JAY Beyond Seoul

JAY KOREA TRAVEL GUIDE · SEOUL EVENTS Seoul Street Arts Festival 2026 If you are in Seoul on September 19 or 20, the Han River is not just for a picnic. For two days, Ttukseom Hangang Park and Seoul Forest become the stage for the Seoul Street Arts Festival 2026 — a free outdoor festival built around street theater, circus, movement, installations and audience participation. This is the kind of Seoul event international visitors can easily miss. It is not centered on a palace, a shopping district or a ticketed concert hall. You can be walking through a park and suddenly find a circus performance, a moving piece or a giant parade happening right in front of you. If free public spaces are already part of your Seoul itinerary, this festival also fits naturally with my 3 Free Seoul Routes You'll Actually Use . ...

For foreign credit cards in Korea, the short answer is yes: they are widely usable in South Korea in 2026. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay and other major international networks are commonly accepted at hotels, department stores, chain cafés, supermarkets, larger restaurants, attractions and taxi terminals. The important qualification is transit. A normal overseas card is not a universal contactless card for Seoul subway gates, city buses or AREX readers. You will still want Korean won for small purchases and for loading an ordinary T-money card. Seoul has made one meaningful improvement, however: designated newer ticket machines on Subway Lines 1–8 can now take international cards for single-journey subway tickets and short-term Climate Cards. Quick decision: which payment setup fits your trip? Situation Will an overseas card work? Most practical choice Hotels, regular shops, department stores, chains and many restaurants Usually yes Pay with your norma...

If you are wondering what to eat in Sokcho , do not stop at the usual list of Korean barbecue, fried chicken and seafood restaurants. Sokcho has a food culture shaped by the East Sea, traditional markets, North Korean refugee history and the mountain villages around Seoraksan. That means you can eat freshly prepared sashimi in a market, try squid stuffed like Korean sundae, hunt for regional makgeolli in a local supermarket, recover from a night of drinking with spicy pork-bone stew, and start the next morning with a warm bowl of mussel porridge. This Sokcho food guide for 2026 focuses on the foods and eating experiences I think make Sokcho more memorable — including several choices that foreign visitors may never think to order on their first trip to Korea. JAY QUICK PICK If you only have one day, start at Sokcho Central Market , try ojingeo sundae and market snacks, eat fresh sashimi later in the day, and look for a regional makgeolli to take back to your accommodatio...

Planning a trip from Seoul to Sokcho in 2026 ? For most international travelers, a direct bus is still the easiest and most practical way to reach Sokcho, the East Sea coast and Seoraksan National Park. The journey itself is simple. The confusing part is the terminals. Seoul has more than one bus terminal serving Sokcho, and Sokcho has both an Express Bus Terminal and an Intercity Bus Terminal . Choosing the right combination can save you time, especially if you already know where you are staying. This guide explains the main Seoul-to-Sokcho bus options, travel time, ticket booking, the difference between Sokcho's two terminals, and how to continue to Seoraksan after you arrive. Quick answer: For most travelers, take a direct bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal or Dong Seoul Bus Terminal . Allow roughly 2–3 hours depending on the service and traffic. Always check which Sokcho terminal is shown on your ticket. Seoul to Sokcho Bus: Quick Guide Best transport ...

Sokcho feels completely different from Seoul. On one side, you have the East Sea, seafood restaurants and beaches. On the other, the granite peaks of Seoraksan National Park rise behind the city. If nature is the reason you are visiting Sokcho, one place deserves special attention: Ulsanbawi Rock . I hiked Ulsanbawi myself even though I was a beginner. The final climb was tiring, but I was able to reach the top at my own pace. What surprised me most was not the stairs — it was how powerful the wind could become around the exposed summit. This guide is designed to help you plan the entire trip rather than simply tell you that Ulsanbawi is beautiful. You will find: how to travel directly from Incheon Airport to Sokcho how to travel from Seoul to Sokcho where to stay in Sokcho how to reach Seoraksan from Sokcho the difference between the cable car and Ulsanbawi hike the Ulsanbawi hiking route the best season and time of day to hike my experience hiking ...