Personal Opinion

Shows

Awakening at Wynn	5/5
Chris Angel Mindfreak	4.5/5
Vegas! The Show	3/5
America’s Got Talent Superstars	3/5
“O” by Cirque du Soleil	2.5/5
Ka by Cirque du Soleil	1.5/5

UPDATE: I watched the Sphere Experience “Postcard from Earth” show at the Sphere in June 2025. It was just okay. I’d give it a 3.5/5.

Buffets

Buffet at Wynn	5/5
Buffet at Caesars Palace	4/5
Buffet at Palms	3/5
Buffet at SouthPoint	2/5

Note: Though the food at the SouthPoint Garden Buffet was just 2/5 on average, the prime rib was delicious. As one the cheapest buffets in Vegas, if you like prime rib like I do, then this buffet is worth it for $36.

Water Parks

Vegas can get really hot in the summer, which may make you want to go to a water park.

Mandalay Bay Beach

• Website
• Mon-Sun 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
• Personal opinion: the wave pool isn’t impressive. There’s only one wave every few minutes. The lazy river is small, but it has a strong current, which is nice.

Cowabunga Bay (Henderson)

• Website
• $50
• Hours
• 30 mins from the Strip by car
• Directions
• Personal Opinion: This is a relatively small waterpark compared to the ones I’ve tried in Orlando, FL. However, it wasn’t crowded, which meant lines were short. There was a decent variety of rides and they were all fun. The wave pool creates large waves every 5 minutes and they last for maybe 5 minutes. Definitely a lot of fun as the strong waves can push you towards the beach. The lazy river is of decent length, however, the current wasn’t very strong.

Wet ‘n Wild / Cowabunga Canyon (Summerlin)

• Website
• $50
• Hours
• 30 mins from the Strip by car
• Directions

Buffets: All-You-Can-Eat Food

This is just a small selection of unique buffets. Scroll further down for buffets at each hotel.

Garden Buffet – South Point Hotel & Casino

• Website
• Uniqueness: Cheap
• Breakfast: M-F, 7-10 am, $17, Menu
• Lunch: M-F, 11 am – 3 pm, $20, Menu
• Prime Rib Dinner: 4-9 pm, $29, Menu

A.Y.C.E. Buffet – Palms Hotel and Casino

• Website
• Uniqueness: Small but high quality
• Brunch – $32.99, Saturday & Sunday | 9am – 4pm
• Dinner – $36.99
  • Monday & Tuesday | 4pm – 9pm
  • Saturday | 5pm – 10pm
  • Sunday | 5pm – 9pm

Bacchanal Buffet – Caesar’s Palace

• Website
• Uniqueness: High quality, largest buffet in Vegas
• Regular Brunch, $60, Thursday – Monday | 9 AM – 1 PM
• Dinner: $80, must RSVP, very crowded

The Buffet – Wynn

• Website
• Uniqueness: High quality
• Dinner: $75, not as big and crowded as Bacchanal but still very good
• Monday – Thursday
  • Early Riser Breakfast, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. – $40
  • Brunch, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. – $47
• Friday – Sunday
  • Early Riser Breakfast, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. – $46
  • Gourmet Brunch, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Daily – $51

Attractions By Hotel

Note: This is not a complete list of hotels and attractions.

Mandalay Bay

• Website
• Opened in 1999
• 3209 rooms

Luxor

• Opened in 1993
• 4400 rooms

Excalibur 

• Opened in 1990
• 3981 rooms

New York New York

Park MGM (Formerly Monte Carlo)

Aria

• opened in 2009
• has 4,000 hotel rooms

The Cosmopolitan

• Opened in 2010

Bellagio

• Opened in 1998
• Has 3,933 guestrooms

Caesars Palace

• Opened in 1966
• Has 4,000 guest rooms

Mirage

• Opened in 1989
• Has 3,044 guestrooms

Resorts World

• Opened in June 2021 on the land where Stardust used to be

Circus Circus

• Opened in 1968
• Has over 3,700 guestrooms
• One of the cheapest hotels on the strip

STRAT

Sahara

• Opened in 1952

Wynn/Encore

Treasure Island

• Opened in 1993

Venetian/Palazzo

• Venetian opened in 1999
• Palazzo opened in 2007
• Both hotels connected by the Grand Canal Shoppes

Harrah’s

• Opened in 1973
• Has 2,530 guestrooms

LINQ

Flamingo

• Opened in 1940s

Cromwell

• Formerly Barbary Coast

Horseshoe (formerly Bally’s)

