Seoul in a day
 

any suggestions for how to spend 1 day in Seoul, Korea? We've got a layonver there enroute to Hanoi.

I posted before - try to pull it up. Briefly, the Leeum - www.leeum.org, booking in advance required - is a great museum with Samsung founders personal collection of Korean ceramics and a contemporary collection of art. Insadong street is worth a wander and a good place to shop for knick knacks - don't miss Ssamzie Gil shopping building at the end of the street. A guided tour of one palace could be good - walking distance from Insadong is Changdok.

We're doing that next month on the return layover from NZ. Our plan is a full day tour out to the DMZ.

If you do the DMZ tour through the USO, I would highly suggest bringing a packed lunch with you. I did this tour in Sept '05 and the food served at the only restaurant($5-$10USD) was awful. It was cheap but I felt like I wasted a full meal experience. The only downside is that the proprietors of this "restaurant" forced those with their own lunches to sit outside...instead of in the multi-purpose room-like atmosphere.

If you're into history/culture, there are enough things you can tour on your own in Seoul for one day. Two main palaces at Gyeongbokgung Palace and Deoksugung. Find out from your hotel when the English tour starts. Have lunch/tea at Insadong.