How to Claim Shopping Tax Refund in South Korea

Traveling through South Korea, a visit to Myeongdong has become mandatory, thanks to its popularity as a shopping destination. Shopping in Myeongdong is not exactly cheap but as we hop from one store to another, we learned something new that might be useful for a lot of juanderers. Shoppers in South Korea can claim refund on Value Added Tax paid for shopping items before leaving the country. 

To enjoy the 10% tax refund, shoppers must purchase at least KRW30,000 worth of items at participating stores. To know if a store is participating, it should have a "Tax Free" store sign or a "Tax Free" print on the receipts. Additionally, shoppers must be foreign visitors who are staying less than 6 months in South Korea or overseas Koreans living over 2 years in a foreign country. Lastly, the purchase must have been made within 3 months of the departure date in South Korea.

Logos of companies offering tax refund service

Seeing from Above the N Seoul Tower

Seoul boasts some seriously beautiful scenery, unique landmarks, and fascinating culture that when planning a trip to this world city, it can be hard to narrow down on the must-visit tourist attractions. But something that tourists and locals agree on is that the N Seoul Tower is pretty hard to miss.  

Towering over Seoul from atop Mt. Namsan, N Seoul Tower is one of the most iconic and striking landmarks of the city. Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo, it is a structure that symbolizes Seoul.

8.4M visitors every year agree that N Seoul Tower
is a must-visit place

We decided that first thing on our list to visit should be N Seoul Tower. First thing we considered - getting there. The tower can be reached by taking the Namsan Sunwhan Shuttle Bus, Seoul City Tour Bus, or the Cable Car. Many people take the bus, however, we would recommend hiking to the top of Mt. Namsan instead. Our decision to walk up was influenced by the fact that we had the entire afternoon of our day one for a lengthier excursion and we were feeling in shape for some hiking. Besides, the view going up is pretty spectacular and it is a great way to start a trip in Seoul.

Spectacular views going up the Namsan Trail

Yangban For A Day: Suiting Up A Hanbok

Renting a hanbok and walking around Seoul in it has become a cool activity for both tourists and locals alike. The popular area where you can see people strolling and sightseeing in hanboks is Jongno-gu, home to four of the five grand palaces of Seoul and the traditional neighborhood of Insadong and Bukchon. 

Since planning our trip to South Korea, suiting up a hanbok was already part of our to-do list. We wanted to visit the palaces and capture the historic feels by wearing such traditional clothing. We also wanted to look good and take lots of photos for social media sharing. Lastly, we wanted to take advantage of the free admission to the palaces when wearing a hanbok.

A beautiful wangseja hanbok

The great news is there are a lot of hanbok rental shops all over central Seoul. We were able to research several shops before choosing Hanbok Girls due to its proximity to Gyeongbokgung Palace and the positive reviews on Google. We tried making a reservation via email but Hanbok Girls only accept reservations for groups of 10 or more. Although there are no guarantees that there'll be no queue and we'll be getting our preferred hanboks, we still decided to try our luck walking in. 

Experiencing Palatial Grandeur Inside Gyeongbokgung Palace

When we visited Seoul last month, Gyeongbokgung Palace was one of our top places to visit. We've seen the palace countless times in various sageuk or Korean historical dramas and we wanted to have the opportunity to walk through its walls and experience moments to revel in its historical legacy.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, arguably Seoul's grandest and most beautiful palace

Eager and full of energy, we set off early that day for our first stop - Hanbok Girls, one of the many hanbok rental shops within the neighborhoods near the royal palaces. After all, wearing these traditional clothes gives visitors free access to any of the five grand palaces of Seoul. We also wanted to experience what would it have been like visiting the palace during the ancient Joseon Dynasty.

Gyeongbokgung Palace which means "Greatly Blessed by Heaven" was constructed in 1395, during the early days of the Joseon Dynasty. As it was the main palace of the capital city, Gyeongbokgung was extraordinary in size. It spans an area of 41 hectares with 5,792 rooms and surrounded by walls reaching 2,404 meters in length. At its height, the palace was a self-functioning unit comparable to China's Forbidden City. 

After donning our beautiful and surprisingly comfortable hanboks, we made our way inside the palace to begin our exploration. 

Beyond Seoul: Being Inspired at Petite France

"It would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day. Sometimes there's no harm in putting off a piece of work until another day."

