7 days itinerary in Korea

I have been asked by many, what if they only have a week to spend in Korea, where should they go or what should they do?

Assuming that the whole 7 days you are in Korea and excluding the flight arrival/departure.
This suggestion is not necessary to be done in the order below. It is all up to you and the weather. ^^

1.Myeongdong - Namsan tower - Namdaemun

This three places are in the same location. You can do within one day. From Myeongdong subway station, you could walk around 15 minutes up the hill to Namsan tower cable station. Myeongdong is a great place to shop for younger generation and I like the energy there. If you want to watch Nanta show you could opt for Myeongdong theather. Namdaemun is just across the road after you complete the whole stretch of Myeongdong street and a few shopping complex are around the are - Shinsegae, Lotte and Avenue. I love eating at the basement food court in Lotte but most of the time it's crowded.

2. Insadong - Jongno - Cheongyecheon - Gyeongbok/Chandeok palace - Dongdaemun

If you walk along the Cheongyecheon stream, you could choose the exits to Jongno, Insadong or Dongdaemun. They are just very closed to each other. If you love antiques and arts galleries take the opportunity to savour the beauty of Insadong. There are so many korean traditional restaurant to choose around this area. At the end of the Insadong street you could visit the infamous Gyeongbok/Chandeok palace. Gyeongbok is the masculine type of palace while Chandeok is the feminine counterpart. I love both palace. Try to visit both if you have the time. Dongdaemun is better visited at night because the place is heated up in between 10PM to 5AM.

3.Nami island

The place is a bit further out from Seoul. You may need to take 1 hour and a half train from Cheongyanni Station and stopped at Gapyeong Station. From there, take a taxi to the jetty and a ferry to the island. If you love the Winter Sonata hit drama by Bae Yong Jun and Choi Ji Woo, don't miss this spot. I prefer
this place in autumn and winter.

4. Yeoido/Yeoinaru - Hangang River - 63 Building - Aquaria

If you want to visit the broadcasting stations like KBS and MBC, you should go to Yeoido/Yeoinaru and then visit the 63 building where they have an aquarium attached. Complete your day with Hangang River cruise at night. This place is pretty in spring.

5. Lotte World/Everland

Choose one of the theme parks. Lotte world is just in Seoul near Jamsil but you need to take a 1 hour bus to Everland. The entry price is about the same but Everland is much bigger. Avoid school holidays or public holidays because the queue for the games will be never ending story. One whole day is needed for theme park.

6. DMZ - Demilitarized Zone

Stretched further out from Seoul. This is a place worth visiting cause it is a place like no other in South Korea. DMZ is the border between South Korea and North Korea

7. Apgujeong for K-pop lovers / National Museum for historical lovers/ Shopping 

You might meet your K-pop idols in Apgujeong but this is not a guarantee. Try walking into any of the post salons there and you might bumped into them. Final day should be left for free tour. You could choose the suggested one or just do some shopping before you leave Korea.

There are so many places to visit in Korea which are left out:
Hongik/Hongdae or Ewha/Sinchon - students flock this area because a few universities
are here.
Gwanghamun - King Sejong and General Lee Sun Shin statue and their memorial
Gyeongju - If you have another 2-3 days extra, a MUST visit historical site.
Jeju island - If you have another 2-3 days extra, the infamous island with an inactive volcano mount Halla.


As Featured on ArticleCity.com

Post a Comment

60 Comments

Man Fai said…
Jeju Island is a good place to visit. If you ask me I will say a must to go.
Shu Ping said…
Hi, i'm traveling to Seoul the third week of November, still low season to visit. :)

Im visiting seoul around 6 days, am delighted to find your blog with the 7 days itinerary.

Is Nami Island good for visit this period?
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi Shu Ping,
Thanks for dropping by. ^^
After visiting the place in autumn, I think if you visit in winter than it would be more gorgeous. Just like in the drama!

A must go!
Anonymous said…
Zarina,
I find your blog very useful for those who want to visit s.k.tq
I am going to s.k end of dec 2010 wt my family of 4 and we plan to include ski resort(1 day) in our itinerary. Any suggestions

tq
zarina hamid
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi Zarina..^^
It's like saying hi to myself..hehe.

I suggest that you read my post

http://budgettravel2korea.blogspot.com/2010/10/ski-resorts-in-south-korea-gyeonggi-do.html

if you only have 1 day to go to ski resort.

