Budget Seoul Trip Itinerary - 7 days 6 Nights

Seoul was the first North Asia city that I visited. With the hype of Korean drama especially about the royal Korean food at that time, it is a interesting and wise destination choice. Seoul has a fascinating mix of old and new. Around the city, there are many old palaces which you can explore and I indeed spent 2.5 days just to visit all 4 major palaces in Seoul. You can purchase combination ticket with entrance to all 5 main attractions at just 10,000 Won (USD9.00). Seoul also have modern skyscrapers, mega human made river park, world's largest corporations and efficient subway systems. There are many districts which suits one interest to visit. From fashionable and young Apgujeong district to traditional and old Gwanghwamun district.


Get a T-Card if you stay a week in Seoul and plan to fully utilize their subway systems. Over the years, T-Card has integrated into many restaurant and shops around Seoul. So it can be use as cash card as well. Using T-Card provide you with convenience and you will also get discount of 100 Won on each subway ride. Seoul has become a success model in creating a cashless society.

Clean and spacious airport express train.

Changing of guards in Gyeongbokgung palace.

World famous Cheonggyecheon stream. Successful model of urban renewal.

Autumn foliage in Gyeongbokgung palace.

Busy shopping street of Myeongdong.

Cute teddy bears in Teddy Bear museum at Namsan Tower.

Seoul olympic park. They hosted the 1988 olympic games.

Trick eye museum nearby Hongik University.

Rainbow bridge fountain at Banpo Hangang Park.

Day	Morning	Afternoon	Evening	Night
Day 1 (Fri)	1. Arrival from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul via Malaysia Airlines on Boeing 777 flight. The journey takes approximately 7.5 hours. 2. Purchase T-Card from 7-Eleven located at Incheon Airport. 3. Check in at Kimchi Hongdae hostel near Hongik University Station.	1. Having eel bento set lunch at O Bento	1. Visit Gyeongbokgung the largest palace in Seoul. 2. Visit Cheonggyecheon the best model of urbal renewal. Great park to visit.	1. Dinner near Dongdaemun station. Good vegetarian bibimbap and cheap. 2. Explore around Dongdaemun area. 3. Explore Myeongdong shopping street. Many fashionable boutiques and street food stalls are available. Large crowd at night.
Day 2 (Sat)	1. Having bread as breakfast purchased from bakery from the night before. 2. Visit UNESCO world heritage palace of Changdeokgung. Historic palace with private garden.	1. Drinking shikhye drink (Korean rice fermented drink) 2. Having vegetarian bibimbap as lunch.	1. Visit Korean traditional old houses. 2. Took bus. Heading to Namsan Tower. 3. Visit teddy bear museum which is just located at ground floor of Namsan Tower. Take the combination ticket of Namsan Tower and teddy bear museum for extra savings.	1. Visit Itaewon and have handmade noodles kalguksu as dinner.
Day 3 (Sun)	1. Visit Deoksu palace for guarding changing ceremony and to view the westernized feature of the palace.	1. Visiting Jongmyo shrine and took their walking tour. You can't walk alone in Jongmyo shrine. Do follow the time of your preferred language tour. 2. Having pork chop as lunch	1. Heading to Samgakji subway station to visit The Korea War Memorial. This is the world largest war memorial with many actual planes and war ships on display.	1. Visit shopping area of Dongdaemun. 2. Chicken ginseng soup dinner at Dongdaemun
Day 4 (Mon)	1. Autumn colours view at Seoul Olympic Park	1. Yeouido Hangang park visit. You are able to view the colourful flowers in the park and the 63 building which is among the tallest building in Seoul.		1. Beef soup dinner near Seoul station. 2. Visit Seoul station Lotte Mart. This is a large Lotte Mart. 3. Night view of Cheonggyecheon river stream. 4. Late night supper of traditional Korean delicacy of haemul pajeon and makgeolli.
Day 5 (Tue)	1. Unique Trick Eye museum in Hongik University area.	1. Tried the banana milk drink. 2. National Museum of Korea visit. Many ceramics on display.		1. Visit COEX shopping mall. I don't recommend to visit this shopping mall as product are mostly high end. 2. Dinner of bibimbap at COEX Mall. 3. Check out the media poles at Gangnam area.
Day 6 (Wed)	1. Spicy pork stew breakfast.	1. Visit antique street of Insadong.	1. Visit Namdaemun market. Snacking at Namdaemun market.	1. heading to dongguk station to view Rainbow bridge fountain. This musical water fountain performance only available during autumn. 2. Tried Tteokbokki during supper.
Day 7 (Thur)	1. Going back home from Incheon airport to Kuala Lumpur via Malaysia Airlines flight.

Mukbang - Paying to watch pretty girls and handsome guys eating @ Seoul

There is now a latest online trend happening in South Korea. How do you fancy eating your dinner in front of a webcam and let thousands of people watching? If they like they way you eat, the audience may pay you money by receiving stars which you can then convert it to cash. The popular channel who broadcast eating may get a few hundred dollars a night and its a craze now in South Korea. The food phenomenon is called mukbang meaning Korean word for eating (muk) and broadcasting (bang). If you are in South Korea, you may watch mukbang from Afreeca TV which is a social networking site that host many of mukbang channels. The channel allows users to buy and send virtual star balloons which can be monetized after Afreeca TV takes a 30-40% commission. The payment by viewers is voluntary and the channels can be viewed for free. Some broadcaster even invest in good camera and microphone so that the viewer can see clearly and hear the sound of full crunch and slurp while eating.

The reason why mukbang gaining such a huge popularity in South Korea is the rise of one person households in Korea. The loneliness and excessive dieting to look slim also encourage people to view such video/broadcast for self satisfaction. Huge percentage of Koreans are on smartphones with easy access to TV streaming capabilities and many are on Seoul subway network during dinner time also contribute for such popularity of mukbang.


