Do not follow this itinerary. I repeat: Do not follow this itinerary. Although very doable (obviously, since we did it), Seoul and Busan deserve more than two days. Gyeongju, too, deserves more than a day.Squeezing in too many cities in too short a time.Do not follow this itinerary!
But if you do insist on following my itinerary, then here's a list of expenses to help your pockets prepare.Click to enlarge
Note that, in Busan, I had very generous friends who sneakily spent for my meals and voluntarily bussed me around the city. Had I not been so blessed with such sneakily generous friends, this trip would have cost me around Php 18,000, not including airfare (my plane tickets are always promo fares) and visa processing fee (if there is no South Korean consulate in your area and you have to process your visa through an agency; the visa itself, if staying for 59 days or less, is free).
If food is an important part of your trip, allocate at least KRW 30,000 (around Php 1300) per day for food. But if you're on a diet and eat like a mouse, a simple meal can be had for as low as KRW 5,000. (Meals that can stuff you till you can't breathe cost around KRW 12,000 to KRW 15,000.)
Three cities in just five days was five days too short. I wish I had more vacation leaves and more money to spend in South Korea. But I didn't. And this means I shall return for a third trip. Maybe in a year or two. Fingers and toes crossed.
South Korea Quickie 2014
Wisdom from the Road #22
Seoul: Lessons From My Seoul Airbnb Experience
Seoul: Gwangjang Market
Seoul: Namsan: Park, Tower, and Village
Gyeongju: Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto
Busan: Mr Egg Hostel (Nampo)
Busan: Scenic Sites of Busan: Taejongdae and Oryukdo
Busan: Wishes at Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Busan: 40gyedan–gil and Beyond
Busan: Gamcheon Culture Village
Busan: An Ignoramus in Busan
Daily Dose of Kindness in South Korea
Squeezing Three Cities and One Wallet in Five Days (you're here!)