If your group consists children, I suggest you go to Bears Town, because they have a slope for family fun. It's less dangerous for kids.
lyana rosli said…
hai zarina!
i think i should call u kak zarina. hehe. i'm liyana. I've planned to visit seoul on 17jan-22jan 2011 with my family.
found ur blog while blog walking to survey halal food and found this post very useful.
are u still staying at korea or not?and any suggestion for budget hotels?
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi lyana..
thanks for dropping by ^^
It will be among the coldest time in winter for that dates, make sure you wear thermal clothes.

I'm already back in Malaysia.

I'm not really sure for budget hotels because this really depend on your budget for accommodation .

You could try checking the popular post for Jung-gu and Jongno-gu
or
try checking these websites

http://www.agoda.com/
http://www.benikea.jp/_eng/index.asp
lyana rosli said…
alaa too bad. :(
i'm going with my family & my bestfriend. would be nice kalo ade org teman. hehe.
i'm trying to learn korea by my own. wish me luck!
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi lyana,
don't worry too much.^^
Seoul is an easy city to figure out.

But Korean language is another different story. You need to master the survival phrases.

Check out KoreanClass101.com for survival phrases!
Anonymous said…
hi there..
I'm interested in ur blog of ur korean trip coz I really want to go to korea, perhaps this december (plan to), but i havent decided on should I go by tour or by myself, any suggestion??
tQ

--@RNie--
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi Arnie,
Thanks for dropping by.
If you ask me this question, I will never go with tour group because I could not spend more time at the places that I like and they are always rushing to meet the schedule.

I love free and easy and meeting my friends there.

But if you are not sure and unlikely to plan/budget everything by yourself, so tour group is the thing for you. ^^
Anonymous said…
Dear Zarina,

tx 4 ur repLy and suggestion, it really help ;)
same wit u, I prefer travel by my own, hOwever, there's one thing bothered me, I thought not many ppl there speak eng, so will I be Lost in translation then?? What bout 'sign' of public transportation??
after finding your blog, I'm more confident to travel Seoul without TA. I'm planning my trip with my wife and a 2 years old kid on Feb.. is it advisable to visit Seoul at that time with a small kid?
Another question, I heard that Korean sometime understand Japanese better than English,is it true? coz i know Japanese... but zero Korean..
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi ayaharif,
thank you for dropping by!
Seoul is a safe and interesting city to explore, so your kid no matter how old he is will love it.
Don't worry. ^^ The only thing is the weather. Winter is pretty harsh there.

Hmm..about speaking Japanese. This is a pretty sensitive issue because if you know a bit about Korean history, Japan has been trying many times to invade Korea previously.

Some older generation who are more than 70 years old might know how to speak Japanese but the teenagers prefer to speak English.

My suggestion, if you lost your way or you need help, approach the teenagers who seems like high school or college students. They mostly speak English.

Hope this helps. ^^
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi @rnie..
As the comment replied above, Korean teenagers are pretty versed in English because everyone love to try speaking English ^^. So, try to approach them for directions.

There was once when I could not open the locker, I approched a high school student. She didn't speak a single word of English but she understood my request and helped me to open the locker!

Moral of the story: Don't worry too much! Enjoy your adventure trip ^^
TQ zarina for your advised... actually, my worried was not about safety... but more toward weather.... whether my kid can tolerate or not with a winter... I think jan-feb is the coldest month in Seoul rite... speaking based on experience living in Tokyo back then..
Zarina BT2K said…
Ayaharif,
My pleasure ^^
I stayed one whole month at home in February. Didn't dare to be stone cold..heheh.

I love Tokyo.
Could you be my japanese language sensei? ^^
you stay a whole month in feb, in Seoul or kluang?

for japanese languange, it's my pleasure to help you... but I don't know what level is my japanese now.. haa..haa. haa.. I think, I'm slightly older than you, so you can figure out when the last time I used Japanese extensively.....

maybe you can teach me "Kankoku-Go" in exchange.. :)
Zarina BT2K said…
AyahArif,
I stayed whole month in Jinbu,Gangwondo. It was too cold.

My Kankokugo not so good yet la..still beginner level..hehe.
Anonymous said…
Dear Zarina,

Aaa, ic, so that wuldnt be a problem then, cool..!
Just wondering, if I go on first wk of december, will it be still fall season or snow already?? How cold wuld it be?

-@RNie-
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi @RNie,
It's gonna be cold especially for people from tropical weather like us.
Fall season almost end but there's no snow yet at that time. If only the weather gonna be very cold and maybe you're lucky to see snow.

