Putting SOUL on SEOUL - a proposed 4-day itinerary

My good friend and colleague Sunshine along with other officemates decides to visit KOREA - the land of  ahemm  GO JHUN PYO.. She was kind enough to give me her itinerary during their trip to KOREA.  The hotel was booked per the team's choice.  You may check www.bookings.com or www.hostels.com for more options.


Below are the detailed information on how they go around the country.


DAY 1:

APT to BANANA BACKPACKERS via AIRPORT LIMO # 6011

The best way to get to Banana Backpackers from Incheon International airport is:

1. Take bus number 6011 from bus stop 5B or 12A (70mins/9000KRW – 30AED one way)

2.  Get off at Anguk-Dong bus stop.

3.  Walk towads the SK station, turn right at the cornert, walk 100 meters to first stop light

4.  Cross the street and walk straight into the narrow street.  Walk 150M ahead past a big building (Shin-Wha Bldg) to your right side. 

5.  Turn right at the crossroads (end of that bldg) where you will see the Banana Backpagers yellow BANANA signboard.

·          Double room is 55,000KRW – 170AED | 85AED per pax ( 2 people /  night )

·          Double room is 65,000 KRW – 197AED | 66AED per pax ( 3 people /  night )]

ITIN AFTER ARRIVING IN ICN IN THE AFTERNOON (IF WE ARE ALREADY TIRED, WE CAN SKIP THIS AND MOVE THE TOUR TO NEXT DAY)

      PALACE TOURS (10000KRW - 30AED per pax | 4 PALACE TOURS + 1 SHRINE TOUR)

Part of the 2^nd Palace: The Secret Garden - Changdeokgung Palace’s rear garden

Changdeokgung’s rear garden was constructed during the reign of Taejong, and had served as a resting area for the royal family members. The garden was also called Bukwon and Geumwon, but after Kojong became king, he renamed it Biwon. The garden was kept as natural as possible and human hands were only used when absolutely necessary. Buyongjeong, Buyongji, Juhabru, Eosumun, Yeonghwadang, Bullomun, Aeryeonjeong, and Yeongyeongdang are some of the many pavilions and fountains that occupy the gardens. The most beautiful time to see the garden is during the fall when the autumn foliage is at its fullest peak and the leaves start to fall.

NIGHT 1

INSA-DONG TOUR / FOOD TRIP (MERIENDA AND DINNER AND DESSERT) / SHOPPING

Food Budget: Not more than 30AED per pax (depende na lang sa sikmura nyo. Hehehehehe... basta ako magdala ako ng KAPE - shine)

Shopping: THE SKY’S THE LIMIT BASTA KAYA NYO!

Streets of Traditional Culture in Insa-dong

Located only 10 minutes away from the Changdeokgung Palace, the streets of Insa-dong, well-known for its traditional culture, bustle with tourists day and night. Here visitors can find a great selection of traditional items and souvenir gifts at inexpensive prices. Also, many popular Korean restaurants nearby are highly recommended.

Cheonggyecheon Stream

After a good Korean meal in Insa-dong, head towards Cheonggyecheon Stream for an urban landscape tour. A mere 10- minute walk from Insa-dong, Cheonggyecheon Stream was where housewives of long ago gathered to do the laundry. In the early 70s, as part of rapid modernization and industrialization, Korean authorities had concrete roads built over the stream.
In 2005, however, the stream was restored, and has since become a leading tourist attraction. The area is especially beautiful in the evening.

INSADONG MAP

DAY 2:

1.

   1^st Palace: Gyeongbok Palace – (09:00-10:00) – 

A palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. Gyeongbokgung was continuously expanded during the reign of King Taejong and King Sejong the Great

How to go there:

Take the Line 3 Subway ANGUK station to Line 3 Subway GYEONGBOK station. Take Exit 5.

FARE: 900KRW – 5AED (ANGUK station to GYEONGBOK station)

FARE: 900KRW – 5AED (GYEONGBOK station to ANGUK station)

2.

   2^nd PALACE - Changdeokgung Palace  - (10:30-11:30)

A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, this is the only palace that has preserved Joseon Dynasty’s original royal architecture. the hidden treasure is surely the Secret Garden, an intimate Korean-style retreat located behind the palace.

Location: From Anguk Station, go out using Exit 3 (a 2-minute walk). 5 minutes walk from Banana Backpackers Hotel 



Sightseeing time: Approximately 1.5 hours

Reservation Info. for Foreigners : Tel +82-2-762-8262 (English),

                        3.      SEOUL CITY BUS TOUR – 10000KRW – 30AED per pax (12:00-21:00)

ITIN: Depart at Gwanghwamun →  Deoksugung →  National Museum of Korea →  Namsangol Hanok Village →  N Seoul Tower  

How to go there:

Take the Line 3 Subway ANGUK station to Line 5 Subway GWANGHWAMUN station.

Take Exit 6.

