Nami Island and Gyeonggido, South Korea: A ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ itinerary

There’s more to South Korea than Seoul! While the capital city is the most obvious destination for tourists, there are other places in the country — from theme parks to UNESCO World Heritage sites — that are perfect for a day or two’s stay.

Here’s the itinerary used by Drew Arellano and the “Biyahe ni Drew” crew.

[Related: Drew Arellano’s itinerary to Seoul, South Korea] 

How to get there
By plane: South Korea’s Incheon International Airport is four hours from Manila by plane. The “Biyahe ni Drew” team booked with Cebu Pacific Air, our official biyahe partner. Check out their Facebook and Twitter accounts for the latest seat sales!

Once you arrive at Incheon, you can head to Seoul via bus, taxi, or train. The quickest way to get there is the Airport Railway Express (AREX), which connects the airport to the Seoul Station in 45 minutes. Each ticket costs around KRW12,000 (P500).

From Seoul Station, you can transfer lines to the metropolitan subway, or board high-speed KTX trains going to provinces.

Destination #1: Gyeonggido (Gyeonggi Province)
Gyeonggido is South Korea’s most populous province, located just outside Seoul City. The capital of Gyeonggido is Suwon City.

How to get there
From Seoul Station, you may take a regular train or high-speed KTX train, or board a bus to Gyeonggido.

What to see

Hwaseong Fortress
Suwon City, Gyeonggido, South Korea
If the Philippines has Intramuros, South Korea has the walled fortress of Hwaseong! While the city of Suwon is modern, they’ve maintained the fortress from the 1700s as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, travelers can sign up for tours of the fortress or try their hand at archery.

What to do

Everland Resort
Yongin City, Gyeonggido, South Korea
“Time to be a kid again,” said Drew as we entered the park. Everland is South Korea’s largest theme park, and boasts of the tallest roller coaster in all of South Korea.

Not an adrenaline junkie? Everland also has tamer rides, along with a zoo that the whole family can enjoy.

Dae Jang Geum Theme Park
Yangju City, Gyeonggido, South Korea
Visit the shooting location of the popular Korean drama “Jewel in the Palace.” While this park isn’t the most historically accurate representation of old Korea (for that, you can visit actual palaces in Seoul), it’s still a great place to hang out and take photos. Read more about it here.

What to eat
Galbi
Galbi (marinated short ribs) is Gyeonggido’s most famous dish. Enjoy it grilled or in a soup like galbitang, which is similar to the Filipino nilagang baka.

Bulgogi Brothers
Ingye, Suwon City, Gyeonggido, South Korea
Bulgogi Brothers is a chain with branches all over South Korea. Their specialty? Seoul-style bulgogi, in which the melted fat from the beef drips down to flavor a soup. This type of meal is delivered to your table raw, and you cook it yourself.

Destination #2: Nami Island

The gorgeous sequoia forest of Nami Island has become popular thanks to Korean dramas like “Winter Sonata.” But whether or not you’re a fan of Korean dramas, you find it easy to fall in love with Nami’s calming scenery.

How to get there
From Seoul, take a train to Gapyeong Station. From there, take a taxi to the ferry at Gapyeong Parking Lot. Admission fees include the ferry ride to the island, and costs KRW5,000 (P215) per person. Read more about Nami Island.

What to do
Walk around and picnic
The best time to visit Nami Island is in the fall, for those bright orange falling leaves. We went during the summer, which was still beautiful because of the tall, green trees.

There are picnic areas, restaurants, and souvenir art shops that travelers can enjoy. For those traveling with young kids, there are stroller rentals for KRW4,000 (P170).

Bike around the island
Rent a bike for just KRW5,000 (P215) an hour. — Cristina Tantengco/BM, GMA News