Korea Trip 2022: A Few Days in Seoul Plus Some Excursions

After a few days in Gangwon-do, I made my way back to Seoul, where - over the course of five days - I explored markets, neighborhoods, parks, and mountains and ate and drank at restaurants and cafes across the South Korean capital, both above and below the 한강 (Han River). I also took two day trips from Seoul: one to a nearby city, and another out into the countryside.

마포구 (Mapo-gu)

I wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to walk through a market, and luckily, there are two that are very close to each other - like, literally across the street: 망원시장 (Mangwon Market) | Naver link and 망원월드컵시장 (Mangwon World Cup Market) | Naver link. I arrived on a Sunday evening, and the only discernible differences between the two were the crowds and the what was being sold. Mangwon Market seemed to specialize in offering quick and affordable eats, and thus, it boasted a ton of people who formed lines for things like sweet-soy fried chicken. Having had a late (and heavy) lunch earlier that day, I wasn’t feeling very hungry, but that didn’t stop me from ordering a 통모짜렐라치즈롤 돈까스 (mozzarella cheese rolled cutlet) for ₩4,500 (estimated $3.21) from 바삭마차 (Basak Macha) | Naver link. The cheese was thick and very nicely melted, and the thin layer of pork cutlet encasing the cheese offered some nuance to each bite. While the Mangwon World Cup Market has a couple places to eat at, it features more variety in its vendors, with some selling items like blankets, pillows, and meats.

On my last night in Seoul, I was in the mood to try something unique, something that I probably wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. 동무밥상 (Comrade Table) | Naver link was started by a North Korean chef who fled his country and opened a restaurant in South Korea, with the specialty being North Korean cuisine. I ordered the 소고기초무침 (North Korean beef salad) and 북한냉면 (North Korean naengmyeon - a noodle dish) for ₩30,000 ($21.14). The banchan came with a small bowl of 들깨죽 (perilla porridge), a creamy dish that I enjoyed. The North Korean beef salad was one of the most balanced dishes I had during my trip so far, as its acidity, saltiness, and sweetness was in perfect harmony. I found myself taking spoonfuls of the dish’s marinade even after I had finished because it was that great. The naengmyeon initially took me by surprise; while the beef broth was beautifully clear and subtle in flavor, the noodles were very bland. After eating several bites, I was ready to chalk it off as a failure, but then it hit me that perhaps I was supposed to be given mustard and vinegar. I asked the hostess if they had it, and she realized she forgot to give them to me. After squirting some of the mustard and drizzling in the vinegar into the broth, I mixed everything together, and this time, the bites were very flavorful. All in all, this was a terrific meal.

As it turned out, the Airbnb I was staying at in Seoul was literally just a few minutes’ walk away from 서강대학교 (Sogang University), which one of my cousins from my dad’s side of the family attends. I met up with him shortly after he was done with his class for the day, and for dinner, we headed over to 연교 (Yeonnam Dumpling) | Naver link, which specializes in Chinese cuisine. We arrived about 10 minutes before it opened, and there was already a line. Fortunately for us, when the restaurant finally opened, we were one of the last groups to nab a table. We ordered 챠우셔우 (shrimp dumplings), 멘보샤 (shrimp toast), and 삼선짬뽕 (seafood jjampong - Korean spicy seafood noodle soup) for ₩26,500 (estimated $18.83). The dumplings, doused with rayu chili oil and topped with chopped green onions, were moist and delicious. The shrimp toast, which took well over 20 minutes to come out, was excellent, with a nice crunchy exterior and a juicy shrimp-filled interior. I didn’t get to try the jjampong, but my cousin (who ordered it for himself) said it was prepared very well.

