Two Handy Apps to Make Visiting Seoul Easy

Seoul has been called the "Soul of Asia" – and with so much to see and do, it's easy to see why. That's one of the most difficult things about living in such a diverse city, for when one asks a local what to go see or do, it's nearly impossible to generate a short list because the possibilities are nearly endless. Attempting to make planning a trip to Seoul a little easier is the iTour Seoul app (developed by the Seoul Tourism Organization) for iOS devices with native Korea, English, Chinese, and Japanese support.

Once the application starts, you can tell that a lot of time and effort went into making it as thorough as possible. The initial screen gives options for exploring the best of Seoul, key attractions, food, upcoming events, places to stay, and medical tourism to name just a few categories.

Selecting any one option will then provide a subtopic list to choose from. For example, selecting the attraction menu item will bring up a category list for landmarks, palaces, historical sites, museums and memorials, and so forth. Once selecting a subtopic, users are then provided with a list of specific locations. These screens provide much needed information.

Whether it is a restaurant, hotel, or an area attraction, the detailed slides provide users with a thumbnail picture and pertinent contact information. Users can tap the phone icon to call the destination or view it on a map.

Perhaps of greatest assistance is the transportation icon. This feature taps into the GPS feature of the device and generates detailed public transportation information to get from your current location to the selected destination.

The area tab gives users the opportunity to explore Seoul's neighborhoods in a new way. The screen names each region and gives a short explanation. For example, Gangnam is described as an area popular for nightlife, while Itaewon is a mini melting pot of cultures and religion.

Once an area is selected, everything located within its confines is listed (sites, museums, shops, restaurants, etc.). To get an idea of how populated the area is with attractions, the map feature plots each with a pin.

Complementing the iTour Seoul application is the Seoul Travel Mate app. To say this application was robust would be misleading, but it performs two key features. First and foremost, it is a powerful mapping application. Since most coming to Korea will not be familiar with the addressing system, getting to a particular destination can be somewhat confusing. This application takes the guesswork out of that process. Simply use the search feature to enter the address desired and then hit the return key. What is presented is a mapped result, complete with the location in Korean (especially handy if you're taking a cab).

Another feature of the app is its Subway navigation system. While there many other apps that perform mapping functions, this app is helpful since it calculates the fare required to get from start to finish.

Another feature of this app, which is quite helpful, is its mapping function. Rather than simply providing a dotted route path, the app grays out unused lines leaving the chosen travel route. For visual learners, this is especially helpful.