trip to South Korea

Hi dear all, 

my serious dream is to visit South Korea and finally I have resources to make it real. I am planning this trip to spring 2015 (for e.g 2-3 weeks). If possible I would love to use any couchsurf.

 I would like to see new places, culture, and possibly to visit any kpop concert! But also I would like to do something from my mind, something crazy (not because it is necessary to do..etc) and find out whether I can handle it :)

I am wondering whether anyone of you has been in Korea already or want to go with me or can meet me there?

Any advise, experiences or help highly appreciated! 

Thank you all! Have a nice time!

vercik

Congrats of your trip :)

I'm planning myself to go to South Korea this year (finger crossed) but I would be going during autumn.

Only thing I can advice you are places which are on my list...

If you end up staying at a hostel don't stay at Itaewon. There are a lot of great hostels at Hongdae, it's really the best option of all areas.

Visit Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market. You can buy fish there and go to the downstairs restaurant where they will cook it for you. You can eat live octopus there. (the fish market in Busan is way cooler though!)

Apart from famous places, Yeosu is pretty cool so if you have time check it out, it's a small city in the south tip of Korea. You can take ferries to different islands from there.

Don't forget to hit pc bangs! And a sleepover at jimjilbang is pretty cool too!

Namdaemun is cheaper for shopping souvenirs than Myeongdong or Insa-dong. 

There are 1000 won shops where everything costs only 1000 won, or was it 2000 Anyway, they sometimes have cool stuff in there so if you see one check it out. There is one around Namdaemun market.

Check out: http://www.vkc.or.kr/en/

congrats!

1. download the Subway Korea map on your phone. it's really helpful
2. the easiest to watch kpop is via mcountdown. but i warn you, you have to be there super early to line up and have your name listed coz they have a limit on just how many people can watch. then just go back at 5pm to watch.
3. you can stay in a guesthouse instead of a hotel. it's cheaper and guesthouses in korea are also good.
4. try to find out early on if there's a concert by your idol but good luck in finding tickets. or maybe you can try your luck in buying at the venue on the day itself.
5. i guess, you an just visit one palace instead of all the palaces so you can have time to explore other places.
6. if ou'll visit just one palace, i recommend that you go to Gyeongbokgung Palace. from there you can also see the Blue House, and also king sejong's monument and museum. and if you're lucky you can watch the changing of guards.

@kuroneko1271 I've been checking the prices lately and I think you are very lucky if you get anything under 600€ this year. 600-800€ sounds right, but it totally depends on where you're flying from. Can even be higher.

I see you're from Italy - may I ask you from which part? I went to Korea last October and I flew with Emirates from Venice. They often have good prices from there (lowest when compared with München or Vienna - the other two cities I was considering flying from). I paid around 640€, but if you are flexible with time - do make sure to check for the prices often and if you see any good deals, book the flight asap (if you can, of course.). They don't last long. 

As for the rest - totally depends on you. You don't need to spend the fortune there, I actually spent less than I expected. The food is way cheaper than here in Europe, you might even find some hostels for less than 30€/day (if you're not travelling alone, I recommend you check airbnb for flats, we had one in Seoul and it was great), lots of museums are free to enter... Just be careful with all the cute stuff they have in Korea, they might seem cheap, but when you buy a lot of them... :) Also, coffee shops are everywhere - it's hard not to go in. And that's where I've spent the most money (It's quite expensive.). I don't even drink coffee! But I loooved their matcha latte (well, green tea latte). FYI: Ediya Coffee is a bit cheaper and the quality is still pretty good.

If you want to visit the main palaces, I recommend you buy the combination ticket (I think it was 10.000 won) which covers Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo Shrine. The Secret Garden is also included – but you can only see it in a guided tour. It's worth it. Jongmyo Shrine can also only be seen with a guide, so make sure you check the times for that. If I remember correctly the shrine is open for everyone on Saturdays, though.

If you're going for a few weeks I really recommend you go out of Seoul as well. I know I haven't seen half of the things I should in Seoul, but I'm very happy I've seen Busan, Jinju, Gyeongju and Andong as well. Especially Gyeongju - it's such a beautiful place. Magical. I can't wait to go back to Korea and discover new places.

Okay, that was long, hope it was of any help to you. If anyone has more questions for me, please do not hesitate and ask. I will try to answer them.

@Lorell May I ask you which places are a must for you? And I'm very curious about those parks as well.... Just so I can put them on my list for the next trip ;) Which will happen someday. It has to!