Seoul, or the Seoul Special City, is the capital and the largest
metropolis of South Korea. It is located in the Han River. Seoul was
once named as the World Design Capital in 2010 by International Council
of Societies of Industrial Design. The city has a humid continental
climate; summers are generally hot and humid while winters are often
relatively cold.
Things to do in Seoul:
Visit the palaces.
Unhyeon Palace - used as an exhibition area traditional art
performances, modern and creative dances. The re-enactment of the
marriage of King Kojong and Queen Myongsong is one of the main
attractions in the palace. It happens twice each year.
Changyeong Palace - known as the most peaceful and serene among all palaces in the city.
Changdeok
Palace and Biwon Garden - Changdeok Palace represents a friendlier
environment. At this palace you can imagine a king enjoying himself at
the top of the tree. Biwon Garden, known as the secret garden, is a
typical palace backyards where the royals are relaxing.
Deoksu Palace - the most accessible palace because of its location in central Seoul.
Jongmyo
Shrine - devoted to the spirits of Korean royal ancestors. They still
follow the original procedures for the offering of sacrificial gifts of
food and drink in original ritual utensils. The royal descendants and
participants are costumed by rank as well as the ritual dance and music
ensembles.
Gyeongbok Palace - located in Seoul's main boulevard, Sejongro. A palace near the President's house, the Blue House.
Explore the museums.
National Palace Museum of Korea - exhibits the heritage of Joseon Dynasty and the Imperial Family.
National
Museum of Korea - audio or visual guide is recommended when touring
this very huge museum as it has so many relics. It has 6 galleries.
War
Museum - it has 6 show rooms displaying an almost 5,000 year history of
foreign invasions. The park that surrounds the museum displays
aircraft, tanks and other fighting machines from the Korean War to the
present.
Seoul Museum of Art - the road of the Museum doesn't have
walls to allow the visitors to enjoy the sculptures and landscape from
the outside. A hundred-year old tree has been preserved together with
the sculptures and installed artworks which tells about the past and
present shape of Seoul.
The Story of King Sejong - dedicated to display the achievements of King Sejong.
Other
museums in the city are Agricultural Museum, Embroidery Museum, Heojun
Museum, King Sejong Great Memorial Hall, Korean National Police Heritage
Museum, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, National Folk Museum, Seodaemun
Museum of Natural History, Seoul Historical Museum, and Seoul Railway
Museum.
Enjoy the parks.
Seoul has a lot of parks too. Enjoy at these parks around the city:
Cheonggye Stream, Yeouido Park, Dosan Park, Yangjae Stream, Dream
Forest, Yangjae's Citizen Forest, Han River Park, World Cup Park,
Hongreung Arbuterum, Seoul Forest, Namsan Park, Seoul Children's Grand
Park, Olympic Park, Seonyudo Park, Paris Park and Seokchon Lake Park.
Experience night life in Seoul.
Visit these places and see how fun it is in Seoul at night:
Yeongdeungpo (Night Life), Bangbae-dong Café Street,
Sinchon-dong (Night Life), COEX Mall, Lotte World, Daehang-no
(University Street), Jong-no (Night Life), Dongdaemon (Night Life),
Jamsil (Night Life), Gangnam (Night Life), Itaewon-dong (Night Life),
Hongdae (Hongik University area).
Go shopping.
There are a lot of shopping malls in Seoul. Shop until you drop!
Seoul
is Korea's center for education, business and modern culture. There are
a lot of activities in the city for everyone such as visiting museums
and palaces, parks and mountains, and amusement parks and night clubs.
So much to learn and a lot of fantastic things to do in Seoul, South
Korea!
Find out more about Seoul and other destinations at http://www.itravelnet.com/ - a comprehensive travel directory featuring travel blogs, competition alerts, travel deals, news, travel photos and videos. Submit your travel site.
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Seoul is the capital city of South Korea and is the home of a
number of palaces and fun activities. It is a wonderful place to
experience the old and new of Asia. This place is well knit with the
rest of the country with various modes of transport like plane, train,
bus, car and boat. This article discusses the places to go in Seoul and
various fun activities in this beautiful city for you.
Amusement Activities
There
are a number of amusement parks in this city, most of which are open
for most part of the year. Lotte World is an indoor amusement park and
one of the world's largest of its kind. It showcases the ancient Korean
life and has a number of rides and a folk museum. Everland and
Children's Grand Park are other amusement parks which are special
attractions for children. This city has a Casino named Seven Luck and it
is only for foreigners. You will also find horse racing grounds. Races
are mostly held during the weekend.
Mountain Biking is another
tourist attraction. You can rent mountain bikes and other accessories
you require. They also offer coaching if you require any help with
biking on the mountain. There are a number of theaters showing
traditional and modern art performances. You can also choose to go for
relaxed evening with a number of spas and massage rooms available in the
city. There are also small institutes which teach Korean cooking and
pottery to help take with you a part of Korea after your vacation.
Places To Visit
Palaces
are most popular among the places to go in Seoul for any tourist. These
are places where Korea's royalty was seated in ancient times. Some of
these palaces have been restored and repainted to preserve their
heritage. Gyeongbok-gung is the grandest palace of Seoul. It is now the
home of Korean Folk museum and Joeseon Palace Museum. There are a few
mountains in Seoul which are known for scenic beauty and also offers
hiking trail for both beginners and experienced hikers. This place is
also known for its temples and shrines.
