Start your Korean vacation with just ₩285,000. That's less than USD 265 / PHP14,000. Is it quite cheaper than you expected? Perhaps you're thinking of a boring itinerary with few tourist spots on the list. Well, you should check out the itinerary below. Yes, we went to Everland!
The following schedule wasn't totally planned. Initially, we only had a bucket list of Seoul tourist spots and our excitement to visit all of them. We're a group of five travelling on a do-it-yourself itinerary. We didn't have an organized schedule. We did a little google search on the directions but it was mostly the phone app for Seoul subways that helped us get to the places in our list. What's great about the situation was its flexibility. We could sleep or wake up whatever time we wanted to and linger in a place for as long as we wished.
ISSUES
Time
Since our google search wasn't so extensive and detailed, we had a lot of snags especially with time but for every moment we felt lost, we considered it an opportunity to learn the people, the culture, the place as locals. It was fun to get lost and even more exciting to talk to locals to ask for directions. We surely learned a lot not only of their lifestyle but of their values, too.
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| the coffee shop near Sungkyunkwan Entrance |
Weather
The major bottleneck that we had was the rain. It rained the whole day so we had to choose which sites should we visit. We had a little compromise with the schedule but it turned out well. The transparent umbrellas saved the day!
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| Sinchon Graffiti Tunnel (Goblin filming location) |
Transit Time
Another challenge was the transit time. Perhaps we miscalculated some of the travel time from one site to another so we had missed some of the tourist spots in our list. Well, biting into the bright side, we thought it was a sign that we had to come back to South Korea to crash out the rest of our bucket list. 😜
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| my favorite part about do-it-yourself travel itinerary |
TIPS!
In terms of budget, South Korea trip might sound a little expensive. However, there are lots of ways to save. Some of the reasons I had lesser expenses are the following:
- Travelling by group allows you to split the bill (hotel, taxi, even food)
- Eat on a budget. Street food in Seoul are really delectable yet affordable. You cannot NOT try them! Food trip should be part of the itinerary.
- Reserve tickets online (I did for Everland Resort); most websites offer big discounts
- Check or search for cheaper deals (esp. for hotels and shopping places); should be done before the trip. Use the internet.
- Take advantage of sales/discounts in purchasing souvenir items.
The following tour schedule was just based on our actual sojourn in South Korea. It wasn't prepared beforehand although we already had a list of the must-see places.
Here it is, the unplanned itinerary with the corresponding expenses based on our actual spending.
ITINERARY
Day 0
Touchdown Incheon Airport
Airport Bus 6011 to Sungkyunkwan Entrance Bus Stop - ₩10,000
Checked in at Bong House - ₩85,000
Late Dinner near Bong House - ₩5,000
Day 1 - Nami Island to Garden of the Morning Calm
Breakfast (free)
Off to Nami Island
Lunch - ₩5,000 (to-go food from convenience store)
Gapyeong City Tour Bus- ₩6,000 (all-day pass)
Ferry Ride to Nami Island - ₩10,000 (to-fro)
Nami Island
Ferry Ride back to mainland
City Tour Bus to Garden of the Morning Calm
Garden of the Morning Calm - ₩9,000
City Tour Bus to Cheongpyeong Station
Heading to Myeong-dong
Dinner at Myeong-dong Night Market - ₩7,000
Home bound - Subway to Hyehwa Station (nearest to Bong House)
Day 2 - Everland
Breakfast (free)
Dongdaemun Station
Short photo opp at Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Tour bus to Everland Resort
Endless fun at Everland - Php 2,499 / approx. ₩50,000 (paid/reserved online)
Lunch - ₩5,000 (to-go food from convenience store)
Dinner at KFC- ₩8,000
Fireworks at Everland
Tour bus back to Dongdaemun Station
Home bound - Subway to Hyehwa Station
Day 3 - Goblin / K-drama Sites
Breakfast (free)
*rainy day - chilled at Bong House
Lunch Buffet - unlimited samgyeopsal and galbi - ₩20,000 (optional; this was sponsored by a Korean friend) *you could have a ₩5,000 meal
Subway to Sinchon Station
Goblin Site 1: Graffiti Tunnel in Sinchon (free)
Zapangi Cafe (free - just took photos; didn't dine)
Dinner at restaurant near Mangwon Market - ₩7,000
Home bound - Subway to Hyehwa Station
Day 4 - Heritage Sites (Palaces) + K-drama Sites Part 2
Breakfast at Subway Salads & Sandwiches - ₩6,000
Walk to Changgyeonggung Palace
Changgyeonggung Palace - ₩1,000
Subway to Yongdap Station
Goblin Site 2: Pedestrian Bridge in Yongdap (free)
Subway to Gyeongbokgung
Lunch near Gyeongbokgung Palace - ₩8,000 (kimbap + seafood ramen + drinks)
Hanbok Rental - ₩10,000
Gyeongbokgung Palace (no entrance fee if you wear Hanbok)
Subway to Myeong-dong Station
Myeong-dong Night Market (shop and eat)
Dinner - ₩7,000
Home bound - Subway to Hyehwa Station
Day 5 - City Tourist Spots
Breakfast (free)
Subway to Anguk Station
Bukchon Hanok Village (free)
Subway to Ewha Womans University
Ewha Womans University (free)
Subway to Yeouinaru Station
Hangang Park (free)
Subway to City Hall Station
I SEOUL U sign at the City Hall Plaza (free)
Lunch - ₩6,000
Getting ready for Home
Subway to Incheon Airport
Total T-Money Top up - ₩35,000
Total Expenses: ₩285,000 (USD264 | Php 13, 914)
Don't let the budget hinder your travel goals. Save and travel while you can.
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| Must-try: Wear the Hanbok and stroll around Gyeongbokgung Palace |
Till our next laag!
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