The Diva - famous due to pretty looks, slim body and good appetite for good food.

She is like partying alone in front of camera.

Guy eating in front of camera with access to Afreeca TV network.

This is how the mukbang setup look like behind the scene.

Traditional old houses of Bukchon Hanok village in Seoul

Bukchon Hanok Village is home to hundreds of traditional houses called 'hanok' that date back to the Joseon Dynasty. Today, many of these hanoks operate as cultural centers, guesthouses, restaurants and tea houses, providing an opportunity to experience, learn and immerse in Korean traditional culture. Some hanok owners are offering home stay experiences, well worth a visit if you have chance to stay one or two nights.


Traditional hanok.

Example of renovated hanok. The entrance lane is small.

Main door of one of the houses.

Korean delicacy at 2,000 Won each pack.

Small garden in front of hanok.


Small shops around the Bukchon Hanok village.

GPS/Coordinate: 37.582220, 126.982151
Address: Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Public transport: Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2.
Go straight for about 300m to arrive at Bukchon Hanok Village.

Namdaemun Market @ Seoul

Namdaemun Market is the largest street market in Seoul. You can get cheaper stuff here compared to other places in Seoul. There are many variety of items here and the price of some items may differ from shop to shop. I would recommend to buy your souvenir here and there are a lot of choices here and the price is reasonable. This is also a place for you to saviour Korean street food from seafood, pork knuckles, snacks and Korean dessert. Do come here during early afternoon or late evening. You can buy most Korean items here such as Korean cookware and souvenirs. You able to purchase the black clay bowl that all shops used to serve bibimbap here. This type of clay bowl able to maintain its heat at longer period. The side alleys are great places to eat local food and most menus are in English. The street food is fantastic and I recommend going in the evening if you want to see more unique foods although it can get quite crowded.


Stalls selling underwear and clothing.

You can get cheaper souvenir in Namdaemun market compared to other markets in Seoul.

Dried food such as squid and anchovies.

Plastic items and gloves also available.


Having vegetable pork bun.


Vegetable pancakes.

Street food - fried fish fillet.

Crowded with shoppers during late evening.

Preserved vegetables and food. There are one item which is very smelly here (bottom left) but I don't know what it is.

Souvenirs. Plates, pictures, chopsticks, mask, beauty products and much more...

This shop basically just selling all the photos and pictures of famous Korean actors and singers.

Key chains, letter opener and mirrors.

Nice dolls in Korean costume.

Variety of seaweed to choose from.

Abundance of selection of winter clothing and leather jackets available in Namdaemun market. These items however are unbranded.



Pork knuckles. It looks good but I don't have chance to try it as I don't know that they also serve single portion. According to my friend who went to the same shop, she said the pork is good and worth to try.

This is the stall selling pork knuckles.

If you like seafood. Sit down and order your favourite dish.

Another street seafood stall. You may get your soju alcoholic drink here as well.

Variety of Korean street food. Mostly are seafood.

Fish Cakes: This is a great snack. Fish cakes are cooked in a rich broth. After eating two or three, you are full. Plus, the broth that is served with the cakes is nice. Price range between 500 Won to 1000 Won per cake.

Variety of fried stuff and Tteokbokki.

Just pick which screwer that you want.

GPS/Coordinate: 37.558303, 126.977190
Public transport: Hoehyeon station (Subway line 4) exit 5.

War Memorial of Korea @ Seoul

The War Memorial of Korea were once the headquarters of the Korean infantry. This memorial is the largest war memorial in the world. There are 8 main exhibits in the War Memorial. The visitors can learn all about the Korean's war history by visiting the war history exhibit. You may also witness how the Korean military developed over the years. Different kinds of weapons and military equipment are exhibited as well. The larger equipment were displayed outside the building. Many of the documents such as files and artifacts of the war are preserved in the storage room in the memorial. This memorial gives an excellent insight on the history and current state of affairs in Korea. There are nationalistic propaganda here and there but it's a reminder of the suffering and brutality of war and what many had to endure. Inspiring of what South Korea had been thru and able to develop in fast pace in to a modern society and dominates the world in term of technology, cultural and economy.

This is an excellent museum to visit if you like military things and like to learn about Korean history. Entry is free. The memorial gave me a new perspective on who were all involved in the original conflict and also the fact that the war is not actually over yet and its actually on a long cease fire! Outside the memorial is great if you like planes and war ships.


Welcome to War Memorial of Korea.


Flags of the countries who supported South Korea during the Korean war.

The names of soldiers who killed during the Korean war.

Corridor with many war paintings.

Overlooking war memorial lobby from second floor.

The model shows how the Korean survive during the war. They built underground passage leading to their hideout.

Large barrack in front of the entrance to the war memorial.

South Korea appreciates the help provided from the countries during the war.


Memorial plaque for UN forces fallen in the Korean war.

The Korean government also educate their citizen on the precaution and steps to take incase of nuclear attack. Wow, this is very advance and forward thinking. The leaflet also educate on how to minimize the radiation exposure.

Military uniform.

French military uniform.

England military uniform.

Cannons used during war time.

Old Korean military uniform.

Korean traditional drum.

Korean royal/kings.


War memorial during sunset. Large space in front of the memorial.

War planes.

Military tank.

War ship with many bullet holes.

Walking distance from Samgakji Seoul subway station.

GPS/Coordinate: 37.533755, 126.980448
Address: 1-8, Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-021, South Korea
Public transport: Samgakji Station (Seoul Subway Line 6), Exit 1, 11 or 12. You may also stop at Namyeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 1), Exit 1.