biggest tip nobody mentions is go with a korean friend who actually eats seafood regularly, not just anyone. my buddy's mom used to drag us there and she'd literally grab the fish by the gills and sniff it before even asking the price. that alone makes vendors take u more seriously. if u dont have a korean friend, just watch the ajummas for 5 minutes and copy their energy. they tap the fish, make eye contact with the vendor, then walk to the next stall without saying a word. also the drying squid section near the back has way better deals than the front stalls, like 20% cheaper sometimes. just dont buy the dried shrimp snacks from the middle aisle, they're always stale

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honestly the whole "getting ripped off" fear is overblown if you stick to the main hall and watch what locals do. the trick isnt really bargaining hard its just knowing the baseline prices for common stuff like king crab or flatfish. i usually walk the whole market first with my phone out pretending to text but really checking a couple of different stalls for the same fish. once you see a price twice you know the range. and if a vendor tries to charge you 50k for something you saw for 30k just say "아이고 비싸다" and walk. theyll call you back 9 times out of 10. also the upstairs restaurants will cook your catch for a fee but theyll also try to upsell you on sides just say no to the extra soup or whatever. for the rock thing just poke the octopus if it doesnt move its dead or a rock lol

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tbh the payment thing is real but the real scam is the "free" side dishes at the upstairs restaurants. they'll bring out like 8 plates of banchan and then charge you 5k per person for stuff you didnt ask for. just tell them "반찬은 필요없어요" right when you sit down. also if you're going solo most vendors will try to push you toward the smaller tanks near the entrance where the fish has been sitting longer. walk all the way to the back wall where the big circular tanks are, those are the freshest because they get drained and refilled daily. theres a halmeoni near the back left corner who sells live abalone for like 8k each and she'll shuck it right there and give you a slice of lemon, best deal in the whole market imo

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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

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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

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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

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