Paris

Planet Hollywood (Formerly Aladdin)

MGM Grand

• Opened in 1993
• Has over 5,000 hotel rooms

Tropicana

• Opened in 1957

Other Attractions

Map of Strip

Customized Strip Hotel Google Map with My Personal Points of Interest

View Map

Hotel Property Maps

Maps on SmarterVegas.com

• Mandalay Bay
• Luxor
• Excalibur
• New York New York
• Park MGM
• Aria
• The Cosmopolitan
• Bellagio
• Caesars Palace
• Rio
• Mirage
• Treasure Island
• Resorts World
• Circus Circus
• STRAT
• Sahara
• Wynn/Encore
• Venetian/Palazzo
• Harrah’s
• The LINQ
• Flamingo
• The Cromwell
• Horseshoe
• Paris
• Planet Hollywood
• MGM Grand
• Tropicana

Weather

A collection of points of interest south of San Francisco

*	San Jose – Santa Cruz Highway 17 (Scenic)

*	Monterey / Fisherman’s Wharf / Cannery Row

*	El Torito (Mexican)

Google Maps

*	Crepes on the Row

Google Maps

*	Pebble Beach / 17-Mile Drive

*	Carmel-by-the-Sea

*	California Highway 1 Scenic Route / Pacific / Gold Coast

WARNING: Check for road closures

*	Hearst Castle

This itinerary assumes a starting point in Foster City, California near Qualys headquarters. It does not include every single tourist destination, but it does include many popular ones. This particular itinerary includes brunch and dinner at restaurants based on personal preference. The itinerary was designed to make a loop to avoid backtracking as much as possible.

*	Twin Peaks

*	Twin Peaks to Painted Ladies

Google Maps Directions

*	Alamo Square / Painted Ladies

*	Alamo Square / Painted Ladies to Haight-Ashbury

Google Maps Directions

*	Haight-Ashbury: Former 1960s Hippie Neighborhood

*	1428 HAIGHT Patio Cafe & Crepery

• Website
• Menu
• Yelp | Menu

*	Haight-Ashbury to Golden Gate Park

Google Maps Directions

*	Golden Gate Park

The equivalent of Central Park in New York

*	Conservatory of Flowers to Murphy Windmill

Google Maps Directions

*	Ocean Beach

*	Ocean Beach / Murphy Windmill to Lands End Lookout

Google Maps Directions

*	Lands End Lookout

*	Lands End Lookout to Legion of Honor

Google Maps Directions

*	Legion of Honor

*	Legion of Honor to Golden Gate Bridge (South Viewpoint)

Google Maps Directions

*	Golden Gate Bridge

*	Golden Gate Bridge (South Viewpoint) to H. Dana Bowers Rest Area & Vista Point

Google Maps Directions

*	H. Dana Bowers Rest Area & Vista Point to Golden Gate View Point

Google Maps Directions

*	Golden Gate View Point to Palace of Fine Arts

Google Maps Directions

*	Palace of Fine Arts

*	Palace of Fine Arts to Lombard Street Along the Marina

Google Maps Directions

*	Lombard Street

*	Lombard Street to Fisherman’s Wharf

Google Maps Directions

*	Fisherman’s Wharf

*

Pier 39

*	Pier 39 to the Ferry Building

Google Maps Directions

*	Ferry Building

*	Ferry Building to Chinatown

Google Maps Directions

*

Chinatown

*	Chinatown to Union Square (Drive by Transamerica Building)

Google Maps Directions

*	Union Square

*	Cable Cars

*	Union Square to Shalimar Restaurant

Google Maps Directions

*	Shalimar Restaurant

*	Shalimar Restaurant to City Hall

Google Maps Directions

*

City Hall

*	City Hall to Treasure Island via Bay Bridge

Google Maps Directions

*	Treasure Island & Bay Bridge

*	Treasure Island to El Torito

Google Maps Directions

*

El Torito

*	El Torito to Foster City

Google Maps Directions

*	San Mateo-Hayward Bridge

Sat, Oct 26, 2024 – Mon, Nov 25, 2024

SUN	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
						26
27	28	29	30	31	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25

Saturday, October 26, 2024

7:30 AM

Drive from Tracy to San Francisco Int’l Airport (SFO)

