Beyond the Basics: 3 to 5-day Seoul Itinerary
Five days is the sweet spot when visiting Seoul, but there’s a lot that you can see in just three days if you want to spend some of the days in other cities.
This is the itinerary that I wish I had when I first came to Korea in 2019. It’s some of my favorite places in Seoul and the days are planned out so that you’re not spending the whole day crossing the city.
Prices are built around solo travelers, but you can essentially double the budget if you’re traveling with a companion. I didn’t put in pricing for hotels/accomodations as it tends to vary from traveler to traveler but you can check out our accomodations guide for more information.
Insider tip
Get the Climate Card (One-time 3000 won fee) and pay 15,000 won for a 5-day pass for subways and buses in Seoul.
*All location names link to their spot on NaverMaps
Heads up
Check closely for closed days. Many of the museums are closed on Mondays with some being closed on Tuesdays. This will be indicated in the itinerary.
The itinerary, day by day
Hidden Palaces & Deep History
Seodaemun Prison was used extensively during the Japanese colonial period and was later used until its closure in 1987. While many trips focus more on the Joseon Period, both the Seodaemun Prison History Hall and Seoul Museum of History offer a lot of insight into the Japanese colonial period that followed the Joseon Dynasty. The Tongin Traditional Market offers a wide selection of street food and I really enjoyed the novelty of using the coins to purchase different kinds of food. 10,000 won should be enough for one person but if you want to try out more, feel free to get more coins. Unused ones can be refunded in the Dosirak Cafe. If you don’t want to do dinner at Korea House, they also have a lunch option and dessert option.
Practical info
Seodaemun Prison History Hall
₩3,000 ·Closed Mondays
Changdeokgung · 09:00–18:30, Closed Mondays
₩3,000 · Free in hanbok ·
₩5,000 ·Secret Garden fee
Jongmyo Shrine · 09:00–18:30, closed Tuesdays
Line 3 to Anguk, Exit 3
Aesthetics, Art, and Hanwoo
Day two is the day that you can splurge a little more on the food. There are a lot of restaurants at the Majang Meat Market where you can select the Hanwoo downstairs and have it cooked upstairs. The Leeum Museum of Art is in a pretty trendy area of Seoul and you can find a good selection of cafes in the area around the museum. For dinner, you can find plenty of options inside Lotte World Tower or nearby in the neighborhood. If you’re more on a budget, you can get something to eat at COEX.
Practical info
Seoul Forest · Seoul Forest Station Suinbundang Line, Ext 3
Leeum Audio Guide ₩1,000 ·
Seoul Olympic Museum of Art· 10:00-18:00· ₩5,000
Westside Exploring & Sunset Views
This third day is setup to be more relaxing in case you want to head to a different city or if you’re only doing a short trip in Seoul. The Eunpyeong Hanok Village has some scenic rooftop cafes that offer a great view of Bukhansan. Getting from here to Mullae-dong is going to take a little over an hour. Mullae-dong has some great smaller cafes and restaurants in the area and you can stop here for lunch. If you want to have a more budget-friendly lunch, you can splurge a little more at the Ramyun Library. For dinner, the IFC Mall and the Hyundai are both within walking distance of Seouldal and offers a wide range of restaurants at different budget levels.
Practical info
Getting to Eunpyeong Hanok Village
Take subway or GTX-A to Yeonsinnae
연신내역 and transfer to 701/709 Bus
Getting to Mullae-dong
Take Line 6 from Yeonsinnae and Transfer to Line 2 at Hapjeong. Ride for 3 stops to Mullae Station
Extending Your Trip
After the three-day itinerary, You can extend it to an additional two days in Seoul or add in one or both of the day-trip options. By using the whole itinerary, you can make a full seven-day trip.
The Hiking Deep Dive
The Seoul Hiking Tourism Center has three locations with the Bukhansan location offering a wide selection of hiking gear to choose from. Throughout the year, the Seoul Hiking Tourism Center offers guided hikes and you can get information and maps on hiking Bukhansan and other mountains around Seoul. When booking the hiking gear, make sure that you’ve chosen the right location. They have gear in a wide variety of sizes and it was a lot more convenient to use their gear instead of bringing my own.
Near the subway station, you’ll sometimes find people selling rolls of gimbap, and it can make for a good snack or meal while you’re hiking. On the way down from Bukhansan, you can stop at one of the restaurants and it’s a good way to rest after a day of hiking.
Practical info
Seoul Hiking Tourism Center Bukhansan · 09:00–18:00, closed Mondays
Prebook hiking gear at Klook.
Transfer to Ui LRT via Line 4
Museums & Botanical Escapes
Practical info
War Memorial of Korea · 09:30–18:00, closed Mondays
Samgakji Station Line 3 Exit 11 or 12
National Museum of Korea · 09:00-18:00, open until 9pm WED & SAT
Ichon station Line 4, Exit 2
Suwon Day Trip
Suwon is one of the easiest day trips from Seoul and offers a lot of history, culture, and food. A lot of the recommendations are around the old city center of Suwon. In addition to the temporary palace, next door is a smaller art museum if you need something to do indoors. If you want to try some street food, the traditional markets near the fortress have a lot of options to choose from and across the street from Suwon Station, you’ll also find street food vendors in the evenings that cater to the university crowd. I would recommend taking the bus from Suwon Station to Hwaseong Haenggung and then when you’re leaving the area, board another bus to get you to Starfield Suwon. From there, you can take the subway one stop to get back to Suwon Station or just take the subway back to Seoul.
Practical info
Hwaseong Haenggung · 09:00–18:00
₩6,000 · Hwaseong Fortress Tourist Trolly: Tickets near Palace entrance.
₩3,000 · 1 session of traditional Korean Archery
₩~5,000 for local bus/subway around Suwon.
Boryeong Day Trip
Practical info
If you want to visit Gaehwa Art Park, I would budget ~40-50,000 won for the taxis. If you have a couple of days available, you can see a lot more of Boryeong while also having a relaxing time.
Get my naver map links to the itinerary
| Item | 3-Day | 5-Day | 7-Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | ₩322,000 | ₩427,000 | ₩537,000 | Three meals a day; 2 expensive meals |
| Transport | ₩13,000 | ₩18,000 | ₩101,600 | Climate Card, taxi in Boryeong |
| Entry & activities | ₩126,000 | ₩166,000 | ₩223,000 | |
| Total | ₩461,000 | ₩611,000 | ₩861,600 | |
| Prices checked August 2026. Excludes flights and hotels. |
