Seoul: A Budget Travel Guide for Juans

Seoul is on almost everyone's preferred travel destinations. However, budget travel in South Korea's capital is not common. Rightly so because the city consistently makes it into the list of the ten most expensive places in the world. As such, Seoul may seem like a pricey destination to get lost into for a lot of Juans. 

The beautiful and grand Gyeongbokgung Palace

But whether you want to experience its rich history, indulge in its fascinating food culture, see its futuristic structures, or visit the beautiful filming locations of popular K-dramas, there is a way to see Seoul on a budget of less than PHP25,000. Here's our guide to doing it. 

Note: Exchange rate used is PHP1 for every KRW20.83.

Flights
Airfare is nearly always one of the biggest expenses when traveling. So for us, it's really important to get the cheapest flights we possibly can. By taking advantage of lower airfares, we were able to drastically reduce many of our trips' total costs. 

For our trip to Seoul, we booked our tickets back in January during Jeju Air's Super Sale Event. At that time, one way fare from Manila to Incheon were offered from as low as PHP800 before taxes. Although we were not able to book the lowest fares, we still managed to score a pretty good deal on our flights. We each paid PHP6,262.65 for discounted round trip flight tickets to Incheon. 

Passport and Jeju Air boarding passes

Tip: To book cheap flights, you must first be able to recognize a good fare. Do some research to establish the going rate for flights to your destination. When you find seat sales, be ready to make an immediate purchase as these low fares sell out really fast. Lastly, be flexible. In a lot of cases, adjustments of a day or two in your travel dates can make a big difference in the price.  

Airfare: PHP6,262.65 total per person 
Travel Tax: PHP1,620.00 total per person

Accommodation
Visitors to Seoul have many accommodation options, depending on the budget and travel purposes, from affordable no-frills backpacker dormitories to luxurious five-star hotels. There's also the option to stay in the homes of Seoul residents such as apartment guesthouses and traditional hanok guesthouses.

Get a room at the charming and pleasant Yellow Brick Hostel. The hostel is within walking distance to many points of interest in central Seoul like Insadong, Changdeokgung Palace, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Cheonggyecheon Stream, and a few minutes drive to Myeongdong and Gwangjang.  

The hostel offers both private rooms and dormitories with cozy communal areas. We booked a Standard Double Room for PHP1,730.00 per night via Booking.com as it offered the lowest price with additional discounts for Genius members.

Yellow Brick Hostel entrance

The front desk of Yellow Brick Hostel

Tip: You can further reduce accommodation costs to between PHP800 to PHP1,000 per night if you are on a tighter budget and are willing to stay in the hostel's bunk bed style dormitories. When booking, always compare online rates from the hotel websites to booking sites like Booking.com. This way you will be able to check for the best hotel deals. 

Also read our review of Yellow Brick Hostel: Waking Up to Good Things at Yellow Brick Hostel Seoul

Accommodation Cost: PHP3,460.00 total per person 

Food
In all of our travels, food is always the most flexible expense. We do not set hard and fast rules about where to eat and how much food we'll consume. We would have a number in mind on how much we would spend on food but is usually not followed. It's good to have a flexible food budget. 

While in Seoul we ate at Chicken Jumak, BBQ Premium Cafe, Mr. Dakgalbi, BB HOF, Hana Yaki, Almighty Cheeseburger, Taco Bell, Good Morning Coffee, and T Bun. C U and GS25 convenience stores near the hostel were our quick go-to place for some affordable rice meals and snacks. We also tried some street food in Myeongdong and Insadong.

Dakgalbi

Chimaek

The average amount we spent on meals during the trip was around PHP350. 

Tip: You can further reduce this cost by eating where the locals eat for affordable food. Street food and meals in eateries normally cost between PHP100 to PHP250.

Food Costs: PHP5,247.16 total per person

Transportation
While in Seoul, we mostly used the subway to go to most of our destinations. It is an easy, safe, and efficient way to move around the city. And it's affordable too. Just make sure to get a T-Money Card. This is a rechargeable smart card used to pay Seoul's subways, buses, and taxis. It's better to get a card rather than pay in cash as users of the card receive a discount on bus and subway fares and can make transfers within 30 minutes at no additional charges. Buy the T-Money Card at any subway station or at a select convenience stores. 