Prior to dinner, my cousin and I decided to chat over coffee, and I had just the place in mind: 씨스루 홍대연남점 (c.through - Hongdae Yeonnam Branch) | Naver link. I had this place on my Korea itinerary for several years, in large part due to their cream art, in which they use various colored creams (using food coloring) to essentially paint eye-popping illustrations on top of a mug of cold coffee. He ordered the 루루 (Lulu), a cream art of a cute-looking cat’s head, for ₩8,000, while I ordered the 별빛나는밤 (Starry Night), a cream art rendition of Vincent van Gogh’s famous The Starry Night, for ₩30,000. The total came out to ₩38,000 ($27.23). While it may seem silly to spend that much on a cup of coffee, I’d counter that I’m paying not just for the coffee itself, but also the opportunity to watch someone create a work of art. The “Lulu” took about two minutes to create while the “Starry Night” took nearly 10. The staff member painting the cream art allowed us to watch while he got to work at the counter, and you’d have to be a robot to not be impressed with the amount of detail and effort he puts into them. After he finished, we (very carefully) brought our mugs over to our table, and after spending several minutes taking photos of our drinks, we joked that it seemed rather shameful to drink such pretty things. But drink we did, and the cold coffee (which had cream and sugar) was quite nice. For those who wish to come here and order the cream art, I highly recommend calling ahead to see if the staff member making the cream art is available. I specifically wanted "Starry Night”, and I was told that the staff member wasn’t available on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Near Mangwon Market is a small gelato shop called 당도 (dangdo) | Naver link. I was in the mood for dessert, and this spot seemed to be the “no duh” place to go to. Just based on looks alone, in comparison to Scooper, which I wrote about here, Dangdo appears to have more interesting flavors. I opted to get a 젤라또 컵 (gelato cup) for ₩4,500 ($3.21), which would get me two flavors. After some deliberation, I asked for 백향과 (passion fruit) and 이태리와인 (Italian wine). I was very satisfied with both flavors - the passion fruit contained some of the sweet seeds, and while I was warned that the Italian wine had some alcoholic content, I couldn’t taste it at all but did get the full profile of the wine’s flavor.

서대문구 (Seodaemun-gu)

On my last morning in Seoul, I felt like getting a quite bite to eat, and I was curious about whether Burger King really was better than Lotteria, which I wrote about here. There was one just up the street from where my Airbnb was, so I walked over to the 버거킹 연세로점 (Burger King - Yonsei-ro Branch) | Naver link. Using the electronic ordering machine, I put in an order for a 불고기 와퍼 주니어 (Bulgogi Whopper Junior) and a 21 치즈스틱 (21 Cheese Stick), which I presume it was named that because it’s about 21 centimeters long (just over eight inches). The total came out to ₩5,600 ($3.95). Not that I’ve tried a host of items from either Burger King and Lotteria so far during my trip, but I can confidently say based on what I’ve tried, the flavors at Burger King are more memorable than those at Lotteria. While I wish the Bulgogi Whopper Junior had some cheese, it tasted quite nice, with some good sweet notes. The 21 Cheese Stick was just a long mozzarella stick and tasted exactly like one, meaning that I had no complaints about it whatsoever.

동작구 (Dongjak-gu)

Perhaps the most popular seafood market in Korea is 노량진수산물도매시장 (Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market) | Naver link, so of course, that was always going to be in my Seoul itinerary. I took the subway over to 노량진역 1호선 (Noryangjin Station Line 1) | Naver link, and from there, it’s a brief walk over to the market’s building. The common thing that visitors do here is peruse the vendor stalls on the first and second floors, select and pay for their choice of live seafood (or dead fish), and then have it taken to one of the restaurants on the second floor, where the staff prepare it. To be quite honest, most of the vendors have the same selection of seafood, so veteran customers here may have a go-to vendor. I wasn’t feeling too hungry, so I just kept an eye out for a smaller-size fish. I found it in the form of a 도다리 (ridged-eye flounder), so after chatting with the vendor, I paid for it (prices vary depending on the fish, the amount, and size) and watched him kill and package it two ways: first, he placed the head and bones into a bag, and then he cut the flesh into thin slices - this is 회 (hoe - raw fish) and placed them on a Styrofoam platter. He hailed down a lady who’s a staff member at one of the restaurants nearby and then told me to follow her. She led me to her restaurant, 서울식당 (Seoul Restaurant) | Naver link, where she set me up with a table and placed the platter of raw fish in front of me. She then brought out all the fixings for ssam. I tried the fish by itself, and I found it to be chewy and clean-tasting. After that, I started dipping the fish in the sauces provided to me, sometimes wrapping the fish and sometimes not. After a while, the lady brought out a portable gas stove and a large pot of maeuntang, which contained the flounder’s head and bones as well as the head and flesh of another fish - I’m convinced this was 방어 (yellowtail). She placed the maeuntang on top of the stove and turned it on, and in no time, the stew started boiling. My first sips of the soup tasted more like the soybean sprouts in it, so I knew it needed more time to cook. After about 10 minutes, it tasted just right, and I carefully plucked the flesh and collagen from the fish’s bones. I paid the fee of ₩14,000 ($9.98) to the restaurant for the maeuntang preparation, and I left feeling content and very full. After exploring the market further for its dried seafood section, I made my leave.

