A day plan to see the Bugak Skyway, seafood feast at Noryangjin Market and enjoy the night at Banpo Hangang and Fountain show
Previously we have been to the Deoksugung area and visited the beautiful stone lined wall and the palace area. We will continue the 1 day plan and finish the afternoon till the evening ! Visit the Bukgak Skyway and then we take you to the biggest fish market in Seoul and then ending with a rainbow bridge fountain show
Today’s route will be :
- Take car to Bugak Skyway
- Noryangjin Market for dinner
- Banpo Hangang Park
1. Bukak Skyway
Bukak Skyway is the road name, it’s a two-lane road with an 8 km length from Jaha-moon to Jung-ryeon Arirang Pass along the ridge of Bukak mountain in Seoul, around 20 minutes from City Hall . We recommend to take a taxi and we also recommend and also go see the lesser known Bukak Skyway Pavilion.
If you have more than 4 people, we definitely recommend you to book a private car from www.KoreaTravelEasy.com ^^
KoreaTravelEasy Not surprising with this amazing view it’s an area where many wealthy people live near Pyeongchang dong and Seongbuk dong with huge mansions like the ones you see in Korean dramas! It’s very good for driving course , date course and it’s much less crowded than Namsan and still with a good view
1) Bukak skyway Pavilion (Palgakjeong）
The Pavilion which is a old Korean architecture building and on the top of a hill. On the way you can see cherry blossom trees lined and it’s a peaceful view to see up the hill
There are several trails – it takes 1~2 hours (1-3km) to walk. Or there is a jogging course at Palgakjeong on the Bugak Skyway is also a popular place for a leisurely stroll
It is famous for night view and sunset, today we introduce to go there in the afternoon but you can go daytime and take a walk or hiking to see many trees in the mountain. There are a few stores and you can can relax and take a rest (store, cafe, restaurant ) . From there you can see the N Seoul tower and Seoul city view, Bukak Mountain and Inwang mountain.
WHAT ELSE TO SEE THERE?
→ SLOW POST BOX ( 팔각정 느린우체통 )
What is that? Literally means “ SLOW POST “ if you post in this post box, it will be sent in 1 year! try it when you are there
Photo credit to The Place in between (www.thepinb.blogspot.kr)
2) Cafe in the Coffee prince drama
- Coffee prince is a famous Korean drama that was widely known in 2007, starred Gong yu and Yun eun hye .
- The café set up in the mansion that was the drama home to Lee Sun Kyun, Gong Yoo’s composer cousin. The café, which also offers a very nice view on the cafe terrace.
- In the basement, you will find a gallery and the cafe owner is an avid fan of figures and cosplay, etc…
2. Noryangjin
After the sightseeing with the great view at Bugak Skyway and visiting the galleries. Aren’t we a little hungry ? let’s head to have some seafood!
It is quite an experience to visit Noryangjin Fish Market ! Noryangjin fish market is the largest and most popular seafood market in Seoul. As it’s connected to the subway station, you can easily reach the fish market within the city.
Compared to other local markets, you can get fish and other kinds of seafood that are fresher at Noryangjin Fish Market at lower prices. This is because Noryangjin Fish Market is both a wholesale outlet as well as a retail market.
Noryangjin is close to the Han river so you can when you arrive you will already smell the freshness of the natural water!
Noryangjin Fish Market is a 24/7 fish and seafood market but the retail shops mostly close around 9~10pm.
If you come in the very early morning around 1~5am, you might be able to see the the fish auctions in the morning. but most likely the seafood eating is more interesting and you can still see a display of all kinds of interesting seafood at good prices for your lunch or dinner!
- In the fish market you will be overwhelmed with SEAFOOD AND FISH! you will see many many stalls and vendors! it’s quite a sight!
- The market gets quite crowded in the evenings with the dinner crowd craving for seafood and drinks.
We suggest going to the market around 5:30PM -6PM before all the dinner crowd! you can have a seafood dinner there after exploring the market.
A few tips to prepare for to visit the Market :
- be prepared of the “fishy” smell – after all there is a lot of fish and seafood there !
- Wear shoes that are easy to walk and not slippery or somewhat waterproof so you don’t slip and for not getting your feet wet
1) DIRECTIONS TO NORYANGJIN
- Noryangjin Station from LINE 9(Gold color) /LINE 1 (dark blue), Take the Exit No. 7 – new building / No1 or No2 exit – for old building
- From exits, you will know that you are near the Noryangjin Fish Market because you are close to the fish market and you will smell the water and seafood!
