Hello all,
I am going to be in Korea from August 10-August 23. I already have plans in Seoul until the 14th. I was thinking of going to Jeju from the 14-16 then to Gyoungju on the 17th then to Sokcho on the 19th and 20th and then back to Seoul.
Please tell me if this itinerary makes sense and any flight/train/bus suggestions would be great.
Thank you
-M
There are several different airlines you can fly with from Gimpo Airport (Seoul's domestic airport) to Jeju, including the 2 big guys, Korean and Asiana, as well as Jeju Air, Air Busan and probably one or 2 other discount airlines.
I would then suggest flying from Jeju to Busan (Gimhae Airport) as it's the closest airport with a large choice of flights from Jeju (you could fly to Daegu instead, which is closer to Gyeongju, but there are fewer daily flights and they'd probably be more expensive). I usually fly Air Busan from Busan to Jeju and I've found that I can get tickets cheaper on expedia (the Canadian site, never checked the American site). From Gimhae Airport there are non-stop buses every hour or so to Gyeongju taking a little over an hour.
Finally, from Gyeongju your best bet is probably to take a bus to Gangneung which are fairly frequent and take 4-5 hours. Then take a bus from Gangneung to Sokcho, which I believe leave every 20 minutes or so and take about 45 minutes to an hour.
I've been to all of those places, so if you have any more questions, just let me know.
Jason
One more thing - Monday, August 15th is a holiday so if you're planning to fly to Jeju on the 14th you might want to book a hotel asap. There are tons of hotels on Jeju so even without a booking you'd probably be able to find something, but I'd recommend you book something anyway.
I'd also recommend flying from Seoul (GMP) to Jeju (CJU), then Jeju (CJU) to Busan (PUS) with Air Busan. (Although, flights may already be sold out due to the holiday on the 15th.)
Thank you for all the helpful information.....
I have a couple of other quick questions. What do you thing of driving from Gyoungju to Sokcho? I hear parts of the drive are very beautiful. Also, do you think it would be better to book a hotel in Sokcho near the beach or Sorak in the park?
Many Thanks,
-M
I think you'd better take a bus from Gyeongju to Sokcho.
There're twice in Gyeongju, 13:49 and 16:10. It takes 8 hrs, 32,200 won.
You can enjoy watching many beaches on the way.
Rental car in Korea is not convenient and very expensive.
I've never rented a car in Korea, so I don't know how much would it cost, but I would assume there would be quite a premium added if you were only driving it one-way from Gyeongju to Sokcho. It would be a nice drive, though, as there are lots of nice places along the way.
I would recommend staying in the city in Sokcho, as that's where all the restaurants are. There are regular city buses into the main area of Seoraksan NP (Outer Seorak) and if I remember correctly, they only take about 20 minutes. I'd also suggest checking out Inner Seorak, which is the northern section of the park. It's very beautiful, and as it's further from Sokcho and harder to access, it's not as busy (although it will probably still be very busy, just relatively less so).
It's best to take a bus from Gyeongju to Sokcho (via Gangneung). That way, you can enjoy the view without the cost and inconvenience of renting a car.
When I go to Seoraksan, I usually stay in Osaek. The place I stay in is called 설악오색온천 (I believe... I'm trying to recall it from memory at the moment). It is near The Greenyard Hotel. The Greenyard is a bit expensive, but it should at least be able to give you some information on how to get there from Sokcho.