About a few blocks away from the seafood market is a street section called 노량진컵밥거리먹자거리 (Noryangjin Rice Cup Street) | Naver link. This section of the street are full of street vendors selling cheap and delicious food to their clients, most of whom tend to be young people. While I was in no way hungry, I did want to see what was being served here. While there was the usual spread of 떡볶이 (tteokbokki - spicy rice cake) and fish cakes, some of the stalls also sold items such as sandwiches and rice cups (similar to donburi). The street took up about two blocks. Breaking up the flow of vendors were capsules with tables and chairs, intended for customers to sit down and eat the food they bought.

Jongno-gu

청와대 (Blue House) | Naver link opened to the public for the first time earlier this year after 윤석열 (Yoon Suk-yeol), the current president of South Korea, chose to relocate the presidential executive offices to another location. This was, without a doubt, something to check out. While Koreans are encouraged to register online to schedule a visit, non-Koreans are encouraged to apply in-person just outside the gates leading to the 본관 (Main Office Building). There are two slots: one at 9:30am and another at 2:00pm, with only up to 500 non-Koreans allowed for each slot. Thus, I arrived about 15 minutes beforehand and joined an already formed line. I showed the staff my passport and was given a wristband to put on. I entered through the gates and made a beeline for the Main Office Building. While it no longer felt “lived in”, there was still a lot to see, from the meeting rooms to the rather extravagant-looking main stairway. As expected, only select rooms are available for the public to see. Perhaps more impressive is the 관저 (Presidential Residence). While we couldn’t enter its rooms, we could peer in through the windows - I was surprised to see that one was a salon. Behind the Presidential Residence is a trail leading to a pavilion as well as a Buddhist statue. The grounds themselves are very nice to walk through, and I did enjoy touring the 영빈관 (State Guest House) and the 춘추관 (Spring and Autumn Hall), which was the presidential press conference venue.

Just a short bus drive away from the Blue House is 북악산 (Bugaksan) | Naver link. What’s pretty cool about this mountain is that sections of the trails only opened up recently due to how close they are to the Blue House’s proximity. One section of the trails was opened by former president 문재인 (Moon Jae-in), and then another section by President Yoon after he relocated the presidential offices. I had read that a good place to start hiking the trails was 창의문 (Changuimun Gate) | Naver link. The trail does start as several flights of stone stairs along the old fortress wall. It’s mostly incline, so of course I struggled on my way to the top. I did meet an older gentleman who became my companion to the mountain’s summit, and every now and then he would speak poetically and use flowery language to describe our surroundings and his way of life. After reaching the peak together, we continued our trek, passing by 1.21 사태 소나무 (January 21 Incident Pine Tree): a tree which had bullets embedded in it from a firefight between North Korean infiltrators and South Korean forces in 1968. We parted ways shortly after, as I wanted to start making way down the recently opened trails and he wanted to reach a further point along the fortress wall. While there wasn’t really anything impressive about these trails, they did give me several great viewpoints of the Seoul cityscape, including the Blue House grounds which I had explored earlier.

인사동문화의거리 (Insadong Culture Street) | Naver link is said by many to be an excellent area for visitors to go eating and shopping. Admittedly, I didn’t spend a lot of time in this area (as I’m not someone who enjoys shopping unless it’s food-related), but just from walking down this street, I could tell that it goes the extra mile in attracting people here. Not only was there a ton of people walking around and going in and out of shops, but even the designs that went into this area burst with so much color that my eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to them.

After touring the Blue House, hiking Bugaksan, and walking down Insadong Culture Street, I was in need of something to eat, and a quick search on Naver led me to 빠레뜨한남 종각점 (Palette Hannam Jonggak Branch) | Naver link. I arrived right in the nick of time, as they were about 30 minutes from taking their break. Through a tablet on the table, I ordered the 빠레뜨파스타 (Palette Pasta) as well as a can of Coke for ₩19,000 ($13.54). It came with a side of pickled radishes for some acidity. From what I could gather, this dish consists of two kinds of pasta: one bound and cooked with a cream sauce, and the other presented a little more haphazardly and with a healthy smattering of (what I think was) ichimi togarashi as well as an egg yolk. I enjoyed this dish, especially the contrast between the two preparations of pasta.

