?
For exploring your day-to-day itinerary on your Seoul schedule, I recommend utilizing Naver Map (iOS / Android), which will show you in detail the shortest connections you may make (by walking, by car, by bus, and by subway). Get your own pocket WiFi or SIM card to make this work.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhn.android.search&hl=en&gl=US
By Subway
Seoul’s metro system is excellent, well-connected, and reasonably priced. It’s advisable to get a T-Money card, which is essentially a stored value smart card that you can recharge and use between buses, trains, and subways while saving you $100 on all travels, to save time and make the most of the fares throughout your visit.
https://www.t-money.co.kr/ncs/pct/tmnyintd/ReadFrgnKoreaTourCardEngIntd.dev
By Bus
The city also boasts a thorough and well-connected bus system that accepts the T-Money card. Just remember to touch your card before departing the bus, otherwise, you’ll be charged the highest fare available on that route.
You can learn more about their commute system and other transportation cards available here: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/TRP/TP_ENG_8_1_1.jsp
Staying connected on an international trip
South Korea is claimed to possess the world’s fastest internet (unlike in the Philippines ), so you’ll always have a good connection no matter where you travel. To add to that, most establishments provide FREE WiFi — however, if you want to be connected online all the time throughout your vacation to Seoul, I recommend buying your own pocket WiFi or SIM card.
Helpful Phrases to know for your Trip
While English is taught in many schools in South Korea, you’ll have a greater chance in Seoul, the capital, where many individuals devote time, effort, and money to studying the language. Nonetheless, learning a little of the local language isn’t a bad idea!
My DIY Guided Adventure
Day 1: Arrival in Myeongdong
As you all have read this South Korea adventure was a gift for me. We visited South Korea last March 2018, which is probably around Spring but the atmosphere felt a lot like winter… Maybe because it’s scorching hot in the Philippines.
Over our 4-day stay in Korea, we rented out an apartment in the Myeongdong area. If you’re not much familiar with the Myeongdong area, maybe a few clips from famous K-drama scenes help you remember.
If you’re familiar with the hit Korean drama series “Legend of the Blue Sea” lead by your very own Lee Min Ho then you most likely remember his luxurious house located in Myeongdong Station 3.
Day 2: The beauty of Namsan Area
The next day, we planned to enjoy the beauty of Namsan and ride the cable cars and visit the N Seoul Tower, but due to the extremely cold weather (which my mother isn’t accustomed to), we opted to visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace instead.
Don’t worry I’ll be sharing information about the Namsan Tower or commonly known as N Seoul Tower here!
Namsan Tower
N Seoul Tower is the first thing that springs to mind while thinking of Seoul landmarks.
People go to see the N Seoul Tower at all hours of the day and night. The tower will glow brightly in the evening thanks to the lights on the tower that shine lights of various hues. If you notice that the tower is red, it also means that the present air quality in Seoul is poor.
When you arrive at the Namsan cable car ticket office, you have the option of taking the cable car up or taking a 40-minute hike to the summit.
Cable car’s operating hours are from 10 AM to 11 PM, I’m not sure if they changed due to the pandemic. I suggest being updated with it and checking their website before going there.
| One Way | Round Trip | |
| Adult | ￦7,000 | ￦9,500 |
| Children | ￦4,000 | ￦6,500 |
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace is the crown jewel of the city’s historical attractions. During the Joseon Dynasty, it functioned as the central palace, with four major entrances, rooms, pavilions, bridges, and ponds.
- Admission Fee: ￦ 3000
- Nearest Station: Gyeongbokgung Palace Station (Subway Line 3, exit 5)
- Gate Guard Changing Ceremony Schedule: 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p,m.
- Gwanghamun Gate Guard Duty Performance: 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3.45 p.m.
The free tour guides are available in four languages. The trip begins at the information desk at the Heungnyemum Gate and ends at the information desk near the Heungnyemum Gate. The excursions are available up to four times each day for a total of 90 minutes. At 11 a.m., 1.30 p.m., and 3.30 p.m., the English tour begins. Japanese, Korean, and Chinese are the other languages.
Cost of Travel in Korea
If I can remember correctly, we have an estimated budget of Php 20,000 for 4 days already, this mainly includes our food for the trip, and transportation. Essentially, our pasalubongs and personal purchases weren’t included in the budget above. Here are other expenses we’ve incurred during the trip.
Airfare per person: Php 7,970.93
According to Budget your Trip on average meal prices in South Korea costs range from ₩12,261 ₩30,541 per day per person. It’s usually up to the tourists on which delectable South Korean food or resto they would want to try out. Overall, breakfast meal prices are much cheaper than lunch or dinner.
Helpful tips for you
- Don’t forget to check Philippine Embassy and save their numbers in case of emergencies you may face during the trip
- Another tip for security purposes, I would suggest that you rent a WiFi in Dongle Airport instead of connecting to free WiFis.
I hope you found my Korean Adventure fun and helpful! If you have any questions feel free to comment here or reach me through my social media for questions and clarifications! I’d be more than happy to help!
For more blog updates you can check out my website @ www.lakwatsanisay.com or follow me through my social media platforms!
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Really Helpful, thank you.