Seoul – Day 14 of a 14-Day Trip in South Korea
Our last day in South Korea was really only a half day in South Korea as we headed to the airport in the afternoon. We spent our last day visiting the Gangnam attractions – Bongeunsa Temple, Starfield Library, and Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs.
Day 14
Seoul
Our day started with a bus ride to Bongeunsa Temple, including a stop at the convenience store to pick up kimbap.
Bongeunsa Temple is a buddhist temple. It was originally called Gyeonseongsa Temple and was founded in 794 during the Silla dynasty. Buddhism was repressed during the Joseon period and the temple fell in disarray. It was rebuilt in 1498 by Queen Jeonghyeon to honor the king and renamed Bongeunsa Temple. In 1939, many of the buildings were destroyed in a fire. Today, many of the buildings have been rebuilt and is a popular spot to visit both for tourists and for prayer.
A 10-minute walk from Bongeunsa Temple is the Starfield Coex Mall. Although it is just a mall, there is an instagram-popular spot called Starfield Library that I wanted to see. At the Starfield Library, there are books lined up the wall. It is a very busy area with visitors trying to get a good photo and honestly is just a wall of books, but it is good to group it in to a visit to Gangnam (I would not go only for the Starfield Library).
Afterwards, we walked to the Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs. The royal tombs are burial grounds for King Seongjeong, the 9th monarch during the Joseon dynasty, and Queen Gonghye, the king’s first wife. The tombs are located within a walled park with an entrance fee of 1000won/adult.
For lunch and our final activity before the airport, we went to a Chinese/Korean restaurant called Madamming Seolleung. We ordered the spicy jajangmyeon platter (enough for 2 people). Jajangmyeon consists of noodles, seafood, meat, and veggies mixed in a black bean sauce. This one also had a spice kick to it. Once we were done the noodles, they gave us a bowl of rice to mix in with the sauce. Lots of carbs, but delicious. I loved that there were aprons for us to wear as we ate.
Next stop – the hotel to pick up our bags, then the airport. Good bye South Korea – it was a lot of fun!
Complete Day 14 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary. Check Kakao or Naver Maps for most accurate travel details.
8:00am: Have breakfast from the convenience store.
9:00am: Visit Bongeunsa Temple.
10:00am: Visit the Starfield Library (11 minute walk from Bongeunsa Temple). Do some last minute shopping.
11:00am: Visit Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs (23 minute walk from Starfield Library).
12:00pm: Have lunch at Madamming Seolleung (17 minute walk from Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs). Order the jajangmyeon!
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 