The 16-day Escapade to South Korea! – Itinerary, Travel Report and Tips

Having traveled to South Korea in 16 days, I couldn't really say we have been all over the country. Frankly, 16 days really isn't enough! There are just to many things to see and places to explore. Given this limited time though, I still managed to squeeze in all places and activities recommended by local and foreign tourists alike and make an itinerary me and my friend was able to enjoy.

We did not really plan to go during autumn when we booked our flight, it just happened so, which was wonderful timing, as for me this is the perfect season to travel. Not just because it's cold and you wouldn't really worry about sweating all over the place (lol mental image) and the heat of the sun clashes with the cool wind so it's just perfect. The colors of fall is just fantastic, every picture you take would look amazing!

lovely ginko leaves

A review of Everland Amusement Park, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do - Day 5 in South Korea

I wasn’t really ecstatic to go to Everland that day – don’t get me wrong, I love amusement parks, but I have heard reviews, some were good, some were not. Anyway, I still had my expectations set high. I was hoping to have fun that day. 

Operating Hours: 09:30 ~ 22:00(Mon-Sat) / 09:00-22:00 (Sunday & holiday)
One-day Pass
Daytime : adults 38,000 won / Teenagers 32,000 won / children 29,000 won
Nighttime : adults 31,000 won / Teenagers 26,000 won / children 23,000 won

A view of Everland during autumn

Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Korean Folk Village, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do - Day 4 in South Korea

We had an early start for the day, it rained very hard yesterday and we only explored around Jukjeon in the afternoon.

After we had breakfast, our host's father took us via his taxi to Suwon to see Suwon Hwaseong (Suwon Fortress).

Hwaseong Fortress was built during the 18th century by King Jeonjo of the Joseon Dynasty in honor of his father. The fortress surrounds the center of Suwon and has been  registered as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO last 1997. I am not Korean history savvy, and unfortunately, did not have time to research about it so I only know very limited about what the Fortress symbolizes.

Website: ehs.suwon.ne.kr
Operating Hours: Summer season 09:00-18:00; Winter season 09:00-17:00
Admission: Individual – Adults 1,000 won / Youth 700 won / Children 500 won
Directions: Suwon Station (Seoul Subway Line 1)

Dongjangdae - Eastern Command Post

Some Korean Street Food around Jukjeon Cafe Street at Yongin, Gyeonggi-do - Day 3 in South Korea

It was a rainy day when we moved to Yongin from Chuncheon. We woke up late so our host took us to Jamshil station in Seoul. And yes, it was raining hard with me and my friend carrying our bags, and oh, I forgot, it was our first time to use the subway in Korea. I can't imagine how pathetic we looked especially when we knew that there were no escalators on that station.

We met with our new host at Jukjeon Station which is in Bundang or the Yellow line of the Metro. It is also near Dankook University where some Korean celebrities studied before. We arrived quite early however it was raining really hard and we were planning to either go to Suwon Hwaseong or Everland for this day. However, I don't think we would have enjoyed it as it would have been very wet and we will be doing lots of walking if ever. So me and my friend decided to wait for the rain to stop and just roam around Jukjeon so we can still say that this day did not go to waste.

It was around 3PM when the weather looked okay. It was still raining a bit, but we needed to do something so we went window shopping around E-mart and Shinsegae which was beside Jukjeon station, Exit 1.

Shinsegae is known to be the oldest department store in Korea and houses some expensive Korean and international brands such as Louis Vuitton, Alexander Wang, Prada, and the like. As expected, I was not able to buy anything as everything was just way too expensive for my wallet. :(

The Shinsegae in Jukjeon