Seoul, Korea

Day 1 – 24th May 2011(Tuesday) KL-Seoul 서울 首爾
Our flight on Air AsiaX departed from KL LCCT at 1:45pm and arrived at Incheon International Airport 인천국제공항 仁川國際空港, Seoul 韓国 at 10:25pm local time (1 hour behind of Malaysian time). We were transferred on a free shuttle train to the passenger terminal, where we had our passports checked by immigration and claimed our luggage.
There are several options to get into downtown Seoul:

1 When you walk out from the arrival floor, follow the sign that shows ‘Transportation Center’ or ‘Airport Railroad’. At the KORAIL Desk next to Exit No 4, purchase an Airport Railroad Express (AREX) 공항철도 空港鐵道 train ticket from the information counter or from the vending machine at the Transportation Center. The trains are located on the first underground level of the Transportation Centre, adjacent to the main Incheon International Airport. The train passes through Korea’s domestic airport, Gimpo Airport 金浦機場, directly to downtown Seoul Central Station without needing to make any transfers. The fare for the AREX Express Train is 13,300won per person and is a 43 minute ride (first/last train times are at 05:30/21:30). Alternatively, the AREX Commuter Train requires transfer of lines and stops at stations between Incheon Airport and Seoul City. The fare is 4,300won depending on the distance of the ride (first/last train times are at 05:20/23:30).

2 The Airport bus is also a preferred option for travelling between Incheon International Airport and downtown Seoul. On the arrival floor (1st floor), airport bus and the ticket booths are located between Gates 2 and 5, Gates 8 and 9, and Gates 12 and 13. There are two types of airport buses: deluxe and standard. Deluxe buses are KAL limousines that go straight to major hotels in Seoul. Since they only go to deluxe hotels, these buses are faster and more comfortable than standard limousine buses and the fare is 15,000 won (a 60 minutes ride) and the regular airport limousine bus which stops at several bus stops, so you can get closer to your final destination is 10,000won (a 70 minutes ride).

3 A taxi may be somewhat costly but may be worthwhile if you have heavy baggage or are traveling in a group. In order to take a taxi, exit the arrival floor (1st floor) of the airport through Gates 4 through 8, cross the street, and go to the taxi stands at 4C~8C. In Korea, there are three types of taxis. Standard and deluxe taxis carry up to four passengers, and the jumbo deluxe taxi takes up to eight passengers. The fare for a deluxe taxi is about 50% higher than for a standard taxi, but the quality of service is much better. Deluxe taxis are more spacious and most drivers are able to speak in English. While standard taxies have a late night surcharge, the deluxe taxi does not charge one. If you are planning to take a taxi after midnight, you might as well take a deluxe taxi. Depending on your destination, the fare for a standard taxi from Incheon International Airport to downtown Seoul should be 60,000 ~ 100,000won. The 7,100won toll fee for the Incheon International Airport Expressway needs to be paid by the passenger.

After exiting the arrival floor of Incheon International Airport, we entered a 7-Eleven convenience store, and purchased two T-Money cards at a cost 2,500won each, and another paid an additional 1,000won for 7-Eleven’s service fee. We then paid another 20,000won each to top up the charge cards.



T-Money is a convenient rechargeable smart card that can be used to pay for fares on subways, busses and on taxis that have a “card” yellow sign on their roof. In subway stations, you can use T-Money for lockers. Users of the T-Money card receive a 10% discount on public transit fares and at certain tourist sites. T-Money card allows you to transfer from one bus line to another, or from a subway to a bus at no extra charge, as long as you board the next leg within 30 minutes of alighting from the previous bus/subway. Just tap your card on the sensors as you get on and off the subway or bus, and your total fare will be calculated as if you were on one long subway/bus ride. T-Money cards may be topped-up with amounts ranging from 1,000won up to 90,000won at any subway station via automatic recharging machines (equipped with English instructions), and at many convenience stores. Visitors with balance credit in their T-Money card can get a refund for the remaining amount from any T-Money card vendor.

