Seoul, South Korea Trip.. Help?

I would recommend going during spring. It is always nice when it's warm.

You can just search for hotels on expedia, but would you be interested in staying at a traditional house? There are many around Seoul that cater to foreigners. Usually, you are provided with meals as well. The traditional houses are called HanOk, but I cannot think of what these places are called right now.

Insa-dong is a good place to go to experience some traditional stuff in Seoul. It's basically a long street that has traditional cafes, shops and galleries. You might be able to find some traditional houses that I mentioned around this area.

Itaewon is a place next to the US military base. You will find a lot of foreigners around here. There are nightclubs, bars, stores, but I wouldn't really recommend going there. It's not really a good representation of Korea, and there are many shady areas in that neighborhood.

Gwangwhamun/Gyungbokgoong are palaces that you can go to. It's pretty much in the dead center of Seoul and I'd say it's a must go place for tourists. Near by, maybe about <mile walk, there is a man made river that runs through the city. There are a lot of lights and it's a great place to go at night.

Yidae/Leedae - This is an area next to Yiwha Women's college. There are MANY shops (clothes, accessories etc.) around there. It's not that expensive to shop around there. You can probably spend an entire day there shopping and eating. I would highly recommend going there.

Coex Mall - This is a large mall, with many shops and places to eat. There is also a movie theater. Many Korean go here to play.

Namsan - This is a mountain on the north side of the han river. There is a tower at the top with an observation deck. You can either walk up the mountain (kind of like a park with an park area at the top as well) or you can take a gondola from the middle of the mountain to the tower. You should go during the evening, as you can pretty much see all of Seoul from up there.

Everland- This is outside of Seoul. You will have to ride a shuttle bus (you need to find where the stops in Seoul are) to get there. Caribbean Bay (water park) is right next to it as well.

If you decide to stay at a hotel, I would recommend that you stay at a hotel on the North side of the river. Hotels should generally be cheaper. If you budget doesn't really matter, you can stay at the Hyatt or Hilton (North of han river at namsan), Sheraton (North east corner of Seoul), Marriott ( South of han river near the center), Lotte Hotel (Lottle World, South of Han river towards the east), Plaza or Choseon Hotel (Next to Gwanghwamoon and City Hall on the North side of the river). Of course there are many other options, but try and choose a place that has a subway station nearby, You should plan on taking the subway for transportation. It's is foreigner friendly, and all the broadcasts are in English as well. City bus is kind of hard to get a hang of. Taxi is not that expensive as well. There is a regular taxi (gray or white), deluxe taxi (black), and a International taxi (orange). The international cab drivers can speak basic English, but the fare is a bit more expensive. You should just take regular cabs. Cab fare should generally never be more than $10. But just keep in mind that Seoul is a VERY big city.

Other than housing, you should try and bring around $1000-2000 depending on how much you want to shop and if you want to eat a decent places. You can definitely experience Seoul with only $500, but it's nice to spoil yourself every once in a while.

Hope this helps a bit, and have FUN =)

Please act like normal tourists when you get here. I have seen one too many freak shows who come here and act like a pack of demented animals. And please learn basic korean before you come.

I'm thinking fall might be a better time to visit...right after the humid season ends it is really nice...September and October should be good.

For shopping, I recommend Myeongdong, Insadong and the underground shopping at Express Bus Terminal. I love all three of these places...Myeongdong as more American type stores, Insadong sells more traditional gifts and souvenirs, and there are lots of cheap clothing and accessories at EBT. Personally I would skip Coex Mall...but that's just my personal opinion...it's always packed so clearly other people like it! haha!

I think Gyeongbokgung is the nicest palace. There is also a traditional guard changing ceremony at Deoksugung that you might want to check out.

I had a lot of fun watching Nanta (you can see it in Myeongdong or Gangnam). You could also go see a b-boy show...I didn't see any of the shows but went to watch a championship held in the spring....and loved it!

ewwww