Hi Anon!
I can’t remember exactly how much it cost. I do remember I got a decent fare on the flight because Delta had recently started direct flights from Seattle to Seoul, so the flight from my city to Seattle and then to Seoul was about $800. These days that same flight runs about $1200. Depending on where you live, you could probably find cheaper flights, but this one is still a pretty good deal for where I live.
Ummmm… then I’d say it was another couple of thousand for everything else. I was there two weeks (15 days, maybe?), and half of that time was me wandering around on my own in the city, and the other half I joined a group so I could see more of the country without the stress of figuring out train/bus schedules/getting lost. I stayed at pretty decent hotels and didn’t exactly scrimp/save, although I didn’t spend much on souvenirs except for a few hundred thousand won on a handmade tea set and, of course, a ton of beauty products. I’d say roughly $3000 for everything, maybe a little more because I had some unexpected splurges on beauty products – it just depends on how cheap you want to go on things like hotels and food (I’m not a hostel kind of girl – I need my space and privacy!).
As for my itinerary, I spent the first few days just wandering Seoul, going to whatever was in walking distance of Namdaemun Gate (which is a ton of things). Lots of window shopping at Myeongdong, wandering Namdaemun market (so cramped and fascinating), going to the nearby palaces and gardens, eating delicious things, and trying to get over my jet lag. Then I joined a tour group for about a week where we went to the DMZ, Mt Seorak, Daegu, Busan, Gyeongju, Haeinsa (and a ton of other temples), plus a few other places I’ve momentarily forgotten. It was nice to get out of the city and visit places that I recognized from 1N2D.
Then I spent another few days on my own in Seoul, near Insadong (which I loved visiting every day!), going to museums, the Han river, Hongdae, Dongdaemun, and doing all the shopping I’d put off since I didn’t want to lug it around. I also just enjoyed walking around or hanging out a coffee shop and taking in the vibe of the place, which is one of my favorite things to do in cities just in general.
Even so, there’s a lot of stuff I didn’t see or do (and a lot of food I didn’t eat because so many dishes I wanted to try are for more than one person and I just wasn’t brave enough to be the “weird American” and order them, anyway). I also didn’t try to jam my schedule full – only a couple of “destinations” a day, the rest just wandering and seeing what I came across, or enjoying a lazy morning in with no major agenda except to get lunch (hey, I’m on holiday!).
Hope this somehow helps. Sorry it took me awhile to respond – thanks for your patience! ^_^
The Obsessive Dilettante 