Geographically, Jeonju is located in the middle of South Korea on the left hand side (west). It is known for the Jeonju Hanok Heritage Village. It is also considered the ancestral home of the Joseon Dynasty. Many visitors from Seoul choose to do day trips to Jeonju but to discover the whole of the city, or more precisely, to have time to eat all the amazing local food that Jeonju has to offer, you will need at least a couple of days.
Getting there by bus
To get to Jeonju from Seoul, you can either take the high speed train or one of the express buses. Our hostel host recommended us to take the bus as it was convenient, frequent, and inexpensive. We took her advice and she was right. The Central City Terminal is conveniently located near the metro station Express Bus Terminal Station. If you get there by metro, you will need follow the sign to Central City Terminal and walk about 10 minutes underground. Once you are there, you will see a number of ticket selling counters. The staffs all speak English and are very friendly. Once you bought the ticket, you need to find the right platform. Notice that a single platform can serve multiple lines. It is important to go to the platform a bit earlier to find the right bus to board. There are also ticket agents on the platform to help you confirm your ticket and your bus.
The bus ride to Jeonju was comfortable and took about 2 hour 40 minutes. Time passed by very quickly as you can see the outdoor sceneries in the bus. Initially, I was worried that I needed to buy the tickets in advance (as I was travelling with my wife and 3 kids). It turned out that there were buses to Jeonju every 10 minutes and there was no need to buy tickets in advance or worry about missing a bus.
Public transit
Jeonju does not have metro. So getting around the city requires you to take buses or taxi. Don't worry though because most of the attractions are close to each other and you can walk between them. If you really need to take a bus, Google Maps do support bus route in Jeonju and you can rely on it. We chose to stay in a hotel right inside the Jeonju Hanok Village and it helped a lot with our trip planning.
To pay for bus fares in Jeonju, you can use the same T-money card you use in Seoul.
Staying
We stayed in a boutique hotel called WAY Guesthouse. It was located right inside the Jeonju Hanok Heritage Village. The guesthouse was clean and spacious. It was on the 3rd floor and there was no elevator. So if you are carrying huge luggage, you may want to reconsider. There was a nice coffee shop downstairs and residents enjoy a small discount if you buy from the coffee shop.
Odol Control
The WAY Guesthouse has built in odol (floor heating system). On our first night, I accidentally turned it on. In the middle of the night, as I woke up and stepped on the floor with my bare feet, the floor was hot and I thought the house was on fire. I rushed down and saw nothing was burning. Then my wife suggested that maybe it was a heated floor and then I realized my mistake. It was an interesting but embarrassing experience.