We boarded the regular airport limousine bus, at a fare of 10,000won and got off at Jongno 3-ga bus stop in downtown Seoul. We then walked a block towards subway line 5 Jongno 5(o)-ga station 로5가역 鍾路五街驛. We crossed the road through an underpass and at Exit 1, turned right into an alley in between the Boryeung Pharmacy and Family Mark. It’s about a 4 minute walk from this subway station. We arrived and checked in at Lees Hotel, Seoul 돋움리스 호텔 주소: 종로구 연지동 200 (서울) Address: 200, Yeonji-dong, Jongno-gu. Hotel phone: 82-27624343. This budget hotel was listed by AirAsiaGo. When making our booking through the website, the payment was not successful as it indicated the hotel was fully booked. However when I tried at booking.com, the room was available at RM182 per night. We stayed here at Jongnu district 종로구 鍾路區 for the next 4 nights. Jongnu is a great location due to the many nearby famous tourist sites such as Gyeongbokgung and the Korean Folk Museum, Cheonggyecheon Stream, Insadong, Chandeokgung, Dongdaemun Market….etc.

Day 2 – 25th May 2011(Wednesday)
We started our first day of sightseeing by taking a bus on Jongnu 5(0)ga, making use of our T-Money cards. We stopped near Gwangwamun bus stop.
Located at this traffic intersection is the popular Gwangwamun Avenue, where we took pictures of the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin with the adjacent fountain. Admiral Yi brought key victories to Korea during the Imjin War (1592-1598), defeating invading Japanese naval fleets with his “turtle ship”, the world’s first iron-clad war vessel. Walking on northwards, and on the same square is the Statue of King Sejong, the 4th monarch of the Joseon kingdom, whose image appears on the 10,000won note. He is credited with the invention of the Korean native script, Hangeul.

Crossing a traffic intersection, we entered the largest gate of Gyeongbokgung 경복궁 景福宮 (palace). The ticketing booth is located on the right hand side and we purchased our entrance ticket at 3,000won each.

Gyeongbokgung 경복궁 景福宮is Seoul’s grandest Joseon Dynasty-era palace, built in 1395 by Lee Seong-Gye, the founder and first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea.

We entered through Heungnyemun, which is the first gate at the palace wall, followed by the rest of the buildings inside. Geunjeongjeon, the Third Inner Gate, is the Throne Hall, where the king granted audience to his officials, presided over large official functions and met foreign envoys.

Geunjeongjeon is the largest and most formal hall in Gyeongbokgung. The two-tier edifice stands on a high platform reached by stone steps. There is a spacious courtyard in front, where important events were held and corridors enclose it.

Sajeongjeon, 사정전 思政殿, is a building used as the main executive office by the king during the Joseon Dynasty.

Gangnyeongjeon 강녕전 康寧殿, is a building used as the king's main sleeping and living quarters.
Gyotaejeon Hall교태전 交泰殿, is a building used as the main sleeping and living quarters by the queen during the Joseon Dynasty.

Jagyeongjeon자경전 慈慶殿, is a building used as the main sleeping and living quarters by the late queen Sinjeongwanghu 신정왕후 神貞王后, the mother of King Heonjong.

Donggung - This compound was where the crown prince lived with the crown princess, while he was in training for his future ascension to the throne.


Gyeonghoeru Pavilion 경회루 慶會樓 The Royal Banquet Hall. This pavilion, built on the pond west of Gangnyeongjeon, was where the king threw feasts for foreign envoys or his court officials.


We walked onwards to the end of the palace and had several pictures taken at Hyangwonjeong Pavilion 향원정 香遠亭, a small, two-story hexagonal pavilion built around 1873 by order of King Gojong while Geoncheonggung residence was being built to the north of the Hyangwonjeong site. The pavilion was constructed on an artificial island on the lake named Hyangwonji 향원지 香遠池, and a bridge named Chwihyanggyo 취향교 醉香橋 connects it to the palace grounds.


Next, we walked to the Korean Folk Museum 국립민속박물관 國立民俗博物館. The museum was originally sited on Mount Namsan, but later moved to Gyeongbokgung in 1975. The museum has three exhibition halls which illustrate 'The History of the Korean People' from pre-historic times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910.


Exiting through a side gate, we walked along the outer wall of the palace southward to Insadong-gil, the main street of Insadong 인사동 仁寺洞. From ancient pottery and antiques to countless art galleries, visitors can find special gifts among the quaint stores in the multitude of alleys. There are also many restaurants, taverns and traditional teahouses here to ensure that shoppers stay refreshed. We entered one of the restaurants at the basement to have lunch, our first authentic Korean meal. We ordered a bulgogi, a grilled marinated beef dish with vegetables in a leaf wrapper. It was good and cost only 7,000won.