용산구 (Yongsan-gu)

While researching for my trip, I read that 해방촌 (Haebangchon) | Naver link is a fun Seoul neighborhood worth exploring, so I decided to add it to my itinerary. I had breakfast and attended a church service west of the neighborhood, so after taking a bus to the nearest stop, I discovered that Haebongchon is a very hilly neighborhood. For me, I took a diagonal elevator found at 후암동108계단 (Huamdong 108 Staircase) | Naver link to get to the neighborhood’s “street level”. But even after that, I still had to walk up a couple more hills to get there. Not that I minded, though - because of the hilly terrain and the lack of really tall buildings in the area, I was afforded many views of Seoul from pretty much any alley with a descending walkway. The area itself was quite active, with many cars and pedestrians going about.

Maybe I arrived earlier than expected since most of the businesses weren’t open yet, but I still knew that 해방촌 신흥시장 (Haebangchon Shinheung Market) | Naver link is worth checking out. The businesses here are arranged in a rather half-oval shape, though there are several “alleys” leading to other coffeeshops, restaurants, and stores. I really liked the design of this area, especially with the “roof” constructed high up above the area. Only a couple places were open at the time I arrived, but I still enjoyed walking through the market and seeing what businesses operate here.

The place where I had breakfast, west of Haebangchon? That was 남박 (Nampark) | Naver link, a restaurant specializing in Vietnamese cuisine that I discovered using Naver. I had heard of pho being referred to as breakfast food, and that sounded like a good idea to me that day. I seated myself and ordered the 한우 쌀국수 (pho bo) for ₩12,000 ($8.55). It didn’t take long for it to arrive, and the first thing I had was take a sip of the broth, which was hearty. I tucked into the bowl, occasionally squirting some hoisin sauce and sriracha into my spoonfuls of noodles, beef, and veggies. By the time I left, the restaurant was starting to fill up with customers.

Now back to Haebangchon. If you’re searching for a cafe/restaurant with a really killer view of Seoul, look no further than 더로열푸드앤드링크 (The Royal Food and Drink) | Naver link. This multi-story cafe is quite popular, boasting reportedly great food as well as its upper levels, from which you can see for miles around. There’s one seating area that’s specifically designated for taking photos, and customers were definitely taking advantage of it, as did I. Since I already had breakfast, I wanted something to drink, so I bought the 비트 망고 오렌지 주스 (beet mango orange juice) for ₩9,000 ($6.41). This juice was very pretty to look at, in no small part to the flower added in. The beet flavor is a bit muted by the mango and orange flavors, but it was still a tasty drink that I enjoyed.

강남구 (Gangnam-gu)

Yes, Gangnam - the district named in that famous Psy song from nearly a decade ago. It’s actually home to two royal tombs: 선릉성종왕릉 (Seolleung) | Naver link and 정릉중종왕릉 (Jeongneung) | Naver link. Seolleung is the royal tomb of 조선 성종 (King Seongjong of the Joseon Dynasty) and his third consort 정현왕후 (Queen Jeonghyeon). Jeongneung is the royal tomb of 조선 중종 (King Jungjong of the Joseon Dynasty). The entrance fee for the grounds costs ₩1,000 (estimated $0.69) for adults. While there are certainly impressive things to look at here, none of them really interested me - probably because I was feeling woozy from being a bit dehydrated. I will say that the grounds here are much larger than I had anticipated, so I was at least thankful for the long walk.

If there’s one place in Gangnam that the vast majority of visitors go to, it’s none other than 코엑스 (CoEX Mall) | Naver link. Yes, Gangnam is very well known for its shopping areas, but the CoEX Mall does have one thing going for it: the 별마당 도서관 (Starfield Library) | Naver link. What exactly is it, you ask? Think four massive bookshelf towers, all linked by a “fence” of more bookshelves, all full of various books. Oh, and the towers are over two stories tall. It’s a social media influencer’s dream, and indeed, there are always tons of people in the “square” with their phones and cameras out, all snapping away. I didn’t want to be indoors for too long while the pandemic was still raging, so I walked around the library once, checked out the rest of the mall to see what restaurants were available, and then hightailed it out of there.

To be completely honest, I found myself underwhelmed by Gangnam as a whole, but there was one thing I did like about it: 엘피노323 (El Pino 323) | Naver link. I read the story behind this restaurant in a Los Angeles Times article featuring the chef and owner years ago (refer to Travel Reference Links below), and I was really looking forward to dining here. It’s located on the second story of a large building, and being in there reminded me of being back in California. I was seated at the bar (I would recommend making reservations) and ordered via a tablet - chicken enchiladas and a Magpie pale ale for ₩25,500 ($18.17). A side of tortilla chips and salsa came out, and it was a great way to start the meal, with the crunchy chips and the salsa’s heat making a dynamic pairing. Magpie Brewing Co. is a popular craft beer brewery in Korea, and I enjoyed their very refreshing pale ale. The enchiladas were quite solid, with their tomatillo salsa further bringing back memories of eating Mexican food back in the U.S. I was a bit surprised to see that the arroz (rice) and frijoles (beans) had a different color from that which I’m used to (I guessed this was due to the available ingredients, catering to the Korean palate, or both), but they still tasted good.

