Hi, welcome to Sugar N Pie Korea travel blog. In this blog, we gonna share our most wonderful 13-days journey in South Korea, travelling from the south to north. This day was our second day in Seoul. Hope this Seoul itinerary could help you to finetune your trip.
Seoul Itinerary
Day 2 : Korean Culture
Bukchon Hanok Village - SamCheongDong - Insadong Culture Street - Ssamzigil - Cheonggye Plaza & Cheonggyecheon stream
Our first destination would be Bukchon Hanok Village. We took bus no. 401 from Namsan Tunnel 3 Seoul Animation Centre bus stop, and transit to bus Jongno 02 at Jongyesa Temple stop. In middle of waiting bus, we also found the special traffic light which designated for bus in Seoul city.
Stop 1 : Bukchon Hanok Village
Bukchon Hanok Village is a traditional Korean neighbourhood in Seoul with a long history. The village is located on top of a hill between two royal palaces, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace. Many royal families, aristocrats, wealthy citizens, and government officials lived here during Joseon Dynasty. Until today, the village still retain its original appearance reflecting a 600 years old urban environment.
Walked along the little stone-paved alleys running between dinky tiled houses, we was like stumbled onto a filming set.
Other than picturesque surrounding, there are lots of things to do here. Many of these hanoks are operated as cultural centers, guesthouses, workshop, restaurants and tea houses, enriching visitors’ travel experience.
We had some delicious Korean snacks and souvenir here. Bugaksan Mountain and Blue House (the executive office and official residence of South Korea's president) can be seen from the edge of village.
Stop 2 : Samcheongdong
Coming out from Bukchon Hanok Village, we filled up our stomach at the nearest neighborhood, Samcheongdong.
The main street is dotted with unique art galleries, quirky shops, cafés and upscale restaurants. It has its unique charm and calm ambiance. At here, we tried out the famous Budae Jjigae (Army Stew) by Mukshidonna and it was so good. Totally full and satisfying!
Stop 3 ：Insadong Culture Street
Afterward, we walked to Insadong Culture Street to buy some traditional souvenir for friends. Insadong is just 500m away (around 8mins walking distance) from Mukshidonna.
The streets and narrow back alleys are lined with art galleries, antique shops, book stores, traditional tea houses and craft shops. Many beautiful crafts and traditional souvenirs, including calligraphy materials, folk crafts, antique furniture, hanbok (traditional clothing) and hanji (traditional paper), can be found at here.
We picked few exquisite Korean traditional purse as souvenir and treated ourselves some sweets.
Stop 4 : Ssamzigil
At the Insa-dong Culture Street, there is a charming multi-cultural complex named Ssamzigil. It is comprised of over 70 stores, which featuring everything from local handcrafts, like ceramics and furniture, to traditional Korean goods and clothing. Some of the handcrafts are so lovely, we just couldn’t resist it. It seems like another special Insa-dong within Insa-dong.
The space is cozily designed. Each floor is connected with spiraling walkway, giving people a snugly-live in air for shopping. At the top of the building, there was a Sky Garden where we could find the extraordinarily clear view of Insadong street.
Stop 5 ：Cheonggye Plaza & Cheonggyecheon Stream
Our last destination was Cheonggye Plaza & Cheonggyecheon Stream. Walked 1km toward south, Cheonggyecheon Stream was at the end of the main street.
The main attractions of this Cheonggye Plaza are its 'Spring' Tower and Candlelight Fountain. ‘Spring’ Tower is the striking shell-shaped art piece created by two foreign artists. While Candlelight Fountain is a 4 m long, two-tiered waterfall that flows into the Cheonggyecheon stream, marking the start of tributary flowing towards the Hangang River.
Both were especially stunning at night when the lights lit-up. It was great to stroll along the footpath or sitting beside the stream bank, enjoying some tranquility amid the buzz of the city.
On the way back to our guesthouse, we bought dozen of Korean snacks from Daiso. It would be our supper while watching Korean drama, ‘Descendant of the Sun’ which currently re-played on tv.
This was all our activities on Day-7 in Korea.
See you next day, bye
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