Seoul: Day 1 - Arrival
March 27 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Ciara briefly mentioned to me last year that she'd love to go to South Korea to see some K-pop. I thought about it and didn't need any excuse not to visit another country. Kevin and Caroline had both visited South Korea while on their way to Japan in 2019 and raved about it which was a good recommendation.
We flew to Munich first before an eleven hour flight to Seoul. It had been a while since I was on an overnight flight and it's strange when trying to manage when to eat but also to try and get as much sleep as possible. It was very foggy when we landed in Seoul. We could barely see the country until right at the end when the plane touched the ground. We were glad to be on solid ground and ready to move again after the long flight.
It took us a while to get through the airport and get our bearings in the new country. Once we got through security and collected our bags we tried to take some cash out from the ATM. In our tired state we couldn't figure out why our cards wouldn't work until we realised that we had to press "foreign card" as yes we were using a foreign bank card. With relief we took our money ready for our adventures.
I was warned before going on this trip that Koreans love to queue. I had pre-ordered a sim card to collect in Seoul airport on arrival. We had to take a ticket first with a number on it and then stand in another queue waiting to be called. Once our number was called then you could go up to the counter and speak to the worker. Anyway within seconds they had my sim card changed and updated so we can't fault their effectiveness even if it involves multiple queues.
We headed to the airport train and bought our T-cards, which is sort of like South Korea's Leap Card, from a vending machine. I couldn't figure out why mine was 1,000 wan (50c) more expensive than Ciara's until I opened the card and found stickers included. Worth every extra penny!!
The express train was fully booked so we got the All-Stop train into the city. We used Naver Maps instead of Google maps to figure out how to get around and it was very handy. Eventually we got to our hostel at 14:40. It felt like a long day of non-stop moving since departing Dublin airport so we were looking forward to lying down for a while. However when we arrived at the hostel check in wasn't until 3pm and they wouldn't let us check in until exactly 3pm.
We were wrecked tired and disappointed not to be able to relax just yet but we decided to wander around the area we were staying in. We found a huge Olive Young which is like Boots and is a famous pharmacy for Korean skincare. We wandered in but the shop was that big Ciara and myself lost each other as we wandered around the four levels of skincare products. Eventually we found each other and we're relieved to see it was after 3pm to be able to check in. We stayed in a private room in OYO Hostel, Myeongdong area and we're delighted to have a power nap and shower.
Once feeling slightly refreshed we went for dinner Not knowing what type of food we'd be eating we thought that it would be easiest to have Korean BBQ in a restaurant close-by.
The restaurant had single tables all facing the wall with a gas fire in front of us you. I chose the pork and beef combination and Ciara chose the chicken option. We ordered using individual ipads at each table and within minutes the food arrived On the tray of food there was raw meat that you placed on the fire to cook along with kimchi, cabbage, soya sauce and some broth. It was an interesting experience as you got to cook your meat to the level that you wanted but the fire got quite hot and smoky at times. Ciara ordered soju drink as she saw lots of people drinking it online. She thought it was a beer but the waiter arrived with two shot glasses. Instantly I knew it was a spirit. We had a sip and it instantly reminded us of college days drinking vodka. It was worth trying but the drink was well wasted on us.
After dinner we walked in a random direction exploring the city. We came across three small temples that we explored. After a bit of exploring our energy dropped so we stopped in a Starbucks to drink a hot chocolate to refuel us enough to be able to get back to our hostel. It was lovely sitting down looking out at the pedestrian crossing before heading back for a well needed deep sleep.Read more
Seoul: Day 2 - Palaces
March 28 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
On our first full day in Seoul we decided to explore the city's palaces. We started in Gyeongbokgung Palace and wandered around the palace exploring rooms that held major state ceremonies and official royal business. It was a huge site with buildings that were kept so well. Most of the buildings were made from wood and had beautiful painted roof designs.
While on our way to Changdeokgung Palace we walked through Bukchon Hanok village which had narrow streets and old Korean style homes.
When we arrived at Changdeokgung Palace we bought our ticket and were told that an English speaking walking tour was starting in ten minutes. Our guide told us that the Palace was built during the Joseon Dynasty in 1405 as the royal residence but was destroyed during the Japanese war in 1592. It was then rebuilt in 1610 and continued to be used until 1910. We learned that the signs on the top of the Temples are in the Chinese language. This is because Chinese was used as a universal language among asian countries for communication similar to the use of Latin in ancient times. It was a very interesting tour as it was great hearing the history and some stories about previous kings and queens from Korean history.
The Changdeokgung Palace has a secret garden but the tickets were sold out so our guide recommended walking around Changgyeonggung Palace instead as it has a garden which is a third of the secret garden. The grounds were lovely with a pond and plenty of cherry-blossom trees.
