I'll be heading to Seoul and Toyko solo next month (thanks to the cheap delta deal!). Any recommendations of things to see/do/eat? I've heard it's pretty safe but are there any neighbourhoods that a young female alone should avoid?

Check out a post yesterday in regards to Seoul

While not in Tokyo, if you're there late enough in November, visit the nearby area of Hakone. It's stunning. In Tokyo, if you're so inclined, see if you can take a tour in a bus... I took a day tour with a company called Blue Line. I went to a show in the Shinjuku part of town, and it was called "Robot Restaurant" (videos on YouTube). If you're there for culture, plenty of that as well; try the imperial palace as well.

Oh... And I'm very jealous... Was there last year in November as well. You'll have fun in Tokyo.

+1 for robot restaurant, ask about discount and reserve at hotel front desk

+1 for the robot restaurant discount as well. Met up with friends there, and I got a coupon from my hotel concierge: Buy 2, get 1 free. Just make sure you don't go there expecting a proper meal (they give you a basic bento box, not filling).

Take the seoul city tour bus - hop on and off kind of thing. $12 USD. Starts at 9am and ends around 7pm. takes you to all the major attractions (palace, museums, shopping district, etc). Those places are either free or $1,000 - $3,000 kwn ~ $1-$3 USD dollars. Exchange money inside Seoul. Rates in Toronto is 951 to 1 CDN. Airport is 1025 and in the city is 1060. There's lots of exchange rate kiosk around the market area or streets. I just came back last night. Be prepare...everything is expensive. It's not a cheap Asian country like Thailand/Vietnam/Cambodia. Typical grill dish is about $15,000 kwn, chicken & beer is about $18,000. Lotteria burger (like an Asian McDonald) is about $7,000 kwn for a meal. Starbuck Green Tea Venti Soy frapp is 7,950 kwn (I usually pay about $5.45 here in Toronto). No need to tip as it's not really custom. Prices have no taxes on them as it's all included. Exchange money as you go. I went for 8 days and spent $550 on food and tiny bit of souvenir shopping. War museum was the best for me. Palaces are dull compares to those in Thailand/Cambodia. History museum was interesting. Mondays are usually their day off there which means most museums, palaces and shopping malls are close. Myeondong is make-up district. Dongdaemun is shopping district. Shinsaega is like a Holt Renfew with all the high end brand. Lotte Department store is a mix of Holt Renfew cross with the Bay. Prices will be higher for designer goods than in Canada. I tried buying the exact same wallet from Prada. $375 CDN at Holt vs $450 USD at Prada in Lotte store. Hope that helps. Just a bunch of rambling LOL

For food try Tempura Tsunahachi. Try to go early and sit at the bar. It's in the Shinjuku area and 10 minute walk from robot restaurant

In Tokyo, it's safe virtually everywhere. I was almost always alone. For neighborhoods, visit Asakusa (excellent, high quality souvenirs & gorgeous temple), Shibuya (visit food halls underneath the station SO GOOD), Harajuku (on Sunday aft), Shinjuku, Roppongi & then the rest depends on how much time you have there. I highly recommend taking Keisei Skyliner from Narita into the city. You can couple that ticket with a 1, 2, or 3 day unlimited JR line (subway) pass. The counter is immediately when you exit the departures. Try Ichiran Ramen for a fun (solitary) experience (there are a few locations). Try a kiwi sour at any izakaya. In all honesty, it's hard to find bad food in Tokyo. I stayed (most recently) at The Edo Sakura ryokan. It's clean, beautiful, centrally located & have great English speaking owners. Have fun! Tokyo is magic!

I have a really long blog post of things to do in Tokyo! http://melissadreamsofsushi.com/?p=8629

Just so you know, Seoul is a malaria risk area at this time, so be careful not to be too close to random people.

Japan the beautiful! Big flea markets, sunday Tokyo. Art Galleries, museums, tops! Food everywhere, the best. JTO - Japan Tourist Org. very, very helpful.

I live in Seoul right now and have lived in Korea for 7 years. Originally from TO. If you'd like a tour guide or need help while you're here, let me know.

I also enjoyed the war museum. We were lucky enough to witness a traditional Korean wedding taking place there!