8:30 AM

Check in

Flight	SQ 31
Airline	Singapore
Confirmation Number	2ZAVWN

11:30 AM

Take off to Singapore

Flight Duration: 16h 40m
Plane: Airbus A359

Sunday, October 27, 2024

7:10 PM

Land at Changi International Airport, Singapore

7:10 PM

Go to connecting flight

Layover in Singapore: 3 hours 30 minutes

Flight	SQ 968
Airline	Singapore
Confirmation Number	2ZAVWN

10:40 PM

Take off to Jakarta

Flight Duration: 1 hr 35 min
Plane: Boeing 777-300ER

11:25 PM

Land in Jakarta, Indonesia

12:00 AM

Drive to Hania’s house

Jalan Sakatak lll No.47
RT 2 / RW 15
Abadijaya, Sukmajaya, Depok City,
West Java 16417
Indonesia

Food to Eat

Sticky sweet rice with shredded coconut

Sumedang Tofu

Bubur Kacang Ijo with Ketan and Santen

Sweet Martabak (مطبق)

Mutabak or Martabak is a street food that originated in southern Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and its name in Arabic (مطبق) means folded. It spread to Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei, where it is even more popular than in Arabia and has many variations, including a sweet and a savory version. The matabak that is found on the streets of Sanaa is usually an egg or cheese version, but you can add a variety of fillings. 

Savory Martabak

Es Kelapa Muda (Iced Young Coconut)

Es Teler

Nasi Goreng (NazGor) a.k.a. Indonesian Fried Rice

Sate Ayam (Chicken Satay)

Bakso

Es Teh Melati (Iced Jasmine Tea)

Putu

Lapis Legit

Roti Bakar (Toasted Bread)

ChillGo Portable Neck Fan ($28)

Buy on Amazon

Monday, November 25, 2024

2:00 AM

Drive from house to airport

3:00 AM

Check in

Flight	SQ 951
Airline	Singapore
Confirmation Number	2ZAVWN

5:25 AM

Take off to Singapore

Flight Duration: 1 hr 45 min
Plane: Boeing 777-300ER

8:10 AM

Land at Changi International Airport, Singapore

8:10 AM

Go to connecting flight

Layover in Singapore: 1 hour 10 minutes

Flight	SQ 32
Airline	Singapore
Confirmation Number	2ZAVWN

9:20 AM

Take off to San Francisco

Flight Duration: 15 hr 20 min
Plane: Airbus A359

7:50 AM

Land in San Francisco

Thursday, May 11

9:15 AM

Fly to Seoul, Korea

Friday, May 12

7:00 PM

Land in Incheon Airport, Korea

7:30 PM

Go to Hotel

Clinic will arrange airport transfer to hotel.

Hotel Skypark Myeongdong 2
호텔 스카이파크 명동 2호점
22, Myeongdong 9-gil, Jung-gu, Jung-Gu, Seoul, 04538, South Korea
중구 명동9길 22, 중구 (서울특별시, 04538)

8:30 PM

Walk around Myeongdong

9:30 PM

Dinner at Myeongdong fried chicken street

Korean fried chicken

Saturday, May 13

9:00 AM

Go to Myeongdong Tourist Information Center

• Buy 3-day mPASS and local SIM card
• There is a $4.11 deposit. Get deposit refund (minus $0.41 for the cost of the card) at the Tourist Information Center at the airport before leaving Korea.
• MPass can be used on subway lines, airport railroad all-stop train, Seoul city buses (mainline buses, branch buses, circulation buses, village buses, night buses)
• The pass offers 20 rides a day for the duration of the pass. 

9:30 AM

Walk from hotel to Namsan cable car

10:00 AM

Take Namsan Cable Car to North Seoul Tower

• Open 10 AM to 11 PM
• http://www.cablecar.co.kr/eng/
• One way: KRW 11,000 = $8.35
• Round trip: KRW 14,000 = $10.62

10:30 AM

Visit North Seoul Tower

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours:
  • Weekdays: 12-9PM
  • Weekends: 11AM-10PM
• Admission: $14

11:45 AM

Hike down Namsan mountain

12:30 PM

Take bus to Namdaemun Market

1:00 PM

Visit Namdaemun Market

• It is the oldest and largest market in Korea.
• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: varies by store. Closed on Sundays.