- There is new market building, some shops moved to new building and some shops are still in old building, you can see the history of the market from the old building but we recommend buying and eating from new buidling, which is cleaner and more comfortable
*** But of course a much easier way is to hire your private car so the driver will drop you off at the closest area
2) WHAT TO DO AT NORYANGJIN ? BUY SEAFOOD!
- You might be thinking “why should i buy seafood here at Noryangjin Fish Market – I don’t know how to cook or I don’t have the place to cook it back at the hotel” – NO WORRIES! all stalls here at Noryangjin Fish Market partner with the restaurants at the floors above, so after you buy the fish you will eat at a restaurant who will prepare your seafood !
What they are selling and what can buy?
- There are many many stalls at Noryangjin Fish Market and you will find the similar seafood sold. Take your time to look through the selection of marine creatures on display and ask for prices and compare across the stalls
- Don’t bargain right away and wait to agree to a price! Visit 2-3 places and ask for the price and see which stall sells fresher and better deal seafood . They also charge for 1 kg so compare the price that way might be easier!
- Most of the sellers are not good at English but some might speak a little English or Chinese , otherwise you might need to use body language to talk with them. We recommend you go there with Korean friends or a tour guide by KoreaTravelEasy!
- Once you get a sense of the rough pricing, then pick a stall you are comfortable dealing with.
- Most vendors will agree with you taking pictures of their fishes, abalone, squids, prawns – just please don’t touch the seafood!
- You can select and decide to buy the fish and other seafood at the fish market – the stall owner will choose for you and package the fresh seafood ready for cooking. Then a runner from the partner restaurant will take the seafood you bought and guide you to the restaurant where you pay to have it cooked in whatever way you prefer (steamed, fried, fried etc.).
→ WHAT SEAFOOD TO EAT THERE? what is popular?
Fish: The most popular Korean fish is Flatfish (광어), Rockfish (우럭 )
King crab, Flower crab, Clams, Abalone, Oysters ? Prawns ?
- For people looking for a novelty, try the famous Korean “sannakji” (live baby octopus chopped up) and still moving! – to be eaten dipped in hot sauce or sesame oil – careful to chew many times before swallowing as it can get stuck in your throat ! drink some soju (korean rice wine) with it too
** TIP:
- if you buy several stuff, you can ask them to give “SERVICE” ! (free items )
- you are bad at bargaining or don’t know the market price of seafood, then don’t recommend that you buy at the first hawker you see as you might get charged more. Compare the prices of a few stalls first before reaching a decision.
3) Find a restaurant to eat fish
After buying your fish or seafood on the ground floor, the vendor will bring you to the partner restaurant, where they will prepare your fresh seafood into yummy food!
** TIP:
- There are some cooking fees even though you bought seafood, so you better check price table before enter. You may need help from Korean!
- Some of the restaurants don’t have table and chairs like in overseas– you will most likely sit on mats just like how local Koreans do so make sure to tell them if you like table you might need to find another restaurant (or say them “Table” before you decide)
3. Banpo Rainbow bridge (반포무지개분수)
Photo from http://korean.visitseoul.net/
The Banpo Rainbow Bridge Fountain is next in the schedule and quite close from Noryangjin . It’s part of the Banpo Hangang Park so you can take a browse after eating your delicious seafood 🙂
The Bridge is one of the bridges that connect the north and south of the Han river and there is a rainbow fountain installed along both sides of the bridge and rainbow colored water will spray out into the river showing a beautiful show of water, music and lights.
Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain operates every day from April to October, in the day time and also nighttime for 20 minutes each time.
To see the best view it’s to go at night!
How to get there: Subway station closest is 15 mins walk from Express Bus Terminal but by car is the best as can go the closest without any walking.
Operating Hours
[April-June, September-October]
- Weekdays: 12:00, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00
- Weekends: 12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00
[July-August]
- Weekdays: 12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00
- Weekends: 12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30
* Show duration: 20 mins
* Operating hours are subject to change due to daily conditions (Information from VisitKorea Website)
⇒ SOME SEVIT :
- In the Banpo Hangang park you will see a building that shines with a lot of LED lights. That is called the SOME SEVIT it is a culture complex built to be a landmark on the Han River in the heart of downtown Seoul
- The floating islands located near the southern end of Banpo Bridge. The word ‘Some Sevit’ contains the meaning of ‘awesome’ in recognition of the wonderful space that awaits visitors there.
- It is used as a performance venue, conference and exhibitions.
Han river TIP → If you are still hungry you can order Korean fried chicken from Hangang River! That’s an activity Koreans love to do !
Let KoreaTravelEasy help you plan your trip!