Don't Waste the Weekend .com: Seoul in a Weekend

Insadong

Gyeongbok Palace

Bukchon Village

An Appetiser - Korea's Seoul in a Weekend

There are a great deal of things to see and experience in Seoul and it would take an extremely industrious person to do it all in one weekend - and let's face it, life tastes better when it isn't rushed.

The agenda below has been balanced to provide you with plenty of time to appreciate the scenery, history and culture... whilst also ticking things off some great Korean experiences off your Bucket List

Friday night

Get Naked - Stay at a Jim Jil Bang. When you finish work head into Seoul and spend the night in a JimJilbang (look for the Korean characters 찜질방). They are ubiquitous in Korea, especially in Seoul. And, you should not have a problem finding one. Ask a local 'Jim Jil Bang Odi-yae-yo? and they should point you in the right direction. Or, if you are short on time, jump in a taxi and ask to be taken to the nearest, taxi's in Korea are reasonably priced. It shouldn't cost you more than £3/$5.

What is a Jim Jil Bang?

· A general health and fitness building that usually has:

o Many sauna’s

o Multiple steam rooms

o Miscellaneous hot baths – some that have aroma’s, herbs or tea infused in them

o Mud baths

o Massage facilities

o A Micro cinema - TV room

o 'Masiseuseo' (delicious in Korean) food in a reasonably priced café/restaurant

o Sleeping facilities

Take advantage of all of the facilities and… do not worry about taking special clothing. Clothes for mixed sauna’s are provided and in the sex-segregated area’s you're expected to be naked. It’s great fun. You’ll see all shapes and sizes and most Koreans enjoy practising their English on you whilst sweating with you in the sauna. Sleep the night in a communal room (or private room if it is a swanky one, this may be extra though) and wake up the following morning feeling refreshed and in the centre of Seoul – ready for an adventure.

Saturday

A map for Saturday’s plan is pasted below the text.

· Head into Insadong (subway station: Jongno 3-ga. Lines: 1, 3, 5 – marked A on the map below) which is said to represent ‘the culture of the past and the present’. The district, originally 2 towns (in and sa….. dong means district) that were separated by a stream, became famous over 500 years ago for antique trading and is now recognised for its unique cafes, street performers and sprawling arts scene.

o There are numerous tourist information points, as well as tourist advisers (usually high school students wanting to practice their English) who don bright red coats with an ‘i’ on them. These generous people will happily explain the best attractions, assist you to get where you want to go and furnish you with a map of Seoul and the local area

o View one of the many art galleries, antique shops and traditional Korean style buildings in the area.
o Further your cultural experience with a quick peek at:

§ Unhyeongung – former Royal Korean residence
§ Jongyesa – a significant Korean Buddhist temple

o Indulge in a pot of Korean green tea from a traditional tea room (make sure to get some Korean rice cake with your tea!)

Fact: Starbucks are just about
everywhere nowadays. However, the
one in Insadong was not allowed to open
unless it abided by certain rules -
to maintain the area's traditional image.
This is why 'Starbucks' is written in
Hagul as opposed to English.

o Perhaps now would be a good time to get lunch. Do it Korean style – buy some street food from one of the multiple sellers on the street. If you’re feeling adventurous, try one of these foods: Dog Ain't That Crazy

Gyeongbuk Palace - Entrance Gates

· Take a slow walk to Gyungbukgung Palace (translates to the ‘Palace of Shining Happiness’). It is marked as B on the map below.

o You will be in the area of Gwanghamun so, get your camera’s out again… there are two giant statues of the great King Sejong and Admiral Lee Sun Sin (이순신) on your walk to the palace (marked ‘x’ and y’ on the map).

Sejong the Great

Sejong the Great (7^th May 1397 – 18^th May 1450: r. 1418 – 1450) was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea and is best remembered for creating the Korean alphabet (Hangul).

