Seoul, South Korea

I just came back from an exciting 10 day trip in South Korea with one of my really good friends, and I don't know where to begin because there is just so much to cover. Within those 10 days we spent time in Seoul the capital city, Busan the port city and visited Gyeongju which was the capital of ancient Korea. Our schedule was jam packed but that's how we liked it as we got to cover so much ground within the time that we were there. I will break down my trip update over several posts, beginning with Seoul.

Seoul is the capital city of South Korea and is a huge metropolis so we decided to book a couple of walking tours of the city early on, to get an idea of what the city has to offer before exploring it by ourselves. These are the places we checked out:

Cheonggye Plaza - This is a public square in central Seoul that's a popular spot for tourists and locals to go on walks during the weekend. It is also a popular location for protests and political gatherings.

Gwanghwamun Square - This is a large public space where you can enjoy the view of the largest palace in Seoul (Gyeongbokgung Palace) and also learn a bit of history behind the 2 large statues of King Sejong (most respected king of the Josean Dynasty who created the Korean alphabet known as Hangeul) and Admiral Yi Sun-Shin (naval commander noted for his victories against the Japanese navy).

Gyeongbokgung Palace - Seoul is home to 5 palaces and this palace is the first to have been built among the 5. Sources say it's the best palace from the Joseon Dynasty which ruled between 1392 and 1910. Aside from checking out the palace, you can also witness the traditional changing of the guards ceremony that takes place daily except on Tuesdays.

Blue House - This is a public park that formerly served as the presidential residence from 1948 - 2022.

Gwangjang Market - Famous for its extensive food offerings, you can find all kinds of local food here at very affordable prices.

That's it folks! in addition to the spots mentioned above, we also explored the various diverse neighborhoods of Seoul which I will make an entire separate entry on.