Trip to South Korea
ユン・ソンイ
5 months ago
I went to Korea for 7 days and 5 nights.
I stayed for five nights at a place called HOMES Stay Myeongdong, right near Chungmuro Station, which is the next stop after Myeongdong. It was super convenient because it was directly connected to Exits 6 and 5 of the station.
Myeongdong, the main sightseeing area, was only a 10-minute walk away, so I ended up going to Myeongdong so many times.
Day 1
I arrived at the hotel around 3pm, then headed to Myeongdong before 4pm to exchange money. I ate porridge at a famous spot, then checked out the renovated Olive Young, the 12-story Daiso, and various clothing stores and small brands. I even bought two outerwear pieces and two tops. After going back to the hotel, I took a shower, went to a convenience store, bought rice balls and ice cream, ate them as a late-night snack, and that wrapped up Day 1.
Day 2
We went to Onion in the morning. We got there a little after 8, and there was no line at all. Not all the bread was out yet, but there were lots of pastries that looked delicious. I had a pistachio bread, and my friend had a chocolate scone, it was so good. While we were eating, it started getting crowded, and by the time we left, there was a line.
Next, we went to The Hyundai Seoul, bought nothing, then headed to GOTO MALL at Express Bus Terminal Station. GOTO MALL had so many shops that it was hard to see everything. I bought three pieces of clothing there. At the far end of GOTO MALL, there were a few places to eat, so we ate at a place called Kimgane. I had kimchi cheese fried rice and chicken cheese gimbap. I planned to eat it all myself, but the portions were huge, so I shared with my friend. Even then, it was still a lot, so they gave me a takeout container and I brought the rest back. It was really delicious, and I want to try other menu items next time.
At night, we went to Gangnam. We got off at Sinnonhyeon Station and walked toward Gangnam Station, stopping by different shops along the way. For dinner, we went to a burger place called Five Guys. Since it’s an overseas chain, ordering was kind of confusing, and it was so loud inside, plus they brought me something different from what I ordered, which was a bit of a letdown. But it was still really tasty. We shared a regular-size fries, and it was insanely huge. I think the smallest size is more than enough.
Nearby there was a trendy photo studio called don'tlxxkup that takes photos from above, so we went to take pictures. The first one was with my friend, and the second one I took solo. It turned out super cute.
From Gangnam Station, we took the train to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station, and from midnight at 12am we went to Dongdaemun to shop at places like Mask Shop and Nyunyu. I was tired by then, so I only bought a few things. Since it was late at night, there were no trains on the way back, so we took the bus. I’d heard lots of bad stories about Korean buses, like rough driving, getting passed by even when you try to ride, or getting yelled at, so I was a little nervous, but none of that happened. It was easy to get on and ride.
Day 3
We changed into school uniforms at Ewha Uniform and went to Lotte World. There were so many people that we didn’t go on any rides at all. This day was below freezing, and since I was wearing the uniform with bare legs, whenever we went outside my nose would run and I couldn’t stop shivering, lol. For dinner, we ate yangnyeom chicken and original chicken at BBQ Chicken. Personally, I preferred the original chicken, it was so good. I was exhausted that day, so I didn’t have a late-night snack.
Day 4
We were tired, so we changed our planned schedule and woke up later. For breakfast, we ate Isaac Toast, then we wore hanbok and went to Gyeongbokgung Palace and the hanok village, taking lots of pictures. We rented our hanbok at Oneulharu Hanbok. There wasn’t a huge selection, but the staff were so kind. For customers who booked, hairstyling was free, so they did it for us at no charge. It was really cold that day and it was snowing.
After that, we went to Hongdae. In Hongdae, we didn’t really shop much and mostly just walked around. Next time, I want to research more before I go.
For dinner, we ate samgyeopsal in Myeongdong at a place called Hwanggeum Mokjang Myeongdong Branch. It was so delicious that the meat disappeared in no time. We also ordered jjigae, which really warmed us up. For a late-night snack, we bought sweets at a convenience store. I got a bread filled with tons of fresh cream.
Day 5
We went to Gwangjang Market and ate bindaetteok and the famous kwabaegi. There was a long line for kwabaegi, but the turnover was really fast and we could buy it in about 15 to 20 minutes. Besides kwabaegi, we also ate a roasted sweet potato donut. It was chewy and so delicious, I want to go again.
Next, we went to Seongsu and visited Martin Kim and some stylish cafes. We tried going to a famous salt bread bakery, but it was too crowded so we gave up. Next time I definitely want to try again.
We also went over toward Gangnam and bought the most popular scented perfume at TAMBURINS. We took a break at another stylish cafe, and since there was also don't lxxkup, which we went to on Day 2, we took photos again. I wanted to eat gopchang for dinner, but it was more expensive than I expected, so I gave up.
We went to a clothing store called TOMATO that we couldn’t make it to on Day 2. I planned to buy clothes as souvenirs for my family, and I ended up staying there for over an hour, lol.
For dinner, I went back to Myeongdong and ate alone at Myeongdong Kyoja, I had kalguksu and dumplings. It was way too much for one person, so I took the dumplings to go.
After eating, I met up with my friend and we went to Olive Young and Daiso again to buy souvenirs. Olive Young was having a sale, so it was a lot cheaper than Day 2, I felt like I’d wasted money. Since it was on sale, I ended up buying a ton. At Daiso, I heard they have snacks that are cheaper than supermarkets, so I bought lots of snacks as the main items.
Day 6
In the morning, I went to a place in Myeongdong called Vands Clinic for beauty treatments. I got Potenza, InMode FX, and fat-dissolving injections. You pay during the consultation, so after the treatment was done I could just leave right away without doing anything else. It finished in under two hours. I’m excited to see the results.
Since I ended up with more time than expected, I went to Lotte Department Store and checked out Star Avenue. There were handprints from Stray Kids and aespa, so I lined my hand up with them. I was surprised that my hand was bigger than my favorite member’s, lol. I also tried to go to a place called HiKR Ground, but it wasn’t open, so I left.
After that, I went back to the hotel, picked up my luggage, then went to Lotte Mart at Seoul Station and bought tons of souvenirs. My suitcase was insanely heavy, and getting to Lotte Mart was a real struggle.
For dinner, I ate beef and seaweed soup at Seoul Station, I think? There was also a famous donut shop, so I ate that too.
My flight was early in the morning, so I arrived at Incheon Airport in the 11pm hour and spent the night at the airport.
The itinerary I planned was really intense, so there were a lot of places I couldn’t make it to. If you’re planning a trip, I recommend leaving extra time and not packing your schedule too full. Also, doing your research is important, so make sure to look up the places you want to visit.
Also, I recommend traveling with a friend who has similar tastes to you. If you don’t match at all, it can get awkward...
This was my long-awaited Korea trip, so I had an amazing time. I hope my route can be helpful as a reference for everyone.