2:00 PM

Walk to Seoullo 7017

• Seoul Skygarden or Skypark
• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 24 hours

3:00 PM

Walk to Seoul Train Station / Shopping Mall

Have snack at Seoul Station

4:00 PM

Take bus to Seoul City Hall

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 9AM-6PM Monday thru Friday

5:00 PM

Walk to Cheonggyecheon

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 24 hours
• Admission: Free

6:00 PM

Take subway to Gwangjang Market Food Alley

• A traditional street market in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The market is one of the oldest and largest traditional markets in South Korea, with more than 5000 shops and 20,000 employees in an area of 42,000 square meters.
• Website
• Official Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10AM-11PM

6:30 PM

Eat 빈대떡 (Bindae-tteok: Mung bean pancake)

6:30 PM

Go to Dongdaemun Design Plaza

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10AM-9PM
• Admission: Free

Sunset is at 7:32 PM

7:30 PM

Take night tour bus

• https://www.seoulcitytourbus.co.kr/en/course/Night

9:00 PM

Dinner at Hong Bar Korean BBQ in Myeongdong

• Closes at 10 PM
• KRW 14,900 = $11.31
• HONG BAR Myeongdong is an all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurant located in the center of Myeongdong, a popular tourist destination. Samgyeopsal (three slices of pork), yangnyeom daegalbi (seasoned pork), yangnyeom dakgalbi (seasoned chicken), and other 7 types of meat that you cannot miss on your trip to Korea, along with side dishes such as tteokbokki and salad, will fill you up for 90 minutes. 
• View menu

Sunday, May 14

10:00 PM

Breakfast at Lottee Shopping Mall Food Court

• 10 AM to 8:30 PM every day
• Eat macarons

11:00 PM

Eat Patbingsu dessert at Sulbing

• 팥빙수 (Patbingsu: Shaved Ice with Sweet Red Beans)
• Hours: 10:30 AM to 11 PM

Video

11:30 PM

Take subway to Jamsillaru station

Eat 찐빵 (Jjinppang: Fluffy steamed buns filled with sweet red beans)

12:30 PM

Take subway to Jamsil station, visit Seoul Sky Observatory

• The Seoul Sky Observatory is located at the top of the Lotte World Tower, the world’s fifth tallest building standing 123 stories and 555 meters high. As the tallest building in South Korea, it is the only place where you can take in a gorgeous 360-degree view of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea roaring with brilliant history and dynamic modern culture.
• Google Maps
• Website
• Seoul Sky Hours: 10:30AM–10PM

1:30 PM

Have drink at Seoul Sky Observatory restaurant

2:30 PM

Take subway to Starfield COEX Mall

• Official Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10:30 AM-10 PM

3:00 PM

Visit Starfield Library

4:00 PM

Take taxi to Costco

• Google Maps
• Hours: 8AM-10PM

5:30 PM

Take taxi to Itaewon

It’s where all the foreigners hang out at night.

5:30 PM

Eat Pizza at Gino’s NY Pizza

• 2 locations:
• Itaewon 지노스피자 이태원 Google Map
  • Hours: Weekdays: 11:30AM-3PM, 5-10PM, Weekends: 11:30AM-9PM
• Gangnam 지노스피자 압구정점 Google Map
  • Hours: Weekdays: 11:30AM-3PM, 5-10PM, Weekends: 12-9PM

Food

*	호떡 (Hotteok: Korean Sweet Pancakes)

Hottoek is a Korean-styled pancake. One of the most popular Korean street snacks, it is made from a simple flour batter and filled with sweet syrup made from cinnamon, brown sugar, and peanuts. It’s a great snack when you’re between meals.

*	화전 (Hwajeon: Pan-fried Sweet Rice Cakes with Flower Petals)

Video

경단 (Gyeongdan: Sweet Rice Balls)

Video

황남빵 (Hwangnambbang: Hwangnam Bread)

Red beans are mixed with eggs and wheat dough by hand, then this artisan bread is shaped and baked without any artificial sweeteners or preservatives, keeping only the sweetness of its original natural ingredients.

Video

호두과자 (Hodu-gwaja: Walnut Cookies)

Hodu means walnut in Korean and they are cookies filled with red bean paste and walnuts.

허니 브래드 (Honey Bread)

Thick bread is divided into nine parts filled with whipped cream and then topped with honey, caramel syrup, and cinnamon powder. Its original name was Honey Butter Bread.

계란빵 (Gyeran-ppang: Egg Bread)

has a shape of rounded rectangle and contains whole egg inside of a bread. They are often sold by street vendors.

꽈배기 (Kkwabaegi: Twisted Korean Doughnuts)

It is made with glutinous rice flour and melted butter. The dough is deep-fried in oil and tossed in sugar and cinnamon powder. Like most fried breads, it tastes better when it’s hot. You can enjoy the original taste of twisted bread by eating when it just comes out of the oil, or by heating them up. 

