Three days is the right first visit to Seoul: one day for the palaces and hanok lanes north of the centre, one for markets, Namsan and the river, and one for a neighbourhood such as Hongdae or Seongsu. Two days covers the essentials at a fast pace, and five days adds a guided day to the DMZ and a second day trip to Suwon’s fortress or Nami Island. The plans below are planned around the palaces’ closing days, give the subway line and station for every stop, and end with a cost line.
Before you plan#
Closing days
Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo close on Tuesdays. Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung close on Mondays. Plan the palace day around this.
Palace pass
The combined palace ticket costs 6,000 won (about US$4), is valid for six months and covers Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo. The Secret Garden (Huwon) tour is extra, 5,000 won. Single tickets are 1,000 to 3,000 won.
Hanbok free entry
Wear a hanbok (rentals around Gyeongbokgung from about 15,000 won for two hours) and palace entry is free.
Climate Card
Unlimited Seoul subway and city buses: 5,000 won for one day, 10,000 for three, 15,000 for five, plus 3,000 won for the card.
Pace
Plan one area per half day. A crossing from Hongdae to Gangnam takes 40 minutes by subway.
Day trips
Book DMZ tours a few days ahead and carry your passport. Suwon and Nami are easy by train on your own.
Prices assume about 1,400 won to the US dollar. The base subway fare is 1,550 won with a T-money card, and our South Korea getting around guide covers the card, the Climate Card and the airport trains in detail. Palace hours run roughly 9am to 6pm (to 5pm in winter, later in summer) with last entry an hour before closing; opening days and ticket prices change, so check the official Royal Palaces site before you go.
2 days in Seoul: the essentials#
Two days is enough for the big sights if you stay central, in Myeongdong or Jongno, and keep the evenings for food. Avoid starting on a Tuesday, when Gyeongbokgung is shut.
| Time | Day 1: palaces and hanok | Day 2: markets, Namsan and the river |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Gyeongbokgung at 9am, guard change at Gwanghwamun gate at 10:00, the National Folk Museum inside the grounds | Namdaemun gate and market, then Deoksugung and the stone-wall road (City Hall, Lines 1 and 2) |
| Midday | Lunch at Tongin Market’s coin lunch box, 10 minutes west on foot (Gyeongbokgung station, Line 3) | Cable car or the Namsan steps to N Seoul Tower (observatory about 26,000 won) |
| Afternoon | Bukchon Hanok Village lanes, then Insadong’s tea houses and Jogyesa temple (Anguk, Line 3) | National Museum of Korea (free, Ichon, Line 4) or a walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream |
| Evening | Gwangjang Market for mung-bean pancakes and raw beef (Jongno 5-ga, Line 1) | Myeongdong street food from about 5pm, then Hongdae’s buskers (Hongik University, Line 2) |
Pace: brisk; about 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day. Cost per person: about 120,000 to 160,000 won (US$85 to 115) for two days on a budget, excluding the bed; 250,000 to 350,000 won (US$180 to 250) mid-range with a barbecue dinner, the tower and taxis home.
3 days in Seoul: add the Secret Garden and a neighbourhood#
Three days lets you see Changdeokgung’s Secret Garden, which needs a timed ticket, and spend a full afternoon in one of the city’s newer neighbourhoods. Days 1 and 2 follow the two-day plan with one swap: on day 1, replace Bukchon’s late afternoon with Changdeokgung and its Huwon garden, then walk through Bukchon on the way back to Anguk.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gyeongbokgung, guard change, Folk Museum | Changdeokgung and Huwon (booked), Bukchon, Insadong | Gwangjang Market |
| 2 | Namdaemun, Deoksugung, Seoul City Hall | N Seoul Tower, National Museum of Korea | Myeongdong, then Euljiro’s Nogari Alley for beer and dried pollack (Euljiro 3-ga, Lines 2 and 3) |
| 3 | Jongmyo shrine (guided tours, Jongno 3-ga) and Ikseon-dong hanok alleys | Seongsu cafes and Seoul Forest (Seongsu, Line 2; Seoul Forest, Suin-Bundang line), or Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong | Han River picnic at Ttukseom or Yeouido with convenience-store ramen and fried chicken |
If day 3 falls on a Tuesday, Jongmyo is closed: swap in Changgyeonggung, connected to Jongmyo by a footbridge and open late on some evenings. On a Monday, do Gyeongbokgung on day 1 and move Changdeokgung to day 3.