The final cultural moment we visited on our first day was Jogyesa Temple which had beautiful colourful lanterns hanging outside the temple and a giant Budda inside the temple. There was a ceremony taking place in the temple so we were not allowed to stay inside however the lanterns were very pretty to look at so we were happy to walk around outside. There was also a large drum that if you hit three times you could make a wish, of course we had to wait in the queue for our turn to make our wishes.
On the way back to our hostel we came across the Cheonggyecheon stream which is 10km long with a walkway alongside it. We sat down by the stream for a while before walking parts of it as the sun set. After a shower and rest back at the hostel, we went for a hotpot dinner in a local restaurant. This time we were able to sit opposite each other. This hot pot was like a rice dish with salmon and vegetables on top that you mixed together. I really enjoyed it and thought that it was very favoursome. As it was Saturday we said we'd go for a cocktail on a rooftop bar, thankfully there was an inside area as we realised the night had turned pretty chilly. We got some random Korean specialized cocktails but neither of us were convinced by their flavours.Read more
Seoul: Day 3 - Cooking class
March 29 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
The following morning we went back to Gyeongbokgung Palace but this time to watch the Changing of the Guard. There were about 20 guards dressed in colorful historical military uniform, some playing music others holding flags and they walked in a procession changing duties. It was interesting watching them and seeing their colorful outfits although Ciara reviewed it as "good to see" so I'm not sure how impressed she was.
Afterwards we went to a cooking class in Hansik Korean cooking class. Our chef was Jennifer who demonstrated how to make different Korean dishes. We copied her afterwards learning to roll a Gimbap rice roll (similar to sushi), Tteobokki (Korean rice cakes), Seafood Pajeon (seafood pancake) and Budae Jjigae (Korean army stew). I'm not going to lie we enjoyed doing a different activity and learning how to cook Korean food however we didn't enjoy eating the food too much so I don't think we will be making these recipes when we get home.
We rested in the hostel for the afternoon before heading to the Gangnam area which is in the south of the city. We walked around Seokchon Lake which had loads of cherry blossom trees and some pink lanterns. It was so pretty watching the sun set and the lights from the lanterns illuminating the beautiful trees. We sat and people watched for ages as it was a busy lake for locals to walk around.
We decided that we needed to eat a different type of food after all the Korean food this morning so we found an Italian restaurant close to the lake. Often it is not advisable to eat Western food in Asia however there was locals in the restaurant so we felt that it may be a safe option. It didn't disappoint we had some delicious fresh pasta and lasagna. It is handy traveling with Ciara as we seem to have similar tastes, this means we can order to dishes and share them getting a chance to try two different options.
After dinner we got the bus to Starfield Library. The highlight of the bus was at the bus stop as the bench was heated, we could have stayed waiting on the bus for ages. Starfield Library is a strange library as it is in the middle of a shopping center. There are shelves of books all along the wall of the shopping center and then tables were people can sit and read their books. It seems a very useful place for a library although I'm not sure how quite the library would be.
Outside the shopping center was a statue of Gangnam style dance move. Ciara tried to reinact the dance bringing us back to college days.Read more
Busan: Day 4 - Gwangan
March 30 in South Korea ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
Today we took the train from Suseo Station in Seoul down to Busan, a vibrant city on the southeast coast of South Korea.
Busan is huge — something we quickly realised when, after arriving, we still had an hour-long bus journey to reach our hotel. It felt like we had already travelled so far, but the city just kept going!
Thankfully, when we finally arrived, the hotel let us check in early. As soon as we walked into our room, any tiredness faded — we were greeted with a beautiful view overlooking Gwangalli Beach. Seeing the ocean stretch out in front of us instantly made the journey worth it.
For lunch, we headed to Millac The Market, a renovated warehouse-style space filled with food stalls. One of the highlights was the huge glass window that looked straight out over the beach, making it a perfect spot to sit and eat while taking in the view.
Unfortunately, the weather began to turn and rain was on its way, so we decided to take it easy and treat the rest of the day as a bit of a rest day.
We spent some time walking along Gwangalli Beach before settling into a cozy café by the water, watching the rain fall over the sea — one of those unexpectedly peaceful travel moments.
On our way back to the hotel, the rain cleared just in time for us to catch the light show on Gwangan Bridge. The bridge lit up in changing colours, reflecting beautifully on the water — a short but memorable five-minute show that runs every hour in the evening.
We ended the day back at the hotel, happy to relax, watch a movie, and enjoy the sparkling night views of Busan from our window.Read more
Day 5: Busan - Luge
March 31 in South Korea ⋅ 🌬 15 °C
This morning, we were ready to explore Busan properly as the rain had finally stopped. We took the bus up the north coast to the Osiria area of Busan, where we visited Skyline Luge. It’s a park where you ride a small wheeled cart, called a luge, down a winding downhill track.
