Seoul, Korea

If you only have one week in Korea, you could easily spend it entirely in Seoul itself.  Knowing how to read and write the Hangul alphabet would be very helpful as there aren't a lot of people who know how to speak or read English in Korea.  Even though the subways are very foreigner friendly (they're written in Chinese, English, and Hangul), there are still a lot of signs only written in Hangul.  Most menus are written entirely in Hangul.  When my friends came to visit, I wrote them a list of important things they'd need to know in Hangul so they could just show their piece of paper to the taxi driver or another local.  They always got where they needed to go with that piece of paper.  It would also be helpful to arm yourself with this useful site for your travel while in Seoul:  Seoul Subway Map

The neighborhoods in Seoul to check out are:

Hongdae
Subway Stop: Hongik University

Primarily a university area filled with students and color, foreigners like coming here for the bars and the shopping is quite fun. I found lots of great stuff here. There's also a Hello Kitty cafe that's fun to take some photos of and a Design cafe that I really enjoyed.

Myeongdong
Subway Stop: Myeongdong

Super shopping central! Come here for lots of western shopping but also Korean versions of the western stores. There's lots of cutesy boutiques too, but I think Hongdae is much more relaxing in comparison - not as much squeezing through crowds. This is also a good area for souvenirs.

Itaewon
Subway Stop: Itaewon
Lonely Planet describes this neighborhood as "the armpit of Seoul" and I agree with it!  If you're a foreigner, you're likely to find yourself in this neck of the woods sooner or later.  Looking for some variety of food that's not Korean?  You're likely to find it here.  Personally, I didn't hang out here much when I lived in Korea.

Insadong
Subway Stop: Anguk

Insadong

If you're looking for souvenirs, this is the area to go.  You'll find everything from green tea to ceramics to marble stamps customized with your own name.  All the shops are written entirely in Hangul to keep the authenticity of the area.  If nothing else, it's a good place to take photos of Starbucks written in Hangul.

The sign reads "Starbucks Coffee"

Apgujeong and Gangnam (subway stops of the same names) are the nicer neighborhoods of Seoul which is reflected in the store fronts and people. Everywhere you go, there'll be tons of shops, cafes and people!  You MUST hang out in a cafe during your trip... it's such a Korea thing to do!


When you're tired of exploring the neighborhoods, here are a few sites to see and things to round out your stay in Seoul:

Gyeongbokgung

DMZ Day Trip

Lotteworld

Ride a bike along Han River

Go up Seoul Tower

Picnic on the Cheong Gye Cheon

Go to a jimjilbang

Go to a noraebang

Day Trip to Suwon to see Hwaseong Fortress and Korean Folk Village