Visiting Seoul, S Korea- any advice?

[2sls]

The wife and I are going to stop in Seoul to visit a graduate school friend of mine and then continue on to Asia for a vacation early next month. We're arriving Friday night and my friend(he's Korean) is going to spent all of Saturday with us and we'll leave Sunday morning. We don't speak any Korean and will basically depend on him for all the logistics.

That being said, we don't know what would be fun to do in that one day and are looking for suggestions for places to sightsee etc in advance so that our friend can then plan accordingly.

We also haven't booked a hotel(trying to finagle a good deal through Priceline) yet but are likely to stay somewhere south of the river in the Gangnam\Seocho area on recommendation from my friend.

[rylemdr]

The wife and I are going to stop in Seoul to visit a graduate school friend of mine and then continue on to Asia for a vacation early next month. We're arriving Friday night and my friend(he's Korean) is going to spent all of Saturday with us and we'll leave Sunday morning. We don't speak any Korean and will basically depend on him for all the logistics.

That being said, we don't know what would be fun to do in that one day and are looking for suggestions for places to sightsee etc in advance so that our friend can then plan accordingly.

We also haven't booked a hotel(trying to finagle a good deal through Priceline) yet but are likely to stay somewhere south of the river in the Gangnam\Seocho area on recommendation from my friend.

South Korea is a very nice place.

Just don't confuse Pyeongchang with Pyeongyang and you will be fine :lol:

[molonlabe]

The wife and I are going to stop in Seoul to visit a graduate school friend of mine and then continue on to Asia for a vacation early next month. We're arriving Friday night and my friend(he's Korean) is going to spent all of Saturday with us and we'll leave Sunday morning. We don't speak any Korean and will basically depend on him for all the logistics.

That being said, we don't know what would be fun to do in that one day and are looking for suggestions for places to sightsee etc in advance so that our friend can then plan accordingly.

We also haven't booked a hotel(trying to finagle a good deal through Priceline) yet but are likely to stay somewhere south of the river in the Gangnam\Seocho area on recommendation from my friend.

I was stationed in Japan for the last four years. During my time there, I visited Seoul. Seoul for only one day is not enough.

However, if you have only one day, then take your wife to Insadong. It is a famous street in Seoul that showcases the high art and culture of Korea. There's a famous building in Insadong that houses local business selling everything from arts and crafts, foodstuffs, etc. The material is high quality--not your low-quality tourist crap that are usually peddled on the street.

Seoul has many temples. The one not to miss is Gyeoungbyoung something (can't remember exact spelling; you can google it on your own).

If your Korean friend is a typical Korean, he will treat you and your wife like royalty and pay for everything. That's Korean culture. I visited Seoul and linked up with two of my Korean friends. They paid for everything even though I tried in vain to pay for my own (I was able to buy them dinner, though). I found out later, after talking with other friends who visited Korea, that that is the culture over there. Of course, it is expected that if your Korean friend ever visits you, then you are obliged to return the favor.

[GuinnessMan]

I did some contract work for Samsung and stayed south of the river in the Renaissance Seoul Hotel which is a very nice hotel that caters to westerners. A tour to the DMZ is a must. You get to actually go down in a tunnel that the North dug into the South. You need to book the tour a few days in advance. I would highly recommend going to Namdaemun Market where you can buy almost anything and eat almost anything. If you're into technology, visit the Yongsan Electronics Market. Be sure to negotiate at the markets! The COEX Mall is a great place to visit also. The Kimchi Museum is there where you can learn everything imaginable about kimchi.

For eating, just be adventurous. We would walk around Seoul and when we saw a restaurant that looked interesting, we tried it. Many times there were no English menus and the staff didn't speak any English. In those cases, we'd survey what other diners were eating and just point to that for our order.

One of the best pubs in the world is the 3 Alley Pub. If you like rugby or football, this is the place to go and watch. If nothing else, it makes a good pit stop from sightseeing for a cold one.

Enjoy the trip. The Korean people are very friendly and will go out of their way to help you with anything.

Cheers!
GuinnessMan

[TrustNoOne]

A very timely thread! My daughter lives in Seoul and we are going to visit in a few weeks.

[T_in_ATL]

My wife and I spent a few days in Seoul a couple years ago and really enjoyed going to the top of Mt. Namsan and subsequently up Seoul Tower. If you have a sunny day, the views are fantastic - and you can get a sense for just how immense the city is.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/As ... -BR-1.html

[mjdo242]

I was stationed in Korea from '09 to '10. Any of the recommendations already given are worthwhile, especially the DMZ tour. I would also recommend the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan. It has war memorabilia, documents, and videos from the wars Korea has been involved in, from a few centuries ago up to the Korean War.

[Bounca]

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 1314458204

[atwood]

I'd stay in a downtown hotel such as the Westin or Lotte. You'll be much, much closer to most of the places you'll want to see than in Gangnam (unless you're looking for a plastic surgeon or a Starbucks.) For a night and a day, Insadong and the nearby Buddhist temple, the new national museum in Icheon, one of the palaces, Gwangwhamun and Cheonge-cheong should be more than enough. The Friday night market at Namdaemun is worth seeing.

Wear comfortable walking shoes, watch where you step, and be ready for crowds.

[ensign_lee]

You may consider going to see a showing of the GSL (Global Starcraft League). It's a very unique experience, as Starcraft is as important to South Koreans as football is to Americans.

I know if i ever went to Seoul, that would be the first thing I planned!

[stratton]

The Seoul Food ought to be great!

Paul