뚱카롱 (Ddungcaron: Fat Macaron)

Rice Punch 식혜 (Korean Sweet Rice Drink)

Songpyeon half-moon rice cake (송편)

The fillings for these rice cakes vary, but the most common are sweetened sesame seeds and mung beans.

Video

Chapssaltteok (Korean style mochi)

Filled with sweet red beans

Korean dalgona coffee

Pat-sirutteok 팥시루떡 (Layered rice cake with red beans)

율란 Yul-lan – Chestnut cookies

Planning a trip can be fun, but it can also be challenging. With so many activities to plan for, having a high-level view of a month-long or two-week-long trip makes it easy to see the bigger picture, but a certain amount of detail is necessary to ensure your planned itinerary is reasonable and makes sense, e.g. if it takes 2 hours to get to the airport and you have to be at the airport 3 hours before departure, then you better take that into account so you don’t miss your flight. One simple way to plan a trip is by using a spreadsheet like Google Sheets. I’ve created a hypothetical San Francisco, USA to Seoul, Korea vacation plan showing day-by-day and hour-by-hour activities in two different views.

• Month View (each time block is 3 hours long) – View template
• 2-Week View (daytime time blocks are 1 hour long) – View template

Of course, you can group or split each time block to have less or more time slots depending on your needs.

Click each example below to enlarge.

Plane ticket prices can vary significantly from one day to another and by airline, number of stops, total trip duration, etc. If your dates are flexible, you can easily find cheaper flights using Kayak.com and Google Flights’ price grids. Here’s an example. Say I want to fly from San Francisco to Korea some time in early May.

• I want no more than 1 stop / layover
• I don’t want a layover longer than 4 hours

Kayak

On Kayak.com, you need to select +- 3 days for each departure and return date.

Choose some filters.

After the search results appear, expand the Flexible Dates section to show the price grid.

What’s nice about Kayak is, when you hover over a price, you see

• the total price
• the airline
• the number of stops
• the total flight plus layover time, if any, for both departure and return
• the total trip duration

In the example above, the $1339 price offers nonstop service for a 9-day trip. If we compare that to the cheapest price ($1095), we’d have to stop somewhere and the total trip duration would be 11 days.

Google Flights

On Google Flights, you can do a similar search. For round trip flights, there will always be a price grid so you just enter your preferred departure and return dates. For the filters, I chose “1 stop or fewer” and “Under 24 hr”.

What’s interesting, and very useful, about Google Flights is, once you choose a departure date, prices start to show up in the date picker so you can choose a return date that is cheaper than others.

Google Flights is really fast. The prices and search results show up almost instantly.

On Google Flights, the cheapest prices are highlighted in green cells. In this example, it’s $1050. Compared to Kayak, it looks like Google Flights has more flight options as all of the cells have a price. However, unlike Kayak, in order to see more information like the airline, trip duration, and number of stops, you have to choose a price and click OK. The price grid will disappear and you will see the flight details.

Which is cheaper?

If we put both grids next to each other, we find that

• Google Flights offers more flights (all cells have a price)
• Google Flights offers either the same price or cheaper prices, even if the price difference is just $1.

Note

Kayak can book flights for you whereas Google Flights will always send you to an external booking website. Price differences are often due to different travel websites offering different prices. It’s always preferable to book directly with the airline as that cuts out any intermediaries and, if there are any issues, you can contact the airline (or Kayak) directly and usually get better customer service. Just because Google Flights may offer cheaper flights, you might still find an overall better deal on Kayak.

This is not a complete list of tourist places and popular Korean food. It’s just a list of places that I think may be worth visiting and a few other relevant things.

Korean Air

• Website
• As of December 30, 2021, all travelers, including fully vaccinated travelers, must submit a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure in order to board flights to the US. Learn more.
• As of March 2, 2022, foreigners must submit a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure in order to board flights to Korea. Read consular notice.
• Starting from April 1, 2022, vaccinated travelers who have completed vaccination overseas AND register their vaccination history through the Quarantine COVID19 Defence (Q-Code) system BEFORE traveling to Korea will be eligible for quarantine exemption. Vaccination is considered to be complete 14 days after the 2nd shot for a two-dose vaccine (valid up to 180 days) or with booster shots. Read consular notice.

Seoul, South Korea

• Google Maps

Incheon Airport

• Website

Directions

Google Maps doesn’t work well in Korea. Instead, use the NAVER Map app.

