Just a bit of Q&A
- What? a 1-week vacation
- When? in June (that’s 🔥 hot)
- Where? 📍 South Korea
- How? on a budget (lol duh)
- Why? ‘cause I’m bored
Here’s the FAPFAP-ing Breakdown
Fund$ ~2205 USD
Accommodation
- 👉Budget: 20,000 KRW to 30,000 KRW per night for a hostel or budget hotel
- Moderate: 50,000 KRW to 80,000 KRW per night for a mid-range hotel
- Luxury: 100,000 KRW or more per night for a high-end hotel
Accomodation Total: $215
Note: I'll actually be in South Korea for the whole month of June so I booked an Airbnb for June 2 - July 1 for $859 which is discounted due to the length of stay. This also allowed me to keep it budget-friendly at less than 30 USD a night.
Passage
- Flight:
- 👉Economy: $990–1,700.
- Premium economy: $1,890 - $4,687
- Business: $3,400–5,800
- First: $12,500–16,000 Flight Total: $1,410 😭
- Local Transportation
- Intercity transportation costs: 15,000 KRW to 25,000 KRW per trip by train or bus
- Taxi: 20,000 KRW to 30,000 KRW per trip within a city
- Subway/Bus: 1,250 KRW to 2,500 KRW per trip Local Transportation Total: $70
Food
- 👉Budget: 5,000 KRW to 20,000 KRW per meal at a local street food vendor or budget restaurant
- Moderate: 50,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW per meal at a mid-range restaurant
- ☝️Luxury: 200,000 KRW or more per meal at a high-end restaurant
As a foodie I can't resist having at least 1 luxury (#FAT)/tags/FAT (Food Adventure Time)
Food Total: $350
Adventure
- Entrance fee for most tourist attractions: 3,000 KRW to 8,000 KRW per person
- Admission to theme parks and other entertainment venues may vary, but generally between 30,000 KRW to 50,000 KRW per person.
Adventure Total: $160
Productivity
Since this is vacation I dont plan on being prductive at all.
Productivity Total: $0
Emergency Fund$
1,000 USD I know having an emergency fund of 1,000 USD for a week-long trip probably seems a bit excessive but that fund is in its own high-yield savings account and will only be withdrawn if needed while traveling. Plus any money I save during my travels goes into this account.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
- Check into your hotel or Airbnb
- Explore the neighborhood around your accommodations (e.g. Myeong-dong for shopping, Insadong for traditional culture)
- Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty (entrance fee: 3,000 KRW)
Day 2: Seoul
- Visit Namsan Seoul Tower for a panoramic view of the city (entrance fee: 16,000 KRW)
- Explore the shopping and food options in Gangnam
- Learning something new (book a Korean cooking class for around $62.1 USD)
Day 3: Seoul - Jeonju
- Travel to Jeonju (about 2.5 hours by bus or train)
- Visit Jeonju and rent a Hanbok because they’re so pretty plus Hanok Village has many venues that offer discounts for those wearing Hanbok! (the rental fee for the traditional dress is around 15,000 KRW ~ 30,000 KRW and the 19th-century costume is around 30,000 KRW ~ 50,000 KRW.)
- Visit Jeondong Cathedral, one of the oldest Catholic churches in Korea (entrance fee: free)
Day 4: Jeonju
- Visit Gyeonggijeon which is located in front of the Jeonju Hanok Village, opposite the Jeondong Cathedral. Gyeonggijeon is designated as a Private Historical Landmark in Korea. (entrance fee: 3,000 KRW)
- Hanok village is a street food paradise. There are so so many kinds of street foods here it's near impossible to enjoy them all in a day.
- Travel back to Seoul (unless you’ve booked a homestay in Jeonju 😉)
Day 5: Seoul/Jeonju - Busan
- Travel to Busan (about 2.5 hours by bus or train) & check into your hotel or Airbnb
- Visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, a magnificent Buddhist temple, set on a cliff facing the sea. (entrance fee: free)
- Visit Gamcheon Culture Village, a village known for its colorful houses and street art. At the tourist information office, you can buy an interactive map of Gamcheon Culture Village for 2,000 KRW (be sure to collect all the stamps for a freebie)
Day 6: Busan - Seoul
- Return to Seoul (about 2.5 hours by bus or train)
- Experience a festival (here are a few June festivals to check out: the Tomato Festival, 5TARDIUM EDM Festival, or Gangneungdanoje Festival)
- Visit Lotte World, the largest indoor theme park in the world (entrance fee: 62,000 KRW or 50,000 KRW after 4 PM) (rent an Ehwa Korean school uniform, and be a kid again for around $16.5 USD)
Day 7: Departure
- For the final meal in Seoul, eat like a literal king at Jihwaja a National Intangible Cultural Property No.38 " Royal Cuisine of Joseon Dynasty " ($77 - $158 USD)
- Do some last-minute shopping and sightseeing before departing for home.
I’ll be sure to update the note with pictures and videos. 📷