chibisakana

I'm planning on spending 9 days in Korea in a couple of weeks but am worried it's too long to spend in Seoul (and surrounding). I'm spending the first two days with a friend who lives about two hours north and then traveling to Seoul with her for three days following. As I'll be on my own after that and have four remaining days (flight isn't due out of ICN until evening), I'm wondering if it would make sense to take a trip to Fukuoka or Osaka. I've been reading Busan is a nice city but, perhaps in winter, it's not the best time to see the sights especially if a lot of what's there is reiterated in Seoul.

Can anyone offer advice on Japan, or other!, short trips in or around Korea for a single person?

SirJman

Don't bother going to Japan. The flights are rarely cheap enough to warrant the short trip.

You could always look into flying down to Jeju for a couple days if you want to get away from the Korean mainland.

fpmurphy

Your friend lives 2 hours north of Seoul? So you plan to visit North Korea? Skip Japan. Plenty of stuff to do in Seoul for 8 days. You could also do an overnight trip to Busan.

mikesaidyes

Fukuoka is boring. Osaka is great. Look into Jeju Air, Jin Air, Estar, Tway for budget options. Oh and also Peach. Peach is probably the cheapest. If you go on weekdays, you can get round trip for 130. Otherwise, someone like Korean Air or a legacy carrier will run you 400+.

That being said, there are MANY great places in Korea. Try Gyeongju for a little cultural history and quaint, small town bike riding. You could also go to the DMZ for a day (like 8-3).

There's a town just outside of Seoul, Chuncheon that has a cool little island to explore, some nature, etc. There's another town, Yangsuri that has a nice lake and bike trails to tear up for the day.

PM me for anything you want to know!

flipstah

Go to Busan or Jeju Island!

BuildingMyBento

Actually, how is the public transit in Jeju? I might be interested in visiting too.

nme7

I say go to Japan! Spend a few days in Tokyo or elsewhere. Try visiting the hot springs in Fukuoka or visit the fish market Tsukiji in Tokyo. Why not take the KTX down to Busan, then take a ferry over to Fukuoka? Or fly to Tokyo, take the bullet train to other cities?

How about Shanghai? It is a short flight from ICN. You could even fly out from GMP as well. You might need a visa before however.

I say maximize your time while you are here. After a few days in Seoul, you won't get much more out of it, especially if your local friend shows you around.

Gradfly

When I was there a few years back, the most popular mode of transit was by rental car or scooter. I'd say almost everyone not on a package/bus tour gets a rental. My friends who did public transit would not recommend it. Coverage and frequency were spotty according to them. Renting a car there is pretty cheap. I think the only issues would be actually booking the car and proof of license. While you can book when you get there, I had a Korean coworker book ahead since he knew of deals/discounts. My trip there was a family trip, so I had my dad get an international driving permit and they had no problem with that. Unless things have changed, I'd suggest getting a rental.

BuildingMyBento

Thanks for your reply, Gradfly!

Except for the fauna and flora - both on and off of a dinner plate - I don't have much interest in the island. Did you visit the...African Art Museum? What did you like about Cheju?

ksandness

Fukuoka is not all that interesting unless you go to some of the nearby historic sites like Dazaifu, and even that isn't so meaningful unless you know something of Japanese history and religion.

I would suggest buying a guidebook for Korea and figuring out what interests you. I was there last summer for five days, with a day in Busan, a day in Gyeongju, and three days in Seoul.

I could have spent more time in Gyeongju, since I had the mistaken impression that all the sites were pretty close together. They aren't. Instead, they're spread out over a large area accessible only by bus or rented vehicle. As such, I focused on Bulguksa, on of the most famous temples in Korea, and the very long bus ride to get there gave me a good overview of the area, which is a lake resort region as well as the capital of the former kingdom of Shilla.

chibisakana

Ha! She's in Dongducheon... upon further research I guess it's about an hour and a half north. =P

chibisakana

Gyeongju looks great. Are the buses there generally navigable for someone who knows basically no Korean? That's reassuring to hear it's more of a multi day trip. When I'd looked into going there before I also had the impression the sites were near each other. It sounds as if Busan + Gyeongju might be the way to go to knock out a couple of days in Korea. I would really like to get a sense of the whole country and not just Seoul. Chuncheon also seems like another great option! Does anyone know if Nam-i Island is worth a look?

I've spent considerable time in Tokyo so I was looking to Fukuoka as a kind of gateway to the Kurokawa onsen area but it must be high season for those as I had a lot of trouble finding vacancies.

Sincere thanks for the replies!

HawaiiO

Gyeongju is great for korean traditional culture.
Many historical sites there.

Busan plus Gyeongju and Seoul will easily take up 8 days or so.

Andong is also quite nice, u can stay at a rural traditional korean hanok.

Gradfly

We saw a lot of different places. From the top of my head we went to:

• Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
• Seongsan Ilchubong (Sunrise Peak)
• "All In House" (My aunt really wanted to go here. Bonus points if you know why, lol.)
• Mini World
• Teddy Bear Museum
• Hallasan (Mt. Halla - just drove by though)
• Submarine tour at Seogwipo (There are other operators in the island.)

The trip was mostly for my family and for the fact that I had lived in Korea for three years already and had not visited. We went around spring, which I think is the best time. For me the best things I liked were the scenery (especially at Sunrise Peak), the submarine tour, and the seafood. One of the best grilled spanish mackerel I had was at Jeju. Look for places serving 삼치구이 (Samchi gui) if you're interested.

aztimm

TDC or Tongduchon is actually about 2 hours (or more) from Seoul by subway, possibly more by car/bus (depending on traffic). I was stationed there when I was in the Army some time ago (the subway then ended at Ouijongbu and we had to change to a train). A daytrip to Seoul is doable but makes for a long day.

As for other excursions from Seoul, I concur with others who mentioned Pusan, Kyongju, Chejudo, etc.
The beach (I think it is Haeyundae?) in Pusan is very relaxing year-round for a stroll.

You might also enjoy a day to the Min Sok Chon folk village:
http://www.seoulkoreaasia.com/book/2...tractions.html
I've been twice (a few years apart), and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.

As noted, the DMZ tour might also be worthwhile. The USO version is supposed to be the best (I think that's the version I did, while still in the Army there).


There is a hydrofoil that makes the Pusan-Fukuoka crossing, this site has more info:
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/...K_EN_2_3_1.jsp

I found Fukuoaka rather interesting. The beach in Karatsu was fun, and I really enjoyed Kagoshima (all of those are on Kyushu).
If you want to go a little further, Hiroshima isn't too far by bullet train, but it is a very sobering experience. Of course you can go further up Hokkaido to Osaka, Kyoto, Fuji, and of course Tokyo.