Spend Less For Your Korea Trip

In this post, I want to share how we spend our money during our trip to Korea. Honestly speaking, if you really make a budget, and strictly follow the budget, you can save a lots of your money to have a very memorable trip to Korea.

First thing you need to do is, go and search in the internet where you want to go and how much the cost. In my case, Korea Tourism Organization website really help me to draft my travel itinerary and also my budget. The first thing you need to do is find the best price for your flight ticket. For us, we choose to fly with AirAsia. The best price we get that time is RM 1,016.00 for return tickets including 30Kg check in luggage. Tips: Booked your ticket at least 6 months early to get the lowest fair. In our case, we booked the ticket 4 months early before the travel date.

3 excited girls to fly to Korea with AirAsiaX

The next thing is to choose where you want to stay. For us, since we are in a very tight budget, guest house just suit us. I've try to find the best guest house one month before our travel date. Backpackers Inside just suit us. Plus, we have all the facilities like bathroom, television, computer complete with free internet, washing machine, fridge and the most important thing, kitchen so that we can cook our own food. How much we spend for our accomodation for 7 nights? Its only KRW 166,250.00 per person (equal to RM 483.00).



Suitable for budget traveller like us

If you visit Korea and want to go to sightseeing by yourself using public transport, I recommend you to buy T-Money which is widely use in this country. By using this card, you will get discount when you transfer subway to bus and also you get discount for the fare. For example, if you use subway, the normal price is 1,000 KRW for first 10km, but using this card, the fare is only 900 KRW. We purchased the T-Money when we arrived at Incheon airport. The price is 3,000 KRW. For 8 days 7 nights, we spend 35,000 KRW.

For sightseeing, our budget is around 150,000 KRW incuding admission tickets. By this money, we managed to go to many place like Nami Island and Everland. For food, actually we are not confident to eat at the restaurant around Seoul. So, we packed instant noodle, rice, sardine etc so we can cook by ourselves. In Seoul, we only get Halal food around Itaewon area and we also buy fruits and vegetable at the market. So, we only spend around 50,000 KRW for food. Mostly we buy hot chocolate, vitamin water, vegetable and also fruits.

Shopping is a must when you are at Seoul especially at Myeondong area. But for me, I'm not a shopaholic. I only buy some sourvenir for my friends and family and SPAO t-shirt for myself. I spend around 100,000 KRW only. The best shopping time for me was when I spend around 30,000 KRW at The Faceshop beside Hyehwa station for my skincare.

So, total spend when we are at Korea:

Accomodation: KRW 166,250

T-Money: KRW 38,000

Sightseeing: KRW 150,000

Food: KRW 50,000

Shopping: KRW 100,000

Total: KRW 504,250 (Around RM 1,442.16)

 

Affordable Guest House in Korea

When I made a plan to Korea, the most hard part is to search where we should stay. Finally, I get the information about Backpackers Inside. This place just suit us. We decide to stay at this guest house and choose Deluxe 4-bed since we are in a group of 4. This room have 4 bed, private bathroom, private kitchen, computer complete with free internet access, television, air-conditioner and washing machine. This place not the cheapest guest house, but for us, the price was very affordable with all the facilities we get. We pay KRW 665,000.00 for 8 days 7 nights.

Receptionist desk. The receptionist here very nice and help us with the money since I was very confuse to count the money to pay the room charges. Thanks Jiyeon Onnie because you help us^^

Common living room and kitchen at the main building

Bathroom. Since we stayed at private room, we have our own bathroom. If you choose to stay at hostel in the main building, you need to share the bathroom.

Kitchen. For me, this is the important facilities for us because it really hard to find halal food in Seoul. So, we can cook by ourselves and of course, we can save money for food.

Double-decker bed for us. But I prefer to sleep on the floor because the floor have floor heating system. Its really nice to sleep on the floor at the cold night.

Below the price of the room and their discount policies. We stayed at this guest house for 8 days 7 nights, so we get 5% discount. 

Discount policy

-.1~2week   : 5%  Discount

-.2~4week   : 10% Discount

-.over4week : 15% Discount 

*Season price(Jul~Aug)(Dec~Jan)

-.Basic single : 30,000 => 35,000

-.Basic twin   : 44,000 => 54,000

-.Basic triple : 60,000 => 75,000

-.Basic 4-bed : 80,000 => 100,000

-.6-bed Dorm   : 20,000

-.Deluxe single: 42,000 => 50,000

-.Deluxe Double room  : 60,000 => 70,000

-.Deluxe twin  : 60,000 => 70,000

-.Deluxe 3-bed : 75,000 => 90,000

-.Deluxe 4-bed : 100,000=>120,000

-.Deluxe 6-bed : 150,000=>180,000

-.Deluxe 8-bed : 160,000=>200,000 

Booking step 

1. please visit their website and send them your more information (name,nationaly.......)