• NAVER Map app in Google Play Store
• NAVER Map app in Apple Store

Tourist Cards

• Website
• Buy 7-day MPass (Metropolitan Pass) card for $53
• Purchase locations:
  • Incheon Airport Tourist Information Center: 1F, Passenger Terminal 1 in front of Gates 5 & 10 / 7 AM-10 PM
  • Myeong-dong Tourist Information Center: In front of Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), Exit 5 / 09:00-20:00, Closed on the day of Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day) & Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)
  • Seoul Station Tmoney Town : 1F, Seoul City Tower near Seoul Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 4, AREX), Exit 10 / Weekdays 09:00-18:00
• There is a $4.11 deposit. Get deposit refund (minus $0.41 for the cost of the card) at the Tourist Information Center at the airport before leaving Korea.
• MPass can be used on subway lines, airport railroad all-stop train, Seoul city buses (mainline buses, branch buses, circulation buses, village buses, night buses)
• The pass offers 20 rides a day for the duration of the pass. 

Hotels

When choosing a hotel, if you want to be close to

• many attractions
• easy subway transportation with direct connection to the airport
• tons of food options
• tons of shopping options

you probably want to stay around the Myeong-dong area.

ibis Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong

• Official Website
• Google Map
• Junior Suite – $95/night

KTO Tourist Information Center

• Website
• Google Map
• Hours: Weekdays 9AM-6PM

Modern, High-Tech Seoul

Meerkat Cafe Seoul

• Google Maps
• Hours: 12-9:30 PM everyday
• Instagram

Lotte World

• World’s largest indoor theme park
• Website
• Hours: 9:30AM–11PM except Sundays
• Admission: $50

Lotte World Aquarium

• Website
• Hours: 10AM–8PM except Sundays
• Admission: $28

Lotte World Mall & Tower

• Seoul’s largest shopping mall
• Google Maps
• Mall Hours: 10:30AM–10PM
• Tower Hours: 24 hours

Seoul Sky

• The Seoul Sky Observatory is located at the top of the Lotte World Tower, the world’s fifth tallest building standing 123 stories and 555 meters high. As the tallest building in South Korea, it is the only place where you can take in a gorgeous 360-degree view of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea roaring with brilliant history and dynamic modern culture.
• Google Maps
• Website
• Seoul Sky Hours: 10:30AM–10PM

• Skybridge Website
• Skybridge Tour Hours: See timeslots (closed in winter from Dec 13 to March 31)
• Skybridge Admission: $67 – $93

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10AM-9PM
• Admission: Free

The War Memorial of Korea

• Website
• Google Maps
• Admission: Free
• Hours: 9:30AM-6 PM (last admission 5PM) except Mondays

Seodaemun Prison History Museum

• Website
• Google Maps
• Admission: $2.50
• Hours: March-October 9:30AM-6PM

Seoul City Hall

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 9AM-6PM Monday thru Friday

Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 24 hours

Seoullo 7017

• Seoul Skygarden or Skypark
• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 24 hours

Namdaemun Market

• It is the oldest and largest market in Korea.
• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: varies by store. Closed on Sundays.

Shinsegae

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10:30AM-8PM

N Seoul Tower & Namsan

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours:
  • Weekdays: 12-9PM
  • Weekends: 11AM-10PM
• Admission: $14

• Cable car to Namsan
• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10AM-10PM
• Admission: $11

Seoul Grand Park & Skylift

• Seoul Grand Park is a park complex to the south of Seoul, South Korea, in the city of Gwacheon. Facilities at Seoul Grand Park include hills and hiking trails, Seoul Grand Park Zoo, Children’s Zoo, a rose garden, Seoul Land amusement park, and the Seoul Museum of Modern Art.
• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 9AM-6PM (March~April,September~October)
• Admission:
  • Zoo: $4
  • Theme Garden: $2
  • Skylift: $5
• Skylift Website
• Skylift 1 (outside the zoo): 10 minute ride
• Skylift 2 (inside the zoo): 15 minute ride

Cheonggyecheon

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 24 hours
• Admission: Free

• Course 1: Cheonggye Plaza to Dongdaemun: 2.7 Km (about 2 hours)
• Course 2: Cheonggyecheon Museum to Dongdaemun: 2.6 Km (about 2.5 hours)

DMZ

Website

DMZ Tour by Tour Agency

KORIDOOR DMZ Tours

• Transportation by bus
• Tours on Saturdays only
• Full DMZ Tour including JSA (Joint Security Area)
  • $92
• Half Day DMZ Tour (doesn’t include JSA)
  • $58

