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Below is some information for your budget trip to Korea.
Entry procedures
You must apply for an entry visa at the Korean Embassy or Consulate in Vietnam. The required documents are: a financial certificate from a bank with a minimum amount of 1,200 USD, deposited for at least 3 months. Round-trip air ticket, hotel bill, itinerary in Korea, confirmation from the working agency, labor contract, leave of absence for travel, passport valid for more than 6 months, 4 x 6 photo and application form. All must be translated into Korean or English and notarized. The visa fee is 20 USD per person, takes about 4 working days. The maximum stay is 30 days and the visa is valid for 3 months.
A tip for those who are worried about not getting a visa is to ask the agent to reserve a round-trip ticket and issue an invoice in advance. Currently, some hotel booking websites allow booking without prepayment. This way, you will not lose money on airfare and hotel if you do not get a visa. After getting a visa, you can come back to pay.
Accommodation
If you are traveling in a group and have a limited budget, you should choose cheap hostels or homestays. There are many cheap hostels right in the center. One room can accommodate many people, sleeping in bunk beds. The characteristics of this type of hostel are cheap, fully equipped with essential amenities.
Homestay is also quite safe and convenient. You get to live with the host, have Korean-style breakfast and have the opportunity to learn more about some local customs.
It is not too difficult to find a cheap hotel in the center like Myeongdong, Hongdae... Room rates per night range from 20 - 25 USD per person. However, you have to book early online to get a good price.
There are many cheap hotels near the bustling Myeongdong area.
You should choose a hotel near a subway station or bus stop for convenience. In particular, pay attention to hotels that have a bus route to the airport.
Skin
Korea has four distinct seasons, with summer temperatures being very high, from 30 - 40 degrees Celsius, and winter temperatures dropping to as low as -20 degrees Celsius. You should choose clothes suitable for each season and bring sneakers because you will have to walk a lot.
Places to visit
Some famous attractions in Seoul include the romantic Namsan Tower, the royal palace, the traditional Korean village... You should also go to the sauna for an interesting experience.
Entrance fee to Gyongbukgung costs 3,000 won (equivalent to 3 USD).
Dongdaemun, Namdaemun markets, or the famous Myeongdong shopping area have very cheap prices, and the service is impeccable. Advice for girls who love beauty and fashion is to try to control themselves to avoid burning a hole in their pockets because the prices of cosmetics and clothes in Korea are much cheaper than in Vietnam. You should arrange your schedule in advance so as not to miss any interesting attractions.
Means of transport
Incheon Airport is 70 km from Seoul. The most economical way to get from Incheon to Seoul is to use the airport bus or take the subway.
Bus: Prices vary depending on the route. Usually, it ranges from 10,000 to 15,000 won (about 10 - 15 USD). However, you should only choose to take the bus when your hotel is on the bus route. Buses operate from 5am to 11pm. If you take a late flight, you should stay overnight at the airport sauna and catch an early flight back to Seoul the next day. The sauna has free luggage storage, is safe, and has full amenities for you to rest.
Subway: Takes more time, you have to change stations in many places and have to walk a lot, with bulky luggage. However, the train fare is very cheap. Only take the train if your luggage is compact and easy to move.
Taxi: If it is not absolutely necessary, you should not take a taxi, because the distance from the airport to Seoul is quite far, plus the fees at the toll booths, the price is very high. Usually, the driver will say 60,000 won (about 60 USD). With some taxis, you can bargain down to about 50,000 won (about 50 USD), some taxis charge by km, the price ranges from 50,000 - 75,000 won (about 50 - 75 USD). When taking a taxi, you should prepare the destination address in Korean because the majority of taxi drivers cannot read and find the address in English. Note, you should not take a taxi alone too late at night. After 12 o'clock at night, taxis drive very recklessly, even swerving, braking suddenly... It will be very dangerous if you go alone.
You should buy a T-money card, which is similar to an ATM card. You just need to top up at public top-up machines at subway stations and you can use T-money to pay for services such as subway, taxi, bus, and even pay at some stores and restaurants. This card does not have an expiration date. You can save it for your next trip.
Eat and drink
Korean food is very diverse, sophisticated and quite spicy. Some dishes you should try when coming to Korea are tokbokki, fish cakes, patbingsu, grilled meat. Especially the traditional and nutritious dish of ginseng chicken stew. It would be interesting if you try to sneak into a small tent in the middle of the street and eat tokbokki like in Korean movies.
Nutritious ginseng chicken stew costs 12,000 won (equivalent to 12 USD).
Some other notes
You should prepare some cold and stomach ache medicine in advance in case you cannot adapt to the weather and Korean food in time. In addition, salonpas and bandages are indispensable because you have to walk a lot. These medicines should be bought in Vietnam to save money. Especially when traveling in winter, remember to buy mini heating pads to put in your pocket to keep warm.