Pace: steady. Cost per person: about 180,000 to 240,000 won (US$130 to 170) budget excluding beds; 350,000 to 500,000 won (US$250 to 360) mid-range. Add 100,000 to 180,000 won a night for a mid-range double.
Buy the combined palace ticket at the first palace you visit. At 6,000 won it covers Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo, and pays off once you visit three or more of them. The Secret Garden tour is a separate 5,000-won ticket. You still need a Huwon time slot, so reserve it as early as you can.
5 days in Seoul: add the DMZ and Suwon#
Five days is the comfortable plan: three city days, a guided DMZ day and a self-guided day at Suwon’s fortress. You stay in the same hotel all week, so pick one near an airport-bus stop and the subway, such as Myeongdong, Jongno or Seoul Station.
| Day | Plan | Getting there |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon, Changdeokgung and Huwon, Gwangjang Market | Lines 3 and 1 |
| 2 | Deoksugung, Namsan and N Seoul Tower, National Museum of Korea or the War Memorial of Korea, Myeongdong | Lines 1, 4 and 6 |
| 3 | DMZ tour: Imjingak, the Third Tunnel, Dora Observatory; back by mid-afternoon for Hongdae or Itaewon | Tour bus from central hotels, about 60,000 to 100,000 won |
| 4 | Suwon: walk the 5.7 km walls of Hwaseong Fortress, Haenggung palace, Suwon galbi for lunch | Line 1 from Seoul Station, about 1 hour, or an ITX or KTX train, 30 minutes |
| 5 | Jongmyo, Ikseon-dong, then Seongsu or Gangnam: Starfield Library at COEX, Bongeunsa temple, Garosu-gil in Sinsa | Line 2 to Samseong, Line 9 to Bongeunsa |
Swap day 4 for Nami Island in autumn, when the tree avenues turn gold, or add both and make it six days. If day 3 is a Monday, check that your DMZ tour runs: many of the sites close on Mondays.
Pace: relaxed in the city, long on the day trips. Cost per person: about 330,000 to 420,000 won (US$235 to 300) budget excluding beds; 650,000 to 900,000 won (US$460 to 640) mid-range including the DMZ tour and a hotel at about 130,000 won a night shared by two. Our South Korea costs guide has the full price list.
Themed plan: 3 days of palaces and hanok#
This plan suits travellers who came for the Joseon dynasty and want to sleep in a hanok, the traditional tiled house with heated ondol floors. Book a hanok guesthouse in Bukchon or Seochon for at least two nights.
- Day 1 (not a Tuesday): Gyeongbokgung in a rented hanbok for free entry, the guard change, the Folk Museum, then Seochon’s alleys and Tongin Market. Climb Inwangsan in the late afternoon for the view over the palace roofs, about 1 hour up from Dongnimmun (Line 3).
- Day 2 (not a Monday): Changdeokgung and the Huwon garden in the morning, the footbridge to Changgyeonggung and its glass greenhouse, then Bukchon’s eight viewpoints. Evening tea in Insadong and Jogyesa lit with lanterns.
- Day 3 (not a Tuesday): Jongmyo’s main shrine hall, one of the longest wooden buildings in Korea, on a guided tour; Ikseon-dong lunch; Deoksugung’s afternoon guard ceremony and its stone hall art museum; a walk along the old city wall from Naksan Park (Hyehwa, Line 4) at sunset.
In May, the Jongmyo royal ancestral rite takes place on the first Sunday, and Changdeokgung runs moonlight tours on selected spring and autumn nights that sell out within minutes. Bukchon is a residential area with visiting hours in the main lanes; in the core lanes tourists are allowed only from 10am to 5pm, so keep your voice down and leave by 5pm. Cost per person: about 400,000 to 700,000 won (US$290 to 500) for three days including two hanok nights shared.
Day trips from Seoul#
- DMZ: the border zone 50 km north is visited on guided tours that collect you at 7 to 8am and return by 3 to 4pm. Standard tours visit Imjingak park, the Third Infiltration Tunnel (a steep walk down) and Dora Observatory. The Joint Security Area at Panmunjom, where the blue huts straddle the border, has been closed to tour groups for long periods since 2023; only book it from an operator that confirms it is running. Bring your passport, which is checked at a military post.