http://backpackersinside.com/booknow/index.php?show=7

2. they will check room with your inquiry date

3. please re-visit http://backpackersinside.com/sub_booknow_old.php and pay them deposit (Visa,Master, Amex card is possible)

 (select your room type and click "Add to cart" burtton, then paypal page show up. Adjust your amount with your stay and pay them your deposit by your paypal or card )

4. When they got your deposit, they send you reconfirm mail with direction map and reserve your room.

(info from Backpackers Inside. Visit their website to find out more at http://www.backpackersinside.com) 

There are 3 ways to get to this guest house, by Airport bus, subway or group pick-up arrange by this guest house. (info from Backpackers Inside. Visit their website to find out more at http://www.backpackersinside.com/)

By Airport Bus

1. If you choose to take air port bus, find an Information desk and ask for directions to bus number 6011. It should be departing the airport from stop 5B or 12A.
2. Before the bus arrives, an attendant will ask you where you are going, put a sticker on your luggage, and hand you a claim ticket.
3. When the bus arrives, tell the driver you are going to SungKyunKwan. The bus costs 10,000 won, which you can pay with cash or a T-Money card.
4. The bus only stops if someone pushes that button, so listen carefully for 'SungKyunKwan', and press the button when you hear it. 
5. As you get off the bus, hand your claim ticket to the driver and collect your bags.Cross the five lane street, toward the Dunkin' Donuts.
6. Walk down the two-lane street, with the Dunkin' Donuts on your left and the T-World on your right, for about 2 minutes (500 feet/150 meters).
7. On your right, you will see a bakery named 'BBang Goom Teo' (that's not a typo). Turn right just before this bakery.Walk less than a minute (100 feet/30 meters), and you will see our building on your left. 
8. Look for yellow 'Inside' sign over the door.Come up to the second floor and ring the doorbell. You have        arrived! (If you are checking into an ensuite room, you can leave your luggage downstairs.)

By subway

1. Take Line 4 (the light-blue line) to Hyehwa station, six stops Northeast of Seoul Station.  
2. At Hyehwa station, take exit 4.At the top of the steps of exit 4, you will be on a one-lane road with many shops. A Baskin-Robbins should be on your right and The Face Shop on your left.Walk straight ahead for about 3 minutes (600 feet/180 meters).   
3. You will pass a Mister Donut and a movie theatre on your right with a giant statue of Gandalf (an old man with white hair and white robes).  
4. At the end of the street will be a large intersection with a Watson’s on your right. Turn right and cross the five lane street, toward the Dunkin’ Donuts. 
5. Walk down the two-lane street, with the Dunkin’ Donuts on your left and the T-World on your right, for about 2 minutes (500 feet/150 meters).  
6. On your right, you will see a bakery named ‘BBang Goom Teo’ (that’s not a typo). Turn right just before this bakery.   
7. Walk less than a minute (100 feet/30 meters), and you will see our building on your left. Look for our yellow ‘Inside’ sign over the door. 
8. Come up to the second floor and ring the doorbell. You have arrived! (If you are checking into an ensuite room, you can leave your luggage downstairs.)    

Group pick up from Incheon Airport

We choose this way cause we have too many luggage and this service more easier for us since we arrive late night. All you have to do is to e-mail them your flight information, arrival time and also all of your name to them. They will arrange van taxi for you and the price you need to pay is KRW 70,000.00.  

Map of Backpackers Inside

Travel Plan To Korea

kMy friends and I decided to go to Korea this May. We will go there for 8days 7night. 24 days left before the day. Why we choose Korea as our destination? The reason is

I always think this man waiting for me.kekekeke

• We love Korea
• We want to experience Spring season
• We want to go to Sukira Kiss the Radio
• Nami Island

So, this is our itinerary
1st day - Flight to Korea
2nd day - We plan to go to Nami Island
                Sukira Kiss the Radio (try our luck whether can see them recording)
3rd day - Tour to Namsan (we want to go to N Seoul Tour)
                Sukira Kiss the Radio (try our luck whether can see them recording)
4th day - Visit Historical Place by walk (palace and Bukchon Hanok Village)
5th day - Play at Everland
6th day - Namdaemun, Dongdaemun and Apgujeong-do (Shopping time)
7th day - MBC studio, KBS studio, etc
8th day - Fly back to Malaysia

Not to forget, I really want to go to Yesung Babtol's.kekekeke. Who knows I can see him there (which I think my chance is 0.000001%)

With budget RM 2,000 per person exclude our return air ticket, hopefully we manage to utilized the budget well and try not to exceed our budget.