Seoul City Tour with My Army Buddy
My army junior came to Seoul!
We're both so busy, I think it's been a year since we last saw each other.
So, we decided to do a 3-day Seoul tour and a 3-day Busan tour, each in our hometowns.
First up, Seoul Tour!
[The Prima Hotel Jongno]
We stayed at The Prima Hotel Jongno.
It's about a 5-minute walk from Jonggak Station, and it seems like a great location with Mega Coffee, various restaurants, and a CU convenience store nearby.
It's also within walking distance to Insadong.
We were able to leave our luggage at the hotel in advance, so we dropped it off and went to explore Insadong.
There are many places selling silk thread and traditional teahouses, so it seemed like a good place for foreigners to experience Korean culture.
[Jin Jung Beef Noodle Main Branch]
Next, we went to Jin Jung Beef Noodle main branch.
I made a reservation on CatchTable the day before.
We went at 1 PM, and there were quite a few empty seats, so I don't think you necessarily need a reservation.
We ordered two Jin Beef Noodles and 10 pieces of dumplings (Siu Mai).
The rich beef broth of the noodle soup was soothing, and I personally found the seasoning to be just right, so I enjoyed it.
The beef noodle seemed to have a unique aroma, which might be polarizing.
The Siu Mai seemed to be dumplings filled with plump shrimp and minced meat. The accompanying red sauce was tangy and went well with the noodles.
[Mouse Potato]
After that, we went to Mouse Potato, a place where you can play PlayStation and Nintendo games and also have drinks.
You go up to the second floor, order drinks, and find a seat.
There were about five PlayStations, one Nintendo Switch, and three old-school dot games.
Since it's not a reservation system, the competition for game console seats among customers was a bit disappointing to me.
There's no time limit for using the games, so it was a constant battle of wits for the seats.
But if you can get a seat, you can enjoy playing PlayStation.
[Gyeongbokgung Palace]
Gyeongbokgung Palace is a must-see when you think of Seoul.
As a Seoul resident, I had only been there when I was young, but foreigners seem to find it fascinating that there's a palace in the middle of the city.
While looking around the majestic and beautiful interior, I felt a surge of national pride.
Admission is free if you wear Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), and it's also free for youths under the age of 24.
I'm still 22, so I got in for free!
Seoul residents don't go there as often as you might think, but it's a great place to take a walk. The sun was shining, but there was a nice breeze, and it felt refreshing.
Closing time was 6:30 PM, and they started guiding people out of the inner areas even before that time.
If you want to see all the nooks and crannies, you should check the closing time and go with plenty of time to spare.
[Tsuruhashi Fugetsu Myeongdong Branch]
After touring Gyeongbokgung Palace, we took a bus to Myeongdong.
I put my name on the waiting list on CatchTable just before getting off the bus.
There were about five teams ahead of us, but it cleared up quickly after a 10-minute walk from the bus stop, and we were seated right away.
We ordered the Summer Limited Cheese Bacon set for two.
The set included kimchi yakisoba, cheese bacon okonomiyaki, and stir-fried bean sprouts with bacon.
Everything was savory and the seasoning was delicious, so we both enjoyed it.
The cheese bacon okonomiyaki had a rich cheese flavor, and the savory sauce and katsuobushi went perfectly together.
They asked if we wanted katsuobushi, and I highly recommend getting it!
The kimchi yakisoba is pre-cooked, and it must be more delicious for Korean tastes because it was amazing.
[N Seoul Tower]
After walking a bit in Myeongdong, we took bus 01B to N Seoul Tower. There's also a cable car, but the bus seemed cheaper and faster, so we chose the bus.
You have to walk up a sloped road from the bus stop.
Don't bring suitcases with you, or you might lose control of them...
The Seoul night view from N Seoul Tower is definitely worth seeing. The pictures don't do it justice, but it was so beautiful.
However, it costs ₩26,000 per person to go up to the observatory.
That's pretty expensive. Closing time is 10:30 PM, and when we arrived around 9 PM, the ticket staff looked like they really didn't want to be working.
Since it was close to closing time, there was no line, and we were able to get on the elevator right away.
There were also a Twosome Place and a few other shops on the observatory floor, but Twosome Place was closed.
On a clear day, you could see all over Seoul.
But ₩26,000 is too expensive, so I probably won't be back for another five years.
It was a packed day of touring the heart of Seoul.
We both crashed as soon as we got back to the hotel.
Stay tuned for the Busan tour!
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