SQ421

That would make you a week late for Japan Do

BigRedBears

Hi guys,
I'm thinking of taking KE 85 on Tue, Apr 18th (7:30pm departure). Do you think it is late enough to be able to do DMZ/JSA tour earlier in the day or is it too ambitious and I should do Wed, Apr 19th flight instead? Is there any plan of evening activities for Apr 18th in Seoul?

BigRedBears

Booked. Add me to the list!

nme7

KE85 flying to JFK? I think there will be enough time. While I have not yet finalized the tour operator for the DMZ tour, most tour groups get back to Seoul by 4pm. I am researching a tour group that will hopefully get us back earlier. That should be enough time to return to your hotel, retrieve any luggage you may have and then head off to the airport. Evening activities for the 18th will be the final dinner and optional night time tour/pub crawl.

davef139

I am pretty much in for this, barring basically getting a new job and it not working out at all. Been trying to play with flights. I am trying to fly into GMP from the US, looks like I need to go through Haneda or China?

pudgym29

There are so many Korean restaurants in Chicago... Miss Mia, the hostess of "Chic-A-Go-Go!", on which I have danced since the last century, is Korean.
I need to figure out an inexpensive way to get this leg in after the Japan Do.

nme7

I do not believe it is possible to fly into GMP from the US anymore. It used to be possible in the past, before ICN was built. But now almost all intl flights are through ICN. If you prefer to fly into GMP, then your choices would be Haneda, Beijing or Shanghai Hongqiao.

But if you want to fly to Korea direct from the US, then ICN is your airport. In terms of the difference, time-wise, between ICN and GMP is about 20-30 minutes more commute from Seoul. ICN is a much nicer airport also.

kirkwoodj

Booked at Conrad

davef139

Looking over it seems GMP no longer has a US connection, I am trying to fly into GMP for personal reasons, ideally on the 12th, but I don't think I can take that much time off. I actually have a Kimpo exit stamp, trying to get an entry. Looks like maybe ill try to make a Haneda connection, maybe with some others here.

krazykanuck

You do cash or points? Cash rates seem pretty reasonable vs the Hilton, but 60k/pts per night makes me go

I was also searching the Grand Hyatt Seoul which is 15k pts/nt that I would transfer from Chase. Another option.

kirkwoodj

Dolla dolla bill ya'll!

krazykanuck

Got my flights booked to/from the Japan Do.

4/16 OZ 101, NRT-ICN, arriving 3:10 pm
4/18 OZ 108, ICN-NRT, departing 6:50 pm

wysiwyg

This thread is a bit quiet recently, so I thought I'd revive it!

I am trying to find the best area to stay while in Seoul to be closer to most of the DO activities. For the Japan Do, it's easy, everything is centered around Shinjuku station but for Seoul, the recommended hotels are a little more spread out.

Is it best to stay around myeongdong or Dongdaemun or Gangnam? Looking at the Pullman Grand ambassador which appears decent. But if the majority stay in Gangnam, I might look there instead.

nme7

I am thinking most activities will be north of the Han river. The Pullman Grand Ambassador is an excellent hotel. Perhaps you might also consider staying at The Shilla Hotel. It is located nearby and although it is not well known outside of Korea, in my experience it is a 5 star hotel.

Gangnam has a good selection of excellent hotels and a bustling nightlife scene. The downside is taking the subway or taxi to activities north of the river might be challenging. It may involve multiple subway transfers or long rides in a taxi stuck in traffic.

Dongdaemun has a great hotel, the JW Marriott. It is fairly central in the city and has an excellent bar. JW Marriott is very close to the DDP, Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Although I am still trying to figure out what might be happening there mid-April 2017. Right across the street from the DDP is a great place for late night shopping, for those that are really suffering from jet lag.

Myeongdong has a lot of decent hotels, but not many luxury hotels. You will find a great selection of small boutique hotels. These have been getting very popular in the last few years. If you are adventurous I would recommend trying one out. A great way to save money and stay at a relatively new or recently renovated hotel. The downside is the area can get crazy with tourists.

wysiwyg

Thanks for the input.