The best first trip to South Korea is Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan in seven days, linked by KTX trains that cover the length of the country in under three hours. Ten days adds Jeonju’s hanok village and a DMZ day, and two weeks lets you add Andong and Jeju, the volcanic island an hour’s flight south. The routes below are day-by-day with where to sleep, trains and fares, and a realistic cost line, plus an eight-day temples and temple-stay route.
How to use these itineraries#
Seoul first
Almost every long-haul flight lands at Incheon. AREX express trains reach Seoul Station in 43 minutes for about 11,000 won (US$8).
KTX and SRT
KTX leaves from Seoul and Yongsan stations, SRT from Suseo in Gangnam. Seoul to Busan takes 2h15-2h45 for 52,600-59,800 won.
Fly to Jeju
Gimpo to Jeju is about 65 minutes and Gimhae (Busan) to Jeju about 55 minutes, usually 30,000-120,000 won one way.
Open-jaw tickets
Fly into Incheon and out of Busan’s Gimhae, or out of Jeju via a connection, to avoid backtracking.
Book ahead
Reserve KTX seats on Friday and Sunday evenings and holiday weeks; book at korail.com or the Korail Talk app.
Pace
Two to three nights per stop. Korea is compact, but Seoul alone deserves three full days.
Book trains on Korail’s official site or the SRT app up to a month ahead. Fares in this guide are standard-class adult singles; first class costs about 40% more. A T-money or Climate card covers Seoul and Busan subways and city buses (base subway fare in Seoul is 1,550 won). The Korail Pass for foreigners rarely beats single tickets on these routes unless you take three or more long KTX rides inside its window, so do the sums on the Korail site before you buy. Prices assume about 1,400 won to the US dollar.
7 days: Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan#
The classic first week runs north to south: three nights in Seoul, two in Gyeongju, two in Busan, flying home from Gimhae or taking the KTX back to Incheon. It puts palaces and food markets first, Silla tombs and temples in the middle and the sea at the end.
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seoul | Arrive, Myeongdong street food, evening up N Seoul Tower | Myeongdong or Jongno | AREX express to Seoul Station 43 min, about 11,000 won |
| 2 | Seoul | Gyeongbokgung and the guard change at 10:00, Bukchon, Insadong, Changdeokgung Secret Garden tour, dinner at Gwangjang Market | Myeongdong or Jongno | Subway lines 3 and 5 |
| 3 | Seoul | National Museum of Korea, Han River cycle or picnic, Hongdae or Seongsu in the evening | Same | Subway |
| 4 | Gyeongju | KTX south, afternoon at the royal tombs of Daereungwon, Cheomseongdae and the lit-up Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond | Downtown near Hwangnidan-gil | KTX Seoul to Gyeongju about 2h, about 49,000 won; bus to town 20-30 min |
| 5 | Gyeongju | Bulguksa and the Seokguram grotto in the morning, Gyeongju National Museum, Bomun Lake | Same | City buses 10, 11 and 12 to Bulguksa, about 40 min |
| 6 | Busan | Train to Busan, Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi fish market, Nampo-dong and BIFF Square | Haeundae or Seomyeon | KTX Gyeongju to Busan about 30 min, around 11,000 won |
| 7 | Busan | Haeundae beach, the Blueline Park coastal tram to Cheongsapo, Haedong Yonggungsa sea temple, fly home | Fly out | Gimhae airport by light rail and metro, about 1 hour |
Pace: steady; days 2 and 5 are the long ones. Cost per person, excluding international flights: about 700,000-900,000 won (US$500-640) on a hostel budget; 1.3-1.7 million won (US$930-1,200) mid-range in 3-star hotels; 2.5 million won and up in good hotels.
10 days: add Jeonju and the DMZ#
Ten days is the comfortable first trip. Keep the Seoul days, add a guided day to the DMZ, then go south-west to Jeonju for a night in a hanok guesthouse and Korea’s best bibimbap before crossing to Busan and finishing in Gyeongju.
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Seoul | As days 1 to 3 above | Myeongdong, Jongno or Hongdae | AREX from Incheon |
| 4 | DMZ day | Imjingak, the Third Tunnel, Dora Observatory on a tour from Seoul; back for a Korean BBQ dinner | Seoul | Tour bus pick-up from central hotels, about 60,000-100,000 won |
| 5 | Jeonju | Jeonju Hanok Village, Gyeonggijeon shrine, Jeondong Cathedral, makgeolli alley in the evening | Hanok guesthouse | KTX from Yongsan 1h40-2h, about 34,000 won |
| 6 | Busan | Morning in Jeonju, bus east, evening at Haeundae | Haeundae | Express bus to Busan about 3h, about 20,000-25,000 won |
| 7 | Busan | Gamcheon, Jagalchi, Beomeosa temple or Taejongdae cliffs | Haeundae or Seomyeon | Metro |
| 8 | Busan | Haedong Yonggungsa, Blueline Park, Gwangalli beach and bridge at night | Same | Bus and coastal tram |
| 9 | Gyeongju | Tombs, Cheomseongdae, Donggung Palace at night | Downtown Gyeongju | KTX from Busan about 30 min |
| 10 | Gyeongju to Seoul | Bulguksa and Seokguram in the morning, afternoon KTX to Seoul and AREX to Incheon | Fly out | KTX about 2h, then AREX to Incheon |
DMZ tours require your passport and run on fixed days; the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom has been closed to tours for long periods since 2023, so check before booking. Pace: relaxed apart from the DMZ day. Cost per person, excluding flights: about 1-1.3 million won (US$710-930) budget; 1.9-2.4 million won (US$1,350-1,700) mid-range.
