As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been combatting my travel nerves by intensely researching my travels and drafting up itineraries. I spent most of my time researching what to do in Korea, because I haven’t been to the country before. However, I have dashed through both Taiwan and Japan on a short, whirlwind trip before, so I’m trying to plan around some major sites that I have already been to. My dad will actually be in Taiwan during my stay there, so I’m simply planning on just taking day trips or going hiking with him.
I was pretty nervous about the whole solo travel situation, so I ended up booking some guided tours instead of striking out on my own the whole time. I also opted to stay in hostels in order to meet some fellow travelers. While I was planning my trip, I posted my general itinerary on a Facebook travel group, and found other people who were in the same cities around the same time. So far, there’s about 10 of us planning a KBBQ meetup in Seoul!
There’s definitely lots of food I’m planning on eating but haven’t listed below, like Jokbal, XiaoLongBao and Hida beef. Is there any must-eats or must-sees I missed? Let me know!
While I was planning, I used Booking.com to book all my accommodations, and found some tours and tickets for my trip on Klook.
My semi-finalized ideas are below.
Korea
Seoul
Day 0
- Land in Incheon Airport in the afternoon
- Eat street food around my hostel
- Visit a Jjimjilbang (Spa Lei) and relax after my long flight
Day 1
- Free walking tour of India-dong and check out Tongin Market if time permits
- Get a facial at Whoo Spa
- Potentially check out a language exchange meetup to meet some other travelers
Day 2
- Rent a Hanbok and explore the palaces and Bukchon Hanok Village
- Eat KBBQ with a group of other fellow travelers from various traveling Facebook groups
- Potentially go to noraebang with KBBQ friends
Day 3
- Booked a day tour to visit Gangchon Rail Bike, Nami Island, and Garden of Morning Calm
- Visit Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Day 4
This day is a sort of buffer to finish different things on my To-Do list that I was not able to hit on previous days. Some activities I’m considering include:
- Visit Sinchon (university) district and meander through the shopping areas nearby
- Explore the streets and go cafe hopping in Hongdae
- Wander through the stores in Myeongdong
- Check out Bongeunsu Temple, COEX mall and other sights around Gangnam
- Go up N Seoul Tower and see Seoul at night
Day 5 (part 1)
- If there’s anything in the morning I want to do in Seoul, last chance!
- Take bus/train from Seoul to Jeonju
Jeonju
Day 5 (part 2)
- Wander around Jeonju and check out Gyeonggijeon, Jeonju Hanok village, Jaman mural village etc.
- Stay in a traditional Korean Hanok
- Eat bibimbap and the bakery. version of chocopie
Day 6 (part 1)
- Explore more of Jeonju and see sights I wasn’t able to see on the first day
- Head on a bus to Busan!
Busan
Day 6 (part 2)
- If there’s time before sunset, visit either the White fox cultural village or Taekongdae Resort
- Wander around the markets at night
Day 7
- Visit Gamcheon Culture Village, Yongdusan Park, Jagalchi Market, BIFF square
- If time permits, check out Gwangan Bridge views around sunset or visit Haeundae beach
- Head to airport to catch a flight to Taiwan!
Taiwan
Taipei
Day 8
- Day trip to Yingge
- Eat some delicious Taiwanese nightmarket food 😋
Day 9-11
- Take day trips out with my dad! Probably centered around hiking, but no solid plans have been made
Day 12
- Spend the day around Taipei
- Flight to Japan in the late afternoon
Japan
Osaka
Day 13
- Visit Osaka castle and see the views from above
- Admire Shitennoji and it’s gardens
- Eat and explore my way through Kuromon Market and Dotombori
- See Osaka from above from the Umeda Sky Building
Alpine Region (Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, Takayama)
Using the Takayama Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass, explore this region.
Day 14 (Kanazawa)
- Spend the morning exploring Kenroku-en, Kanazawa Castle Park, Oyama Shrine
- Wander down the cobblestone streets of Nagamachi neighborhood
- Munch my way through Omicho Fish Market
- Check out the traditional neighborhood: Higashiyama Higashi Chaya District
- If time permits, visit Myouryuji, also known as the Ninja temple
Day 15 (Shirakawa-go)
- If there’s anything left in Kanazawa I want to see, spend the morning here
- Take the bus to Shirakawa-go, and spend 2-3 hours exploring the small village
- Take the bus to Takayama, and wander some streets if time allows
Day 16 (Takayama)
- Start the day at the morning markets around Takayama
- Meander through the Sanmachi-suji District
- Check out Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall and the nearby Sakaurayama-Hachimangu Shrine
- Stroll down the Higashiyama Walkway and admire the temples along the way
Day 17 (Nagoya)
- Take an early Hida train down to Nagoya
- Explore the city
- Eat the famous Hitsumabushi, Nagoya’s local eel dish
Innovation Discovery Japan trip
Day 18-22
- Visit companies in cities around Japan! (Nagoya, Kyoto, Tokyo) Itinerary is already planned out by the program
Day 23
- I have one free day in Tokyo! What should I do? Have yet to be planned….
Will this trip be way too intense and too hectic to actually follow through? Who knows? I just have to wait and see.
PloddingPanda 