Admiral Lee Sun Sin

Admiral Lee Sun Sin 이순신 (28^th Apr 1545 – 16^th Dec 1598): was a Korean naval commander who is famous for his victories against the Japanese during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) in the Joseon Dynasty.

o The entrance fee is (as with all heritage sites in Korea) very low and there is also the benefit that high school children, who want to practice their English, will give you a free toured guide of the grounds, museum and even Folk museum. Some of these children are pretty nervous, so be a good gal/guy and give them plenty of encouragement and praise. If you’re a really nice person, buy them an ice cream after the tour to say thank you.

Korea in a nutshell -
a fusion between the traditional
and the ultra modern

o You might get lucky… there are often additional festivals and events run within the palace grounds, which are included in the entrance fee.

o Interesting facts:

A traditional Korean ceremony -
Changing of the Guard.

§ Originally constructed in 1394 by King Taejo (the first King and founder of the Joseon Dynasty)

§ The majority of the palace was burnt down in 1592 by Japanese invaders.

§ 1867 - The palace was reconstructed

§ 1895 – After the assassination of Empress Myeongseong by a Japanese agent, the Imperial family left and never returned to the palace.

§ The palace was nearly completely destroyed in the early 20^th century by …. You guessed it…. the Japanese.

Cheonggyecheon - the downtown stream

· Okay, it's getting dusk. So, head to the ‘Cheonggyecheon’ (marked ‘c’ on the map). This is a manmade crystal clear stream that runs through the downtown areas of Seoul. The walk is made impressive by the ingeniously designed lighting that follows the stream all the way, with the backdrop of Seoul’s business districts – which is also neon bright!

o If you see a restaurant on the way that looks interesting, stop and enjoy.

o You can cross the stream on a regular basis, sometimes by bridge but most commonly by jumping on rocks that form a passage over the water.

· On the evening, depending on your budget and how you feel , you can stay at one of the many:

stone crossing

o Hostels

o Hotels

o JimJilBangs (mentioned earlier)

o Pensions (similar to a Hostel but you will sleep on the floor of a communal room)

A = Insadong B = Gyeongbukgung (palace) C = the start of the Cheonggyecheon (stream)
X&Y = statues

Sunday

Bukchon village

· Wake bright and early

Find the nearest subway and head for Anguk Station (line 3)
Here you will find Bukchon Village, historically inhabited by Korea's aristocrats. Whilst strolling Seoul’s largest number of privately owned traditional homes it is easy to let your mind wonder to what old times must have been like. Don’t feel like you have to stick to the main area, there are plenty of alley ways that will lead you to areas of utter beauty.

Namsan Tower (Ntower)

· After losing yourself in the old times it is time to see some progress. Catch the metro to Chungmuro Station (lines 3 and 4), come out of exit 3 or 4 and walk towards N Tower (sometimes referred to as Namsan or Seoul tower). You can’t miss it.

o To get to the physical tower, which is located on the peak of Namsan (South Mountain,) you can either walk or take a cable car.

o N Tower is a communication and observation deck that offers epic panoramic views across Seoul, weather permitting.

o Facts:

§ Built in 1969, open to the public in 1980

§ 236.7 m in height (from base)

§ 479.7 m above sea level

o Depending on your budget, you can dine at: it's café, Grill, Korean style restaurant (which has a revolving floor) or tuck into a packed lunch whilst taking in the scenery that is Seoul.

· Head back to your area of residence.

· Work hard and live for the following weekend.

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4 comments:

queenjojo0211 August 2011 at 01:14
I am in Seoul for the weekend coming up so this has been great to find - thank you!
Rachel5 May 2012 at 00:36
heya im a korean girl and im surprised because it seems like you know seoul even better than i do! nice post :)
dontwastetheweekend.com6 May 2012 at 02:25
Is there anywhere that you can recommend Rachel?
kC28 February 2013 at 18:53
weekend in Seoul, coming up!

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