성동구 (Seongdong-gu)

성수동 (Seongsudong) is apparently referred to as the Brooklyn of Seoul. I’ve yet to go to New York, so I can’t comment on the veracity of that comparison. What I will say is that it seemed quite nice when I was walking through it. I did have my eye on one place, and that was 성수동대림창고갤러리 (Seongsu Dongdae Daelim Warehouse Gallery) | Naver link. This was once a warehouse that had been converted to the cafe that it is now, and it even hosts art exhibitions. Because of this, I was told not to take photographs of the interior. What I can say is that the art inside was pretty cool, and the spaces are very relaxing. I bought the 대림창고 딸기우유 (Daelim Warehouse strawberry milk) for ₩9,000 ($6.41) since it was described as a seasonal special. The strawberry flavor on it was very strong, which I was happy about since I typically don’t enjoy the taste of milk.

광진구 (Gwangjin-gu)

Ever heard of a 기사식당 (driver restaurant)? It’s a restaurant that specializes in food for taxi drivers in Korea. Typically, it has at least one “signature” dish that’s delicious, filling, and very reasonably priced. Such restaurants are located across Seoul, and there was one here that I was very curious about: 송림식당 (Songnim Restaurant) | Naver link. When I arrived, there was already a good number of taxis in the parking lot, and there’s even a tower - taller than the restaurant itself - that’s a mechanical parking structure for additional cars. I sat down and ordered the 돼지불백 (pork BBQ set meal) for ₩10,000 (estimated $7.05). The meal included typical banchan, lettuce for ssam, and even hangover soup - which you can refill for free! The meat started cooking on the grill in no time and was ready within minutes. While I did wrap up some of the scrumptious pork with the lettuce, I saw that some of the drivers were just adding the banchan, lettuce, and rice into the grill itself to make fried rice, so I did that too. Verdict: crispy, lovely goodness.

성남시 (Seongnam)

Funnily enough, the day after I arrived in Seoul, I took a trip out of it. The reason being? I wanted lunch, and it was only available for five or six days per month - and that day happened to be one of those days. I took the subway for almost an hour to get to the city of Seongnam, which hosts the 모란민속5일장 (Peony Folklore 5-Day Market) | Naver link. This market is only open on the fourth, ninth, fourteenth, nineteenth, twenty-fourth, and twenty-ninth days of each month (minus, of course, February - with the exception being in a leap year), and as expected, it was absolutely packed, with most attendees being older and elderly Koreans. The vendor stalls, which varied heavily, were organized pretty well, with one section dedicated to seafood, one section being for trinkets, and such. I heard quite a commotion at one point, and upon investigating it, I found that it was coming from a group of canopies - under them, a woman was dancing and singing older Korean songs for a large audience.

Anyways, lunch. While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact location of 되지부속 무한리필 (All-You-Can-Eat Pork) since it doesn’t have a Naver Map page, I can say that it’s located in the southwest corner of the market, within a large section of canopies making up the food stalls and near a restroom. As its name indicates, this stall offers all-you-can-eat pork, but you won’t find things like pork belly slices, ham, shoulder, and the like. Instead, it’s all pork offal, which includes pig skin, kidney, tail, spleen, and mesentery - cut into chunks and cooked on a series of large flat top grills in front of the customers. When it’s ready to be eaten, you reach into the grill and take out the offal you want with a pair of tongs. A seat at the “tables” costs ₩8,000 (estimated $5.64), and drinks - including 막걸리 (makgeolli - rice wine), soju, beer, soda - are free! After waiting about 10 minutes, I was finally seated and given raw onions, peppers, ssamjang, and a salt / red pepper flake / sesame seed mix to dip the offal into. I asked for makgeolli and was given a whole bottle. Then I got to work selecting the offal I wanted to try. I have to say, I generally enjoyed what I ate, and this was indeed a fun experience. But after a while, the offal started to taste the same, with the exception being some of the fattier chunks. Also, the odor of cooking offal progressively becomes rather overwhelming. I’m very glad I got to experience this, but I’m not sure if I’d do it again (at least, anytime soon).

