Sparkling Korea 8D6N: Imjingak, Seoul Trick Eye Museum & Ice Museum

We admit that we enjoy doing our own day-to-day itinerary when comes to traveling. We get to create a personalized plan that suit our preferences, budget and styles. But still, there are times when elderly or parents are with us, there are a lot of adjustments that we need to put into. We want them to travel in comfort considering their age, stamina and health. We need to ensure that the itinerary that is not too whirlwind for them, such as too much walking, up and down the train station.

Hence, we experienced Korea the different way this round, joining 8D6N Sparkling Korea Tour by Apple Vacations. It is an 8 days 6 nights trip, exploring major destinations in Jeju Island, Udo Island, Pyeong Chang, Sam-Cheok and Seoul.

According to our tour guide, what makes this tour special is, it is a premium tour recognized by Korea Tourism Malaysia (KTO), with carefully selected destinations for culture experiencing, shopping and dining. In fact, to add on, Apple Vacations is the only tour agency in Malaysia that include beautiful Udo Island for Korea tour vacation.

Let’s begin!

Day 1 Itinerary– KLIA – Incheon International Airport

We boarded on Korean Airline, which is very comfortable. Spacious seat, with small pillow, blanket, slipper, earphone provided. Also, movies, tv shows, dramas, music and games for on board entertainment. They even gave us toothbrush and toothpaste to freshen up, as we will touch down in Korea early in the morning.

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Day 2 Itinerary- Incheon International Airport – Imjingak – Lunch Pan Fried Spicy Chicken – AR Trick Eye Museum – Ice Museum – Love Museum – Gimpo Airport – Jeju Island – Dinner Abalone Claypot Soup– Dongmun Seafood Market – Check-in Hotel Regent Marine The Blue

Hello Korea!

First stop, Imjingak 파주 임진각 – the Northernmost attraction in Korea. It is located only 7KM from the Military Demarcation Line, or Sampalseon 三八線 – the land border between North Korea and Korea.

This park is built in 1972, showcases several photos, documents, monuments, memorial and statues regarding the tragic war.

Imjingak 파주 임진각/ 臨津閣
Address: 148-53, Imjingak-ro, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
Opens daily

Visitors can view the border of North Korea from the observatory deck of this 3-stories building.

Coloured ribbons tied on the barbed wire fences to remember the scarification of loved ones in the war.

Rusting steam locomotive riddled with 1020 bullets, a symbol of Korean war. The train was backed due to intervention while on its way delivering war materials to Pyeongyang. It was finally derailed by bombs at Jangdan station of Gyeongui Line, a non-existant stop which is now within the DMZ area. In 2004, the train is registered as a Cultural Heritage Site.

Bridge of Freedom, crosses Imjin River.

Mangbaeddan Alter, a memorial where those separated from their families in the North during the war, will visit to perform ancestral rites by bowing toward their hometowns during special occasions, such as New Year’s Day and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving).

Sinchon Box Square – the new Insta #OOTD spot in Seoul.

Dakgalbi 닭갈비 – spicy stir fried chicken.

Had our lunch in a dakgalbi restaurant behind Sinchon Box Square. Chunks of chicken, stir fried together with cabbage, rice cake, potato, leek.

Seoul Trick Eye Museum 서울 트릭아이미술관
Address: Seogyo Plaza B2, 357-1, 20 Hongik-ro 3-gil, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: 9AM-9PM daily

Trick Eye Museum, walk into a world where paintings come alive!!

Using “Trompe-l’oeil” art technique, meaning “Trick of Eye”, Hongdae Trick Eye Museum exhibits over 100 of 2D paintings created with an optical illusion of 3D space for fun interactive experience.

It is also the world’s first museum to apply AR technology to their artworks.

Just go creative and make your own stories with these colourful installations and murals!

Our ticket also included an entrance to Ice Museum and Sex Museum, which is located in the same building.

Ice Museum, winter wonderland opens all year round with live size ice sculptures.

10m real ice slide! Repeated several times because there was no other visitor that time. Lol.

-4°C is cool at the first few minutes, but not 10 minutes later. So cold we had to leave.

Love Museum, a “sex” themed interactive attraction.

Get a sneak peak at ancestors night life, feel the heat of the newlywed fever in the Dream House, unleash your secrets in the Sexy Life zone, discover the sensuality behind Femme Fatale stories, get all kinds of erotic fantasies become possible in Erotic Garden and more.

#blushing

Time to leave for Jeju Island 제주도,濟州島 – largest island isolated from the Korean peninsula, also home to Hallasan, the highest mountain in Korea!

This domestic flight took only an hour, from Gimpo Airport to Jeju Island. Check out our next post for itinerary on Jeju Island & Udo Island 3D2N trip.

Next post: Things to do for 3D2N in Jeju Island & Udo Island