First Time in Korea: A Full Experience of Shopping, Gourmet, Cafes, and Sightseeing - September 2024 【118】
September in South Korea
I created a four-day weekend by combining holidays and vacation in September for my first trip to Korea.
9/20 Japan → Cheongju
Narita Airport, Terminal 3.
I checked in at the Aero K counter and spent about two hours before the flight.
Before the security check, there's a large food court. (After the check, there's only one café.)
It took about 2 hours and 30 minutes to fly from Narita to Cheongju, Korea.
The flight, which would have cost around 50,000 yen to Seoul, was half that price by flying to Cheongju.
I waited about an hour at Cheongju for immigration.
There was only one officer in the foreigner lane...
I bought a T-money card at the airport kiosk and charged 5,000 won.
I considered taking a bus to the city, but decided to take a taxi as it seemed like a waste of time to wait.
After checking in at the hotel and dropping off my luggage, I headed out for sightseeing.
Samgyeopsal Street
Apparently, Cheongju is the birthplace of Samgyeopsal.
I had a Samgyeopsal set at a popular restaurant I researched in advance.
They grilled large cuts of aged meat, along with kimchi and vegetables, right in front of us.
It paired perfectly with rice.
After the meal, I headed to Suamgol by foot and bus.
This area is packed with stylish cafés.
I went to a café called OHJI, enjoying the night view while having a late-night coffee.
As the rain got heavier, I took a taxi back to the hotel and went to bed.
9/21 Cheongju → Seoul
Day 2 in Korea
I took a 6:30 AM bus from Cheongju to Seoul.
A typhoon was approaching that day, so I walked to the bus stop in heavy rain and strong winds.
The bus had three rows of seats, spacious and comfortable.
Arriving at East Seoul Bus Station, I took a train to the city center.
I got off at Anguk Station and had breakfast at a café called onion.
Although it had only been open for about 30 minutes, there was already a long line.
Once seated, you select the bread you want, put it on a tray, order coffee at the counter, and pay.
I had a pistachio Danish and a mysterious bread covered in a ton of white powder.
After eating both, I was quite full.
When I stepped outside, the rain had stopped, so I headed out for some sightseeing in Seoul.
Changgyeonggung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace
After walking around for about two hours, I headed back to the hotel to drop off my luggage.
This time, I stayed at "Manu Seoul."
There are many Japanese guests, and Japanese documents are also available.
After dropping off our luggage, we headed out to explore Seoul again.
First stop: Itaewon area.
Our main destination was Mardi Mercredi, but there are also many stylish shops in the area.
Next stop: Sinsa area.
This area also has a lot of fashionable shops and feels more urban.
Feeling tired from walking, we took a coffee break at Cafe Kitsune.
We wandered around, checking out shops that caught our interest, including Korean brand stores.
Next, we visited a bridge in Itaewon.
This spot appears in the Korean drama "Itaewon Class," and we saw a few tourists taking photos there.
After sightseeing, we headed to Myeongdong.
We had a light meal at Myeongdong Kyoja, a restaurant that wins a Michelin star every year.
Both the dumplings and the kalguksu were delicious.
After eating, we shopped at Olive Young and SPAO, while strolling through the streets of Myeongdong at night.
On the way back, we stopped by Seoul Station and had dessert at a cafe near the hotel.
Since we had an early start and walked a lot, we went to bed early that night.
9/22 Seoul
Day 3 in Korea.
On this day, we took a bus from the hotel to the Yeonnam-dong area for breakfast.
We arrived at Thanks Oat just after it opened.
They specialize in acai bowls and Greek yogurt.
The breakfast was very filling and satisfying.
The oat latte was also delicious.
After eating, we wandered around Yeonnam-dong and headed towards the Hongdae area.
The weather was great that morning, perfect for sightseeing.
Hongdae is a bustling urban area, popular with young people.
While exploring shopping malls and the LINE store, it became lunchtime.
We found a restaurant online that serves delicious-looking cheese dakgalbi.
The amount of meat and cheese was plenty, even without rice.
After lunch, we enjoyed coffee and visited a shop called "object," which sells miscellaneous goods.
Later, we went back to Seoul Station and did a little shopping at the Lotte Outlet.
After dropping off our purchases at the hotel, we headed out into the city again.
Searching for a place to have bibimbap near Myeongdong, we found many restaurants were closed on Sunday, so we took a bus to Itaewon.
At a Korean BBQ restaurant near the station called Maple Tree House, we enjoyed some authentic bibimbap.
Itaewon at night has a bit of a Roppongi vibe.
We spent the last night in Korea enjoying a late-night coffee at a cafe near the station.
9/23 Seoul → Japan
Last day in Korea.
We took the first train from Seoul Station and arrived at Incheon Airport.
Our flight was delayed by about 30 minutes, so we had time to relax and have breakfast at Starbucks.
The return flight was about two hours, and we safely arrived back at Narita Airport.
Thus, my first trip to Korea came to an end.
