📍 Today — Wed, Apr 15

Two shapes, pick one at the door. Both paths are drawn on the map — Shape A in coral (dashed), Shape B in blue (dotted).

🚶 Both routes on the map

Tap 📍 Today on the map to jump. Shape A stays in Jongno (palaces + hanok). Shape B crosses the city (Namsan → Hongdae gaming street). Hostel is the shared start/end.

Routing tip

Google Maps pins work in Korea, but turn-by-turn is broken — use Naver Map or Kakao Map by copying the place name.

🏠 Where we're staying (shared)

Hithere City Myeongdong (hostel, Apr 15–18)

• 📍 Google Maps · 5F, 31 Myeongdong 4-gil, Jung-gu
• Check-in 14:00 · Check-out 11:00 · Luggage drop from ~10:00
• Subway: Euljiro 3-ga (L2/3) exit 12 · or Myeongdong (L4) exit 6

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🏯 Shape A — Palaces & Hanok

Vibe: classic Seoul, stay in Jongno all day, heavy on culture + food. Best if you want an easy, walk-everything kind of day.

Path

 [A1] Hostel (Myeongdong)
  │  🚇 Line 3 · Euljiro 3-ga → Anguk · 2 stops · ~10min
  ▼
 [A2] Changdeokgung (palace self-tour, no Huwon today)
  │  🚶 15min walk west through Gyeongbokgung grounds
  ▼
 [A3] Tosokchon Samgyetang (lunch)
  │  🚶 20min walk back east · or 🚇 Line 3 to Anguk
  ▼
 [A4] Bukchon Hanok Village
  │  🚶 10min walk south (downhill)
  ▼
 [A5] Ikseon-dong hanok alleys
  │  🚶 15min walk east · or 🚇 Line 1 Jongno 3-ga → Jongno 5-ga
  ▼
 [A6] Gwangjang Market (dinner)
  │  🚇 L1 → transfer → L2 · 15min back
  ▼
 [A1] Hostel

Schedule

10:30 — Subway Euljiro 3-ga → Anguk exit 3.

11:00 — Changdeokgung Palace ₩3,000 self-tour. No Huwon today (booked for tomorrow 10:00). 60–90min.

• 📍 Google Maps · 99 Yulgok-ro

13:00 — Walk to Tosokchon Samgyetang for lunch. 15min through the palace-adjacent lanes.

• 📍 Google Maps · 5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil · ₩20,000pp
• 🗺️ Path →

14:30 — Walk to Bukchon Hanok Village. Photo alley on Bukchon-ro 11-gil. Quiet after 17:00.

• 📍 Google Maps
• 🗺️ Path from Tosokchon →

16:00 — Walk to Ikseon-dong — hanok-conversion cafés, bars, boutiques.

• 📍 Google Maps
• Café picks: Cheongsudang, Seoul Coffee, Madang Flower Café

18:30 — Gwangjang Market for dinner — chaotic, yukhoe at Cheonil Jip, bindaetteok, makgeolli.

• 📍 Google Maps · ₩15–20,000pp
• 🗺️ Path →

20:30 — Subway back to Myeongdong. Hostel by 21:30.

Shape A meal swaps

• Lunch alt: Gaeseong Mandu Koong (hanok dumplings, Insadong), Balwoo Gongyang (1⭐ Michelin temple, reserve), Onion Anguk (bakery café)
• Dinner alt: Maple Tree House Bukchon (KBBQ), Yongsusan (Kaesong royal)

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🎮 Shape B — Namsan + Gaming Street

Vibe: city views, subway adventure, ends in Hongdae with PC bangs, claw machines, arcades. Saves Bukchon + Ikseon-dong for tomorrow (pairs naturally with the 10:00 Huwon tour).

Path

 [B1] Hostel (Myeongdong)
  │  🚶 5min walk
  ▼
 [B2] Myeongdong Kyoja (kalguksu lunch)
  │  🚶 10min walk south · or bus 02/03/05 to Namsan cable car base
  ▼
 [B3] N Seoul Tower (Namsan)
  │  🚡 cable car down · 🚶 to Euljiro 1-ga station
  ▼
 [B4] Cheonggyecheon stream (sunlit stroll)
  │  🚇 Line 2 · Euljiro 1-ga → Hongik Univ · 20min
  ▼
 [B5] Hongdae — PC bangs + claw arcades + street performers
  │  (dinner in Hongdae: chicken + beer or KBBQ)
  │  🚇 Line 2 back to Euljiro 1-ga · 20min
  ▼
 [B1] Hostel

Schedule

11:00 — Myeongdong Kyoja for early lunch (beat the queue). Famous kalguksu + dumplings. 5min from hostel.

• 📍 Google Maps · 29 Myeongdong 10-gil · ₩11,000pp

12:30 — Walk to Namsan cable car base (or bus 02/03/05 from Myeongdong).

13:00 — N Seoul Tower on Namsan. Outdoor deck is free + has the best views. Skip the paid observation deck unless weather is exceptional. Lock-wall, photo circuit.

• 📍 Google Maps
• Cable car ₩14,000 round trip

15:00 — Cable car down. Subway to Euljiro 1-ga → walk to Cheonggyecheon stream. Outdoor stroll = jet-lag reset.

• 📍 Google Maps

16:30 — Subway Line 2 · Euljiro 1-ga → Hongik Univ (Hongdae), ~20min.

• 🗺️ Path →

17:00–20:00 — Hongdae gaming street:

• PC bang — walk into any (e.g. PC Cafe on the main drag), ₩1,500/hr, peak Korean gaming culture. LoL, CS, Overwatch, StarCraft.
• Claw machines / coin arcades — everywhere, start from Hongik station exit 9 and wander
• Noraebang (Karaoke) — ₩15,000/hr for a private room, try Coin Noraebang for ₩500/song
• Trick Eye Museum — 3D optical-illusion photos, ₩18,000 (skip if tired)
• Street performers — the pedestrian plaza by exit 9 has B-boys + buskers nightly
• 📍 Hongdae gaming zone

19:30 — Dinner in Hongdae:

• Kyochon Chicken or BBQ Chicken — Korean fried chicken + beer combo (chimaek), ~₩30,000pp
• Saemaeul Sikdang — cheap, reliable KBBQ chain, ~₩20,000pp
• Maple Tree House Hongdae — better KBBQ, ~₩40,000pp

21:00 — Subway back Line 2 → Euljiro 1-ga → Myeongdong. Hostel by 21:45.

Shape B callouts

• PC bang etiquette: pay at the counter, they hand you a card; scan it at your station. Ramyun + snacks ordered from a screen on the desk.
• Noraebang: song machines have English + Korean pop. Tambourines. Yes you will. Yes it will be fun.

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📌 Grab-while-out checklist (either shape)

• [ ] T-money card — 7-Eleven / CU / GS25. Card ₩4,000 + ₩10,000 top-up covers today.
• [ ] SIM / eSIM active — if Airalo didn't activate, convenience stores sell KT/SKT tourist SIMs (~₩30,000/5d).
• [ ] Cash — ₩100,000 between the three of you for market stalls. Any "Global" ATM works.
• [ ] Water + snack for the commute.

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📍 Landmarks log

Date	Place	Type
Apr 15	ICN T1	✈️ Arrival (SWISS LX122, 07:30)
Apr 15	Hithere City Myeongdong	🏨 Base (3 nights)

Tell me as we visit them and I'll log + add green ✓ pins to the map.

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Tomorrow and beyond? See 📝 To-do.