I have a 12+ hour layover in Seoul in a few weeks, and I’d love to get out and explore a little. It looks like it’s pretty simple to get through immigration (no visa required) if your stay is less than 24 hours.
Has anyone been and have any recommendations on fun things to do and cool places to see, or tips on how to get around? I’ll be there on a Thursday, landing around 6:00 am and departing at 8:00 pm.
You have to take jet lag into account; you may get suddenly drowsy in the midst of the day trip.
There are plenty of good things to see and do in Seoul; if you like high towers there are skyscrapers with 100-story observatories, but be advised the subway system is a massively confusing sprawl, almost as bad as Tokyo’s. When I went to Seoul, honestly, I found it a bit disappointing; it was too commercialized/shopping-ish and bland. There are still some ancient-ish sites though. Some people like to go for walks at the Ewha Women’s University campus which is very modern-ish and yet well-styled at the same time. Etc. Whatever it is that you do, you’ll only get to see 5% of Seoul anyhow, but you’ll have fun either way, it’s a massive buffet-selection of sights, cafes, shops and whatnot.
Is your layover in Incheon or Gimpo?
Incheon.
@Velocity I can power through one day fine. I might not want to run a marathon, but walking 5-10 miles is fine (although I know it will be around freezing).
I’m not much of a shopper. Of more interest to me would be cultural sites/temples, food, and interesting neighborhoods. Heaven would be visiting some local brewery or distillery.
We visited the National War Museum and Changdeok Palace. I enjoyed them both.