South Korea’s capital of Seoul is like stepping back in time and forward at the same time. Glittering, futuristic skyscrapers sit side by side with ancient villages. Ancient gates sit in the middle of roundabouts as slick new Hyundais whizz by. It’s that kind of place. Any itinerary for Seoul needs to cover both worlds.
We had the delight of spending a few days in Seoul in autumn. Brisk for sure, but stunning in its beauty. Seoul is an enormous city and there is much to cover. We’ve pulled together an itinerary for two days in Seoul. Here, you’ll see the very best that Seoul has to offer. Come with an open mind. Prepare to be mesmerised. Come hungry. Leave with a satiated appetite.
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Getting to Seoul
South Korea’s capital is an easy place to get to. Obviously how and when you arrive will factor into your itinerary for Seoul.
Seoul by train
We arrived in Seoul via the KTX Sancheon train from Busan to Seoul which took just over 3 hours. There are faster options, however we were late to the party in booking and were left with just two choices for the day. A good tip to watch out for if you are booking in holiday season or the weekends – these trains do book out.
We travelled in business class which was especially roomy. One of the comfiest experiences on a train with a recliner, racks above our heads for bags.
A welcome snack and bottle of water is also provided. However we’d recommend bringing your own food on board. Most do to ensure you’ve got some good food to tide you over for the journey.
A great option for booking tickets, particularly if you have other train trips planned is a Korea Rail Pass. You can book a Korea Rail Pass here.
Visiting Busan as well? Check out our Busan itinerary here.
Seoul by air
Whilst we didn’t arrive via the airport, we did depart via Seoul Incheon airport.
The airport is located some way outside of Seoul, and you have a number of options at your disposal to consider.
For 9500 won (including a 500 won refundable deposit) you can get the Airport Express (A Rex). These run every 40 minutes and take 43 minutes to reach Seoul Incheon airport. The train is comfortable with plenty of room for luggage and free wifi available.
If you’ve more time at your disposal, the all stops A Rex train takes just over an hour and costs 4150-4750 won.
Enquiring about a taxi at the airport, we were quoted 88000 won. So it was an easy deal for us to use the A Rex. Comfortable and fast, with convenient pick up and drop off from Seoul station for us.
When flying, we always use Skyscanner to compare the best prices.
Getting around Seoul
Metro
We used the metro throughout our stay. You have the option of purchasing a one-off ticket or a reloadable option. We were happy with the point to point arrangements, although on reflection may have saved a few won using the reloadable option.
In any case, we were happy with buying on the go, and found it an easy option. The machines have an English option to select your desired station. Simply insert notes or coins to pay. Don’t be too precious about your personal space. It absolutely will be invaded in a very busy city.
Taxi
We used taxis on a few occasions and found these easy to use and relatively affordable (trips to the airport like that mentioned above excluded). English is quite limited amongst the taxi community, so use your hotel front desk to write down where you want to go in advance on a card.
Where to stay in Seoul?
An enormous city like Seoul unsurprisingly has no shortage of accommodation options. We found choosing accommodation here to be quite a challenge to ensure we had the right location and the right type of accommodation. And we were absolutely delighted with our end pick.
The Hotel 28 Myeongdong is firstly well located. Right amongst the buzz on Myeongdong and close to lots of transport. Restaurants, markets and shops abound in this area.
Location aside though, this hotel had genuine character. A small luxury hotel of the world, it takes its inspiration from its owner, a famous Korean movie actor. The whole hotel is themed with movie paraphernalia. Whilst waiting for the lift, you can watch snippets of Korean movies. The art throughout the hotel is all devoted to Korean theatre.
Rooms are spacious and funky, the perfect place to relax after a hard day exploring. Having stayed in a number of other small luxury hotels of the world, I’d have expected this to be a lot more expensive than it was. It’s well priced for the quality of service and experience you get here.
We couldn’t recommend Hotel 28 Myeongdong highly enough.
A 2 day itinerary for Seoul
Day 1 itinerary for Seoul at a glance
Visit the famous Gyeongbokgung Palace || Explore the fascinating Buckchon Hanok Village || Marvel at the Design Plaza || Nights in Myeongdong
A visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace
Starting your itinerary for Seoul, there’s no better place to start than Gyeongbokgung Palace. You’ll want to arrive before the handful of changing of the guard ceremonies take place here. There are a number throughout the day which are slightly different to each other. We attended the 11am ceremony, but check ahead for times to align your trip.
