My apologies for the hiatus. Yes, again. I know. I apologise. But with a change in jobs (again), CNY and an upcoming trip to plan for (amidst all this Covid-19!), I didn't have the time to sit down and write. Back now, and hopfully, I'd clear some more posts about Seoul before I fly off!
Day 2 in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace --> Tosokchon Samgyetang --> Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을)
Bukchon Hanok Village, the last touristy spot on my Day 2 Seoul itinerary. And haha! We cabbed here from our lunch place at Tosokchon Samgyetang. Like I said (in previous post) if you have at least 3 persons or have someone in your group who's less mobile, you may wish to consider taking the cabs in Seoul if the distance between destinations is short. My rides were mostly around the SGD$5 range. Well, technically it is really walkable from Tosokchon Samgyetang to Bukchon Hanok Village, but mom just wanted to hail that cab.
Bukchon Hanok Village, the last touristy spot on my Day 2 Seoul itinerary. And haha! We cabbed here from our lunch place at Tosokchon Samgyetang. Like I said (in previous post) if you have at least 3 persons or have someone in your group who's less mobile, you may wish to consider taking the cabs in Seoul if the distance between destinations is short. My rides were mostly around the SGD$5 range. Well, technically it is really walkable from Tosokchon Samgyetang to Bukchon Hanok Village, but mom just wanted to hail that cab.
Anyway, Bukchon Hanok Village is another spot that's totally for the gram. Even my mom who doesn't always enjoy taking pictures, suddenly got so game to try all sorts of poses. All because she fell in love with the quaint estate. Those of you who intend to rent the traditional hanbok costume, should definitely make your way here in them! There were so many hanbok-wearing groups doing selfies, wefies, single or group shots!
In fact, if you can only choose your hanbok wearing time between Gyeongbokgung Palace or Bukchon Hanok Village, I'd suggest that you choose the latter. Sure, the palace may suit the ancient vibes of the costume more, but at Bukchon Hanok Village, even if it's crowded, you'd have much better chances of getting better pictures with less photo-bombers.
The village itself is an actual residential neighbourhood. Hence, do be respectful when you visit. And I don’t mean just not being loud and rowdy. It includes being respectful of the properties and belongings of the residents there. Hell, don’t go knocking on doors for videos, pulling down branches or flowers for photos or clamber up and down their stairs! I saw a group who was being angrily shoo-ed away because they were resting their butts on the stairway and blocking the lady’s exit from her own house!
Instead, feel free to pop into any of the shops, tea houses, restaurants, etc. in the area! Many of these traditional houses, also known as hanoks, have been converted and commercialised to take advantage of the tourist trade. When we weren’t taking photos, my parents and I had a good time exploring the different shops. I definitely dropped some cash buying accessories and souvenirs. Thrifty mom approved too! Heck she even helped in choosing! We also popped into a teahouse for a quick break where mom was suddenly adventurous enough to try their traditional Korean coffee. She pronounced that it tasted somewhat like Milo! We spent a good 45 mins here at the teahouse just chatting and enjoying the quaint vibes.
I admit, I was initially a little worried that given her weak knees, mom wouldn’t be able to deal with the walking around, especially since the area was full of slopes. However, my fears were unfounded and my parents thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I think because we took enough breaks in-between exploring the shops and resting in the teahouse.
While doing my research, I found that there is an organised walking tour. If you think you're up for some walking, do consider that! I'd include the details below. However, if you have young children or elderly, please consider if they are able to walk for 3.5 hours. The walking tour is held in 4 languages, so choose your preference of English, Mandarin, Korean or Japanese. Online reservations need to be made at least 3 working days before the date of your intended tour.
Otherwise, just do what we did, just walk and duck into random alleys or shops!
By late afternoon we were done with the day's itinerary, so we headed back to the hotel for a short break before we hit the Lotte stores across the road for shopping. We hit the supermarket that night and honestly didn't leave until store closing time. I forgot to grab any pictures at all while shopping, so you'd just have to take my word for it that we bought quite a lot. And that ended our second day in Seoul!
Tourist Information
Bukchon Hanok Village
Website: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=561382
Address: 37, Gyedong-gil, Jong-gu, Seoul
Local Address: 서울특별시 종로구 계동길 37 (계동)
Walking tour:
Online Reservation: http://english.visitseoul.net/walking-tour/BukchonHanokVillage_/622
Please book at least 3 days prior your intended date
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