DMZ Tour by Train

• Website
• Take the DMZ Peace Train from Seoul to Dorasan.
• Choose the Dorasan Security Tour.
• Tour package is available from the KORAIL Travel Center at each departure station
• Foreigners can purchase train tickets from Yongsan Station to Dorasan Station online, but will have to register for the Dorasan Security Tour at Dorasan Station if they wish to travel further.
• Operating days: Wednesday-Sunday, once a day / No trains Monday-Tuesday
• Train Tickets and Times
• Ticket Price: $30
• Tour schedule:
  1. Depart from Yongsan Station (10:08) – Seoul Station (10:15) –
  2. Arrive at Imjingang Station (11:24) –
  3. Complete identity check (11:32) –
  4. Arrive at Dorasan Station (Google Maps) and board connecting bus (11:43) –
  5. Dorasan Peace Park (12:10) –
  6. Lunch break at Tongilchon (Unification Village) (13:00) – 
  7. Dora Observatory (Google Maps) (14:00) – 
  8. The 3rd Tunnel (Google Maps) (14:40) –
  9. Tour Unification Platform (15:50) –
  10. Depart from Dorasan Station (16:27) – Seoul Station (17:47) –
  11. Arrive at Yongsan Station (17:54)

Dora Observatory

Look at North Korea from South Korea

DMZ The 3rd Infiltration Tunnel

Website

Panmunjeom / DMZ Joint Security Area

• To visit the DMZ Joint Security Area, you must go with an approved travel agency. This visit is part of the Panmunjeom Tour. Panmunjeom is one of the most visited tourist sites of the DMZ
• Website
• Official Website
• Google Maps
• Travel agencies:
  • Panmunjeom Travel Center: www.koreadmztour.com
  • International Cultural Service Club: www.tourdmz.com 
  • Joongang Express: www.jsatour.com
  • DMZ Tour Korea: www.dmztourkorea.com 
  • VIP Travel: www.vviptravel.com

Lotus Lantern Festival in May

• Website
• April 30–May 1, 2022

Haewoojae Museum (Mr. Toilet House) (해우재)

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: March-October 10AM-6PM
• Admission: free

Seoul Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

Songdo International City

• Wikipedia
• Google Maps
• Tour
• Highlights:
  • Songdo Central Park
  • G-tower for panoramic views of Songdo city
  • Canal walk and NC CUBE shopping center

Itaewon

It’s where all the foreigners hang out at night.

Apgujungrodeo

It’s like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Myeongdong Street Food

• Google Maps
• Hours: 9AM-9PM
• On Saturdays and Sundays, there are many more street food vendors at night.

Food to try at Myeongdong

Gyeyeolsa Fried Chicken

• Google Maps
• Hours: 12–11:30PM

Casablanca Sandwicherie

• Google Maps
• Hours: 12-10PM except Mondays

Passion 5 Bakery

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 7:30AM-10PM

Costco

• Google Maps
• Hours: 8AM-10PM

HBC Gogitjib 이태원더고깃집(구HBC고깃집)

• Korean BBQ
• Google Maps
• Hours: 4-11PM

Downtowner Cheongdam 다운타우너 청담점

• Burger restaurant
• Google Maps
• Instagram
• Hours: 11AM-9PM

Linus’ BBQ

• Beef brisket
• Google Maps
• Hours: Weekdays: 12-3PM, 5-9PM, Weekends: 12-9PM

Gino’s NY Pizza

• 2 locations:
• Itaewon 지노스피자 이태원 Google Map
  • Hours: Weekdays: 11:30AM-3PM, 5-10PM, Weekends: 11:30AM-9PM
• Gangnam 지노스피자 압구정점 Google Map
  • Hours: Weekdays: 11:30AM-3PM, 5-10PM, Weekends: 12-9PM

Gwangjang Market

• A traditional street market in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The market is one of the oldest and largest traditional markets in South Korea, with more than 5000 shops and 20,000 employees in an area of 42,000 square meters.
• Website
• Official Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10AM-11PM

Jilhal Bros

• Like “Halal Guys” in Manhattan
• 4 locations
• Gangnam Location Google Map
• Cheonggyecheon Location Google Map
• Hours: 11AM-10PM

Hongdae Free Market

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: seems to be closed

Hyundai Department Store | D-Cube City

• Website
• Official Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 11AM-9:30PM

Seoul Public Bike

• Official Website
• Government Website
• Rent a bike to tour the Cheonggyecheon
• Pick up and drop off at any Bike Seoul location
• 1 hour – $0.82
• 2 hours – $1.64
• All day – $4.11
• $0.82 for every additional 30 minutes