Hours of Operation

	Course	Hours of Operation	Departure Intervals	Duration
Single Decker	City Course	9:00~ 21:00 (Last bus 19:00)	30minutes	Approx. 2 hours
	Night Course	20:00	-	Approx. 1.5 hours
Double Decker Bus	Cheonggyecheon • Ancient Palaces Course	10:00～17:00	1 hour (No bus at 14:00)
	Night Course	20:00	-	Approx. 1.5 hours

• All the courses will depart from the Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Gwanghwamun.
• The buses do not run on Mondays.
• (However, if the Mondays are a holiday, then the buses will run during normal hours.)
• Buses will run every day during the summer season (From July 4 to August 15)
• The City Course will run every 20 minutes during the summer season (July 4 to August 15)

Depart from Gwanghwahmun to Deoksugung

a)      3^rd Palace: Deoksu Palace

           

     b)    Namdaemun Market 

    Located in the very center of Seoul, is the biggest traditional market in Ko

rea selling children's clothing, men & women's clothing, daily miscellaneous goods, kitchenware and local and imported products.

c)      The National Museum of Korea

  

    The National Museum of Korea holds a collection of approximately 150,000 pieces, including permanent collections of ancient artifacts, historical artifacts, works of art, donated pieces, and Asia-related cultural artifacts. Other facilities include a space to display various cultural installations, and a hall that serves as a children's hands-on learning and experience center. The garden outside the museum offers an outdoor exhibition of stone pagodas and a variety of stone relics.

     

      No admission fee is required for the permanent exhibits, the Children's Museum, and temporary exhibitions except special exhibitions that require separate tickets for admissions.

d)    N Seoul Tower

Cable Car : 6500KRW – 20 AED RT

N Seoul Tower, a landmark of Seoul

It is the best observatory space of Seoul where you can appreciate all the panoramic scenery of Seoul with cutting edge media display with various culture.

N Seoul Tower Observatory with the panoramic scenery of Seoul

“N Seoul Tower,” a center of Seoul, a symbol of Seoul, and the highest place where you can see all the most beautiful scenery of Seoul was established as a Korea’s first total electric wave tower to send TV and radio broadcasts in Seoul metropolitan area in 1969.

Sending and receiving antenna of KBS, MBC, SBS TV and PBC, TBS, CBS, BBS FM sending antenna are equipped at the electric wave tower of N Seoul tower, and 48% of the entire population of Koreawatch and listen to the broadcasts through the electric wave tower of N Seoul tower.

N Seoul Tower became a resting place of Seoul citizens and a sightseeing site for foreigners after it’s opening to the public in 1980.

You may experience new cultural arts with various media art in the mixture of “art of lights” of which colors and patters change every minute by the lighting of the newest LED technology.

N Restaurant | Inside Seoul Tower

Make a special day memory at high quality revolving restaurant with beautiful Seoul scenery, and enjoy a new freedom and romance at sky garden of observatory zone.

N*Grill

It is a quality revolving steak restaurant where you can enjoy menu of full course service with background of beautiful view and atmosphere of high class and exoticism.

Enjoy the very best original steak prepared by a world class chef while viewing Seoul at a glance with a revolving speed of 120 minutes per rotation. 

VIEW RADIUS:    [west] Sea of Incheon / [north] Gaeseong Songaksan

[east] Yangpyeong Yongmoonsan / [south] Namhansanseoung

Business Day: Open 365 days

Business Hours

            Lunch: 1100 – 1400

            Dinner: 1700 – 2300

            Wine Bar: 2100 – 2300

            Saturday, Sunday, Holidays: 1100 – 2300

FARE FROM N5 SEOUL TOWER TO CHUNGMURO SUBWAY STATION: 

500KRW USING THE YELLOW BUS LINE 2 – 10 AED

FARE FROM CHUNGMURO SUBWAY STATION TO ANGUK STATION: 900KRW – 10 AED

AND THEN WE SLEEP.... ZZZZZZZZ.....

DAY 3:

Experience Winter Sonata Tour 1 – Namiseon Island

To tour Namiseom Island, you have three options to choose from.  First, use a bicycle like the couples did in Winter Sonata.  Second, use a tour-taxi, or third, venture around the island on foot.  If you don’t have enough time, you can use the taxi to save time and to tour comfortably.  If you plan to have lunch at Namiseom Island, take as much time needed to tour the island. All you need is about 3-4 hours to see the entire island and what it has to offer.  Don’t rush through the tour.  Instead, take time to enjoy the scenic view and take pictures while posing like the Winter Sonata Characters as a remembrance of your trip.

Tour Taxi: Runs from 9AM – 6PM / Winter Sonata Course 30,000 won (4persons standard) / Approximately 30 minutes required for the tour.

Bicycle Rentals: 3,000 won per 1 bicycle (30 minutes), 5,000 won (60 minutes) 6,000 won per 1 tandem (30 minutes), 10,000 won  (60 minutes)

Namiseom Island Tour

From Cheongnyangni Train Station to Gapyeong Station (70mins/ 3500KRW - 20 AED). Then from there take the bus/taxi to ferry terminal (30mins/900 KRW – 10 AED per pax | 15mins/4000 KRW – 20 AED good for 4) to Namiseom Island (5mins / 8000KRW – 30 AED RT TKT).

