I will have a total of 2-3 days in Seoul bookending a trip to Mongolia this June-July. What activities might be suggested for a nonbusiness traveler baby boomer? I'm interested in Art and collect celadon, so shopping advice also would be appreciated. thx

Windance..I will be spending about a week or so in Seoul on a upcoming trip and will report back when I return home.

Meanwhile, here is one site I found on shopping:

http://www.seoulsearching.com/entertainment/shopping/

If you're into art and pottery, definitely spend an afternoon browsing through Insa-dong. The street is not that long, but there are many alleyways you can wonder through with galleries and traditional tea shops.

I also recommend palaces--Deoksugung and Gyeongbokgung. I've seen changing of the guard in traditional costumes at Deoksungung. I cannot remember which palaces it was, but the national museum is close by.

I have not been there myself due to lack of time, but I was planning to visit mini-folk village/traditional Korean houses near Chungmuro.

Thank you both for your thoughtful replies. I have found them very useful. I'll also stay tuned for your future post, ekscrunchy!. I am looking forward to my June trip even more now.

Windance I am in Seoul right now. Yesterday I visted Insadong which is reputed to be among the best areas for arts and crafts. Many shops sell celadon wares and other ceramics. Prices are not low; for a celadon item of any substantial size (a 9" tall vase, for example) they begin at around $100 US and rise from there.

The shop that impressed me very much is Atelier Seoul which displays the work of Ceramist Park Young Sook. Prices are very high but for a collector I think it would be of great interest. Queen Elizabeth is one of her customers...I will post the address next time....

Here is the address for the showroom of Park Young Sook:

Atelier Seoul
7-2 Kwanhun-dong
Chongno-gu
Seoul 110-300

We have just arrived in Busan today - we shall got to Seoul on Monday for 5 nights. If you have any further ideas on interesting places to visit/"finds" we'd be pleased to hear them.
Thank you.

One of my favorites so far has been the large fish market where you can buy fish and shellfish and have them prepared at one of the restaurants within the market. We bought flounder for sashimi, large shrimp which we had grilled, abalone, and baby octopus which was served raw and still wriggling. Even if that last is not to your taste, I would recommend a visit to that market..Noryangjin Fish Market.

I found the shopping at Insadong less than stellar but the antique shops in the warehouses at Janhangpyeong are worth a visit if you are interested in antiques and old things from all over Asia.

DMZ tour would be a must.

And a visit to a Korean Spa is an absolutely amazing out-of-this world experience. We were the only westerners at Dragonhill Spa near Yongsan station. I will do a more detailed report when I return but I recommend very highly. Very different than anything I have seen elsehwhere in Asia or anyplace else. Try to go on a weekday and be prepared to spend at least a few hours. And have the "scrub" which virtually peels off a layer of skin but leaves you feeling the cleanest you have ever felt!

Dragonhill Spa and
Sports..adjacent to the Yongsan station.

And the supermarket in the basement of the station is another amazing sight..unlike any supermarket I have ever been to (and I have seen many in many countries!!) I am sure there are many of these but that one is next to the spa and easy to find. Not to be missed!!

Hi ekscrunchy

I am REALLY looking forward to your South Korea trip report - it´s not that easy to find travelers tips for this country. I am hoping to go myself next year and will be taking special note of your recommendations regarding food and restaurants!

Thanks!

We have just arrived in Seoul today. Staying at Ibis Myeong Dong - great location just across from Lotte depart store & lots of shops, markets & restaurants close by. Ibis is a French hotel chain (also have them in UK & elsewhere) - pretty standard, but clean & good & free internet in room. From Seoul railway station to here by taxi cost 3100 won.
This evening ate at Baekje Samgyetang -(Lonely Planet recommendation)chicken in ginseng soup - great for this evening as we are finding it cool in Seoul (although people at the hotel said today was cooler then yesterday).

you're right, it's difficult to find travel advice, so thanks for the additional posts with gr8 detail! Safe travels and I'll look for your additional trip reports.

One more Seoul tip: We had lunch yesterday at the Seoul branch of the Taiwanese dumpling retaurant, Din Tai Fung, or DTF. The food, while not Korean, is fantastic! More pricey than the DTFs in China (lunch for three of us cost just under 50,000 won) but well worth it for a splurge. The restaurant is beautiful, with an entire wall of red lacquer with Chinese books and Chinese artifacts. It should be easy to get the address, in central Seoul.

One more tip: From Incheon airport, it is easy to get a bus to central Seoul. YOu buy your ticket inside the terminal and they will tell you where to get the bus outside the terminal. The buses run often; I paid 13,000 won for the (long, about 80 minutes) ride to Capital Hotel in Itaewon. (close to where I was staying) Stops are announced in English and the whole process is stgraightforward and simple. There are also Koreanair buses to major hotels. And taxis, which are expensive.