But you never know with the global warming and everything..so, keep your hope high. ^^
jemin75 said…
salam zarina,
i plan to go to seoul end of october next year (7 day). can we see snow at the ski resort during this time?

do u think go to everland better than lotte world during autumn? which one kids will love most? more game for kids?

can u suggest some cheap (but good laa...hehehe) place to shop for kids apparel (factory outlet etc)?


tq
Zarina BT2K said…
w'salam..
Hi Jemin, I'm afraid ski resorts only open towards the end of November every year.

Lotte and Everland are cool and has their pro/cons
Check out my post http://budgettravel2korea.blogspot.com/2009/11/everland-or-lotte-world.html

For kids apparel try dongdaemun, in doota/apm they have one floor for kids apparel.
Esa Hassan said…
Asm,
Tq for the 7D itinerary in Korea. Will be in Korea with wife and 11y daughter from 14/5-20/5/2011, but do not plan to go to DMZ and K-pop lovers area. Glad if you can recommend other areas for us.
Zarina BT2K said…
Assalamualaikum Esa,
You can always go to other places like
-63 building/Aquarium/Hangang Park.
-Bukchon Hanok village
-National Museum
-Palaces
-shopping at Namdaemun/Myeongdong/Dongdaemun
Anonymous said…
Hi Zarina!,
I think this is a good post!.. What places I should go on a summer season? thanks in advance =)
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi anonymous,
For summer, try heading to Busan. The place is nice and very near to the beach. Or else, go to Donghae, the east part of South Korea (in Gangwondo). The beach is better there.
shim nan said…
hi kak Zarina =)
wah best la your blog.. really helpful. i am planning to go next year on the 23 May to 30 May with my cousin.. i've read a few website about that particular season.. thay said that spring season ni rate hotel mahal betol ke? actually sy planning nak pegi ala2 backpacking jr.. ade tak budget hotel dkt area Itaewon yg murah dan selesa.. tp yg penting selamat sbb kami berdua perempuan. BTW sy nk pegi ke Yeosu sbb ade world expo kt sane nnt.. ade tak train yg direct from Seoul ke Yeosu? how much is ticket price ya?
TQ for your help kak =)
Salaam..
irene said…
Hi Zarina,

Your blog is helping me a alot in planning my tour to seoul this coming september. how do you think the weather during end of september? Thanks
Anonymous said…
hi irene, weather is something that i can't predict. u may check yahoo forecast before going. from my experience towards end of sep the weather is cool and nice. i hardly sweat.
Anonymous said…
hi irene, weather is something that i can't predict. u may check yahoo forecast before going. from my experience towards end of sep the weather is cool and nice. i hardly sweat.
wahyuna said…
Salam kak zarina,

i love your blog! will be going to s.k soon and just wondering - i know u said late sept / early oct the weather is cool and nice but do i need to worry about thermal wear / coats / jackets?
Zarina BT2K said…
w'slm wahyuna,
just bring a light jacket will do. the weather is really nice around that time.
Anonymous said…
hey... can i ask something? :)
first time you go to Korea, did u use the travel package??
if it is so,what is good choice of the travel agency i can use?? :) if i'm a Muslim :)
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi Anonymous,
I went by myself not with travel package. Hence, I'm not pretty sure which travel agencies are good.

However, I met a few Malaysian Muslims who went with Apple Travel and Tours when I was in Korea.
Anonymous said…
ohh.. they use Apple Travel? I'm just afraid when we have to eat.. afraid that the food is not halal.. :(
i really wanna go to Korea.. can you suggest any places that i can shop with a reasonable prices? :))
eKa said…
salam akak...nak ke nami island tu, takleh naim seoul metro map ae...saya confuse sket, train dgn metro tak sama ye...canne nak ke Cheongyanni Station


tq
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi anonymous,
they went with muslim package under Apple Travel.
check out the post under label shopping but i can't say it's cheap. it really depends on what u plan to buy and where u gonna shop plus how much budget u have
Apple & Poto do hv muslim package.
Zarina BT2K said…
W'salam Eka,
Metro subway tu macam LRT la..
and train biasa tu macam KTM train but obviously service quality is different. ^^
Anonymous said…
Ayaharif : poto?? do you know any others muslim package that i can travel with??
nur said…
salam..hi :) im a student in jordan :) actually sye plan nak g korea hjung 2012..end of third sem..dlm tgah bulan 7 kot,insyaAllah..i really need help..dr planning ke budget sume la..can u help ^^ *wink*
Zarina BT2K said…
Salam Nur,
Most of the planning and budget has been updated in the blog. You can check the label for each post on the left side of the blog.
Otherwise, you can always email me for further details. ^^
Anonymous said…
Salam sis, I'm planning a trip to korea in early december and am really keen to go on our own (like you!). But we know zero korean language! Will that be a problem? Will it be difficult for us to get around on public transport? Hope you can advise. Thanks!
Zarina BT2K said…
w'salam..
subway-not that hard, as you definitely will have a map with you and there are many English signboards

inter city bus - quite hard as very little english signboards but some bus do provide English announcement for each stop (for tourist spot)

taxi - as long as you pronounce the place that you want to go correctly but they have GPS ^^
kay said…
kak zarina..

