Travel Tips
- Qatari nationals can obtain visas to Korean territory at ports of entry, provided that the passport is valid for a period of not less than six months.
- Length of stay for tourist visas is 3 months.
- Students and patients must obtain separate visas.
- Appropriate hospitality services are available in Korea, ranging from hotels to the category of excellent motels and hostels.
- Visitor should be aware that the Korean authorities prevent carrying hazardous and archaeological materials, the authorities also restrict taking photographs of military sites or approaching the borders of North Korea.
Tourist Attraction:
Seoul is the main political and economic center of Korea, it contains great attractions with significant importance for Koreans and it’s considered a tourist destination for most foreign tourists. Most important tourist attractions:
- Four Royal palaces dating back to the era of the Kingdom of "Joson" (1392 -1910), a : Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace.
- Korean Cultural Museum.
- National Museum called “War Memorial of Korea”: describes the suffering of Koreans during the Korean War.
- Namsan Tower: located in Mount Namsan in the center of Seoul, ranked among the highest towers in the world.
- 63 Building, contains a wax museum of the most well-known international figures, fish Basin, three-dimensional cinema and many shops and restaurants.
- Korean Folk Village: located thirty minutes to the south of the capital , includes all the different aspects of Korean life during the past era, tourists can watch folk dance teams, people working in carpentry and blacksmithing shops as in the past era.
- Jeju Island: located in the far South of Korea, it is one of the most beautiful tourist attraction in Korea for its uniqueness nature and climate closer to the climate of the Pacific Islands.
- Kioonju: the capital of the Silla Kingdom for about a thousand years, it has many royal tombs, temples and Buddhist sculptures and the remains of military fortresses.
- Seoraksan Mountains: is considered an important tourist destination and features scenic and beautiful weather.
- Nami Island: just an hour and a half drive from the capital Seoul and features a stunning natural beauty.
- Demilitarized zone DMZ: the demilitarized buffer zone between the two Koreas, has become a major tourist destination for foreign tourists, it has a rich and diverse source of wildlife due to lack of human and urban presence in the region.
- Korea Convention and Exhibition Centre COEX: contains shopping venues, cinemas and a huge exhibition of marine life.
- Itaewon area: it is considered a favorite destination for foreigners and has the largest gatherings, where you can enjoy various types of foreign cultures and shops, therefore called "special tourist area".
- Cheonggyecheon Stream: Old streamlet was revived and restored a few years ago, it is a good place to go for stroll and walk downtown.
Amusement parks and outing places
Korea is characterized by a number of entertainment venues, hiking, zoos, etc. which suit all ages and families as well, including the following:
- Everland Theme Park.
- Everland Safari World.
- Lotte World .
- Grand Children Park.
- Seoul Land Park.
- Woongjin Play City.
- Hong Dae Trick Eyes.
- • Hangang River Ferry Cruise
Shopping centers
There are many shopping centers in Seoul, modern malls with high reputation and excellent quality, including the following centers:
- Lotte Department Store: which is located near the city center, It is a part of the company Lotte the owner of famous hotels in Korea.
- Lotte World Mall: a huge shopping center newly opened in the new Lotte Tower, which is the highest in Korea.
- Galleria Department Store: luxury goods.
- Hyundai Department Store: owned by Hyundai.
- Shinsegae Department Store.
- Yongsan I'Park Mall: largest electronics shopping center in Asia.
- Techno Mart: a main shopping center for electronics in Korea.
- Time Squire Street: Located in a lively area in central Seoul and is packed with shoppers.
- Sinsa-dong Garosu-gil: it is located in the Kangnam area known for shops selling products, artifacts and high fashion of clothing.
- Insa-dong Street: famous for its antiques shops, handicrafts and traditional products.
- Myeong-dong Street: famous tourism and shopping area in Korea, more than 1 million shoppers passes this street each day.
- Apgujeong & Cheongdam: a rich tourist destination in Kangnam area, contains luxuries shops which offers upscale high fashion.
- International Financial Center Mall (IFC Mall): Yeouido area known as the Manhattan of Seoul, it is an area which was created based on the model of Manhattan to be a financial and business center in Korea. Also contains the international financial center (IFC). The opening of the IFC Mall was in 2012 in the heart of Yeouido area, the region has increasingly become a destination for shopping and relaxation in the gardens and monuments scattered along the Han River.
Traditional Markets
There are many traditional markets frequently visited by shoppers and foreign tourists in addition to Koreans, Examples include:
- Dong daemon market: a market which operates around the clock.
- Namdaemon market: Located near the first and is equivalent to it in goods and prices.
Hospitals
Korea is one of the most advanced countries in the field of medicine, its hospitals are frequently visited by foreigners for medication “called medication tourism”, below a list of the most important specialized hospitals in Korea:
- Asian Medical Center: Organ Transplant.
- Sun Medical Center: General Medicine.
- Bobath Memorial Hospital: Rehabilitation Medicine.
- CHA Gannam Medical Center: Women’s Hospital.
- Ewha Woman's University: Tumors (female cancer).
- Samsung Medical Center: Oncology, Plastic Surgery and Skin, Orthopedics.
- Seoul National University: Pediatrics, ENT, Oncology, Orthopedics.
- Seoul St. Mary's Hospital: Hematology, Ophthalmology.
- Seoul Wooridul Hospital: Orthopedics (Spine, Joints).
- Severance Hospital: Tumors, Neurological, Brain and Nerve diseases surgery.
- Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital.