Revenge travel is a thing nowadays especially after being stuck at home for more than two years. As the world slowly opens, more and more places are becoming hotspots for revenge travel. One of which is South Korea. Last October, South Korea recently lifted its COVID-19 testing requirement making it an easy decision to come back and spend winter in Seoul.
As long as you have a visa and have registered for Q-Code, you can enter South Korea. However, getting a visa is still not that easy. Visa appointment schedules are always almost full and I’m the only one that was granted a multiple visit visa in my family. I will not get into the nitty gritty of visa applications kasi di ko din naman alam. Haha! I’m just saying that getting a visa is not as easy as before so allot more time and manage your expectations.
Here’s my Seoul Winter 2022 itinerary. Baka lang ma-inspire kayo with my outfit and poses. char!
Itaewon Class Bridge (Noksapyeong-daero Overpass)
Itaewon Class was my favorite drama during the pandemic. I almost forgot about it kasi nga parang blur na talaga ang 2020 to 2021. Buti na lang, I remembered to visit one of its most recognizable filming locations, the Itaewon Class Bridge or its real name Noksapyeong-daero Overpass. It’s just an overpass pero may view ng other side of Namsan Tower. Dito nangarap si Park Seo-joon at Kim Da-mi, at siyempre, ako rin. I am a diamond. Haha!
The overpass is just right above the Noksapyeong Station. Noksapyeong Station has five underground levels and a glass dome on top. Incidentally, this was also one of Stairway to Heaven‘s filming locations. Dito nag-reunion si Cholo and Jenna! Siyempre di na alam ng mga Gen Z ang Stairway to Heaven. Ask your mums and titas! #LangitKaAtLupaAko
Itaewon really has the most foreign population in Seoul. Kitang-kita paglabas mo ng subway. We also went to the Itaewon Antique Shop street kaso madami rin ang sarado. Di ko na pinuntahan ‘yung ibang Itaewon filming locations kasi ang dulas maglakad at uphill! I don’t want to break my hips this Christmas.
How to get there: Take the Line 6 subway to Noksapyeong Station (Same line as Itaewon Station). Take the escalators or elevators to go above ground. Cross the street and you’ll see one end of the overpass. May elevator din for seniors! How I wish ganyan din sa atin.
Myeongdong Shopping District
Our hotel is in the heart of Myeongdong so we were just a couple of minutes away to our favoritest place in the world, the Myeongdong Shopping District. Mas masigla na siya kesa nung September. Especially at night! Ang saya! Spotify Christmas playlist was playing all day everyday and more stores and street food stalls are open. Street food commonly averages around 4.5K to 5K. I believe the pork bbq is one of the most expensive at 7K. I didn’t try the shellfish so I wouldn’t know haha.
There’s this pinipilahan na Michelin star restaurant na parang Din Tai Fung called Myeongdong Kyoja. So try niyo pumila kasi sabi ng tour guide namin masarap and relatively mura lang siya.
There are a lot of cafes in Myeongdong and most are cashless like A Twosome Place so bring your credit cards! May mga cafe din na di nagwork ang credit card namin for some reason sa ordering machine. Ang sad. Favorite rin ng sister ang tindahan ng hikaw. As in isang store sya na punong-puno ng earrings. You’ll easily recognize it. The Plain ata ung name ng store.
How to get there: Get to Myeongdong Shopping Street by taking the subway to Myeong-dong Station (Line 4). Andun na yun! Enjoy!
Alpaca World + Nami Island + Rail Bike
I booked this 3-in-1 Day Trip in Trazy. If you are looking for an alternative to Klook, it’s Trazy! Minsan kasi walang reviews sa Klook and mas mura rin sa Trazy. May mga activities din that can only be found in Trazy. Our tour guide picked us up at exactly 8AM. We took a tour bus along with other tourists. We were at the meeting place at 7:30AM. As a Filipino, di ako sanay na just in time. I need to be at the meeting place 30 minutes before. Dito ako super hirap mag-adjust sa first world countries.
Alpaca World
First stop was Alpaca World. It’s two hours away from Myeongdong. It’s an animal farm in the forest where there are alpacas, deer, rabbits and horses. Since it was snowing really hard, we only got to enjoy Stops 1 and 2. The tickets include a coin that you will use to get alpaca food from the vending machines. Alpacas are safe and friendly. Siguro dahil din winter, di sila mabaho. Just don’t touch their heads and butts or else, they will spit on you.