We purchased five luge rides, which included a free set of gloves and a heat pack. Once we collected our helmets, we took the cable car up to the top of the mountain. It was a scenic ride, with beautiful views of the sea, although it was a bit chilly with the wind—we quickly understood why the heat packs were included!
At the top, we got a quick “this is how you brake, good luck” style training session, and then we were off. There were two tracks to choose from, and for the next hour we basically lived out our Formula 1 dreams—if Formula 1 drivers were in tiny plastic carts. I was shocked at how fast the luges actually went, and obviously became extremely competitive, making it my personal mission to beat Ciara every single time (results may vary depending on who you ask).
Afterward, we took the bus back to Songjeong Beach for some lunch before boarding the Haeundae Blue Line Train. The train has seats facing the sea, offering great views along the coastline. We stopped at the Skywalk, a walkway extending out over the sea, with sections of clear glass allowing you to look straight down at the water below. Ciara was not a fan of walking over the glass in case it broke!
We then walked along the trail to a second skywalk before getting back on the train and continuing to Mipo.
In Mipo, we visited X the Sky, a very tall building with an observation deck on the 100th floor. We walked around, taking in the incredible views of Busan below, and then enjoyed a hot chocolate in what’s known as the highest Starbucks in the world, located on the 98th floor. While in South Korea, we noticed there seemed to be a Starbucks on nearly every corner. Ciara later found out that South Korea has the third-highest number of Starbucks cafés, after the United States and China. Before leaving we found the most scenic toilet view in the world as there was full length clear glass view of Busan below.
We then walked along Haeundae Beach and listened to buskers performing at designated spots. After sitting for a while to rest and enjoy a drink in the sun, we made our way back to the hotel. We ended up walking 26,000 steps and were very relieved to get back and relax.
By the evening, we were a bit fed up with Korean food, so we had a Mexican dinner on Gwangalli Beach while watching the Gwangan Bridge light show once again.Read more
Day 6: Busan - Peace gardens
April 1 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
We woke up feeling pretty tired this morning after a busy day yesterday, but we had plans we didn’t want to miss — a bus tour exploring the southern side of Busan.
To get started, we hopped on a local bus to Busan Station. The bus was decorated with little teddy bears hanging from the handles, gently swaying as we drove along. It was both amusing and oddly charming. We’d already noticed how much South Koreans seem to love their teddies, often attaching them to their bags, but seeing them take over an entire bus was definitely a first!
From there, we took a city bus heading toward the sky observation point along the Jeolyeong Coastal Trail, making our way toward Taejongdae. The trail stretches about 3.7 km along the coastline, and while we expected a scenic walk, we hadn’t quite prepared for the constant hills and endless steps winding up and down the rugged cliffs. It was beautiful, but definitely more of a workout than we anticipated!
By the time we reached Taejongdae, we were more than ready for a break. We happily grabbed a coffee and a cup of fresh strawberries. Exactly what we needed after the long walk.
Later, we visited the Peace Garden which connects into the UN Memorial Cemetery. The site commemorates the soldiers who fought for South Korea during the Korean War. It was a quiet, reflective place and a meaningful contrast to the earlier part of our day. There were lots of juniper trees and a lovely stream with water gently running through it.
After all that walking, we headed back to our hotel for a nap and a rest but this wasn't where the day ended. To make sure we got enough steps in we walked to a street that had lots of cherry blossom trees. It was stunning as the trees were in full bloom. Definitely worth the extra steps.Read more
Day 7: Seoul - Han River
April 2 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Today we returned to Seoul for our final few days in South Korea. We took the high-speed train to Suseo Station and then dropped our bags at our new hostel, OYO Dongdaemun. We found a local shopping centre and had some lovely Thai food in the food court.
On our way out, we spotted a skin analysis kiosk in Olive Young. Ciara had seen these analyses all over social media, where you can find out within a few seconds what skin type you have and which products are recommended for you. A friendly staff lady came over and helped us use the device. You hold a hand-held camera up to your cheek, where it takes three pictures of your skin. It then gives results on pigmentation, wrinkles, sebum levels, sensitivity, pores, and moisture. It was interesting to see the results, but it basically told me I have normal Irish sensitive skin and advised me to continue wearing sunscreen. We had some fun comparing our results and scans.
In the evening, we headed to the Han River for a stroll along the riverfront. There was a beautiful sunset over the water. We sat on a swing, watching people go by, amazed by all of the staged Korean engagement photoshoots happening around us. After dinner overlooking the Han River, we watched the famous light show at Banpo Bridge. Streams of water shoot out over the water in sync to music and lit up with a colour display. It was a very cool end to our wonderful evening.Read more
Day 8: Seoul - Nami Island
April 3 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Today we went on a day trip with the group Tour Story to Nami Island. We were picked up from Namsan Bus Station and headed straight to our first stop: Gangchon Rail Park. This used to be an old countryside train track, but it’s now been transformed into a rail bike course. We hopped onto our rail bikes and cycled along the tracks, passing through four themed tunnels along the way. Each one was completely different—there were colorful flower lights, bubbles, a glowing moon display, and finally a full-on rave tunnel with music and flashing lights. We couldn’t stop laughing as we cycled through the last one, pretending we were at a rave at 10am!
