Seoul Suggestions
 

Appreciate suggestions for 'must sees' in Seoul. Have 3 full days, coming from China, so no jet lag. Am considering the USO tour of the DMZ. Is there a 'hop-on-hop-off' bus in Seoul? Any nice hotel suggestions for an over 50 gal? Any critical 'need to know' information an experienced traveler may not already have? Thanks.

Yes, there is a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Seoul. DMZ with USO is great. Though with all the noise the north is making these days, you might to make sure they are still running the tour.

As for other sites, what are you into? Shopping (high end or lower end)? Cultural sites? Also how much are willing to spend for a hotel?

Here is some info on Seoul, at the beginning and end of my trip report from 2007:


http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...g-shanghai.cfm

Thank you both. I prefer sightseing, anything with a cultural aspect, gardens, temples etc. Enjoy seeing the areas where people do the everyday things...markets, street vendors, schools etc. Am able to spend around $150/night for a hotel.

See my report from last year. My interests are very similar to yours so this might be helpful.

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...trip-korea.cfm

For shopping and to get a taste of life in Korea, you can visit Namdeamun, Myungdong, and Dongdaemun (esp. late at night). Insadong and Samchondong are very nice areas to walk around. Also, in Insadong there is a great little temple off to the side and it is near the one of the palaces. If you want higher end shopping the Gangnam and Apgujeong are great. I’ve heard the Leeum museum in Itaewon is pretty interesting. For more cultural things, you can visit the DMZ (takes most of the day), Namsam Tower, Cheonggyecheon (which is a stream in downtown Seoul), and the palaces.

For your price range, I think you’ll find a lot of nice hotels. The key would be whether you stay on the North or South side of the river. The South side of the river is the new hip place (Gangnam and Apgujeong areas). Whereas, I feel that there are a lot more cultural things to do on the North side. However, Seoul is a very easy city to get around via subway or taxi. The Lotte Hotel in Myeongdong and Intercontinental Coex are in great locations. The Grand Hyatt and Millennium Hilton are nice hotels, but not easily accessible by the subway.