0830AM Cheongnyangni Train Station

Get off at Cheongnyangni Station from subway line 1, and once outside you’ll see Cheongnyangni Train Station.  The Gyeongchunseon Line leaving from Cheongnyangni Station is usally filled with young people going on field trips or couple going on short trips.  You may witness people playing games or singing to guitar accompaniment during the train ride.  Breakfast can be taken care of on the train with light sandwiches or Gimbap purchased at the snack bar on the first floor of the train station.

Cheongnyangni ›››› Gapyeong (3,500 won) / Cheongnyangni ›››› Chuncheon (5,200 won)

Approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes from Cheongnyangni Station to Gapyeong Station

09:51 AM Gapyeong Train Staion

Taxi stand in line at the taxi queue in front of Gapyeong Train Station Plaza near the train station.  The bus to Gapyeong has long intervals; therefore you may need to wait quite a while to get a bus.  If you are travelling with at least one other person, it’s cheaper to just take a taxi.  By taxi, you can reach Namiseon Island for about a taxi fare of 3,500 won – 4,000 won. 

Tip Taxi: Grab a cap in front of Gapyeong Station (Cab fare is approximately 3,500 – 4,000 won and it takes about 5-10 minutes)

Bus – Fare 950 won [Namiseon Island – Gapyeong Bus Schedule]

From Namiseom Island: 07:50/10:10/11:50/13:40/14:10/15:40/16:10/17:10/19:30

From Bus Terminal; 07:40/10:00/11:40/13:30/14:00/15:30/16:30/17:00/19:20

Cross the street from Gapyeong Station and go straight in order to reach ?Gapyeong Bus Terminal – Take the 10:00AM bus to Namiseom Island – Approximately 10 minutes to destination.

10:10AM Namiseom Island

Before actually entering Namiseom Island, you first need to purchase tickets at the Ticket Center to take a ferry.  The ticket price includes both the island’s entrance fee and roundtrip ferry ride. The ferry to Namiseom Island starts to run at 07:30 AM and the last ferry leaves from the mainland at 9:30PM.  From Namiseom Island, the first ferry leaves at 07:35AM, and the last ferry to the mainland leaves at 09:50 PM.

TIP: [Namiseon Island Ferry Schedule]

Fare: 5,000 won to Namiseon Island: 07:30/08:00/08:40 – 18:00 (Every 15-20 minutes/ On  weekends and holidays, every 10-15 minutes) / 18:30/19:30/20:00/20:30/21:00/21:30

From Namiseom Island: 07:35/08:05/08:40-18:00 (Every 15-20 minutes / On weekends and holidays, every 10-15 minutes) /18:35/19:05/19:35/20:05/20:35/21:05/21:35

Purchase the ferry ticket at Namiseom Island Ticket Center – Approximately 5 minutes to destination.

From Namiseom Island to ferry terminal (5mins / 8000KRW – 30 AED RT TKT) to Gapyeong Station (30mins/900 KRW – 10 AED per pax | 15mins/4000 KRW – 20 AED good for 4) to Cheongnyangni Train (70mins/ 3500KRW - 20 AED).

DAY 4:

ICN – DXB: 16Aug/15:10 - 19:20 via EK6221 or 23:55 - 04:25+1 via EK323

ICN – MNL: 16Aug/ 08:20 – 11:10 via KE621 or 20:05 – 23:00 via KE623

SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED EXPENSES - The only constant amounts are the ones in bold.

·          Hotel: 85 AED per pax for 2 people/night - ttl of 255 AED | or 66 AED per pax for 3 people/night – ttl of 198 AED

·          Fare: 250 AED for the entire 3 days stay getting around via the itin planned

·          Activities: 50 AED

·          Food: 200 AED+ for the entire stay depending on your trip. (I’m bringing food and water with me! – shine)

·          Fare for DXBICNDXB: 505 AED RT ID90 w/ EK or 580+ taxes AED RT ID90 w/ KE to be issued on July 25 (Salary Deduction on next cut-off)

·          Fare for DXBICNMNL: 245 AED OW ID90 w/ EK + 220 AED OW ID90 w/ KE to be issued on July 25 (Salary Deduction on next cut-off) or 510 + taxes AED CT w/ KE

·          Fare for DXBICNFUK: 245 AED OW ID90 w/ EK + 120 AED OW ID90 w/ KE to be issued on July 25 (Salary Deduction on next cut-off) or 410 + taxed AED CT w/ KE

·          Total if 3 or 6 pax will travel – 698 AED + ticket

·          Total if 2 pax or 4 pax will travel – 755 AED + ticket

Budget is a little under 600 AED per pax if all of us are going on this trip. Hope you’ll reaaaaaally think about it and decide to go. 2010 trip friends!!! COME ON! ^____^ AN-NYUNG-HA-SE-YO KOREA!!!

Miss M