Practical South Korea Travel Guide: A Comprehensive Introduction to South Korea's Tourist Attractions, Food, and Shopping

If you have traveled to South Korea before, you probably have some understanding of the country and are less confused than when you first went. However, a travel guide is still essential before going. With prior experience, planning a travel itinerary becomes much easier. Here, we introduce a short trip route that locals love, which is also great for foreign tourists, allowing you to enjoy sightseeing and shopping without compromise.

How to plan a four-day, three-night South Korea trip? After a first visit mainly focused on Seoul, on your next trip you can explore places outside Seoul. This time, we introduce a travel route using public transportation — a healing seaside trip to Sokcho!

First, on day one, after arriving at Incheon Airport, we recommend staying at a hotel in Gangnam for the next day's itinerary. For dinner, we recommend the grilled beef intestines at Gangnam Gop (강남곱) and BOOYAS Gopchang (부야스곱창강남역점), or the grilled pork belly at Mapo Galbi (마포갈비) or Gogitjip Yeol (고깃집열). These are all very popular restaurants these days.

After dinner, you can also browse the underground shopping mall at Gangnam Station, which has many fashionable and affordable clothes.

On day two, it's time to head to Sokcho! First, go to Seoul Central City Terminal (서울센트럴시티터미널) and take a bus from Seoul to Sokcho. The first bus is at 10:00 AM and the journey takes about 2 hours 20 minutes. However, if you have time before leaving, you can visit Shinsegae Duty Free, which is connected to the terminal. Browsing first and then deciding your shopping list makes good use of time.

Upon arriving in Sokcho, first go to Sokcho Beach. Be sure to try the songpyeon buckwheat noodles there. Then you can enjoy the sunshine and sea breeze at Sokcho seaside.

Oeongchi Beach (외옹치해수욕장), Oeongchi Port (외옹치항), and Daeport (대포항) are all along the coast. After sunbathing at the beach, you can also enjoy the port views. For dinner, have fresh sashimi at Daeport, then return to your hotel. That's the end of a very healing day!

Seoul -> Sokcho: Take an intercity bus from Seoul Central City Terminal (Gangnam Express Bus Terminal) to Sokcho Express Bus Terminal. Get off and walk 300 meters to Sokcho Beach.

On day three morning, start from your hotel and go to 88 Seafood BBQ for breakfast, then head to the dock to take a boat to the beach on the other side. If interested, plan your time to watch the sunrise at Yeonggeumjeong (영금정), the best spot in Sokcho for sunrise. Then take a walk at Deungdae Beach (등대해변), facing the sea breeze and the blue ocean — another very healing day. After exploring Sokcho, return to Seoul and arrive at Gangnam Express Bus Terminal. If you made a shopping list earlier at Shinsegae Duty Free, you can quickly shop at the duty-free store connected to the terminal.

Shinsegae Duty Free is a subsidiary of Shinsegae, the largest distribution company in South Korea. The duty-free store gathers many international brands and popular Korean brands. Shinsegae Duty Free's Gangnam store is especially convenient for travelers coming to Seoul from other places, or for itineraries that require bus travel to and from Gangnam to various parts of Korea. Shinsegae Duty Free has opened a Gangnam store at the Gangnam Express Bus Terminal for travelers transiting through Seoul to other parts of the country. For those only traveling in Seoul, you can choose Shinsegae Duty Free at Myeongdong.

The Myeongdong store has a department store on floors 1-7 and a duty-free shop on floors 8-12. You can find all kinds of brands you want, with great prices for tax refunds or duty-free. Everything is in one building, making shopping convenient. Additionally, information on events can be found on Shinsegae Duty Free's various official platforms.

On the last day, depending on your schedule, you can choose attractions within Seoul. If, like me, you're staying at a hotel in Gangnam, you can visit Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam. There, besides a main street with many brand stores, the small alleys on both sides are filled with cafes, accessory shops, and select shops. Don't miss these alleys when visiting Garosu-gil.

Transportation info: Take subway line 3, exit 8 of Sinsa Station, walk about 500 meters to reach Sinsa Garosu-gil.

Finally, if time is tight and you still have items you didn't buy the day before, you can purchase them at the airport. If you don't want to wait at the airport early, we recommend shopping at Shinsegae's online duty-free store and picking up your items at the airport's pickup counter before departure.

That concludes our recommended travel guide for South Korea! A trip to Sokcho is very healing! South Korea's public transportation is really convenient. If you have more time, you can also explore areas around Seoul and experience a completely different atmosphere from the bustling city of Seoul!