Exploring Seoul solo – why not?

My entry for the Travel Writing and Sharing Contest “Free Exploration – Your Way” by Thanh Nhàn about my solo trip to South Korea.

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One of the reasons South Korea becomes an ideal destination in autumn is the incredibly romantic and sparkling red and yellow foliage perfect for photos. So, when I decided to travel alone to admire South Korea's autumn, the most common question I received was, “Who will take your Instagram-worthy photos?”. And I returned from South Korea with a bunch of profound photos and amazing experiences – beyond expectations. I hope this article will help those of you planning to travel solo get some extra tips to prepare for your journey ~

I booked round-trip tickets with Vietnam Airlines (including 20kg checked baggage, 7kg carry-on) + Travel insurance purchased with the ticket = 6,800k VND. I booked the tickets at the end of September for November flights.

One of the main reasons I chose VNA is because of the flexible flight schedule (I flew at 00:05 on the 1st and returned at 05:55 on the 4th. This gave me a full 4 days without having to spend the night at the airport), not to mention VNA flights are not delayed and they serve both light snacks and main meals on board, which I love the most, hehe.

As for accommodation, I booked a female-only dorm room at Hostel ICOS Guest House 1 in Sinchon (near Hongdae area). The total cost for 3 nights was around 1,000k VND (booked via Booking.com; paid directly upon check-in). The hostess was extremely friendly and lovely. This is also where I met many new friends.

A bit backward in my planning, I paid for the flight tickets and booked the hotel before even thinking about applying for a visa. Despite having only been to Singapore, I still bravely applied for the visa as if it were the right thing to do (although everyone said it was very difficult to get), but in the end, I made it through. The application process was straightforward, you should visit the LSQ to inquire about the list of documents to prepare (Visa application form, Employment certificate, Leave permission letter, Proof of sufficient funds in savings account, Flight + hotel booking, Itinerary). Including transportation and notary fees, I spent 800k VND for this visa application.

– 4G SIM Card – Booked a 5-day unlimited 4G SIM card through Klook. Payment was made online within minutes and picked up the SIM card at Incheon Airport in South Korea (the staff at the counter spoke excellent English and provided thorough instructions).

– AREX ICN-Seoul Train Ticket – Grabbed it on Klook for convenience. I decided to take AREX for its speed and to avoid the hassle of dealing with cards at the airport because it's my first time taking the subway hehe. Just to share, the seats on AREX are quite comfortable, there's a dedicated luggage area, free wifi, and the scenery outside the window is stunning <3.

– Warm Clothing – I'm extremely afraid of the cold, so I equipped myself with a long padded jacket, thermal shirt, scarf, hat, and gloves. Those traveling in winter might need to add heat patches (which can be bought in Vietnam for around 40-50k VND/3 patches) to stay warm in this freezing season. Also, don't forget essentials like medicine, personal hygiene items, etc.

– Especially, I also booked the Discovery Seoul Pass 24h on Klook (ever since discovering Klook, life has been so much easier). It not only offers free admission to many attractions but also doubles as a convenient T-money card. Priced at around 700k VND, there are often promotions on Klook.

– Morning: I took a midnight flight and arrived in Korea at 7:10 am (not late even by a minute) and went through customs. It was super crowded, so I didn't finish until 8:30 am, got my luggage, got a SIM card, picked up the DSP card, and AREX ticket. Then I boarded the one-stop train to Seoul. The train ride took 43 minutes, and I arrived at Seoul Station around 9:30 am. But since it was my first time, I wandered around here for over an hour to figure out how to transfer to the hostel line :3. Finally, at 10:30 am, I safely checked into the hostel.

– Afternoon:

+ After checking in, I happily headed to SMTOWN Museum – SMTOWN@coexartium (Samseong Station Exit 5) to admire the idols haha. With the Discovery Seoul Pass, I got free admission to the SMTOWN Museum, where there were lots of photos, memorabilia, even a photo room with 3D projections of idols and music on request ~ Definitely worth a try. For lunch, I grabbed some kimbap at a nearby convenience store to quickly get back to idol hunting :v, it only cost around 3500-5000w for a hot kimbap.

Rare photo with a handsome idol hehe

+ Around 3 pm, I moved to COEX Aquarium nearby. Still got free admission with Discovery Seoul Pass. Actually, this place is suitable if you have kids with you, lots of useful and cute information. I came here because of the romantic scenes from Korean dramas at this aquarium. And it didn't disappoint me, there's an extremely romantic area with fish swimming back and forth and lovely music :3, there are even seats to enjoy it comfortably. Felt extremely relaxed <3

– Evening:

+ At 5 pm, I went back to the hostel. After resting and personal hygiene, I had a super delicious dinner with a super attractive set of dishes below by the hostel owner's invitation (so lucky hehe). It was cold outside, so eating hot and delicious food warmed my heart completely.