가평군 (Gapyeong-gu) and 춘천시 (Chuncheon)

I had places of interest located well outside of Seoul, and luckily, there’s a travel agency that organizes tours that hit all of them. I had registered and paid for a tour package via Klook, and it was one of the memorable experiences I had during my Korea trip so far. The travel agency for this day trip was KTOURSTORY, and our tour guide for the day, Sandra, led us impeccably, effortlessly communicating in Korean, English, and Mandarin. This was an all-day affair that included about 40 other people.

Our first stop was 아침고요수목원 (The Garden of Morning Calm) | Naver link. Located in the Gapyeong district, this arboretum houses about 5,000 species of plants and showcases the beauty of horticulture via a series of gardens. We were given about an hour and a half to explore the area however we wanted, and Sandra told us about a handful of spots that she recommended we check out. Most of my group immediately went to those areas, whereas I decided to go off the beaten path, not really wanting to be in places with a lot of people. I first checked out the Rose of Sharon Garden, the Alpine Rock Garden, and the Green House, taking my sweet time to do so. It was quite peaceful, and I enjoyed seeing the variety of plants and their presentation. However, I found out that time really flies, so I spent the next hour quickly hitting up the popular spots that include the Sunken Garden, Pond Garden, and the Secret Garden. I did wish that I had more time here, but that’s the nature of partaking in a tour.

We then headed to Chuncheon, and our next stop was 남이섬 (Nami Island) | Naver link, arguably one of the most popular places to visit in Korea. Because of that, we were given over three hours to explore this island that’s also a self-declared micronation, the Naminara Republic. We took a ferry to the island itself (though a zip line transportation option is available at an additional cost), which took less than ten minutes. My priority upon arriving at the island was getting lunch. Sandra had told us that there was a restaurant called 섬향기 (Island Scent) | Naver link that serves 닭갈비 (dakgalbi - spicy stir-fried chicken), a regional specialty. Unfortunately, I had arrived at peak lunch hour, and I ended up waiting for what felt like an hour after putting my name down. To take the edge off my hunger, there was a vendor stall next door selling 찐빵 (steamed bun) for ₩1,000, so I bought a 흑깨 (black sesame) one to take the edge off my hunger. It proved to be quite delicious. I also checked out a nearby art exhibition and noted a station where people could rent bikes. Finally, my name was called at the restaurant, and I ordered the 철판닭갈비 (iron plate dakgalbi) for ₩14,000. I lucked out because normally the restaurant requires at least a party of two to serve the dish, but the server felt bad since I had waited for a long time for a seat, so he convinced his manager to let me order it, making him my new favorite person. I’ve had dakgalbi before, and what surprised me was that this version didn’t come with a thick and liquid-like sauce, instead being a tad bit drier. I enjoyed the flavors immensely, especially when wrapping up the contents in lettuce and perilla leaves. By the time I had finished eating, however, I only had about an hour and a half to actually explore the island! Speed was key, so I rented a bike for an hour to check out the island’s many tree lanes, including Korean pine trees, ginkgo trees, cornel trees, cherry trees, Metasequoias, reed woods, and many more. If you’re visiting and pressed for time, I can’t recommend the bike rental enough; I flew from lane to lane, taking photographs and admiring the island’s incredibly beautiful scenery. After returning the bike and before leaving the island, I bought a grape-flavored ice cream for ₩4,000, enjoying it on the return ferry. I think the best way to explore the island is to come on your own accord so that you can presumably have a wealth of time, but I did think I was able to see its main highlights.

Our group’s final stop was 강촌레일파크 김유정레일바이크 (Gangchon Rail Park - Kim Yu-jeong Rail Bike) | Naver link. As its name suggests, we were here to ride rail bikes across the countryside. The bikes seat up to four, so I was grouped together with three other solo travelers, all of whom thankfully understood English. I took a seat at the front, so I had control over one set of brakes. We were told to keep some distance between us and the bike in front of us, and then we were off! Surprisingly, despite having three other people, I found myself having to pedal pretty hard to get momentum going. Once we did that, we could freely enjoy the sights of the lovely countryside. We passed by rivers, fields, greenhouses, and a moving train, and we even entered a few tunnels, each of which had its own theme and a light show. This was a lot of fun and really just the perfect way to end the tour. About a half-mile or so away from 강촌상상역 (Gangchon Sangsang Station) | Naver link, each bike had to come to a stop, and we were told to get off. As it turned out, a train would come to take us to the station, where Sandra and our bus driver awaited us. This gave all of us the opportunity to rest our legs and chat with each other.