How To Spend 48 Hours & $480 In Seoul, South Korea
Plus, how AI came in clutch while exploring the city.
Seoul, South Korea is one of those places you can never spend enough time in, not only because it’s a massive city, but because every neighborhood, street, and beyond is brimming with history and a story.
Recently, while on a quick trip to Seoul with Samsung, I found myself in a tiny restaurant — the kind of sleeper hit that looks a little iffy on the outside but you just know the food will be good — staring blankly at the menu. The photos were mouth-watering, but considering the entire menu was in Korean, I was at a loss for what I was actually ordering… and I was hangry. In a true Eureka! moment, I pulled out my Galaxy S24 Ultra phone, snapped a photo of the menu, and, with just a few more taps and a little help from the brand’s Galaxy AI, felt a wave of relief when everything was translated into English. I ordered a piping-hot bowl of spicy ramen, and I was not disappointed.
This wasn’t the only time AI came in clutch. I’m all for soaking up a new place in the moment with minimal distractions from a screen. But whether I was using live translation features to order a drink or removing stray objects from otherwise perfect photos, this new tech helped me expertly navigate — and fully experience — a foreign place along the way.
Even though I spent several days in Seoul, my total free time added up to about two full days. Knowing that, it’s perfectly possible to cover a ton of ground in 48 hours on a budget. Here’s how:
Friday
5:20 a.m.: Arrive at Incheon International Airport
A 15-hour flight isn’t for the faint of heart, but with a little melatonin and more than five hours of Dune lined up, I was set. Just be warned: If you fall asleep with the movie on and the airplane intercom wakes you up, you will believe you’re a Bene Gesserit for a few seconds.
Once out of the airport, I beelined for a taxi from Incheon International Airport to the Shilla Stay Seocho Hotel to drop off my bags, freshen up, eat a quick breakfast, and head out to explore for the rest of the day.
Taxi to accommodation: $65
Breakfast: $20
8:30 a.m.: Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace
Fortunately, if you have an Uber account, you can use it in Seoul as you normally would, so I called a quick car from my hotel to the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, which took about 30 minutes total.
Nestled in Northern Seoul, the more than 600-year-old Gyeongbokgung Palace — home to South Korea’s last-ruling Joseon dynasty — was absolutely breathtaking. The grounds feature massive buildings with ornate, resting-hill roofs that are surrounded by South Korea’s Bugaksan Mountains in the background, and other ancient structures, statues, and cherry blossom trees scattered throughout.
Uber to palace: $30
Entrance fee: ~$2
9:30 a.m.: Wander through the Bukchon Hanok Village
After exploring the palace, I walked a few blocks into the Bukchon Hanok Village, a maze of restored Korean homes with architecture calling back to more than 600 years ago. I spotted some locals and tourists wearing traditional hanbok dresses in the village as I wandered in and out of small shops and cafés, keeping quiet out of respect for the residents who still live in this area.
I followed the winding roads uphill to the Bukchon Observatory, and thank God I did — the hills are… brutal. A pit stop for a cold glass of peach tea and sweeping views of the entire village on the observatory’s outdoor balcony was a welcome respite.
Entrance fee to Bukchon Observatory: $5
Tea: $3
11:30 a.m.: See The City From Seoul Tower
If I thought the views from Bukchon Observatory were good, I wasn’t prepared for Seoul Tower. Somewhat resembling Seattle’s Space Needle, Seoul Tower sits atop the wooded Namsan Mountain Park, which features walking trails and a cable car that takes you from the park up to the Seoul Tower plaza. From every angle of the plaza, I saw different panoramic views of all of Seoul — from the tops of sleek skyscrapers to the idyllic peaks and valleys of mountains and hills in the distance.
Exactly 400 pictures of the breathtaking views later, I stopped to eat at The Place, one of the restaurants within Seoul Tower, and edit some pictures. It’s difficult to get picture-perfect shots on crowded days, so I used Galaxy AI’s photo-editing tools to circle and remove stray people and objects in a few photos I’d taken throughout the day. I also perused Galaxy AI’s photo-editing recommendations, which suggest certain enhancements to photos, like increasing the brightness or remastering the photo to make it clearer and crisper.
Uber to Seoul Tower: $15
Entrance fee: $15
Prix fixe lunch at The Place: $50 per person ($100 for two)
3 p.m.: Explore Gangnam, the Statue of Gangnam Style, and Starfield Coex Mall
My last stop of the day was in the Gangnam neighborhood, specifically to see the Statue of Gangnam Style. The enormous gold hands crossed at the wrist — a truly hilarious photo opp — are a tribute to Psy’s massive 2012 K-pop hit “Gangnam Style,” the corresponding dance for which was truly inescapable at the time. It was even inescapable at the statue itself, as the song played on loop and giddy tourists posed under the hands while doing the dance. (It’s me, I’m tourists.)