This is probably one of the most inspiring lines found in the classic book, "Le Petite Prince"  or "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. And it rings particularly true for those of us who are caught in an endlessly busy work life. Work will be there but time is fleeting. This line inspires us to go take a vacation, to give ourselves a chance to experience the wonderful things the world has to offer, and that we will never regret it. 

Petite France is a place that will surely remind people of such inspiring words by the author. It is a small theme park that centers on the concept of a hillside French village and the book "Le Petite Prince", thus the name Petite France. 

A statue of the Little Prince make a picture perfect spot in Petite France 

Located along the lakeside road of Cheongpyeong Lake, Petite France opened its doors in 2008 and is the only French theme park in South Korea. It has more than 30 attractions and exhibits inspired by the French culture and the tale of the young prince. There is a memorial hall dedicated to Saint-Exupery, the author of Little Prince; a gallery displaying sculptures and paintings of the Gallic rooster; a 200-year old traditional French house brought from France and reassembled in the park; a collection of orgels or music boxes from all over Europe; an antique flea market; a theatre where classic stories are reproduced as puppet plays; marionette dance performances; and many other sites where the French culture can be experienced.

The Antiques Flea Market "Antika"

The Exhibition of Antique Porcelain

Beyond Seoul: Visiting the Garden of Morning Calm

The Moonlight Garden was made after the beauty
of moonlight and is surrounded by white flowers
to give it a bright and delicate atmosphere

For those looking to escape Seoul in search of wide expanses of manicured green grass, stunning trees, blooming flowers, and scenic walkways, the Garden of Morning Calm is the perfect place to have that nature fix. 

The 3,000 square meter garden was inspired by "The Land of the Morning Calm", a nickname coined by the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore to describe Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. 

Over the years, the garden has become more popular as a result of making frequent appearances in Korean TV shows including the recent hits Love in the Moonlight and Ruler: Master of the Mask. It now attracts more than 600,000 visitors annually.

Most tourists like to visit the garden during the Spring Flower Festival where they can walk among thousands of spring flowers in full bloom like tulips, rhododendron, and daffodils. But even during summer, autumn, or winter, a trip to the Garden of Morning Calm will not be unremarkable as there are annual events to look out for. There is the Hydrangea Exhibition during summer, the Maple Festival and Chrysanthemum Exhibition during autumn, and the Starlight Garden Festival during the snowy winter months. 

We made a visit to the Garden of Morning Calm towards the end of Spring and we loved wandering through the beautiful gardens and indulging in some photo opportunities.

So skip along with us as we take a look at the vibrant colors of spring in this garden.

How to Get to Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm

Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm are three of the most popular day-trip destinations outside of Seoul. Because of their close proximity to each other, it's worth to bundle the three sites in a single full-day itinerary.

However, a lot of travelers don't know it's possible because they don't have enough information of local transportation. As a result, many end up visiting only one or two of these beautiful places. 

So here's a guide on how we went to Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm and back to Seoul via commuting. 

The Garden of Morning Calm

Take the Subway to Yongsan Station 
We left Yellow Brick Hostel at 5:00AM to be able to catch the 5:23AM trip of the Subway Line 1 from Jongno-3 Station to Yongsan Station. 

Yongsan Station is one of the biggest stations in Seoul. Aside from serving Line 1, the station also serves as the terminus for high speed and long distance trains including the regional ITX or the Intercity Train eXpress. 

Train ride from Jongno-3 to Yongsan costs KRW1,250 using the T-Money Card.

Take the ITX to Gapyeong Station
The ITX-Cheongchun line is the fastest rail service to Gapyeong Station, the jump off point to Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm. The train has top speeds of 180 kph. It departs from Yongsan Station on every hour starting at 6:00AM. The train stops at two other stations - Cheongnyangni and Pyeongnaehopyeong, before arriving at Gapyeong Station. 

The comfortable seats of the ITX-Cheongchun Line

We purchased our ITX tickets in advance via the Korail website. This ensured we had reserved seats and avoided standing for the entire 56-minute ride. After arriving at Yongsan Station, we went straight to the ITX platform and boarded the train. The correct step, however, is to get the actual tickets at the counter by presenting the printed confirmation letter and passport. It was a good thing we were not questioned by the conductor when we only showed the confirmation letter during the ride.

The ITX ticket costs KRW5,200. To purchase in advance, visit the booking site here.

The ITX schedules as seen in the booking page of Korail