Must- See Places In South Korea!

Just like all typical countries across the globe, each have their own best sites to visit. Today, Korea (South Korea) is known and is a big hit not only in the Philippines but also in other Asian countries, e.g. Thailand and Vietnam, we could also consider some Americans who patronize the productions of the said country; thus, creates a lot of people who dream to visit Korea. Here we have the list of the top most searched attractions made by the country's tourism organization (Korea Tourism Organization) to help travelers to easily decide the places worth going for, and are definitely exciting and fun to visit. The list of attractions can be planned as a three-day tour, hence we'll be giving travel tips for each destination, so keep reading! No.1 Gyeongbokgung Palace

also known as Gyoengbok Palace was the main royal palace and the major domicile (legal residence) of the royal family during the Joseon Dynasty, a Korean kingdom founded by Yi Seonggye that lasted 500 years. It is a beautiful example of Korean architecture, although it was rebuilt. The grounds are vast, so it won't be a problem having other people in your pictures. The standard entry is 3,000₩, free if you wear a hanbok (traditional korean dress) so you'll likely see a lot of people running around them, but that's not the highlight of the tour. Don't forget to visit Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, which was used as the venue for royal banquets in the past. The whole tour takes approximately 40 minutes. Just so you know, the tour does not operate in winter (November-March). ADDRESS: 161 Sajik-ro, Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea OPERATING HOURS: Monday, Wednesday-Friday 9:00 - 18:30 *Closed in Tuesdays/November-March ADMISSION: Adult 3,000 won, Teenager and Children 1,500 won *Free if you wear a Hanbok WEBSITE: www.royalpalace.go.kr (Korean, English)

No. 2 NAMISEOM ISLAND

Namiseom or Namisum Island is found in Chuncheon, South Korea; described as a tiny half-moon shaped island formed as it is covered with flood by the rising water of North Han River as a aftereffect from the construction of Cheongpyeong Dam in 1944. Namiseom island is known for its beautiful tree lined roads. The island is 553,560 square yards filled with chestnut trees and poplar trees throughout the area. The unique feature of the island is doesn't have telephone poles, because all the electrical wires were built underground so the visitors would have a clear feeling of the nature's landscape. It is so peaceful and calming that the visitors are lost from the charms of the isle; during autumn when the whole island change color is just magnificent. If you want to get away from the highly commercial Seoul and looking for an open space, this is the place for you. Don't miss the Metasequoia Lane and Ginkgo Tree Lane, which are frequently featured in most korean dramas and movies. And if you're a self-proclaimed photographer, you could easily get a wonderful shot from the views. ADDRESS: 1, Namiseom-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do ♧ Namiseom Island is accessible via ferry from Namiseom Dock OPERATING HOURS (Namiseom Ferry): 07:30-21:40 ADMISSION: Adults 10,000 won, Teenagers (Middle∙High school) 8,000 won, Children (Age 3 – Elementary school) 4,000 won ♧ International tourists can receive discounted fee of 8,000 won. ♧ Admission includes round-trip ferry ticket.

WEBSITE: namisum.com (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

No. 3 N SEOUL TOWER

N Seoul Tower or officially known as YTN Seoul Tower is located atop of Namsam Mountain in the center of Seoul. It was originally intended to serve as a communications tower for TV stations, yet it was open up to the public in 1980. This 237-metre-high tower offers a panoramic view of the metropolis. In the evening, the N Seoul Tower lights up with different colours – an iconic landmark of the city. Not only is it famous because of the view, but also the restaurants, a café, and souvenir shops it features surrounding the tower. So if you'd like to drink coffee while looking at a gorgeous view, here you are! Another interesting fact about the tower is the light isn't randomly changing, the color alterations of the tower is according to the amount of dust it detects. Blue indicates the air is clear yet has minimal dust, green indicates an average amount of dust, and red light indicates an excessive amount of dust in the atmosphere. ADDRESS: 105, Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul OPERATING HOURS (Observatory): Sunday-Friday 10:00-23:00, Saturday 10:00-24:00 ADMISSION (Observatory): Adults 10,000 won, Children 8,000 won ♧Adult fare applies from age 13, and child fare applies to ages 3-12. Children under 3 years of age enter free of charge WEBSITE: www.nseoultower.com (Korean, English)

