Unemployment: day 10
I remember the things as needed and each cost for my trip to South Korea. Although these are examples even in July 2025, I hope it will be reference for someone considering a trip to South Korea.
The total cost was around 65,000 yen.
Round-trip plane tickets and hotel were booked on Trip.com, and DMZ tour was also booked on same website. Plane tickets to South Korea seem to be cheep until early July because Japanese summer vacation will start in later July.
And in my search, DMZ tour seems to be convenient on Trip.com. Since a excursion was cheap good enough on the site in other my trip, I recommend to consider excursion on Trip.com.
However, Round-trip train between Incheon and Seoul , named ARXP, was cheaper on Klook than on other websites. Additionally, as I booked the train tickets on Klook, 1 Gb eSIM was provided for free by the site. So I didn’t specifically pay for internet in this trip.
Next, I would like to share you about exchanging currency. You should exchange in Seoul city, you shouldn’t do it at airport. There are two reasons, one is that the rate of exchange is higher in Seoul city than at airport, and the other is that you can transfer to Seoul city not to use cash only use credit card. If you don’t even book a AREX ticket in advance, you can buy the ticket at airport station by credit card.
I hope that these travel tips will give you some benefits.
Total Cost: ¥65,300
Book in advance online Sub Total: ¥46,200
- Round-trip plane tickets and hotel: ¥35,200
- Round-trip train between Shinjuku and Narita: ¥4,000
- Round-trip train between Incheon and Seoul: ¥2,400
- DMZ tour: ¥4,600
Paid in Cash (Korean Won) Sub Total: ₩93,100 (Exchanged at a rate of ₩93,100 per ¥10,000)
- T-money top-up: ₩10,000
- Chonggukjang set meal: ₩10,000
- Fridge magnet: ₩6,000
- Cheeseburger: ₩10,900
- Bottled water and coffee: ₩4,850
- Samgyeopsal and Samgyetang (meals): ₩41,000
- Souvenirs (7th/8th night): ₩9,900
- Leftover cash: ₩450
Paid by Credit Card Sub Total: ₩81,440 (approx. ¥9,100)
- T-money card: ₩400
- Water, snacks, and almond milk: ₩3,900
- Wiggle Wiggle (souvenir shop): ₩46,700
- Sundubu set meal: ₩9,500
- Iced coffee: ₩4,600
- Souvenirs (E-Mart): ₩16,340
References
Correct version
I made sure to keep track of the necessary items and expenses for my trip to South Korea. Although the following information is based on my trip in July 2025, I hope it will serve as a helpful reference for anyone planning a similar journey.
The total cost was approximately ¥65,000.
I booked the round-trip flight tickets and hotel through Trip.com, and also arranged the DMZ tour via the same website. Flights to South Korea tend to be cheaper until early July, as the Japanese summer holidays generally begin later in the month. In my experience, Trip.com is convenient for booking DMZ tours. As I had previously found excursions on the site to be both affordable and satisfactory, I recommend considering Trip.com for similar bookings.
However, the round-trip train fare between Incheon and Seoul (AREX) was more economical on Klook compared to other platforms. Additionally, when I booked the train tickets on Klook, they offered a complimentary 1GB eSIM. Thanks to this, I didn’t need to pay separately for mobile internet during the trip.
Next, I would like to share some advice about exchanging currency. It’s better to exchange money in central Seoul rather than at the airport. There are two main reasons: first, the exchange rates in the city are usually more favourable, and second, you can travel from the airport to the city using a credit card without needing cash. Even if you haven’t booked your AREX ticket in advance, you can still purchase it at the airport station using a credit card.
I hope these travel tips prove useful to anyone considering a trip to South Korea.
IELTS Improvement Points
Collocation:
“keep track of expenses”
→ Common phrase meaning to monitor or record costs or spending; often used in both everyday and formal writing.
“exchange rates are more favourable”
→ A natural collocation often used in financial or travel contexts, meaning the rate gives you more local currency per unit of foreign currency.
“prove useful”
→ A frequent collocation meaning “turn out to be helpful or beneficial”; often appears in academic and formal writing.
“complimentary eSIM”
→ A formal-sounding way to describe a service or product that is provided free of charge; “complimentary” is more precise than “free”.
Template:
“I hope this will serve as a helpful reference for…”
→ Useful in IELTS Writing Task 2 conclusions or blog-style writing; polite and objective tone.
“There are two main reasons: first…, second…”
→ A classic structuring template for explanations or arguments; highly recommended in IELTS essays and speaking.
“In my experience, [source/service] is convenient for…”
→ A polite way to offer personal advice while sounding credible; perfect for informal IELTS Task 1 writing or Speaking Part 2.
Vocabulary:
“economical”
→ More formal and appropriate than “cheap” when describing good value.
“favourable”
→ Describes conditions that are better or more beneficial; sounds more natural than “higher rate” in the exchange context.
“satisfactory”
→ Neutral, academic-friendly synonym for “good enough”; sounds more objective.
“arranged” (a tour)
→ A better verb choice than simply “booked”, as it implies planning and organisation.