After finishing the rail bike course, we boarded a scenic train with huge windows. It was a relaxing ride along the Han River, and we enjoyed taking in the views before heading back to the tour bus.
Next stop was lunch near Nami Island. Our guide David, recommended fried Korean chicken and fried rice, which we cooked ourselves at the table, BBQ-style. It was a fun experience, though if I’m being honest, we’re starting to be a bit tired of Korean food at this point in the trip!
After lunch, we took a short boat ride across the Han River to Nami Island. This island is located in Han river and is famous for its tree lined avenues and walking trails. We had a couple of hours to explore at our own pace, wandering along the peaceful paths and soaking up the scenery.
Our final stop of the day was the Garden of Morning Calm. This garden was beautiful, filled with colourful tulips and a peaceful pond where we sat for a while, listening to birds and soft piano music. It was the perfect way to wind down after such an active day.
Overall, the highlight of the tour was definitely the rail biking—it was such a unique and unexpectedly fun experience!Read more
Day 9: Seoul - DMZ Tour
April 4 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Today we headed on a tour to visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with PLK Tours. On the way to the DMZ area our tour guide Simba, explained the history of Korea to us. She explained how Korea was freed from Japanese rule in 1945, following the end of World War II, however by 1948, Korea had been divided into two separate states: North Korea and South Korea.
In 1950, the Korean war began and North Korea invaded the South, capturing Seoul within three days. The majority of the country was under North Korea control, apart from the Busan region, within a month. In response the USA gathered support from 23 countries to help defend South Korea. They attacked from the west coast at Incheon, near Seoul, and pushed the North Koreans back. The South Koreans nearly took back full control of the whole country until China entered the war forcing the South Koreans back again. Eventually in 1953 a ceasefire was agreed and the current division line set at the DMZ.
We visited the Imjingak Peace Park, on the outskirts of the DMZ, that had a train with thousands of bullet holes in it, a statue dedicated to woman who were sexually assaulted during the war and the place where South Koreans gather during Korean Thanksgiving to pray for loved ones who are still stuck in North Korea.
One of the best parts of the tour was meeting a North Korean lady who escaped the North and shared her story with us. She explained that herself and her husband traded North Korean antiques with the Chinese but was arrested and imprisoned for a year in 1990s, during which they were tortured. Her husband died after seven months but once released from prison she made the decision to escape to the south. With the help of Chinese traders, she fled through China, then traveled across Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand before finally reaching South Korea.
She explained that on arrival the South Koreans welcome any North Korean person. They get three months education on arrival learning how to use a bus, how to use a credit card and opening a bank account. They also get free housing, an opportunity to work and a Korean passport.
It was interesting learning about life in North Korea. Growing up in North Korea she was told that Japan, USA and South Korea were the enemies and she did not know about Europe until she reached South Korea. Food is scarce, with most people eating rice and vegetables, as animals are used for working rather than as food. They have entertainment such as K-pop and K-dramas however they are mainly focused on Kim Jong-un and how great the country is. Anyone who leaves North Korea is regarded as dead but she was able to contact her son through the Chinese traders and eventually got her son out of the country too. When asked if anything was better in the North, she replied that the air is cleaner.
Afterward, we passed through a checkpoint where South Korean checked our passports and finally we were in the DMZ zone. We then explored the Third Infiltration Tunnel which was a tunnel dug by North Korea in attempt to enter South Korea. South Koreans discovered the tunnel just before they reached the invasion. We walked down a steep narrow passage wearing hard hats and crouching to avoid hitting our heads. It was crazy to think that this tunnel lies 170 metres from the North Korean border.
Our last stop was the Dora Observatory building. We got the opportunity to look through binoculars and see into North Korea and the city of Kaesong. We spotted people working in fields, soliders at an outpost, a group that appeared to be marching in formation, and even someone cycling along a road. It felt strange to watch normal life happening in North Korea wondering will the border ever be open for free passage of travel.
Overall, this was an incredible tour and we were delighted to learn so much about the DMZ and North Korean life.
When we got back to the city we relaxed by the Cheonggyecheon stream for a while as the sun started to set and we enjoyed time people watching. After some dinner we hiked part of the Seoul City Wall Trail which gave some beautiful views of the city's nightlight and ended our night having a lovely glass of wine reflecting on a wonderful holiday. We concluded that it was a brilliant adventure with plenty of highlights and well worth the thousands of daily steps. We hope to be back at some stage in the future and would definitely recommend others visit the wonderful county too.Read more
