My trip to South Korea on 11th October till 19th October was wonderful. Never have I ever believe I was there and spent less than RM2.5k. If you are curious and interested to know the complete 9 days itinerary to South Korea, keep on reading.
Before I start this 9 Days Complete Itinerary in South Korea, let me make it clear first that this trip was my first time travelling abroad with self-planning itinerary (with my other 3 friends). Our trip was purely based on reading reviews and websites across the net. We spent less than RM2.5k (per head) and this trip was amazing. We covered most of the places in Seoul and Busan as we planned. If you want to know the details, let’s start!
9 Days in South Korea – Complete Itinerary and Budget
Flight and Transport
Our flight KUL-ICN and PUS-KUL cost around RM896 excluding meal. We only bought 1 (one) check-in 30 kg baggage to put the extra stuff and food we brought from Malaysia. Due to the excessive stuff we bought in Korea, we had to purchase extra 30 kg baggage which cost around RM200 which was actually more expansive because we bought at the airport counter
#Tips: If you want to purchase extra check-in 30 kg baggage, it is more advisable if you purchase it online by someone who is in Malaysia before you check-in.
We travel to Busan from Seoul Station by KTX train which only takes around 3 hours, cost ₩59,800 (*RM227.00) per head with numbered seat. You may opt for free standing tickets which cost slightly cheaper. We purchase the tickets on the spot and had no difficulties buying it over the counter at Seoul Station.
*Remarks: The currency conversion 1₩= RM0.0038
Moving Around Seoul and Busan
South Korea have a good public transportation so there’s no need to worry on how you want to move around Seoul. We took the subway to get to all places and you just need a T-Money card (like Touch’N’Go) and top up it at the convenience store or at the station. The places we visited mostly located near to the subway station so you can just walk, you only have to know the subway exits to the exact place because they have lots of exits and can get so confusing for the first time.
#Tips: It is advisable if you top up your T-Money like 20,000₩ then top up again when it has finish because you don’t have to waste it if you lost your T-Money, just a pre-caution.
There are also subway in Busan. We also took the bus to get to certain places like Gamcheon Culture Village (bus no 2 or 2-2) and Taejeongdae Park (bus no 8 or 30) and the bus will take you right at the entrance.
I also installed IOS apps Subway Korea and this to move around Seoul and Busan. The apps will show how much it cost from 1 station to 1 station including the estimated time and it works offline too.
Accommodation
In Seoul, we stayed for 5 days 4 nights at Seoul Dalbit Guesthouse bought it through Airbnb. Cost us around RM228/head. This guesthouse located at Dongdaemun, took only 5 minutes to the nearest subway station. Read my reviews here.
#Tips: You can stay around Itaewon area if you want Halal food around the corner.
Meanwhile in Busan, we stayed at Dynamic Guesthouse also booked through Airbnb. We stayed for 3 nights for RM205/head. This guesthouse located at Seomyeon, took less than 10 minutes to the nearest subway station.
Places I Visited in Seoul
Throughout our 5 days in Seoul, here are the places I have visited:-
Day 1 : Hongik Univ. Street
Day 2 : City Hall, Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, Insadong Street, N Seoul Tower
Day 3 : Gimgyujeong Rail Park, Nami Island, Itaewon, Dongdaemun
Day 4 : Ewha Woman University, Namdaemun Market, Myeongdong Street
Day 5 : K-Star Road, Gangnam, SM Entertainment Building
Places I Visited in Busan
Day 6 : Seoul Station, KTX
Day 7 : Sea Life Aquarium, Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach
Day 8 : Gamcheon Culture Village, Taejeongdae Resort Park, Jagalchi Market
Food
There weren’t lots of place we manage to try out and eat, this is because we brought our own canned food and eat with rice. We cooked and heat up our food and eat it in the morning before we leave. Extra tips if you are on a budget, please bring your own food, this will save a lot kot. So we basically only eat outside for late lunch and dinner.
Anyway, here are the restaurant we managed to try:
– Indoro Indian Restaurant, Insadong (cost at 13,000₩ per head) *recommended, buffet style*
– Makan Restaurant, Itaewon (cost around 13,000₩ per head) *recommended korean rice with bulgogi set*
– Murree Muslim Restaurant, Itaewon (cost around 14,000₩ per head)
– Lotteria Shrimp Burger (cost around 4,800₩ per set)
– Punjab Halal Restaurant, Haeundae (cost around 14,000₩ per head) *recommended, delicious nan and curry*
#Tips: There are lots of convenience store (like 7Eleven) that sells delicious to-go onigiri and kimbab (please opt for fish or shrimp for Halal one) and coffee that you can eat. We always have this inside our bag so that we won’t be hungry throughout the journey.
That’s all for my full and complete 9 Days in South Korea Itinerary summary. Before I ended this travelogue post, here are the final budget for a full 9 Days in South Korea for your reference. Cost calculated are not including all the stuff I bought.
Click to download full Itinerary