In their colourful attire, the guards are an aesthetic delight to visitors. Be sure to keep enough room and not creep too close during the ceremony. Like any changing of the guards ceremony they need their space. It’s an iconic experience to enjoy before heading into the palace.
Once inside, it will feel like a step back in time. Kristen and I were one of only a handful not dressed in traditional Korean outfits. We definitely felt like we missed the memo. In any case, it’s a beautiful sight, and something locals and tourists alike will adorn their Instagram with. If dressing in a hambok is your thing, this is just the place to do it.
Entry into the palace is just 3000 won, with tickets available at the door.
Buckchon Hanok Village
A short ten minute walk is the Bukchon hanok village. This village is packed with older style Korean homes. It’s a real village. Whilst they enjoy visitors, they do ask everyone to keep quiet. One of the many signs will remind you of that.
As you wander through and climb higher up the paths, you’ll be rewarded with views back over Seoul. They make for great pictures. You’ll feel like some of the palace visitors have followed you over too. You’ll see more ladies in hamboks and men dressed up as well taking photos. You can hire a hambok here from ~5000 won if you want to get into the real Korean spirit. It’s certainly a spectacular spot for photography.
Gwangjang market
Depending on how long you’ve spent at the Buckhon Hanok village, you’ve likely worked up an appetite. It’s around a 25 minute walk to get here, or you can otherwise jump in a taxi for the trip.
The Gwangjang markets are must do on any itinerary for Seoul. This is the spiritual home of food in Seoul right here. For those with a longer stay in Seoul, I’d encourage several return visits here. But for those like us who managed one visit, you’ll want to select carefully. The scent of herbs, spices and soups is powerful. Assessing which vendor earns their right to feed you is beyond challenging.
We made our pick thanks to Netflix. Anyone who has watched their Street Food series will be familiar with these markets and the knife cut noodles of Cho Yonsoon. If you haven’t watched the episode, I dare you to watch it and not eat here.
Wander around the market until you find Cho in her vibrant pink/purple outfit. It helps that she has a Netflix sign above her stall. It was our delight to wander up with two vacant seats in front of her. She quickly ushered us to sit down with a radiant smile. And thus we had front row seats to Cho’s amazing noodle skills.
For 5000 won, you’ll get to sample her knife cut noodle soup. On a heated seat in late autumn, it’s pretty cold. But these noodles and soup hit the spot perfectly. If you want to add something else to the mix, grab yourself a serving of the kimchi dumplings. This is an experience we can’t recommend highly enough, and just writing about this visit makes me salivate. Just do it.
A fan of Street Food? Read about our visit to Toyo’s stand in our Osaka itinerary here.
Walking down the Cheonggyecheon stream
Across the road from the Gwangjang market, you’ll find the Cheonggyecheon stream. This stream is something of an oasis in the middle of Seoul. And if you didn’t know about it, you may not notice it. Sitting below street level, there are paths either side of the stream.
The cars and trucks whizz by above you, whilst you wander along the slowly trickling stream. The water here is surprisingly clear for the middle of a city. It’s the perfect spot for a wander, and you won’t have to weave between traffic like you do above ground either.
Keep walking along the stream until you hit the Dongdaemun Gate.
The stunning Design Plaza
Coming up from the stream at Dongdaemun Gate, you’ll find yourself in the Dongdaemun Design Plaza area. This is a spectacular spot. The gate is a major landmark in Seoul, and a perfect example of the clash of old and new architecture.
The impressive Design Plaza feels like something out of Blade Runner. It’s melted curvature and undulating shapes is breath taking. Wandering around the plaza is a great way to take in the building given it looks very different from every angle. Points that seem like simple curves becomes lips suspended in air.
We were reminded of the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Azerbaijan, and soon learnt that this is unsurprising. The Design Plaza was designed by renowned British architect Zaha Hadid, who also designed that centre.