After our meal, we walked to Changdeokgung 창덕궁 昌德宮, one of the ‘Five Grand Palaces’ built in 1104 as a summer palace for the king of the Joseon Dynasty. Incidentally, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located east of Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung is also referred to as the East Palace, and was the favorite palace for many kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Its buildings blend harmoniously with the natural landscape and feature aspects from the Three Kingdoms period of Korea. After the visit, we walked to Anguk Station and rode the subway back to our hotel for a rest.
In the evening, we took a bus to Gwangwamun bus stop in downtown Seoul and walked to the famous tourist attraction, Cheonggyecheon Stream 청계천 淸溪川. It is a magnificent restoration of a natural water way, done up with fountains and waterfalls. Our starting point at the stream was Cheonggyecheon Square, near the Cheonggye Plaza. Located at the square is a huge colourful giant shell, which coincidently looks very much like our local “balitong” seashells. After walking a distance along the stream we decided to turn back. We crossed over to the other side of the stream, went up some stairs onto the road pavement above, walked a little more towards Jongnu and boarded a bus back to our hotel.


Day 3 – 26th May 2011(Thursday)
Today, we took the subway from Jongnu 5(0)ga - Jongnu 3ga - (Line 3) Seoul National University of Education Station - (Line 2) Gangnam Station. From Exit #6 of Gangnam Station, we walked onwards for about 500meters to a bus stop, where we boarded bus no 5002. After an hour, we arrived at Everland park. At the Sadang, Yongin bus stop, an Everland shuttle bus then took us inside. Everland 에버랜드is a huge amusement complex located in Yongin City, about 50 kilometers from Seoul. The park is home to over 40 heart-pounding rides and attractions. In addition to ‘Safari World’ featuring white tigers, tigers, lions and bears, ‘Herbivore Safari’ opened in April 2010, letting visitors get up close and personal with the safari’s giraffes, elephants, and ostriches.

We enjoyed the Safari so much that we went for a second ride. There were 20 lions and 20 bears in the enclosure, as well as many giraffes and other animals. We were able to have a close look at the lions as the bus moved slowly in the enclosure. Further along the trail, it was amazing to watch the huge, tall brown bears that were trained to walk upright next to the enclosed busses as they were being fed by the bus driver while he drove on slowly beside them.

Everland is also known for its gorgeous flower arrangements (the Four Seasons Garden) and its beautiful gardens (the Rose Garden), which have featured year-round displays since the Rose Festival in 1985.

We took the bus back to Gangnam Station, following the same route as we did in the morning, and were back at our hotel by around 5pm. In the evening after dinner, we took a casual walk to Dongdaemun.

Day 4 – 27th May 2011(Friday)This morning we took the subway to City Hall Station. Across the street from Seoul City Hall 서울특별시 청사 서울特別市 廳舍 and the Seoul Plaza Hotel is the Deoksugung 덕수궁德壽宮 (Palace). The entrance fee is 1,000won. At 11:00am we watched the ceremony for the changing of the palace guard at Deoksugung’s entrance gate. The ceremonial aspects for changing of the guard symbolize devotion to the monarch. The entire affair was awash with colour. The guards were all dressed in different coloured uniforms to represent different ranks or functions. They marched in formation and stamped their feet to the beat of the drums, and with their banners flowing in the wind. After the performance, we entered and explored the magnificent buildings inside the palace.

Exiting Deoksugung, we walked towards the direction of Westin Chosun Hotel. Few people know that Korea actually has its own “Temple of Heaven”, since it is not included in any official tourist maps, or otherwise appearing in only a few travel guidebooks. The Wongudan 圜丘壇 - Temple of Heaven is located at the left hand side of the 5-star Westin Chosun Hotel. The site is also known by its other names, such as Jecheondan 祭天壇 and Wondan 圜壇. It appears to be a smaller replica of the Chinese Temple of Heaven in Beijng. Here, the rite of heaven was performed during the Three Kingdoms period. During the Goryeo Dynasty, King Seongjong was the first of the Goryeo kings to perform the rite of heaven, designed to ensure a bountiful harvest. King Seongjong standardized the Wonguje rituals. During the later years of the Goryeo Dynasty, the practice was abolished. Incidentally, this was also the 11th pit stop of The Amazing Race, Season 17.


