Your first day in Seoul: a low-stress plan for arrival day

Travel threads are full of people who planned a packed first day and ended up exhausted by 3 p.m. The advice that keeps coming back: treat arrival day as setup day.

At the airport

• Get your connection sorted first (eSIM activated, SIM or pocket Wi-Fi picked up).

• Buy a transit card (T-money or similar) and top it up with some cash.

• Take cash from an airport ATM if you want some for markets.

• Decide how you're getting into the city before you leave the arrivals hall.

Check-in and nearby

• Drop your bags, even if the room isn't ready.

• Walk your own block: nearest subway exit, convenience store, pharmacy.

• Save your hotel's address in Korean on your phone for taxis.

Evening

• One easy, nearby thing: a market, a riverside walk, or a simple dinner.

• Early night. Jet lag hits harder on day two if you push too hard.

A tip many repeat: put anything with a fixed booking time on day two or later, never on arrival day, in case of delays.

What do you always do on your first day in a new city?

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