Hi everyone,

I’m embarking on my first trip to Asia, starting with South Korea.

I’ll be traveling with my 15-year-old daughter, who came up with the idea...

We’ll be there from July 15th to 22nd.

I’ve currently planned to stay in Seoul from the 15th to the 19th, then head to Busan from the 19th to the 21st. We need to be back in Seoul on the evening of the 21st because our flight is at 10 AM on the 22nd.

I love modern cities, but for a first trip to Asia, I’d also like to see some traditional sights. Do you think Busan is a good idea?

I’m considering staying in Gyeongju instead and spending two days in Busan...

What do you think?

Maybe another city in a different region of Korea?

Thanks for your help

Hello,

We’re planning a 17-day trip to South Korea in October 2026 with my husband and our daughters, who’ll be 9 years old.

I’d love to get your thoughts on our draft itinerary.

First, some key details:

1/ Jeju Island is a must for us. I’ve personally dreamed of going there for years after reading a novel about it. 2/ Our girls are used to road-trip style travel since they were born, so this kind of trip won’t be an issue for them. 3/ We plan to travel by train, except on Jeju where we’ll rent a car (we already have an international driver’s permit).

Itinerary:

Seoul: 1 arrival day at 10 AM + 4 full days Gyeongju: 2 days Busan: 3 days Jeju: 4 days Seoul: 2 days

Thanks for your feedback! Have a great day,

Sabrina

hi there

I’m back with my detailed itinerary for 20 days in South Korea—it’s my first trip to the country. Our idea is to experience a more rural and cultural Korea. Here’s the rough plan: Seoul for 4 nights at the start and 1 night at the end, Gurye for 4 nights, Suncheon for 4 nights, Namhae for 4 nights, and Gyeongju for 2 nights. The goal is to pick a base and explore the surrounding areas. What do you think of this itinerary? Anything you’d change? thanks

philippe

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a short trip of about 7-8 days in Seoul in mid-July.

I’ll be traveling with my 15-year-old daughter, who loves Asian culture.

This will be our first trip to Asia, and I’d really love to experience the authentic side of Asia.

I’ve done some research, and I’m a bit worried that Seoul might just be a big city like ‘New York’ and that we won’t find that authentic feel.

Is it possible to mix modern and authentic without spending too much time on transportation?

I’d really love to make this trip special for my daughter, but I’m honestly worried about ending up surrounded by skyscrapers for a whole week.

Thanks in advance for your help.

So, even before starting my explanation, I’d like to introduce myself since this is my first post on the forum :) I’m Jérôme, a huge Asia enthusiast, and I’m currently in the process of moving to Japan with my family in 2028.

Now, onto the topic :)

We’re a family of four traveling together to Seoul, with two separate bookings.

Our original itinerary was: Madrid → Doha → Seoul (March 23–24)

The issue is that our entire outbound flight was canceled, and the airline simply rescheduled the Madrid → Doha leg. Now we’re left with an incomplete journey, with no solution to reach our final destination (Seoul).

Since then:

- Can’t modify flights online (technical error every time) - Can’t get help via chat or WhatsApp - Phone support is unreachable, and the usual French number isn’t working right now

We don’t want a refund. We just want to be rerouted to Seoul, as our original ticket promised.

We’re flexible:

- On dates (we can leave on March 21 or 22 instead of the 23rd) - On the itinerary (different layovers if needed)

Have any of you dealt with this before? Do you know how to unlock a booking in this case or get a rerouting? We’re considering going straight to the airport to resolve it at the Qatar Airways counter....

Thanks so much for your help! 😊

Hi everyone, I hope it's okay to reach out about a project I’m really excited to make happen. So, I’m 16 now and will turn 18 in 2022. Once I come of age, I’ll have access to some money that will let me fulfill one of my biggest dreams: visiting South Korea. I wanted to ask those of you who’ve been lucky enough to go or who know the country for some advice. First, I’m planning to go for 3 weeks, but since it’ll be my first solo trip, I was wondering how much I should budget for food over those 3 weeks. Next, if any of you have done a "tourist circuit" there, what’s the average cost, and which cities (aside from Seoul, of course ;)) should I prioritize visiting? And finally, this is a more general question, but what can I do in the next 2 years besides saving up to prepare for this trip? Thanks so much for reading! Best regards,

Hi there,

When I run searches on Skyscanner, I see that only Lufthansa has flights to Seoul with just one stop. Air France doesn’t show up, even though I thought the French airline served Seoul? I can’t even log into the Air France website—it keeps glitching.