Super attractive set of dishes ~

+ At 7 pm, I went to the Hongdae area (Hongik Univ Station) to experience the bustling atmosphere at night. People were singing and dancing happily. I also took the chance to buy some very lovely cosmetics here.

+ At 10 pm, I returned to the hostel and went straight to bed until the next morning :>

– Morning: I convinced a Vietnamese lady and a Chinese friend to go together to Seoul Forest Park (Seoul Forest Station, exit 3). I went in November so most leaves had fallen, but the scenery was still charming. We went in the morning, the weather was clear, the air was fresh, and we had a great time chatting with new friends and taking Instagram-worthy photos together.

Here's Seoul Forest Park, everyone!

– Afternoon: I split from the group and moved to Gwanghwamun Station Exit 6 to buy tickets for City Tour bus: Downtown Palace Course. Since I used the Seoul Discovery Pass, I got it for free. The bus route covers many interesting spots, and you can hop on and off as you like. I got off at N Seoul Tower to enjoy the chilly breeze haha. The road up to the tower was beautiful, and it was freezing up there. From the top, you can overlook the bustling city of Seoul. After a short stroll for about 30 minutes, I decided to return to the next City Bus stop to explore more destinations. However, due to traffic jams in the afternoon, the plan to visit the palace was ruined. I sat on the bus passing by many interesting places (there were Vietnamese audio guides onboard). We arrived back at the Gwanghwamun stop at 4:30 pm.

View of Seoul from above

+ Evening: I moved to Mangwon Station Exit 2 to join a short evening tour including dining + strolling at Haneul Sky Park by todaysfriends. The tour was led by a Korean guide, who spoke excellent English, so we had a great time chatting. The price was only around $25-35/person/1 tour lasting from 2.5-3.5 hours (including meals), and there were many interesting destinations to choose from. For solo travelers like me, this service is simply amazing!!!

Our tour guide is super adorableee

+ Morning: I convinced 2 friends from the Hostel to go out again. To catch the last traces of autumn, we decided to visit Kyunghee University (Hoegi Station Exit 1) for some photo sessions. And to our delight, the university had many beautiful, deep, and romantic photo spots. We spent the whole morning exploring and taking photos and still felt reluctant to leave, hehe.

The ancient KyungHee University

+ Noon: I returned to the hostel and strolled around for lunch. After a while, I managed to buy some ginseng and assorted sweets to take back as gifts.

+ Afternoon: I visited a friend at Sangdo Station Exit 2, and from there, we walked to Chung Ang University to hang out. I must say, the scenery of Korean universities is extremely beautiful, and we (again) had a high-quality photo session during our stroll.

The falling leaves are so romantic here

+ Evening: My friend and I had dinner at a nearby restaurant near Chung Ang University, bibimbap and kimchi soup. The prices in this area are quite reasonable, around 4500-7000KRW per generous serving. After that, we went shopping at Myeongdong. Thousands of cosmetic shops, clothing stores, and food stalls. We were only worried about not having enough money to buy everything, never about not finding anything to buy. Anyone who comes here should be prepared with full energy for shopping.

A tempting dinner that only cost 10,000KRW in total

+ Morning: I had breakfast at the hostel and chatted with friends until nearly 10 a.m. Then, I felt like getting my hair done Korean style, hehe. The owner was very lovely, did a meticulous job without any fuss. After 3 hours, I was done with cutting and naturally curling my hair. It cost around 2.5-3 million VND. If you add dyeing, there will be additional costs. But I think this price is relatively reasonable compared to some famous hair salons in Saigon.

+ Noon + Afternoon: After finishing the beauty session, I packed up at the hostel and headed to catch the airport bus, which was just a few steps away from the hostel. The fare is 10,000KRW – the bus takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on traffic and passengers. You can trust the driver to get off the bus and open the trunk to store your luggage. However, the buses in Korea seem to run very fast, so if you're prone to motion sickness, you should consider carefully. I arrived at the airport at 3 p.m., but after completing the procedures, it was already 4:30 p.m. After a short wait, it was time to board the plane, saying goodbye to Korea.

– Should you go to Korea – even if alone? I think you should, really should experience it once. The security is quite assured so whether you travel alone or not, you can feel at ease. As for taking photos, there's even less worry, new experiences, new friends – cleverly, you might end up taking more photos than expected ^^.

– Expensive or not? I also think it's not, my expenses for visa + flight + accommodation + meals + transportation were only around 11-12 million VND. As for shopping, you can control it based on your budget. You can take advantage of booking tickets in advance for trains, buses, or tickets to some attractions on Klook, which offer considerable discounts. When you arrive, just scan the QR code with your phone, it's very convenient and fast.

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