To feed an alpaca, maglagay ka ng konti sa kamay tapos lalapit na sila. Don’t hand them the cup of food kasi aagawin nila! Ayun, generally, di ka naman nila lalapitan kung wala kang food so make sure to ration the food per alpaca.
Alpaca World also has a rest area in Stop 1, and a cafe in the entrance for those who like my dad do not wish to climb up the mountain and just be comfortably warm.
Gangchon Rail Park
We had lunch at a Galbi place beside the Gangchon Rail Park. Gangchon Rail Bike was the main reason I booked this Trazy activity but it got CANCELLEDT! This was obviously for our own safety because the snow was really bad at that time. Paano ka nga naman mag-cycle sa makapal na snow. Good luck. Haha! We were immediately refunded in cash! Galing!
Nami Island
I’ve been to Nami Island many times but never during winter. According to our tour guide, Jeannie, Nami Island became popular because of the K-Drama, Winter Sonata. Siempre di na naman alam ng GenZs. Google niyo na lang but it was the K-drama that introduced me to the beauty of winter.
When we got there, all outdoor activities were closed. Picture taking lang talaga and food-trip. Meron ding mga lights kasi ang dilim na during the afternoon. It gets really cold so tiis-tiis na lang pag mag-pipicture.
How to get there: I’m sure there are other ways to get to these places but since it’s winter, I recommend booking a day trip tour in Trazy or Klook. Madulas pag winter! Safety first!
Vivaldi Park Ski World Day Trip
I was a feeling a bit adventurous when I booked a Ski Activity in Klook. Since winter naman and for the experience, why not di ba? Kaya naman di ba? As a soshal person, we were picked up by our driver in a private car to Vivaldi Park. There, we met with our tour guide who purchased all the necessary tickets before we arrived. She oriented us and mentioned that skiing might not be appropriate for senior citizens. Onga naman. Haha!
Before we went skiing, we took a cable car to the top of the mountain. Meron dun parang Snow World sa Star City pero siyempre a thousand times better. Haha! It’s called Snowyland. We didn’t pay for Snowyland entrance tickets but we did get to enjoy free activities like snow sledding. Pambata ata siya pero p’wede rin sa adults. There were also a number of food stalls that sell fish cakes, coffee, corndog, etc. Ang saya kumain ng street food while being surrounded by snow.
Skiing is a lot of work. Similar to ice skating, medyo madaming equipment na kailangan i-rent. Our tour guide already prepared it for us but we had to pay in cash. Di kasi siya kasama sa Klook. Aside from the ski equipment (included), you need to rent a jacket, a pair of pants, a helmet and you need to buy a pair of gloves (20,000 won). Sorry nalimutan ko na how much ‘yung iba haha.
Skiing is not easy and if it’s your first time, consider hiring an instructor for a fee. As for us, we took a risk and just self-learned on the flat-ish area. Nung na-feel ko na ready na ako, I took the walkalator to the top of the beginner slope. I prayed and I skied downwards. Sobrang bilis ko huhu but I didn’t know how to slow down or stop. So nagpahulog na lang ako. HAHA! Tapos may nakahiga na muntik ko na masagasaan. Sorry ako nang sorry. Tapos sorry din siya nang sorry. Tapos kapatid ko pala. HAHA! ‘Wag na kayo magtaka bat wala ako masyadong pictures while skiiing.
How to get there: The resort is one hour and a half away from Myeongdong. So I suggest getting in a tour group or hiring a private car is best for this attraction. Ayaw mo na magcommute sa sobrang pagod.
Bonus: Thanks Nature Cafe! & Self-Service Photo booth
Muntik ko na malimutan! If you’re looking for a unique cafe experience, go to Thanks Nature Cafe in Hongdae. Nasa labas naman yung mga sheep. Haha. Nagustuhan ko naman ‘yung coffee but my brother who is a coffee addict, hindi. So ayun. HAHA.
How to get there: Go to Hongik University Subway Station (Line 2) and exit at exit 9. Take a left turn and proceed to the main gate of the Hongik University. May signage ng sheep tapos bababa ka nang hagdan.
Also try the self-service photo booths. Nagkalat naman siya all over Myeongdong and Hongdae. Cashless and people-less shop (as in isang buong shop) na puno ng self-service photobooths (parang neoprint for the gurangis).
You can really feel the Christmas spirit in Seoul. Wag lang magssnow tapos hahangin nang malakas. HAHA! If you’re going to spend winter in Seoul, don’t forget your scarves, beanie and gloves. And also, small steps lang. Don’t run, baka madulas.