Jongmyo Shrine is a shrine
specially made for the royal families of the Korean dynasties. Jogye and
Bongeun are significant Buddhist temples in this city. This city is
also known to have a number of parks with different themes. They host
the World Comic Convention twice a month and they also offer a number of
folk villages showcasing cultural heritage of this place.
Shopping And Other Facilities
Korea
private tours will include Namdaemun and Dongdaemun which are famous
tourist shopping spots. These are places known for clothing, accessories
with a Korean touch to it. There are also many art galleries and shops
for electronic gadgets in the city.
You will find a number of
authentic Korean and Japanese restaurants in the city to give your taste
buds a pleasant change in taste. There are also a number of good
accommodations available from budget hotels to luxurious suites. They
would help you in finding a private tour in Seoul for you to go around
the place without any trouble.
For more information about Korea private tours and places to go in Seoul please visit us at sonyaexplorekorea.com.
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First and foremost, buying air tickets to Seoul do not entirely
guarantee one's entrance. Nationals of some countries are required to
obtain visas from South Korean embassies based on their homelands to
legally enter. An appropriate visa would be granted, depending on the
purpose of entry. Requirements should be submitted and legal procedures
should be undertaken.
Before departure, travelers should also bear
in mind that not all Koreans can speak English fluently. Rare times
have it that some of them are even terrified of being talked to in that
foreign language; although taxis have free interpreters; and signs have
translations. So tourists should take time to learn even the basic
phrases. Using simple greetings like "annyeong haseyo" (hello) and "kamsahamnida"
(thank you) would be enough. For many locals, hearing foreigners speak
their local language is enough to make them feel appreciated. So really,
learning the language earns travelers plus points!
Another thing,
people should also be updated with the weather conditions in South
Korea before traveling. Spring falls between these months: March or
April to May or June. Summer is from June or July until the month of
August. Autumn is from either August or September to November or
December. Winter follows from November/December to February/March.
It
is important to know the season because that would tell which kinds of
clothing people should bring. The cold seasons are literally cold,
especially for people who live on tropical and subtropical nations. It
is best to bring more thick clothes, coats, jackets, earmuffs and
scarves when visiting during those times. South Korea hotels usually
have heaters installed in their rooms so staying comfortable every night
is guaranteed.
In terms of clothing, it is best to keep it toned
down. Revealing clothes are also not to be worn in temples as this would
just deny people entrances to these holy destinations. Although many
Koreans are so much into fashion, they would not appreciate very
revealing clothes in the streets. It is best to look casual all the
time; yet keep that sophisticated vibe obvious.
These sums up the
things that a traveler should bear in mind before going to South Korea.
Remember that a travel adventure to this wonderful nation is surely
worth the experience if one is prepared.
Now that flight promotions
to South Korea are abundant especially on the internet, more and more
people are packing their bags to travel to this spectacular country. But
while coming to this East Asian nation impulsively is not a wrong
thing, it is still important and definitely better to be prepared as you
travel to a complex yet exciting nation as this.
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In Korea, the seat of the government is in Seoul. In this city
you would notice a great mixture of culture and tradition. Of course, in
this article, when we say visit Korea, it would automatically mean
South Korea for North Korea is a little bit difficult to get into.
Below
is a list of the favourites that people who already went to South Korea
listed to help you in deciding which places to visit.
1. Top one in your to visit list is the Gyeongbok Palace
This
is difficult to miss given that it is located at the northern end of
the main boulevard in Seoul which is Sejongro. This is the most famous
royal palace in Korea.
2. Next thing to do when in South Korea is to experience the yore living in Bukchon Village
This
village of old is surrounded by the Gyeongbok Palace on the west and
Changdeok Palace on the east. It houses the largest group of privately
owned hanok (traditional Korean homes) in Seoul.
3. Then you should experience shopping in Shinsegae Department Store
Being
one of the biggest department stores in the city, Shinsegae offers
staples such as prepared food at the base, expensive shoes and bags at
the next level and the rooftop offers a beautiful garden where the
shopper can relax after a tiring day of walking and shopping.
4. You should also experience mountain climbing in Bugaksan
Seoul's
ancient fortress walls and its 15th century gates await hikers who
would take any of the numerous trailheads here in Bugaksan.
5. Visit Itaewon neighborhood
This is located near the former U.S. army base. Here bars, clubs, restaurants and shops are what attract tourists.
6. Another market is the Namdaemun Market
This
serves as a 24/7 market for those who are searching for less expensive
clothing, accessories and almost everything a tourist could possibly
want to buy.
7. Then you should experience walking along the Cheonggyecheon Stream
Quiet and beautiful, this place is located 15ft below street level. It is best for strolls and relaxation.
8. No trip to Korea is complete without learning about their history in the War Memorial of Korea
Here you would learn about the history in relationships of Korea.
9. The Seoul City Tour Bus
A less expensive way to touring the city.
10. Visit Baedongbaji
Lastly, you should experience full Korean cuisine for about 15usd. This is in Baedongbaji, Samcheong-dong.
B H Yao invites new and seasoned travelers from the online
community to read original articles on travel tips, vacations for
couples and families, world travel at World Travel Guide. Come on by for more great updates on Asia Travel Destinations.
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