- Suwon and Hwaseong Fortress: the 18th-century walls are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and cost about 2,000 won. Start at Paldalmun or Janganmun gate, walk the full loop in 2 to 3 hours, and see the martial-arts show at Haenggung palace. The Korean Folk Village in Yongin is a 40-minute bus ride from Suwon station, and Everland is nearby for families.
- Nami Island: take the ITX-Cheongchun train from Yongsan or Cheongnyangni to Gapyeong (about 1 hour) or the cheaper Gyeongchun line, then a taxi or the Gapyeong tour bus to the wharf, and a 5-minute ferry. Entry including the ferry is around 16,000 won. Combine it with the Garden of Morning Calm or Petite France, or continue to Chuncheon for dakgalbi.
- Incheon: Chinatown and Songdo’s Central Park are an hour by subway, and a good last afternoon if you fly out of Incheon in the evening.
How to adapt these itineraries#
First-timers: stay in Myeongdong or Jongno and follow the three-day plan as written. Download Naver Map or KakaoMap, because Google Maps cannot give walking directions in Korea.
Families: swap Euljiro and Hongdae evenings for Lotte World at Jamsil (Lines 2 and 8), the Seoul Sky deck at Lotte World Tower and the COEX Aquarium. Children under six travel free on the subway, and the palaces and the National Museum’s children’s museum are stroller-friendly.
K-culture and K-pop fans: spend a day on Apgujeong’s K-Star Road (Apgujeong Rodeo, Suin-Bundang line), shop Myeongdong and Hongdae’s cosmetics and idol merchandise stores, book a drop-in K-pop dance class in Seongsu or Gangnam (about 30,000 to 50,000 won), and try for audience entry to a weekly music show in Yeouido or Sangam, which is allocated through fan clubs and online lotteries.
Slow travel: take five days over a week, add a hike on Bukhansan (Bukhansan Ui, Ui-Sinseol line) and a free afternoon at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art near Gyeongbokgung.
Rain and heat: in the July monsoon and August heat, move the palace days to early morning and spend afternoons in museums, the COEX mall and a jjimjilbang. In winter (often -10C/14F with wind chill in January), keep the outdoor walks short and use the underground shopping arcades at Myeongdong, Euljiro and Gangnam.
For where to sleep on each plan, see our where to stay in Seoul guide, and for a longer trip across the country, our South Korea itineraries.
Places on these itineraries#
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More Seoul guides#
Seoul travel guide 路 Costs 路 Food 路 Getting Around 路 Nightlife 路 Shopping 路 Where to Stay
Seoul itinerary FAQs#
How many days do you need in Seoul?
Three full days covers the palaces, markets, Namsan and one neighbourhood at a comfortable pace. Two days is enough for the highlights if you move fast, and five days lets you add the DMZ and Suwon.
Which day are the Seoul palaces closed?
Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo close on Tuesdays; Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung close on Mondays. When a closing day falls on a public holiday the schedule can shift, so check the official palace site.
Is the Seoul palace pass worth it?
Yes, if you visit three or more of the palaces. The combined ticket costs 6,000 won and covers four palaces and Jongmyo, while Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung alone cost 6,000 won bought separately. The Secret Garden tour is extra.
Is a DMZ tour worth it?
For most visitors, yes: it is the only place to look into North Korea and the tunnels are memorable. Book a reputable operator, bring your passport, and do not count on the Joint Security Area, which has been closed to tours for long periods since 2023.
Can you do Seoul in 2 days?
Yes. Spend day 1 on Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon, Insadong and Gwangjang Market, and day 2 on Deoksugung, N Seoul Tower, the National Museum and Myeongdong. Stay central to save time.
Is Nami Island or Suwon a better day trip?
Suwon is better for history and is easier, an hour on subway Line 1 with a fortress walk at the end. Nami Island is a scenic half-day best in autumn foliage season and pairs well with Petite France or the Garden of Morning Calm.
What is the best area to stay for a Seoul itinerary?
Myeongdong or Jongno for first visits, since the palaces, markets and airport buses are all close. Hongdae suits nightlife and a lower budget.