fwiw you can also look for "샐러드" on baemin but skip the sad lettuce cups a lot of places pass off as salad. there's a chain called 샐러드박스 that does big bowls with grilled chicken and actual veggies like sweet potato and cherry tomatoes, not just cabbage. they usually list the protein content too which is nice if u care about that

if you dont mind ordering direct instead of baemin, there's a site called 닭스토리 that delivers fresh meal kits with raw chicken and pre-cut veggies. you just toss everything in a pan for like 10 mins and it's done. no microwave needed and you get actual veggie portions instead of the two sad carrot strips most restaurants give you

also for the vegetable issue in general, try hitting up a local mart like emart or homeplus and grab those pre-packed veggie bags. they sell shredded cabbage or mixed greens for like 2,000 won and u can just eat em raw with some dressing. cheap way to fix the lack of greens without relying on delivery

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

You're not wrong about restaurants skimping on vegetables here. A lot of Korean meals are heavy on the meat and carbs, with veggie sides that are more garnish than anything. On Baemin, search for "도시락" and look for places that list gram weights or macros in their menu photos. I've been using a shop called 더맛있는도시락 near Hongdae, their chicken breast bowls come with a solid portion of broccoli and bell peppers, and they're around 8,000 won. You can reheat those in a pan easily, just dump it in and stir for a few minutes.

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

Honestly just search for "닭가슴살" on Baemin and you'll find a ton of meal prep places. I get mine from 닭스부어스트, they do these chicken breast bowls with quinoa and veggies that heat up fine in a pan. No microwave needed.

arrow_drop_up 1 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly this is a really good base itinerary, i've lived here for a few years and i'd tweak a couple things based on actual experience

for day 1, if you're doing gyeongbokgung and bukchon, you're gonna be walking a lot. the ground in bukchon is uneven and those hanok alleys have steep stairs. wear actual walking shoes not cute sneakers. i made that mistake once and my feet were done by 2pm

the gwangjang market rec is spot on but go to the second floor if you want a seat. the first floor stalls are packed and people hover over your shoulder while you eat. there's a little spot up the stairs called mayak kimbap that does the tiny seaweed rolls for like 3,000 won and they're addictive

for day 2, coex mall is fine but honestly the starfield library is just a photo op. if you're there anyway, the coex aquarium is actually pretty good and not as crowded as the main tourist ones. 30,000 won entry but the mermaid show at 2pm is surprisingly fun

namsan tower at night is nice but the cable car line can be 40 minutes on weekends. if you're fit, hike up from the namsan park entrance near hankook university of foreign studies. takes about 25 minutes and you skip the queue entirely. free too

one thing nobody mentions is that the

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

tbh this is a really well put together guide, the neighborhood grouping thing is key. one thing i'd add is that the t-money card works for the airport express too, but you have to tap separately at the all stop train gate vs the express one. saves you buying a separate ticket if you're coming from incheon

for day 1, if gyeongbokgung is closed on a tuesday, swap it for changdeokgung instead. it's a 10 minute walk east and the secret garden tour there is 8,000 won extra but totally worth it. the huijeongdang pavilion has this quiet courtyard that feels like a different century compared to the main palace crowds

day 3's itaewon rec is solid but for a more local nightlife vibe, head to haebangchon just up the hill. it's the same neighborhood basically but less touristy bars and more rooftops with a view of namsan. the fried chicken at a place called bbq chicken near the hbc church is my go-to after a long hike

one thing the guide left out is that most cafes in hongdae and insadong have a free refill policy on americanos if you ask. just bring the receipt back to the counter, saves you like 5,000 won per cup

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

solid guide, one thing that always trips people up is the subway exit situation. some of the bigger stations like gangnam or hongdae have like 8 or 9 exits and they can be a 5 minute walk apart underground. i usually screenshot the exit number from naver map before i go up because guessing wrong means walking an extra block in the wrong direction above ground

for your day 2, if you are at coex anyway, skip the mall food court and walk over to samseong station exit 5. there is a little alley with three spots that do soondae and dukbokki for like 4,000 won. the older lady at the middle cart has been there for years and her sauce is way better than the tourist spots in myeongdong

the banpo bridge show is nice but honestly the view from the pedestrian bridge right next to it is just as good and way less crowded. just walk up the stairs at the sebitseom island end and you get the same water light thing without the crowd pushing for a photo

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply