About Korea Trip Log
I started this blog because I got tired of planning trips using guides that felt like they were written in 2015.
When I first moved to South Korea five years ago, I relied on the usual travel websites. Within weeks, I realized half the information was outdated, prices were wildly off, and nobody seemed willing to say “honestly, this tourist attraction isn’t worth the trip.” The guides were either overly polished (all pretty photos, no practical details) or painfully vague about what things actually cost and how long they actually take. I’d show up somewhere expecting one thing and find a completely different reality.
So I started keeping detailed notes. Every neighborhood I explored, every temple, every restaurant, every bus ride—I wrote down what was real. Prices, opening hours that actually matched, walking times without the Instagram filter. After a few years of living here and traveling through nearly every region, I realized other travelers needed this information as much as I had.
Korea Trip Log exists because you deserve guides written by someone who actually lives here, knows when information gets outdated (which is constantly in Korea), and is willing to be honest about what’s worth your time and money.
Who I Am
I’m a travel writer based in Seoul with several years of on-the-ground experience across South Korea. I’ve lived in multiple neighborhoods, worked in Seoul’s international community, and traveled extensively throughout the country—from the volcanic trails of Jeju Island to the historical temples of Gyeongju, from the beaches of Busan to the mountain villages most tourists never see.
I speak enough Korean to navigate daily life, read menus, ask for directions, and have real conversations with locals. But I write from the perspective of a foreign visitor because that’s who I am—I see Korea with both an insider’s knowledge and an outsider’s fresh eyes. I’m not a native Korean speaker offering academic expertise. I’m someone who moved here, fell in love with it, and learned how to actually live here instead of just visit.
What Makes This Different
Every guide on this site reflects real, recent experience. That means:
- Actual prices — updated regularly because Seoul’s coffee shop prices don’t stay the same for three years
- Real transit times — not the optimistic estimates that assume zero traffic or perfect subway connections
- Honest opinions — some popular spots aren’t worth the hype, and I’ll tell you why
- Current as of 2026 — if a neighborhood changed, if a restaurant closed, if a metro line opened, you’ll find that here
- Practical details other guides skip — like where to actually buy tickets, what to bring, whether you need reservations, how early to arrive
- Nothing copy-pasted — every guide comes from personal visits and verification, not recycled from other travel sites
I cover Seoul’s neighborhoods in detail (Gangnam, Hongdae, Myeongdong, Itaewon, and beyond), major cities like Busan and Daegu, Jeju Island, the historical sites of Gyeongju, and day trips worth actually taking. There are food guides that go beyond the tourist restaurants, transport guides that explain how to actually use Korea’s trains and buses, and budget breakdowns that show what different travel styles actually cost.
How We Write Our Guides
Every article starts with personal experience. I visit places, take notes, document prices and hours. Then I verify everything against current information—official websites, recent visitor reports, and local sources. Nothing is copied from other travel blogs or recycled from guides written years ago. If information changes (and in Korea, it does), I update it.
The goal is simple: give you information you can actually trust to plan a real trip, not a perfect Instagram version of Korea that doesn’t match what you’ll find when you get there.
Let’s Connect
If you’ve got questions about Korea, corrections to share, or want to suggest a place I should cover next, I’d love to hear from you. This blog works best when it’s a conversation with the people actually using it to plan trips.