Recommendations for a Tourist, Please?

[Ninjamom]

I will have a possibly-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Seoul, Korea for only a few days at the end of October of this year. I will be traveling with the whole family, including middle-school aged children.

As of right now, I plan on spending a day at Gyeoungbokgung Palace and the surrounding areas (National Folk Museum, National Palace Museum, Insadong). I would also like to visit the Korean War Memorial and museum. For the young'ns, we migth try a day at one of the parks, but I'm not sure which would be best (Lotte World? Everland? Seoul Land?)

Help plaese! What would you recommend? How can we get a taste of Korea, old and new, in the shortest number of days without straying too far from Seoul or being able to speak Korean?

 

[MBuzzy]

Seoul Tower is cool and the Coex Mall is always a good stop. Lots of shopping, plus a pretty decent acquarium. If I were you, I'd go to LotteWorld, although when I tried to go, it was closed for repairs. It SHOULD be open again by now....but be sure you check first.

 

[miguksaram]

Seoul Tower is cool and the Coex Mall is always a good stop. Lots of shopping, plus a pretty decent acquarium. If I were you, I'd go to LotteWorld, although when I tried to go, it was closed for repairs. It SHOULD be open again by now....but be sure you check first.

Lotte World is a good suggestion. Don't forget to go visit the Kukkiwon. When in October will you be over there? I will be there from the 3rd to the 10th with the USTC group.

 

[Ninjamom]

....Don't forget to go visit the Kukkiwon.

Do they let folks just stroll on in? Do they have any programs for visiting taekwondistas?

When in October will you be over there? I will be there from the 3rd to the 10th with the USTC group.

Sorry I'll miss you - I'll be there the very end of the month.

 

[MBuzzy]

Also, I highly highly recommend buying a Korean phrase book or Korean dictionary. Most of the good ones will have a short section on reading Hangul in the front. It is BY FAR the easiest written language to learn. You won't know what the words mean, but you'll be able to sound them out. When reading signs and menus, this is indispensible. The phrase book can help a lot too......although, most people in Seoul do speak English pretty well.

There are some little cultural things that those books will help you with too....like the personal space thing. WOW that one takes a while to get over!

 

[miguksaram]

Do they let folks just stroll on in? Do they have any programs for visiting taekwondistas?

Sorry I'll miss you - I'll be there the very end of the month.

They have the TKD museum there and I believe you can stroll into the gym if it is open and watch whatever is happening. I will check to see if they have any programs for visiting tourists.