I recently took a trip to Korea and Japan with my two teenage kids. It had been 14 years since I left Korea after leaving Samsung, and at the time my oldest was three-years-old.
I had basic itinerary for each day, and it turned out to be quite ambitious. We ended up doing one or at most two things on the itinerary, and it was good.
One thing kids complained the most was the amount of walking. Even when you take taxis everywhere, you will end up walking a lot, so you should make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.
The followings are itineraries. Click on a link below to see specific post.
- Day One: Seoul (Gyeongbokgung, Insa-dong, Bukchon Hanok Village)
- Day Two: Gyeongju (Bulguksa)
- Day Three: Busan (Gamcheon Culture Village)
- Day Four: Osaka/Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tenryu-ji Temple, DÅtonbori)
Pre-paid SIM card
One thing that I regret not getting in Korea was pre-paid SIM card. I have T-Mobile in the US, and my plan allowed unlimited data and text in both Korea and Japan, but only at 2G speed. It was SOOOOOOOO slow. Don’t make the same mistake.
Where do you get a pre-paid SIM card?
The easiest place to get it is at the airport.
If you didn’t get one at the airport, you can also get one at a convenience store (like GS25, 7-11, or CU). However, not all of them will carry one. And the clerks there didn’t understand pre-paid SIM card. Ask for “USIM” (Universal SIM) card. The only place I was able to find was in Gangnam area.
Another place to get one is at a carrier store (like KT). However, you can only buy it at a carrier store, not at an authorized reseller. There are a lot more resellers than carrier stores, and it was very confusing to me which was which.
Best bet is at the airport. Just get one at the airport.