Summer in South Korea is severely underrated. Most people who plan on traveling there usually aim for the seasons of autumn, winter and spring to experience the best of the Land of the Morning Calm—all with perfectly good reasons, of course. But South Korea is equally beautiful in the light of the summer, and having a clear day for a backdrop often results in gorgeous Instragram-worthy snapshots.

Satisfy your wandering Seoul with Zee Lifestyle’s guide to South Korea.

BASIC INFORMATION

South Korea is a country located in East Asia. Its capital and largest city is Seoul. It is approximately a five-hour flight from the Philippines, and is also one hour ahead in terms of timezone (UTC+9). Their currency is the South Korean won, with a currency exchange of roughly PHP 1 = KRW 23 (as of press time). They have four seasons, with summer running from May to September, autumn from September to November, winter from November to March, and spring from March to May.

Going to South Korea requires a visa for Philippine passport holders, which is easily obtainable from the Korean embassy, located on the 12th floor of the Chinabank Corporate Center in Cebu Business Park. Processing time is five days, and fees are gratis for a stay of 59 days or less.

Philippines AirAsia flies direct to Incheon, South Korea from Mactan, Cebu every day. They also have flights to Incheon from Manila and Kalibo, as well as to Busan from Kalibo. For bookings, visit airasia.com.

THE TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN KOREA DURING SUMMER

1. Explore Incheon International Airport

Bibimbap at Café Bonjuk and Bibimpa, located in Incheon International Airport, is the perfect dinner for right when you land

Okay, so we’d actually rather save this for the last day of the trip while you wait to board your flight, but Incheon International Airport is a destination in itself when you’re in South Korea. It’s one of the world’s best airports for good reason: There’s an abundance of amenities, from duty-free shopping and top-notch dining establishments, to sleeping and shower areas and cultural shows. You’d find you wouldn’t really mind long layovers or delayed flights.

INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
272 Gonghang-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon, South Korea

2. Don a hanbok and stroll through Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Bukchon Hanok Village

South Korea is a highly urbanized and modern city, yet you can still get glimpses of history and culture here and there. Gyeongbokgung Palace is the largest of Korea’s Five Palaces and was home to the Royal Family back in the Joseon Dynasty, while the Bukchon Hanok Village is a quaint neighborhood of traditional Korean homes known as hanok. Rent a colorful hanbok (traditional costume) to get the most likes on your social media posts. Plus: Entrance to the Palaces is free when you’re in costume.

GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE
161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE
Gye-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

3. Dip your toes into the cool waters of the Cheonggyecheon Stream

Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul

The Cheonggyecheon Stream, which runs throughout downtown Seoul, is the perfect example of urbanization coordinating with nature. This waterway was neglected for years, until the government pursued efforts to restore it in the early 2000s. Today, it’s one of the most popular public parks where people can sit by the river and even dip their toes into the cool waters pumped from the Han River.

CHEONGGYECHEON STREAM
Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

4. Have samgyetang in Nam Chon Ok

Samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup)

Samgyetang is chicken ginseng soup that’s quite popular during summer. This specialty is basically a whole young chicken stuffed with rice, and is also surrounded with noodles. Pro tip: Make sure you’re REALLY hungry so you can finish off this dish.

NAM CHON OK
20 Gwang-hi-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

5. Get a lot of skincare and makeup freebies at Myeongdong

Myeong-dong Street

Even though you haven’t been bitten by the K-pop craze, even you’d have to admit that Korean skincare is amazing. Myeongdong is a street where you can find popular beauty brands one stall after another, from Etude House to Tony Moly, Innisfree, Missha and Nature Republic. Not only do these stores sell their products at great deals, but they’d throw in a lot (and we mean a lot) of goodies on your way out—or heck, even if you just browse through their selections.

MYEONGDONG STREET
Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

6. Admire the neofuturistic architecture at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Largely contributing to Korea’s honorific as the World’s Design Capital is the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a massive and sprawling structure with almost-impossible curves and striking lines designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid in collaboration with Korean studio Samoo. We challenge you to find the perfect angles for your Instagram shots.

DONGDAEMUN DESIGN PLAZA
281 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

7. Get a good night’s rest at the T-Mark Grand Hotel

The view from outside T-Mark Grand Hotel

Of course, you can’t just zoom past all the sights without having decent sleep. But just because you’re off to dreamland doesn’t mean you should stop experiencing the best of what Korea has to offer. The T-Mark Grand Hotel, one of the city’s newest hotels, is highly recommended. Besides offering all the amenities you would ever need, it’s also right across the Nandaemun Market and just a short walking distance to Myeongdong.

T-MARK GRAND HOTEL MYEONGDONG
52 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea | website

8. Indulge in banana milk in one of Korea’s many convenience stores

Banana milk from CVS for U

If banana milk isn’t Korea’s national drink, then we don’t know what is. The drink, which comes in cute plastic bottles, makes for the perfect refreshment in between all the sightseeing. It’s also filling enough to stave off hunger pangs when necessary. Should you wish to bring some home, we recommend buying them at the airport after checking in.

9. Seal your love at N-Seoul Tower

Love locks at N-Seoul Tower

Following Paris’ lead, several countries now have their own versions of lovelocks, in which couples proclaim your love with a special padlock to signal everlasting togetherness. In South Korea, you can seal your love at the N-Seoul Tower, which also has love benches bent into a curve right in the middle, designed to bring two people together.

N-SEOUL TOWER
105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

10. Shop ‘til you drop at Insadong Antique Alley and Namdaemun Market

Insadong Antique Alley

No trip anywhere is complete without shopping. If you haven’t had your fill from Myeongdong, Insadong Antique Alley has a lot of interesting and unique trinkets to bring back for your loved ones. For even greater sales, especially on bags and shoes, Namdaemun Market is where it’s at.

INSADONG ANTIQUE ALLEY
29 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

NAMDAEMUN MARKET
21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

text and photos by Patty Taboada