No. 4 BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE

The Bukchon Haanok Village is a Korean traditional village which reflects the long history of Seoul, from Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, the village is 600 years old in the making. It features hanok or Korean traditional houses dating back to the Joseon Dynasty. Bukchon means “northern village.” The residential village has an old-fashioned, unusual appearance which is appealing, is located in the north of Cheonggyecheon Stream and between two royal palaces, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace. Bukchon Hanok Village is a private neighbourhood which there are people who actually live there, thus it is important for tourists or visitors to respect the townsmen by not shouting or making loud noises. ADDRESS: 37, Gyedong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

WEBSITE: bukchon.seoul.go.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

No. 5 LOTTE WORLD

If you love theme parks with lots of exhilarating rides, you'd also love Lotte World! Other than the thrilling rides there's an ice rink and different kinds of parades with cute mascots, folk museum, and so much more. Lotte World has two divisions; a world themed indoor area (Lotte World Adventure), and outdoors is an amusement park (Magic Island) which is next to Seokchonhosu lake. It is a major recreation complex in the capital, a perfect place for entertainment and sightseeing for visitors; it is operated by Lotte Group. Indoors, there are a lot of attractions, e.g. carousel, Spanish pirate ship, flume ride and much more. But if you like thrilling rides that would make your heart beat forcefully, go outdoors and you'll find the Gyro Drop and Gyro Spin. So come on, let's get it on! Tip: If you want to cut in lines do you could get to your chosen rides to maximize time you'd want to have a "Magic Pass". It allows you to have reservations for 3 rides of your own pick, to use the Magic Pass you have to download it's mobile application or look for a Magic Pass kiosk at the park. After checking the available rides in your app and make your selection cautiously, next it's time for you to have fun! ADDRESS: Lotte World, 240, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul OPERATING HOURS: Monday-Thursday 09:30-22:00, Friday-Sunday 09:30-23:00 ♧ Extended operations until 23:00 on weekdays during peak season ADMISSION: Adults 41,000~52,000 won / Teenagers 36,000~45,000 won / Children 32,000~41,000 won / Infants 13,000 won ♧ Above fares are for one-day ride pass WEBSITE: www.lotteworld.com (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Russian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Mongolian)

No. 6 Myeong- dong (New York of South Korea)

USA has New York where the fashion industry placed while South Korea has Myeong-Dong;one of the famous landmarks in South Korea where you can find a lot of things especially those things about fashion (make up, clothes and trending things).Myeong –Dong has been called “Beauty of Road” because all the cosmetic shops gathered in this area.MyeongMyeong-dong stretches approximately 1km from Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4) to Eulji-ro and Lotte Department Store. The streets are lined with various brand stores, department stores, and duty free stores. Many young Koreans and International tourist are motivated to seek all the things around this area because of the great deals they offered; the shops do their best to out-do the others by offering sales, discounts and plenty of freebies with every purchase! If you are not a kind of shopping person, you can still enjoy Myeong-dong by trying the street foods and many famous restaurants in the area!

☞ Address: Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

☞ Directions: Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 7. Walk approx. 2-3min.

No. 7 The Garden of Calm

30,000 square meters, the oldest private garden in South Korea opened on May 11 1996. It is open year-round and is a great spot to visit for families, couples, and photographers alike. The garden features more than 20 themes and 5,000 different kinds of plants. It is an artistic space with a beautiful balance between the Korean concept of natural curves with asymmetry, and plants with synthetic materials, attracting about 600,000 visitors annually. It was founded by professor San –kyung Han, anhonorary professor ofSahmyook University. The name of “The Garden of Clam” was originated from Rabindranth Tagore an Idian poet, called Korea “The land of morning Calm” in time ofJoseon Dynasty.

A photography enthusiast will find plenty of ideas and inspiration in all intersections of natural greenery and man- made landscape on this place. But not just the beautiful scenery of the place you can see; each area also carries a meaning, like Sukgeun Garden, which is shaped like the Korean peninsula. The blooms lining each side represent the desire to unite North and South Korea. This garden also includes 300 varieties of plants native to Baekdusan, an active volcano in North Korean territory.

Operating Hours

08:30-Sundown

※ Last admission 1 hour before closing.

