Seoul – Day 13 of a 14-Day Trip in South Korea
Day 13 consisted of a morning train back to Seoul from Jeonju, then an afternoon in Seoul. It was also our last full day in South Korea. We were staying in Gangnam for our last night – Seoul’s Business District. The song Gangnam Style by the singer PSY is based on the Gangnam District lifestyle.
Day 13
Seoul
Our train back to Seoul was at 9:13am. We had reserved tickets to Yongsan Station in Seoul, which was closer to Gangnam than Seoul Station. I had told the hanok hotel owners the day before that we had to leave early and that they did not have to worry about breakfast for us. They sweetly said they would make us a to go breakfast pack and it would be ready for us in the morning. As we checked out that morning, they handed us a paper bag with snacks for the train. It included local mochi, fruit, a hard-boiled egg, juice boxes and bottled water – yum! The train to Seoul was 2.5hours long, then it was about a 40 minute intracity train to the hotel. We were early for check-in, so we dropped off our bags, then headed to lunch.
We picked a restaurant called 논현손칼국수, which was a 2 minute walk from the hotel. The resturant specialized in Kalguksu (knife cut noodles). We arrived during the lunch rush and there was a line at the restaurant. The line went quickly though and the kalguksu was delicious! Each table has a communal kimchi pot (no double dipping chopsticks) and chilis to add to your noodles. They were very nice at the restaurant and even gave us more helpings of soup at no extra cost.
Next, we visited the Leeum Museum of Art. The art museum has both traditional and contemporary art. The ticket per adult to visit the museum is 18000won (~$18 CAD).
Afterwards, we took the bus to the War Memorial of Korea. There was a military ceremony happening during our visit, so there was a lot of military and police officers. We could even see snipers stationed on the roofs of the buildings around the area! The War Memorial of Korea is a museum retelling the military history of Korea. It is free to visit and has many exhibition rooms to visit. Outside the museum are tanks, airplanes, and ships that were once used in the military, but are now retired.
We wanted to also see the National Museum of Korea, so we rushed through some of the exhibitions at the War Memorial of Korea (you could spend a whole afternoon there). The National Museum of Korea is also free and we got there with only an hour before they closed. The National Museum of Korea has different rooms and recounts the art and history of South Korea. What I enjoyed about museums in Korea is how there was a chronological order of the exhibitions – it made it easier to follow and everything felt more connected.
We took the train to the Itaewon neighbourhood after the museum. Itaewon is the multi-cultural area of Korea – there are many foreigners and expats who stay in Itaewon and this is reflected in the neighbourhood bars and restaurants. We stayed traditional however and went to a Korean all you can eat bbq restaurant called 이태원더고깃집(구HBC고깃집) for dinner. It was very reasonably priced and came out to $55 CAD for the two of us for all you can eat. This includes an endless sides station.
There are multiple bars in the areas if you are looking for a big night out. We were exhausted and headed back to the hotel for the evening.
Complete Day 13 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary. Check Kakao or Naver Maps for most accurate travel details.
8:00am: Breakfast at the convenience store (or the Hanok Hotel if breakfast is included).
9:00am: Take the train from Jeonju back to Seoul (2.5 hour train from Jeonju Station to Yongsan Station).
12:00pm: Have kalguksu for lunch at 논현손칼국수 (40 minute transit from Yongsan Station).
1:00pm: Visit the Leeum Museum of Art (32 minute transit from 논현손칼국수).
2:00pm: Visit the War Memorial of Korea (16 minute transit from Leeum Museum of Art).
4:00pm: Visit the National Museum of Korea (28 minute transit from the War Memorial of Korea).
6:00pm: Visit Itaewon. Have dinner at 이태원더고깃집(구HBC고깃집) (25 minute transit from the National Museum of Korea). Have drinks at one of the bars in Itaewon.
14-Day South Korea Itinerary
Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 14-Day South Korea Itinerary. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip!
Travels with Carolyne 