Next, we walked to the famous tourist shopping place at Myeongdong 명동 明洞. Myeongdong is probably the largest and best-known fashion shopping area here, with shops and restaurants littered along the pedestrian-only streets. We had a wonderful meal of fresh oyster porridge at 8,000won per bowl. It was so good that I would not hesitate to order this meal again should I have the opportunity to visit this place once more. Interestingly, we also saw two of our local food establishments setting up shop here in Myeongdong - The Roti Boy bakery and Bee Cheng Hiang 美珍香 bakkwa. We then visited the Cathedral Church of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, situated on a hill top in Myeongdong.

Next, we walked towards Myeongdong station until we reached the traffic intersection of Hoehyeon (between Myeongdong and Hoehyeon stations), turned left to cross the road, and headed towards the entrance of Namsan Tunnel #3. Near the entrance of the Namsan Tunnel #3, is a free 2 minutes inclined outdoor elevator ride – The Namsan Oreumi. This takes you up to the cable car station platform of Namsan Tower 서울타워. Most people do not know about this route, and most either take a bus ride up to cable car station or walk 20 minutes uphill from Myeongdong subway station at the foot of the mountain. Admission for the cable car ride is 6,000won one way, and 7,500won for a round trip. Namsan Tower is 236.7 metres high and because it stands on top of Mount Namsan, it rises to about 480 metres above sea level, thus allowing visitors to enjoy a great panoramic view of Seoul. We saw the five beacon towers that in the past were used as signal tower and observation spots to defend the city of Seoul.

As a demonstration of a Korean Folk Dance was about to start, we took our seats at the steps of a pavilion and observed the performance at the square below. Named Nongak 농악, or The Farmers' Dance, the Pungmul performers wear a variety of colourful costumes and a head-dress that has a long ribbon attached to it. Their dance is accompanied by drums, and as they move their heads, the ribbons spin and flip in intricate patterns. This dance was followed by a spear and swordplay show performed by Korean warriors.

Later, we rode the cable car back downhill, followed by the inclined elevator, and walked back to Myeongdong shopping district. We took a last look around the place and walked northwards, crossing the Cheonggyecheon Stream, until we reached Jongno Tower. Here, we stopped to take pictures of Bosingak.

Bosingak 普信閣 is a large bell pavilion located in Jongno in Seoul, South Korea. The bell in Bosingak gives Jongno its name, which literally means "bell street." It was originally constructed in 1396 but destroyed many times by both war and fire. It was designated Bosingak by Emperor Gojong in 1895.

During the Joseon Dynasty the bell was rung several times a day to announce the time, and to signal the opening and closing of the city gates. It was also used as a fire alarm. In modern times, the bell is rung only at midnight on New Year's Eve.

Having walked so far, we hopped onto a bus that took us to Jongnu 5(0)ga, returning to the hotel for a good rest and shower. In the evening, we had dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. We ordered crispy fried chicken, a spicy seafood noodle and 2 fresh orange juices, at a total bill of 38,000won.

Day 5 – 28th May 2011(Saturday)
Having visited most of the attractions in Seoul, the plan was for a more relaxing day and to spend some time shopping. We took the subway to Dongdaemun station 동대문 東大門, and shopped at two of the most famous shopping departmental stores, Doota and Migliore in Dongdaemun.

Upon getting back to our hotel, we picked up our luggage and took the subway from Jongnu 5(0)ga - Jongnu 3ga - (Line5) Gimpo Airport station - Incheon Internation Airport station.

At the airport, we had our T-Money cards’ unused balance refunded at the 7-Eleven store. We also had VAT Taxes refunded to us at Gate 28 upon showing our receipts of the items purchased earlier. We then boarded the Air Asia plane and departed Seoul at 11:10pm. The plane arrived at 4:50am in KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.

Air Asia fare for 2 (including tax, fees, meal, skybus) RM1,655.96
Lees Hotel, Seoul – 4 nights @RM182 per night RM728.00
Korean 510,000won (with balance return)
@1,000won to RM2.85 currency exchange RM1,453.50
Total: RM3,837.46

To contact me, email: aiklim51@gmail.com