Finally you have that South Korean visa on your passport that you’ve been praying for. The feeling is surreal as you are few steps closer to your dream destination and ultimate #fangirlgoal. But before you can legitly say, “Annyeong South Korea!” and “Annyeong Oppa!“, these are the things that you have to secure first.
1. Budget
Going overseas requires travel funds and some serious iponing unless pinanganak kang yayamanin. So iponing and more iponing is the key! You might need to skip buying expensive coffee or your favorite flavored fries to save more for your trip. Swear! All the pagtitiis will be worth it.
Many of you are asking about the budget needed to be able to go to South Korea. Is South Korea expensive? It actually depends on your length of stay, the places that you want to visit, your appetite and number of companions. When I first went to South Korea in 2016, I only spent P16,000 for my airfare, accommodation, entrance fees, food and transpo expenses (exclusive of my pasalubong). I traveled there with my two other friends.
2. Plane ticket
Now that you already have a visa and enough funds, you have to secure your plane ticket to South Korea. Did you know that you can book a round-trip ticket from/to Manila to Incheon for as low as P1,800? Yes, it’s possible!
To get cheaper airfares, you would have to book your flight months (or even a year) before your desired travel date. For my first trip, I actually took the risk of booking my flight eventhough I do not have a visa yet because it was cheap then. But I suggest that you secure your visa first para hindi rin sayang if ever hindi maapprove.
Sample booking:
P3,300 for round-trip airfare Manila-Incheon
You just have to unleash your abangers skills in looking for the cheapest flight. I suggest that you download the mobile app of different airlines, subscribe to their newsletters and follow them on their social media accounts para lagi kang updated sa promo fares nila. They usually start their promo ng midnight so dapat you are wide awake and may mabilis na internet connection para you can get those promo seats. And this is a “no sweat” for you because I know naman na sanay kang magbinge-watch ng Kdrama late at night. Just book for the seats and just add baggage allowance (and other add-ons) later on.
If you are booking for your friends as well, make sure to get their details (complete name, birth date, passport no.) ahead of time and have a list of your desired travel dates. Pag promo fares kasi limited seats lang per day so dapat may other options kayo sa date.
I usually check travel dates with the lowest airfare thru Traveloka.
3. Accommodation
Where to stay in South Korea? Again, it depends on the places that you want to visit. Decide whether you want to stay in a cozy place or OK ka na sa simpleng hostel or guesthouse. You have to research and research well. It is advisable na malapit yung place sa subway or bus station so you can easily commute. I usually book thru AirBnb or Agoda, and I make it a habit to read the description of the listings and its reviews before booking it to set my expectations right.
If you are traveling in a group, you can book a hostel/guesthouse for as low as P500/head per night.
Sign up for Airbnb and get ₱1,600 off your first adventure using this link. Terms and conditions apply.
4. Itinerary
Plan you trip ahead and research. Have an itinerary to guide you on your trip. Though sometimes, hindi mo rin naman masusunod but it’s still best to have one. Know what you really want to do and then prioritize as there are a lot of things to do in South Korea. Take your time to enjoy and appreciate the places that you step into. Do not squeeze everything in one day. Mas mahalaga pa din na nag-enjoy ka at hindi ka lang napagod.
To help you in doing your itinerary, see these articles:
5. Secure your VLs
Last but definitely not the least, file your VLs ahead. If you are currently employed, you must secure an approval from your company because the least that we want to happen is that you already have a visa, have already booked your plane tickets and accommodation and yet, hindi ka makaaalis because of your adulting responsibilities. It happened to me once, hindi ko na uulitin. Swear!
Hope this article somehow helps you in aspiring and planning for your trip in South Korea. If you have questions or other suggestions, let us know on the comment section.
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This is my first time to travel abroad, thru Jeju Air ko din po nabili ticket ko. Tanong ko lang po kung tama yung nabasa ko na next step ‘kapag araw na ng flight mo, pupunta ka sa counter ng Jeju Air sa NAIA present the eticket and passport tas tsaka ka nila bibigyan ng boarding pass?’
How can get invitation from South Korea, I am a Liberian we don’t need visa to come to South Korea all we need is invitation and please help me about the invitation matter.
if you know someone from South Korea then you can just ask him/her to send you an invitation letter. We ourselves have never done that so we don’t have firsthand experience to share to you.
Hi! Kelangan po ba na may hotel ka ng ibubook bago ka magapply ng visa? Nakalagay kasi sa application form po na address na hotel.
Tsaka i have a friend of mine sa korea. Nagoffer sya na patutuluyin nya ko sa house nila at itutour nya ko dun. Pero natatakot ako na baka di mapprove yung visa ko baka isipin nila na di ako babalik. But Im currently employed. Okay lang ba na address ng house nila ilagay ko? o kuha nalang po ako ng hotel dun? Baka mawalan ako ng chance na maapprove-han.
And kapag halimbawa naaapprove yung visa ko. Dun sa imigration okay lang din po na Address ng friend ko yung ilagagay ko dun. Hindi ba nila ako haharangin?
Sorry for so many questions. Thanks in advance!
No need naman na magbook. Hindi namn required ang hotel booking eh. At least may address and contact number sa Korea. Pero I think nas ok na gamit ka ng hotel name/address
Ho annyemong oppa, anong specific na airlinr company ka ng book ng ticket mo pls? This would be very helpful. Godbless
Have tried Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, Jeju Air and PAL. I got the cheapest base fare from Jeju Air