Right across from the Statue of Gangnam Style is another marvel: Seoul’s enormous underground shopping mall that houses a slew of restaurants, shops, a picturesque library, and a whole aquarium, to name a few. Understandably blinded by the sheer volume of shops, all I remember clearly is leaving the mall with a stupid amount of bags and $50 less than I came in with. No regrets.
Uber to Gangnam: $15
Souvenirs: $50
6:30 p.m.: Head back to the hotel to fight off jet lag
At this point, my eyes were nearly half shut, given the jetlag, the overnight flight, and the fact that I’d been exploring since 5 a.m., so I was happy to make the walk back to my hotel from Gangnam. I didn’t have the energy for a full dinner, but I popped into a convenience store to grab a few snacks before jumping into pajamas and falling asleep to Vanderpump Rules.
Taxi: $10
Snacks: $5
DAY 1 TOTAL: $285
Saturday
9 a.m.: Start the day exploring Seoul Forest
Just North of Seoul’s Han River is Seoul Forest, a free, 3,000-acre park and forest featuring lush greenery, playgrounds, a butterfly garden, and much more. When I arrived after a quick breakfast at my hotel, I spent time wandering the trails and looking at the many sculptures scattered throughout the park. Eventually, I started following signs toward what I really came to see: the deer corral. I made my way deep into the park to the large enclosure, where spotted Sika deer roamed about. I took more videos of the deer than I did of anything else on the trip.
As I made my way toward the park’s exit, I stumbled upon an absolutely magical indoor butterfly garden. Once inside, I followed a brick path through the garden, with vibrant plants lining either side and butterflies big and small darting about. After the garden, I plopped down on a bench and used Galaxy AI’s circle to search function on the butterfly photos I’d taken. I pulled up a photo, long-pressed my S24 Ultra’s home button, and circled each butterfly, and a pop-up search window gave me quick facts about the specific butterfly.
Hotel breakfast: FREE
Uber to Seoul Forest: $15
12 p.m.: Grab coffee at Better Than Yours and explore Seongdong
I walked 15 minutes from the park and further into the artsy Seongdong neighborhood in search of Better Than Yours coffee, an award-winning café known for robots making your coffee. When I arrived, I learned you have to order via an app because there are no front-facing baristas — but the app was exclusively in Korean.
Social anxiety be damned, I pulled up Galaxy AI’s live interpreter function, tapped the microphone icon, and explained that I was having trouble ordering on the app. A very kind café patron jumped in to help me order an iced coffee, and I watched in pure disbelief as two enormous robotic arms began making and serving drinks with laser-sharp precision.
Coffee: $6
2:30 p.m.: Head to Itaewon Market for lunch and exploring
Delicious coffee in hand, I hopped in another car to the Itaewon neighborhood, known for its trendy nightlife and international cuisine. Intoxicating smells hitting me left and right, I settled on Jonny Dumpling for a late lunch, where I had the most delicious pan-fried dumplings I’d ever tasted. After lunch, I took some time to pore over the many shops and merchant carts, walking away with a few handmade South Korean jewelry and souvenirs for my friends and family.
Uber to Itaewon: $15
Dumplings: ~$10
Souvenirs: $10
5 p.m.: Head to Hongdae for vintage shopping and dinner
Because all I do is shop and spend money, apparently, I couldn’t pass up a final stop in the Hongdae neighborhood. The vibrant, urban area is packed with local cafés, bars, and tons of independent and vintage clothing shops, the latter of which is my true kryptonite. I stumbled into one vintage store that looked like the inside of someone’s walk-in closet, and I walked out with the cutest pair of sneakers.
At around 7:30 p.m., before heading back for the night, I wrapped up my time in Hongdae at Yoogane Chicken Galbi for some spicy chicken stir-fry that looked absolutely delectable and that I knew would give me heartburn. Once again, no regrets.
A pair of vintage sneakers I definitely didn’t need but couldn’t pass up: $15
Dinner: $7
Taxi back to hotel: $30
DAY 2 TOTAL: $108
Sunday
9 a.m.: Relax at the Bongeunsa Temple
Travel days can be stressful, so if you have some time before your flight, I recommend making a stop at the Bongeunsa Temple, a Buddhist temple dating back to the 1400s. I sat on the grounds for a little while, taking in the calm and quiet and the ancient statues and architecture. This was the perfect final stop before heading to the airport for another 15-hour flight.
Naturally, I wish I had more time in Seoul, but if anything, such an unforgettable trip is motivation for me to head back the minute I can.
Taxi to and from the temple: $22
Taxi to Incheon International Airport: $65
