Day-off ni Inday: Cheap South Korea Itinerary

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Anyoung South Korea!

Ticking off South Korea from my travel bucket list was one of the best accomplishment I made in 2016.

It was not all "easy breezy" but it was totally worth it. Let me share our South Korea adventure to you.

This documentation is divided in four parts.

1. Booking a cheap flight (to follow)

2. Applying for Korean Visa

3. 6 days and 5 nights itinerary and budget (below)
4. FYIs

Here's our 6D5N itinerary and budget of our South Korea trip.

Day 1

Trick Eye Museum + Ice Museum + Carnival Street
Mapa-go streets

Day 2

The War Memorial of Korea
South Korea National Museum
N Seoul Tower
Myeondong streets

Day 3

Gyeongbokgung Palace
Bukchon Hanok Village
Jogyesa Temple
Cheonggyecheon Stream

Day 4

Nami Island
The Garden of Morning Calm

Day 5

Everland
Myeongdong streets

Day 6

Departure

Expenses:

Accommodation - 55,000 won

Day 1
T-money card - 4,000 won
Top up - 10,000 won
Lunch at GS25 - 3,000 won
Trick Eye Museum + Ice Museum + Carnival Street - 15,000 won
Colline Bingsu - 16,000 won for 3 pax - 5,334 won/pax
Dinner at Ministop - 850 won

Day 2
Lunch - 8,000 won
Cable Car - 8,500 won
Ice cream - 2,000 won
Potato on Stick - 3,000 won

Day 3
Top up - 10,000 won
Lunch - 9,000 won
Banana Milk - 1,300 won
Hanbok - 14,000
Dinner - 4,000 won

Day 4
Itx to Gapyeong - 4,800 won
Breakfast - 1,500 won
Nami Island - 8,000 won
Bike Rental 3,000 won
Lunch - 10,000 won
Bus - 6,000 won
Itx - 4,800 won
Dinner - 850 won

Day 5
Lunch - 3,000 won
Top up - 5,000 won
Bus - 6,000 won
Dinner 13,600 won

Day 6
Top-up - 4,000 won
Breakfast - 10,000 won

Total Expenses: 224,534 won (exclusive of airfare, souvenirs and pasalubong)
Conversion - (1 won = Php 0.40)
In Peso - Php 8,981.36

Kindly note that we reached Everland but decided not to push through since most of the attractions and rides were closed due to the weather condition.

Friday, July 1, 2016

Anyoung South Korea - FYI

indaygala July 01, 2016 Backpacking South Korea , Cheap South Korea Itinerary 0 Comments

Here are some FYIs and Tips while taking a tour to South Korea.

- If you need info re: South Korea, this site is highly recommended. http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/ Oh! The site has apps available in Playstore.

- Korea is one hour ahead of Philippines.

- Conversion rate: 1 won = Php 0.40

- In my case, I found a good deal of 1 won = Php 0.40 in a Forex Outlet near Clark. Otherwise, you can have your money converted in airports. Myeongdong streets also have lots of Forex outlets. You just have to be patient in looking for a good deal. :)

- Consider the season on your date of visit as your choice of clothes will depend on the season.

- South Korea has four seasons: spring (March to May), summer (June to September), autumn (September to November) and winter (December to March).

- Book for your accommodation ahead of your arrival date. There are many accommodation that
won't require payment until you have actually checked-in. In our case, we used booking.com

- Choose an accommodation near subway stations. This would save you leg pains from walking and money for hiring a cab.

- Secure a copy of the Korea Subway Map (in English). I got mine for free in Incheon airport. The map saved our whole trip. You won't be lost with it!

- If you have internet data, use google maps for directions to places that you want to visit.

- Make sure you know the correct exit number for subway stations. There could be 6 exits in one station and each exit will lead to a different side of the street.

- If you got friends who visited South Korea, they could have kept their Top-up card. To save some money, you might want to borrow it and return it after your travel.

- When shopping, don't forget to bring your passport. Stores offer immediate tax refunds to foreigners who present their passport. But in case you forgot to bring your passport, just keep the receipts and have it refunded at the airport.

- Foods in South Korea can be pricey. If you are on a budget, convenience stores offer good meals at a low price. :)

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop a question in the comment section below. Will be glad to share our experiences in our South Korea trip. :)