Cute T-Money Cards

We also walked a lot since our hostel was centrally located and would only require a few minutes stroll to various attractions of Seoul.

Other modes of transportation we took were the airport limousine bus 6011 from/to Incheon International Airport, the regional ITX rail line to/from Gapyeong, and the Gapyeong City Tour Bus. 

ITX Gapyeong Station 

ITX train platform

Gapyeong Bus tickets

Tip: Do some research before you arrive. We have carefully planned our transportation options and even booked some in advance. This saved us time, money, and stress once there.

Transportation Costs: PHP2,121.60 total per person

Tours
If you want to save, we highly suggest trying to do tours on your own. It isn't that difficult and you will appreciate it more because its empowering, personal, and exciting.

Here are the fees to the different attractions and activities in our DIY itinerary.

1. Whole Day Hanbok Rental with Accessories: PHP1,581.60 
2. Gyeongbokgung Palace: Free
3. Changdeokgung Palace: Free
4. N Seoul Tower: PHP528.00
5. Mt. Namsan Hike: Free
6. Hanyangdeosong: Free
7. Jangchungdan Park: Free
8. Nami Island: PHP480.00
9. Petite France: PHP480.00
10. Garden of Morning Calm: PHP456.00
11. Insadong: Free
12. Myeongdong: Free
13. Cheonggyecheon Stream: Free
14. Gwanghamun Square: Free
15. Dongdaemun Design Plaza: Free 

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion inside Gyeongbokgung Palace

Tip: Admission is waived to the palaces for visitors wearing a hanbok. You can also choose to rent a hanbok for 2 or 4 hours to bring down rental costs. If you don't want to wear one, you can opt to buy an Integrated Palace Ticket for only PHP480 and get access to all the palaces and Jongmyo Shrine. This is a lot cheaper than renting a hanbok but definitely less fun. 

Tour Costs: PHP3,525.60 total per person

Shopping 
Seoul's shopping scene is not limited within the malls but has spread out to massive shopping districts throughout the city. There is the fashion and beauty products of Myeongdong, the crafts of Insadong, the wholesale market of Dongdaemun, and the independent clothing stalls of Ewha and Hongdae. As such, there are wide varieties of pasalubong options to choose from - clothes, shoes, bags, make up, skin products, jewelry, handicrafts, souvenirs, food - you name it and you'll find it in Seoul. 

Shops in Myeongdong

Tip: Check out some beauty shops in Myeongdong and you might even get free product samples.

Shopping Costs: PHP2,022.00 total per person after tax refund

Quick Breakdown of the Expenses
To sum it all up, here's how much each of us spent when we traveled to Seoul.

Item	Cost in PHP
Round Trip Airfare	6,262.65
Philippine Travel Tax	1,620.00
Travel Insurance	310.00
Accommodation	3,460.00
Transportation	2,121.60
Tours and Activities	3,525.60
Food	5,247.36
Shopping/Pasalubong (after Tax Refund)	2,022.00
Pocket WiFi	422.00
TOTAL	24,991.21

Seoul can really be an expensive destination for Juans. But looking at the above breakdown, budget travel to Seoul is definitely possible and is easier than everybody thinks. It just needs some careful planning. Hopefully this guide has helped you learn how to experience Seoul on a budget of less than PHP25,000. 

Share this to your friends and start planning your trip to the Land of the Morning Calm.

More Seoul posts:
Seoul: A Travel Guide for First Timers
How to Apply for a South Korea Tourist Visa for Filipinos
Waking Up to Good Things at Yellow Brick Hostel Seoul
Experiencing Palatial Grandeur Inside Gyeongbokgung Palace
Yangban For A Day: Suiting Up A Hanbok
Seeing from Above the N Seoul Tower
Beyond Seoul: Exploring Nami Island
Beyond Seoul: Being Inspired at Petite France
Beyond Seoul: Visiting the Garden of Morning Calm
How to Get to Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm

How to Claim Shopping Tax Refund in South Korea