Admission Fees

[Individuals]

Adults: 9,000 won

Teenagers: 6,500 won

Children: 5,500 won

[Groups]

Adults: Weekdays 8,000 won

Teenagers: Weekdays 5,500 won

Children: Weekdays 4,500 won

* Groups of 30 people during weekdays only. (Reservations must be made at +82-1544-6703)

* Children (ages 3 to elementary school students) / Teenagers (middle and high school students)

* Discount is available for Seniors (ages 65 or more), people with disabilities, local residents (ID required)

Available Facilities

Morning Calm Gallery, History Museum, Restaurants, Wildflower Exhibition Hall, Chohwaonsil (greenhouse), Audiovisual Room, Hands-on Activity Zone, Souvenir Shop, Tea House ‘Dowon’ (herbal tea & herbal items), Coffee Shop, Cafeteria, Medical Office, Nursery (Lactation) Room, etc.

Interpretation Services Offered

English

Reservation Info. for Natives

Reservations required

- for groups of over 30 people

- Large-sized bus (45 passengers) or limousine bus

* No reservation required for Individual visitors.

Baby Stroller Rentals

1,000 won (50 baby strollers available) + 1,000 won (deposit)

* Prior-reservation not available. The deposit will be compensated after the stroller is returned)

No. 8 Namdaemun Market

Opened in 1964, it is the largest Market in South Korea. That is located at the eastern section of Jung-gu in Seoul with spanning over 600 years. Like Divisoria in Philippines, Namdaemum Market is a vast market place has everything from clothes, foods, imported goods, kitchen materials, electronics, textile, school supplies, fishing gear, automobile parts and more. The stores are small and they have only limited goods available for sale but all the shops are privately owned so you can get lower price of purchasing.

• Good place to buy souvenirs or pasalubong “gift”

• A lot of products you may choose

• Cheaper

Must Try:

When visiting Namdaemun Market, a stop at Galchi (beltfish) Alley. Try it! This section of the market is lined with restaurants serving galchijorim (stewed beltfish). Just one bite is enough to get you hooked and its feel heavenly taste. The tender fish goes great with refreshingly crisp white radish.

☞ Address: 21, Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

☞ Directions: Hoehyeon Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 3. Walk approx. 5min.

Operating Hours

23:00-17:00 (the next day)

* Operating hours will vary by shop.

Closed

Sundays

No.9 Insa Dong

“Street of Traditional Culture” The main road filled by shops selling traditional crafts and souvenirs. Other streets feature restaurants and cafes that serve traditional Korean cuisine in Hanok Building. There a lot of thing to see here especially the Ssamzigil; the unique shape of the building that symbolize Korean letter ‘ㅁ' with a single continuing pathway slowly winding up the building from the basement level to the fourth floor. Along the path, you can see galleries, shop selling furniture, traditional outfits and more. The fourth floor opens up into a sky garden which offers a bird’s-eye-view of the streets of Insa-dong.

Must try!

In additional Insa-Dong offers enjoyable Korean Culture experience. Visitors wanting to try on Hanbok can visit visitInsa-dong PR Center and if you are interested in Korea’s food culture you must visit Museum Kimchikan.

☞ Address: 62, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

☞ Directions (Ssamzigil): Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 6. Walk approx. 5min.

No. 10 Banpo Bridge

In 2008 Banpo Bridge was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Longest Bridge Fountain “.The rainbow fountain stretches along 570m of Banpo Bridge, with 380 jets of water shooting out from the bridge, a new spin on fountains which usually shoot up from the ground. Over 200 lights create rainbow effects and that waters dances with the music. The fountain show can be seen four to five times on weekdays and five to six times on weekends. Unfortunately, the fountain show does not take place during winter (November-March) in order to protect the pipes from bursting in freezing temperatures. The Romantic atmosphere of nightscape at Banpo Bridge also felt by the people who watched the unforgettable k-dramas Boy over Flowers (2009) and Iris (209).

Must Try!

Enjoy the nightscape at Some Sevit (culture complex) with your love ones. Located besides Banpo Bridge are artificial floating islands that give shape to an image of flowers floating on the river. With a name

meaning “three islands of light,” when looking at the bright islands beside the rainbow fountain, it is easy to imagine flowers blooming in the night.

☞ Address: Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

☞ Directions: Express Bus Terminal Station (Seoul Subway Line 3, 7, 9), Exit 8-1. Take a taxi for approx. 7-10min.

☞ Operating hours (Rainbow Fountain lighting times)

- April-June, September-October: 4 times on weekdays (12:00, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00), 5 times on weekends (12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00)

- July-August: 5 times on weekdays (12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00), 6 times on weekends (12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30)