Our visit was packed with some traditional Korean pop fanfare. Ryan Reynolds’ Netflix movie 6 Underground was premiering here just as we arrived. So the area was packed with fans seeking to get a glimpse of the Hollywood elite. If I was premiering a movie in Korea, I think I’d choose this stunning venue too.
Myeongdong nights
If you’ve followed our itinerary step by step, you’re probably staring down a step count of something like 30,000 steps. You’ve done a lot of walking today. Hopefully you have some time to put your feet up, before venturing out for the evening.
We were staying in Myeongdong (more on that later). This made a night time visit here easy. If Gwangjang market is filled with traditional Korean food, Myeongdong is more of your modern Korean take.
Whilst it is packed with less traditional offerings, you’ll get a good sense of Korean creativity. Some of these Korean dishes have come from a matter of circumstance. Tinned spam and sausages are bizarrely popular, with links back to the Korean War. During the war, the US imported a whole range of home grown foods. The Koreans took the opportunity to use this food to the best of their ability.
This sometimes means that street food stalls look like they’ve been prepared by a child left at home with only random ingredients to use. Cheese is used liberally in places seemingly it should not. And that’s how they end up with stewed tinned sausages complemented by deep fried cheese dishes. Certainly not authentic, but definitely unique!
Mixed amongst all of this however are some more authentic treats. Our favourite was the bungeoppang. A fish shaped crispy pancake batter filled with red bean paste. These little gems are just divine. A cheap sweet treat for sure.
Looking for something more substantial? It’s hard to go past some Korean BBQ. Now Seoul’s efforts on Korean BBQ probably deserve an article unto themselves. But our pick in Myeongdong is Hanam Pig. Recommended by the good folks at Hotel 28, it’s where they liked to go after work for a bite too.
Hanam Pig is sensational for BBQ lovers, with great flavours, quality meat and of course cold beer. Keen? You can book your dinner (or lunch) at Hanam Pig here or throughout Seoul via Klook.
Day 2 itinerary for Seoul at a glance
Damnaedun markets || Gangnam style|| Views from Namsam Seoul Tower|| Hongik University || Myeongdong for one last fling
Damnaedun markets
We’ll be starting day two of your Seoul itinerary at another set of markets. The Damnaedun markets open early, and vendors start packing up mid-afternoon with only a few food stalls open of an evening.
Browse some of the stalls and shops, and grab something to eat along the way. If you’re looking for a traditional option, the mung bean pancake is worth a try. With a mix of vegetables and mung bean, fried up in a pan, it’s a savoury pancake that will fill you up. Those mung beans are pretty dense though and you may be a little gassy later on, so at least go in with full awareness of that!
Gangnam style
Sorry, it has to be done. That incessant, iconic pop song will naturally lead you to Gangnam. And you won’t be disappointed as this part of Seoul is well worth exploring. A little further afield than the areas explored on day one, you’ll need to map yourself here by metro.
If you haven’t had Psy’s hit stuck in your head yet, you soon will. In fact, his song is immortalised in a bronze sculpture of his wrists outside of the Coex Mall. It is mandatory to stand in front and give your own Gangnam style performance. If you didn’t Gangnam style in front of Psy’s sculpture, did you even visit Seoul? And no need to play your song on your phone, there’s a booth that plays the YouTube clip on demand. Oppan Gangnam style!
There are a number of sculptures along this walkway, but Psy’s was by far the most memorable.
Inside Coex mall behind the Gangam statue is the bustling Starfield library. As far as modern libraries go, this one is insane. Book shelves floor to the ceiling which are about 4 stories high. Take an elevator up to peruse the books. Possibly the most Instagrammable modern day library you can find. Try not to take a thousand photos here.
Coex also has an array of modern eateries, so grab yourself a bite to eat here before your next visit.
Namsam Seoul Tower
Amongst the skyscrapers of Seoul, it can often be difficult to notice those things further afield. When there are gaps in the horizon though, no doubt you may have seen the Namsam Seoul Tower which hovers over the city. Depsite that, it’s not the tallest tower in Seoul (Lotte tower has that honour). A trip to Namsam Seoul Tower will afford you an amazing perspective of Seoul.
We took a taxi for this trip, otherwise there were quite a few metro changes required to make this happen.
For the adventurous, you have the option of walking up the tower from the base. And there were quite a few choosing this option from what we could see!