Hi,

While researching South Korea, I came across the term "templestay," which refers to a Korean program that lets you stay in a traditional temple to discover Buddhism and Korean culture by living like the temple residents and doing activities like making lanterns. A templestay isn’t just for foreign tourists—on the booking site, I saw that some temples are more geared toward foreigners, with English-speaking monks.

I was wondering if it’s still worth it, especially in temples where the monks don’t speak English?

Good evening, cruise friends! I’m planning my Japan cruise with Costa.

Is it more worthwhile to book excursions before departure? With MSC, yes, because you save 15%, but what about with Costa?

For those who’ve already done this cruise, do you have any tips or recommendations, please? We’re staying 1.5 days before and 3 days after in Hong Kong. Thanks in advance! Chantal Ports of call: Hong Kong - Keelung (Taiwan) - Japan (Naha - Kagoshima - Tokyo - Kobe - Nagasaki) - Busan (South Korea) - Hong Kong

Hi there, I’ll be arriving in Seoul on November 18th after spending about a month in India. Do you know if I’ll need to fill out any additional documents besides the e-arrival card? Thanks in advance for your tips!

Hi there,

After more than ten solo trips to India, I’ve decided to explore a new country: South Korea.

In October, I’ll be flying Lyon-Delhi, then in November Delhi-Seoul. I’ll be staying in this new (for me) country for over a month.

My main motivation when traveling is discovering a country through the people (locals) I meet. In India, I made friends through Couchsurfing that way.

I’m currently getting in touch with host families (via Servas), but if you have any ideas for authentic and budget-friendly accommodations, I’d love to hear them.

I’ll plan my route based on my hosts, and I’m also thinking of spending a few days in Seoul and Jeju.

Thanks in advance for your tips!

JulieB

Hi everyone!

I’m especially asking those of you who’ve been to South Korea and Taiwan. Which would you pick for a three-week trip in September or October? I need to consider budget, variety of places, and the weather.

Thanks! 🙂

Hi there,

I’m starting to look at neighborhoods in Seoul, and I’m leaning toward staying in a hotel in Insa-Dong—I’ve spotted one really close to Unhyeongung. Is this a good area—nice and convenient for exploring the city?

Otherwise, I’ve also found another hotel in Yongsan-Gu, right near the station of the same name. Is that station useful for getting around Seoul?

Since I’ll be in South Korea for nearly two months, I plan to spend at least a week in Seoul to recover from jet lag (it takes me a while to adjust...). So, I’d love a neighborhood that’s pleasant and a hotel not too far from a subway station.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a 3-week solo trip to South Korea in April/May 2025. Here’s my current wishlist on the map—I need to check how realistic it is.

Questions: The DMZ: I haven’t planned to go, and I’m struggling to see the appeal. What do you think? Jeju: I’m on the fence about Jeju. It seems like the *place to be*, but I’m not sure what makes it so charming or what’s really a must-do there?

On my map, I’m hesitating about Hahoe. I’m definitely going to Jeonju because there are several sites in that area. For Hahoe, I’m unsure because I’d need to stop overnight and arrange transfers between Andong and Hahoe. Is Hahoe the same as Jeonju? (Hanok village)—if so, I’ll skip Hahoe.

Last question: In the south, there are lots of sites that interest me, but I’m wondering about transportation. Can I stay in one place for several days and do day trips to each site? Is that possible with buses?

Anyway, thanks in advance for your tips! Sabrina

hi

I booked my trip from May 5 to 26, 2027. I’m starting to plan my itinerary and look for hotels (I know it’s early!). While I’ve found some in Seoul and Busan, I’m noticing that elsewhere—like Yeosu—most hotels aren’t available (on Booking.com, for example, almost all are unavailable). AI tells me not to worry because hotels in South Korea only open bookings 6 months in advance, so it’s normal to see most of them unavailable on booking sites.

Could you confirm this for me and, of course, reassure me (!)? Thanks so much. philippe