boleh bagi itinerary utk musim sejuk pulak tak??

this jan 2012 nak ke sana utk 2nd time.. with family... nak redah je ni.. hehe
Raja Jul Haziq said…
Hi Kak Zarina,
Im coming to seoul this coming May. I was thinking about just staying at the jimjilbang instead of wasting money on hotels. Is that a good idea? Can we bring stuff inside the jimjilbang are such as camera, handphone and charger?
Zarina BT2K said…
Kay,

I will try to make the winter itinerary.

Raja,

jjimjilbang is not really a place to sleep, try a day for the experience. If you're fine with it then stay for the rest of the days. You can bring handphone, charger and camera but no camera is allowed in the bathroom area though.
Anonymous said…
salam kak zarina,
i'm coming to seoul this march.i'm really interested in jimjilbang just to see macam mana tempat tu. boleh masuk ke kalu bertudung sume?
Anonymous said…
salam kak..rasenye kalau nak g seoul 5 hari n jeju 2 hari, overall cost bpe eh? saye nak ajak kwn, tp she's pn a very tight budget <3
Anonymous said…
salam kak..rasenye bpe total cost kalau nak g seoul and jeju dlm 7 hari? termasuk lotte world skali..
Zarina BT2K said…
W'salam,

Kalau Seoul saja for 7 days without shopping is about RM1,800.

But if includes Jeju and if you want to stay 3 days 2 nights, add another RM500 to 700

It all depends on how you want to cut on your budget though.

FYI - a standard meal cost RM15 ~ 5,000 won
Anonymous said…
Hi zarina..I plan to go this march..do you think there will be snow? Or the ski resort is open and Ada snow? Where should I stay, eg near supermarket, cheap shopping or near a park ? I don't have a clue about Korea, FYI I m going with 4 kids..
Wasalam
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi,
Snow resort is already closed.

As the weather has becoming warmer nowadays, if you're lucky, you might see the snow.

near shopping area is better.
I prefer jongno area - where you can walk around insadong and the palaces
but if you walk about 20 minutes, you can reach myeongdong too.
MuhdTaib said…
Hi Zarina,

I intend to go in dec w family maybe 5 to 7 days.

Is Hamilton Hotel is X? is there any recommendation nearby like apartment, as i understand the area a lot of halal food and things such as souvenir..etc there is cheaper compare to city.

My itinery include 1 night at snow resort.
Anonymous said…
Salam k zarina..

My husband n i insyaAllah will be going to seoul on 16nov -22 nov 2012.
Would like to know what will be the weather like during that time.. Still autumn ke or dah winter..
Kalau antara tgh2 tu, macam mana keadaannya ya? Ker autumn pun tak dpt tgk and snow pun tak turun lagi..
Hope you an help...

FizA
Zarina BT2K said…
W'salam Fiza,
can't really predict the weather due to global warming. but one thing for sure, no snow yet..autumn leaves..hmm, just pray hard ^^
fara said…
salam,

akak cani HAve your email.
nak tanya pasal tempat2 dekat seoul. confiusla banyak sgt.
nak confirmkan tempat2 yang nak saya nak pergi tu mana2 yang leh compile dalam satu hari n yang mana dekat area yang sama..
gingeringly said…
im going to handle a group 7 to seoul and jeju this may. so i tried booking a flight from gimpo to jeju. and it says needs the same day purchase and reservation. im really worried if there isnt any ticket when we arrived there. really really worrisome. please, do have any solution. thanks
du said…
Hi Zarina,

Just read your blog for 7 days itinerary. Really helpful....

I'm female and planning to go backpacking solo for the very first time. Do you think it's safe there? Kinda worried about it.

what is the best season to visit Korea? Since I'd like to visit nami island and mt.sorak ><:

I'm also interested staying in hanok house and taking pictures on hanbok... Maybe you some experience about it?

A visit to famous filming movie/drama sounds interesting too. hahaha...

soooo many places but so little time. Just have 1 week off...

Any suggestions/recommendation for the itinerary would be very appreciated.

Thank you so much...