Dongdaemun Market

• Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 8-2AM, Saturdays: 8-12AM

Seoul Folk Flea Market

• Website
• Official Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10AM-7PM, closed on Sundays

Starfield COEX Mall

• Official Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: 10:30AM-10PM

Flying Suwon

• Official Website
• Google Maps
• Hours: Weekdays: 2-10:30PM, Weekends: 10:30AM-10:30PM

Everland Resort

• Official Website
• Google Maps

Caribbean Bay

• Located in Everland
• Official Website
• Google Maps

Yeontabal BBQ Restaurant

• Address: 1317-16 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Google Maps
• Nearest Subway Station: Gangnam
• Operating Hours: 11:30AM-10PM, daily
• What to Order: Grilled king beef ribs
• Expect to Pay: Around $33-$38 per person

빈대떡 (Bindae-tteok: Mung bean pancake)

Video

호떡 (Hotteok: Korean Sweet Pancakes)

Hottoek is a Korean-styled pancake. One of the most popular Korean street snacks, it is made from a simple flour batter and filled with sweet syrup made from cinnamon, brown sugar, and peanuts. It’s a great snack when you’re between meals.

Video

팥빙수 (Patbingsu: Shaved Ice with Sweet Red Beans)

Pat Bingsu – Bingsu with red beans

Video

화전 (Hwajeon: Pan-fried Sweet Rice Cakes with Flower Petals)

Video

찐빵 (Jjinppang: Fluffy steamed buns filled with sweet red beans)

Video

경단 (Gyeongdan: Sweet Rice Balls)

Video

황남빵 (Hwangnambbang: Hwangnam Bread)

Red beans are mixed with eggs and wheat dough by hand, then this artisan bread is shaped and baked without any artificial sweeteners or preservatives, keeping only the sweetness of its original natural ingredients.

Video

호두과자 (Hodu-gwaja: Walnut Cookies)

Hodu means walnut in Korean and they are cookies filled with red bean paste and walnuts.

허니 브래드 (Honey Bread)

Thick bread is divided into nine parts filled with whipped cream and then topped with honey, caramel syrup, and cinnamon powder. Its original name was Honey Butter Bread.

계란빵 (Gyeran-ppang: Egg Bread)

has a shape of rounded rectangle and contains whole egg inside of a bread. They are often sold by street vendors.

꽈배기 (Kkwabaegi: Twisted Korean Doughnuts)

It is made with glutinous rice flour and melted butter. The dough is deep-fried in oil and tossed in sugar and cinnamon powder. Like most fried breads, it tastes better when it’s hot. You can enjoy the original taste of twisted bread by eating when it just comes out of the oil, or by heating them up. 

뚱카롱 (Ddungcaron: Fat Macaron)

Rice Punch 식혜 (Korean Sweet Rice Drink)

Songpyeon half-moon rice cake (송편)

The fillings for these rice cakes vary, but the most common are sweetened sesame seeds and mung beans.

Video

Chapssaltteok (Korean style mochi)

Filled with sweet red beans

Korean dalgona coffee

Pat-sirutteok 팥시루떡 (Layered rice cake with red beans)

율란 Yul-lan – Chestnut cookies

무지개떡 Mujigae-tteok (Rainbow rice cake)

불고기 Beef Bulgogi

Thinly sliced or shredded beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, scallions, and black pepper, cooked on a grill (sometimes at the table). Bulgogi literally means “fire meat.” Variations include pork (dwaeji bulgogi, 돼지불고기), chicken (dak bulgogi 닭불고기), or squid (ojingeo bulgogi, 오징어불고기).

Galbi (갈비) – pork or beef ribs

Cooked on a metal plate over charcoal in the centre of the table. The meat is sliced thicker than bulgogi. It is often called “Korean barbecue” along with bulgogi, and can be seasoned or unseasoned.

Dak galbi (닭갈비)

Stir-fry marinated diced chicken in a gochujang-based sauce, and sliced cabbage, sweet potato, scallions, onions and tteok.

Dubujeon (두부전)

Steamed tofu mixed with ground beef and vegetables.

Bungeoppang (붕어빵; “carp-bread”)

is the Korean name for the Japanese fish-shaped pastry Taiyaki that is usually filled with sweet red bean paste and then baked in a fish-shaped mold. It is very chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Gukwa-ppang (국화빵)

is almost the same as bungeoppang, but it is shaped like a flower.

Places Not in Seoul

As a bonus, here are a few places in Korea outside of Seoul.

Lotte Waterpark

• Indoor and outdoor waterpark
• Official Website