Immigration
Necessary preparations before traveling to Seoul due to COVID-19 Here’s a list of required documents prior to checking in for your flight – be sure to check online to see what may have changed for at the time of your trip! But this online process takes time so don’t wait too long…
- Covid negative test results within 48 hours prior to departure.
- Register your Covid vaccination information online upon receipt of Covid negative test with the Korean health ministry.
- Be sure to get your QR Code.
- It is equally important to apply for ETA electronic travel authorization with the Korean Foreign ministry.
- Another Covid test is required upon arrival in Seoul within 72 hours.
Landing at Incheon Airport in Seoul flying over Ganghwa Island.

Accommodations
We stayed at a traditional Korean house in Seoul. The floor is heated and well decorated in traditional Korean style. Washer is provided but we had to hang dry the laundry. Hanging racks are provided. The owner was very hospitable, the fridge was always filled with milk and yogurt, fresh loaves of bread were replaced regularly, garbage was cleared every other day if not daily. The only complaint is that Kevan doesn’t think he can survive the tatami mat for a week😁. I personally loved it!




Transportation
Subway
The most common and economical way to travel within Seoul is by the subway. It is very convenient and you can pretty much get to all places using the subway. A stored value transportation card is used for any public transportation in Korea; you can buy the card at any subway station or convenience store. We used cash at the subway station to load up the card, and you can also load your card using cash at any front counter at any convenience store.

Bus
Occasionally, we had to take the bus to get to certain destination where walking from the subway station is not advisable. Just scan your card as you enter and exit the bus.
Taxi
It is also very convenient to go by taxi. The taxis in Seoul are very clean. You can use the Uber app as it interfaces with the taxi reservation system in Korea to call for taxis, the downside is that it can be quite challenging for non-Korean speakers as the drivers usually call back to confirm pick up. But if you are staying at the hotel, the concierge can help call for a taxi, just be sure to get a card with the hotel address for your return trip. We asked the security at the mall to respond for the pick up confirmation, the Korean people are very friendly and willing to help.
Jumbo Taxi
We used the jumbo taxi to get to the airport. It’s spacious and comfortable especially when you have a larger group traveling together and with extra luggage to transport.
안녕하세요! Good morning! Strolling the Korean central train station. There are many shops and restaurants by the station, including Starbucks!


Busy traffic in the morning as people start getting to work …

Crossing the Han River… This river divides Seoul into north and south, beautiful sunsets on the river!

Places to Eat
Pizza Mall



Yuan
Dim sum for lunch at Yuan 😋 located at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul 포시즌스 호텔 서울






Din Tai Fung
Din Tai Fung in Myeoungdong offers the sweet and spicy shrimp which is exclusive to this restaurant in Seoul – so delicious😋! Love this place❤!

Food Court at Starfield Mall Hanam
This food court is by far the biggest I’ve ever been to. A wide range of stalls with different ethnic cuisine are available at this place. Some restaurants have their own private seating while some only offer pickup so you just eat in the common seating areas. There’s also an indoor playground inside the food court for families with younger children to have an enjoyable meal while the little ones are entertained. Here you can find Thai food, Dim Sum, Japanese, Italian, Chinese to name a few and some authentic Korean cuisine. Very tasty and the price was right!



Places to Shop
If you ask anyone where is the best place to shop in Seoul, the response will undoubtedly be Myeongdong market. This place comprises many different vendors who set up stalls in the designated open areas selling a wide variety of goods ranging from toys, socks, traditional heritage items, to popular street foods such as grilled squid, pancakes filled with cream or red bean paste… to big shops such as Nike ( 3 floors), Adidas, Northface, and more. Many good local restaurants offering dumplings, Korean ginseng soup, barbecue meats etc are ready for you to choose from for lunch or dinner after perusing the market.
Myeongdong Market



Namdaemun Market
This market is much smaller scale than that of Myeongdong and it doesn’t have big brand shops such as Nike in the area. However, you can get fresh produce, meat, seafood, herbs, cleaning and office supplies, inexpensive clothing in this market. There are also some optical shops, little boutiques, bakery, street food, noodles booths in the area.
This market is only about 5 minutes walk from the bottom of the entrance to Namsan mountain.





Morning Markets
The morning markets, similar to that of Myeongdong and Namdaemun are common in literally all communities in Seoul. You can get anything ranging from fresh produce, meat products, seafood, household items, dumplings, Korean spicy noodles, local desserts etc in these markets. This one we went to is just behind the Korean home we stayed at.

Places to Visit
Namsan Mountain
Our first adventure in Seoul was hiking up Namsan Mountain. The hike was steep but the view was amazing. Our son, Travis, is a fantastic tour guide!








War Memorial of Korea
The war memorial in Seoul is located in a former Korean infantry camp. It is much more than a Memorial and you can spend a lot of time there, it is a war museum with examples of Korean warfare throughout history and it can be an all day event. My family loves to visit the museum every time we are in the country.



This drum was placed at the entrance of the museum to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Korean Armed forces and to symbolize the hope of the Korean people to maintain strong armed forces for the next 60 years. The tiger symbolizes the dauntless courage of the army to fight and to protect the country. The ceramic on the drum was made from the soil and water obtained from the battle field to honor the spirit of the deceased warriors.

The “Turtle” warships are interesting because they are covered to prevent the ship from being boarded by attackers. The structure reminded me of Noah’s ark and the barges built by Nephi when they travelled from old Jerusalem to America.

The basement exhibited various vehicles used during the war.


The open area outside the main building also showed many battle tanks and aircraft that visitors are allowed to explore, letting us pretend to be tank commanders!



Geoungbokgung
The main palace of the royal families built in the 14th century, was burnt down and reconstructed and burnt down again during the Japanese invasion and the Korean War. It is the oldest Joseon Dynasty palace in South Korea.

Changing of guards ceremony at Gyeongbokgung.

The National Museum of Korea which is located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace.


Seoul Central Railway Station


Starfield Library
This library is known for its unique structure where books are arranged against the wall in a mall. We meant to visit Starfield Library in Gangnam, but the taxi driver took us to Starfield Mall in Goyang which is about 30 mins apart. Since we already travelled for 30 mins to get here, Kevan found a cute bookstore within the mall and said that’s just as good as the library😜. Which is true because I managed to find a bunch of cute Korean stationery I had been searching for!

Starfield Hanam Mall
So this is the mall we accidentally discovered in an attempt to find the Starfield Library. This mall is fairly huge and beautifully decorated and organized. What’s fascinating at this bookstore is the large selections of cutest Korean stationaries found.

DMZ
Visited the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.

Here’s the view as we depart Seoul, in the picture I see a snake chomping down its victim and part of a giant fish, while Kevan sees a humpback whale with its mouth wide open. What do you see?