For the less so, stump up the cash for the cable car which will take you to the base of the tower. Let it be known there are still around a hundred stairs to the top after the cable car.
The forecourt area here was a popular hang out. With excellent views over Seoul, you could just visit here and enjoy spectacular views.
We took the opportunity to head up the tower which you can book ahead of time. This is helpful if you’re on a tight timeline as there may not be availability on a busy day. The elevator to the top takes just 30 seconds to traverse the 230 metres to the top. The higher view gives you an outstanding 360 degree view of Seoul. From here, you can really appreciate the views of this enormous metropolis.
Get up here at sunset to watch the city turn from day to night. But also beware the temperature drop when you get down. Brrr!!!
Hongik University area by night
If you’re seeking a bustling area for drinks and a hive of activity, this youthful part of town is for you.
Along the streets here, you’ll find a number of buskers. Some good. Some not so good. Some with dreams of being discovered and being the next K Pop sensations. It won’t take you long to realise who fits into which category. One of the things I most love about Korea is the openness. One busker was absolutely horrible. He seemed to be spurned on by the giggling group of girls who didn’t think much of his talents.
There are any number of bars and restaurants you can pick out for a few drinks or maybe some more. It’s a happening part of town, and a great place to enjoy amongst friends.
Back to Myeongdong
Given we were staying in Myeongdong, we always found our way back here before retiring. You know about the food stalls and the shopping. And we’ve gotten to the end of our itinerary without mentioning perhaps the holy grail of Korean food. Korean fried chicken.
In Myeongdong, we had a BHC Chicken across the street from our hotel. Always busy, this is always the best sign of quality. So we headed here twice during our Seoul stay. They’re located throughout Seoul, and you’ll find lots of different chicken options.
We recommend going for a ‘half and half’. This allows you to try a different couple of flavours out and ensure no one goes without. Particularly good for us as Kristen doesn’t like spicy food and I love it. So we got the best of both worlds. On the note of spicy food though, the spicy options sit towards the top end of the scale.
Put your bib on, get some gloves on and dive into some delicious fried chicken. Best washed down with a cold beer.
Don’t expect your waiter to come to you. Ordering here is via a doorbell buzzer on the table. Buzz your waiter and they’ll be over pronto to take your order.
Whilst you’re in Myeongdong, check out Arc n Book. This book store is laid out across a sprawling lower level of an office tower. It’s most impressive feature other than playing home to an Emack and Bolio is its two curved book tunnels. The book stacks work their way around the wall and up onto the roof, suspended in the air. Another hidden gem.
Is 2 days in Seoul enough?
The short answer would be no. As you’ve probably understood throughout this itinerary, there are so many things to do here. But for us, we managed to see the key sights we were interested in. If we had a week, we’d easily be able to fill in the time with so many different activities and sights. And there’s certainly no shortage of meals to be had here either.
2 days in Seoul will afford you a great grasp of the city, but if you’ve more time, there’s plenty more to see.
Other things to consider for your Seoul itinerary
The first big shock we had when we arrived in South Korea, was that Google Maps doesn’t really work here. Not for directions anyway. There are a few seemingly political reasons as to why this is. If you’re interested, just Google it (see what I did there!).
Having travelled extensively and in many large cities, this experience just proved to us how much we had come to rely on good old Google Maps. There are some local alternatives, and we chose to download Naver Maps. However, it took a lot of time to get used to and was still very clunky in our opinion.
Make sure you plan ahead and have a good idea of where you want to go and where it is. Hopefully this itinerary for Seoul will assist you. It’s also a good idea to pick up a map of Seoul on your arrival from one of the tourist desks or your hotel.
GS25 convenience stores are everywhere in South Korea. They’ll be your go to for supplies on the run. There were far fewer 7/11s, which was strange for us having spent a lot of time in Japan previously.
Have you been to Seoul? Is there anything else you’d add to this itinerary? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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All the right places for the city I lived in for 3 months and love! Next time also visit the little alleyways of Ikseon Hanok Village. This up and coming neighbourhood is one of my favourites for afternoon drinks and dinner.
Such a great recommendation Guido! We did get to visit there on our trip (but we cheated and had a couple of extra days than the 2 in our itinerary!). Hope you’ve been well mate!