SEOUL SEARCHING in May: 5-Days South Korea Itinerary and Travel Guide

At last, after more than a month, I found some time to start my Seoul Searching Series. Time has not been my blog’s friend this past month. I’m sorry. Honestly, this trip was booked three months before the travel dates. I remembered how my mother woke me up at midnight on a weekday because Cebu Pacific has a seat sale.

We were able to buy a roundtrip ticket in the middle of May for 8,000 PHP per person. The month of May in South Korea is the end of spring and almost the start of summer. Personally, it’s not a good month to travel to Seoul if you’re from the Philippines because there’s nothing special unlike the cherry blossom in March, autumn foliage in October and snow in December.

SOUTH KOREA VISA APPLICATION AS A PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEE

READ SOUTH KOREA TOURIST VISA: A DETAILED VISA APPLICATION GUIDE FOR FILIPINO TOURISTS

I went to Seoul with my family, so we applied for a family tourist visa one month before our travel dates. My parents have their respective businesses, hence their higher chance of being approved, and that goes with my student siblings as well, for they are still dependents. That leaves me, the family member from the corporate world. The problem was I was still on a probationary status in my job.

Reli Tours asked three things from me: ITR, certificate of employment, and bank statement for three months. Reli advised having more than 50,000 to 100,000 PHP show money, but obviously, I don’t have that for I just started working for less than six months. My mother transferred 50,000 PHP on my account, closing my show money to around 85,000 PHP.

Just to be more sure, Reli asked for an affidavit of support from my parents for me. I also have an expired Chinese visa and passport stamps from HongKong and Singapore that Reli said were plus points for me. Luckily, I was approved. Seoul Searching, here we come!

SEOUL SEARCHING ITINERARY

DAY 1 (SATURDAY)

10:00 PM – Arrival to Incheon International Airport

Cebu Pacific only had this flight to South Korea. Airport Express (AREX) was already close to we have no choice but to take the limousine bus (6702) to Dongdaemun. It costs 16,000 KRW (~ 600 PHP) per person.

11:00 PM – Check-in to Summit Hotel Dongdaemun

Summit Hotel Seoul was a great 4-stars hotel walking distance from the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. It was lovely, and the two rooms cost 27,000 pesos for four nights. I just felt like we spent too much on accommodation when we were usually outside (7 AM – 11 PM).

If you’re in a budget, there are numerous hostels and guesthouses around Myeongdong, Seoul Station, and Jongno area. A Filipino family we met in Nami Island ensured us that they’re clean and pleasant.

11:30 PM – Dinner at a convenience store nearby

DAY 2 (SUNDAY)

08:00 AM – Breakfast at a convenience store

Korean stores opened late so you’ll end up eating breakfast in convenience stores.

09:00 AM – Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden Tour

Changdeokgung Palace is the second to the famous palace in Seoul. We decided to see the Secret garden (Huwon) as well, which costs us 8,000 Korean won. If you just want to see the palace, the entrance fee is only 5,000 Korean won. The garden is pretty but the best time to see it will be during spring and autumn.

If you’re with seniors and kids, the long-secret garden tour might tire them.

12:00 PM – Lunch at Mcdonalds near Anguk Station

1:00 PM – Gyengbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the main palace in Seoul. Since we went on a Sunday, there were tons of tourists. We should have visited this palace first than Changdeokgung. The entrance fee is 3,000 Korean won.

READ 2 PALACES IN SEOUL IN 1 DAY: HOW TIRING IT IS TO TOUR BOTH GYEONGBOKGUNG AND CHANGDEOKGUNG PALACE IN A DAY

4:30 PM – One Mount Summit

My mom suggested One Mount Summit for it is one of the destinations of group tours that she asked. She thought it was worth the visit but honestly, you can skip this one if you’re not into skating. You can opt for Lotte World half day instead.

READ ONE MOUNT SEOUL: IS THE SNOW PARK EXPERIENCE WORTH IT?

08:30 PM – Roam around Dongdaemun

We roamed around Dongdaemun and went to a 5-story fashion mall that I went crazy for. If you’re into clothes, this place is the right shopping area for you. The price is not that cheap, but the quality is superb. We also searched for some restaurants around, and we always end up ordering spicy food. 🙁

DAY 3 (MONDAY)

07:00 AM – On the way to Nami Island

We didn’t purchase a KTX, so we left early for the commute to the Gapyeong region via the local trains took almost two hours.

09:00 AM – Nami Island

Nami Island is one of the major attractions in South Korea that you shouldn’t miss on your first time. It is the filming spot of Endless Love: Winter Sonata, and it said to be the most gorgeous during the winter when it is covered in snow. The beautifully aligned trees are the primary scenic spot here that changes every season. The entrance fee costs 13,000 Korean won, so it’s better to make the most out of it by staying half-day.

READ SEOUL SEARCHING: NAMI ISLAND SPRING EDITION EXPERIENCE

12:30 PM – Dak Galbi Lunch

In Nami Wharf, there are numerous restaurants you can eat, and the most famous dish here is the Dak Galbi. It was my first time eating it, and it was the best lunch I had in the whole trip.

3:30 PM – Petite France

Another tourist attraction in Gapyeong is Petite France, which is a French village park. It is famous for its colorful houses that are museums, cafes, or restaurants. If you’re into Instagram, this place is screaming of gorgeous backdrops.

READ SEOUL SEARCHING: THE INSTAGRAM HEAVEN OF PETITE FRANCE

8:00 PM – Early lights out

It was a tiring day, so we just had some street food take-out for dinner and rested early.

Day 4 (Tuesday)

07:30 AM – Breakfast in Mcdonalds Gangnam

08:15 AM – Ride bus to Everland

We rode Bus #5002 in Gangnam Station that costs 2,500 Korean won. The bus ride took almost an hour straight to Everland.

09:30 AM – Everland

We spent the whole day in this theme park, so we purchased the 56,000 Korean won One-day ticket. Everland is enormous, and we didn’t manage to experience all the attractions, but we were able to try the must-not-missed wooden rollercoaster T-Express. We lined up here for four hours, wasting all our time in the afternoon. If you want to maximize your time here, I advised you to ride the T-Express first early in the morning.

READ EVERLAND THEME PARK: IS ONE DAY ENOUGH ON SOUTH KOREA’S LARGEST THEME PARK?

10:00 PM – Late dinner in Gangnam

DAY 5 (WEDNESDAY)

07:30 AM – Bukchon Hanok Village

On our last day, we started early to cross out two attractions before our 7 PM flight. We had a quick walk in the traditional village of Bukchon Hanok near the palaces. We were there too early that we felt like we owned the streets.

READ BUKCHON HANOK: A QUICK WALK TO THIS TRADITIONAL VILLAGE IN THE HEART OF SEOUL

09:30 AM – Namsan Tower Cable Car

A cable ride to Namsan Tower costs 8,500 Korean won roundtrip. The cable car terminal was a long walk from Myeongdong subway station.

09:40 AM – Namsan Tower

We ended our Seoul Searching Tour on top of Namsan Mountain, which was famous for being the most romantic spot in Seoul. We didn’t go up the observation floor of the tower for the view already on foot was gorgeous.

READ LAST DAY IN SEOUL: LOVELOCKS & CITY VIEW IN NAMSAN TOWER

11:30 PM – Namdaemun Market / Myeongdong Shopping Street

Last pasalubong shopping.

03:00 PM – Train ride to the airport