14 days: Seoul to Jeju via Andong and Gyeongju#
Two weeks lets you add Andong, the Confucian heartland, and finish with three nights on Jeju Island. The Jungang line’s KTX-Eum trains link Seoul, Andong and Gyeongju, so there is no backtracking until the flight from Jeju.
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Seoul | Palaces, museums, markets, neighbourhoods | Jongno or Myeongdong | AREX |
| 4 | Suwon day trip | Walk the walls of Hwaseong Fortress, Haenggung palace, Suwon galbi for lunch | Seoul | Subway line 1 or KTX, 30-60 min |
| 5 | Andong | KTX-Eum, then Hahoe Folk Village and Buyongdae cliff | Hahoe homestay or Andong town | KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni about 2h; bus 46 to Hahoe about 50 min |
| 6 | Andong to Gyeongju | Byeongsan Seowon or Dosan Seowon in the morning, train south | Downtown Gyeongju | KTX-Eum about 1h, or bus about 1h30 |
| 7-8 | Gyeongju | Tombs, Bulguksa, Seokguram, museum, Yangdong folk village | Same | City buses |
| 9-11 | Busan | Gamcheon, Jagalchi, Haeundae, Haedong Yonggungsa, Beomeosa | Haeundae | KTX about 30 min |
| 12 | Jeju | Fly to Jeju, Dongmun Market, sunset at Iho Tewoo beach | Jeju City | Gimhae to Jeju about 55 min, 30,000-120,000 won |
| 13 | Jeju east | Sunrise at Seongsan Ilchulbong, ferry to Udo, Seopjikoji | Seongsan or Seogwipo | Rental car or bus 201; Udo ferry 15 min |
| 14 | Jeju south | Hike Hallasan (summit trails need a reservation) or the Jeju Olle trail and waterfalls, then fly out | Fly out | Flights to Gimpo 65 min with transfers to Incheon, or direct international flights from Jeju |
Pace: moderate. Cost per person, excluding international flights: about 1.4-1.8 million won (US$1,000-1,300) budget; 2.7-3.5 million won (US$1,900-2,500) mid-range with a rental car on Jeju. Renting a car requires an International Driving Permit and costs roughly 40,000-90,000 won a day outside peak season.
8 days: temples and temple stays#
This themed route links Korea’s great Buddhist temples with two overnight Templestays, booked through the official Templestay site (about 50,000-100,000 won a night with meals). Pack loose clothes and expect a 03:30 wake-up.
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seoul | Jogyesa and Insadong, Jongmyo shrine, Bongeunsa in Gangnam at dusk | Jongno | AREX |
| 2 | Seoul | Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon, temple-food lunch, Seoul city templestay day programme | Jongno | Subway |
| 3 | Andong | Hahoe village and Bongjeongsa, home of Korea’s oldest wooden hall | Andong | KTX-Eum about 2h |
| 4 | Gyeongju | Bulguksa and Seokguram, then on to Golgulsa for a sunmudo martial-arts templestay | Golgulsa | KTX-Eum about 1h; bus from Gyeongju to Golgulsa about 1h |
| 5 | Gyeongju | Dawn practice at Golgulsa, afternoon tombs and museum | Downtown Gyeongju | Bus back to town |
| 6 | Haeinsa | The Tripitaka Koreana at Haeinsa and an evening templestay in Gayasan | Haeinsa | KTX to Dongdaegu, then bus from Daegu’s Seobu terminal about 1h30 |
| 7 | Busan | Bus to Busan, Beomeosa on the mountain, evening at Gwangalli | Seomyeon or Haeundae | Bus via Daegu, or KTX Dongdaegu to Busan 45 min |
| 8 | Busan | Haedong Yonggungsa sea temple at sunrise, fly home | Fly out | Gimhae airport |
Cost per person, excluding flights: about 1-1.3 million won (US$710-930) including two templestays. To add a forest temple, swap day 2 for Woljeongsa in Odaesan (KTX-Eum to Jinbu, then a 20-minute bus), or add Songgwangsa near Suncheon at the end.
Ship your big bag ahead. Convenience-store parcel services and hotel-to-hotel luggage services let you travel between temples with a day pack, since most templestays have small rooms and no lockers.
Where to sleep on each route#
- Seoul: Myeongdong and Jongno for the palaces and the airport bus; Hongdae for nightlife and cheaper guesthouses; Gangnam only if you want SRT trains from Suseo. Expect 25,000-45,000 won for a dorm, 100,000-180,000 won for a mid-range double.
- Gyeongju: Downtown around Hwangnidan-gil is walkable to the tombs; the Bomun Lake resort area suits drivers and families. Doubles from about 70,000 won.
- Busan: Haeundae for the beach, Seomyeon for transport and nightlife, Nampo-dong for markets and Busan Station.
- Jeonju and Andong: Book a hanok guesthouse with ondol floor heating; Hahoe village has simple family homestays.
- Jeju: Split the stay between Jeju City (airport, markets) and Seogwipo or Seongsan for the south and east coasts.
How to adapt these itineraries#
First-timers: take the 7- or 10-day route as written. Book Seoul and the Friday or Sunday KTX legs first; everything else can be booked a week out outside holidays.
Families: add a day at Lotte World in Seoul or Everland near Suwon, a Nami Island day trip, and more beach time in Busan. Children under six ride KTX free without a seat, and older children pay a reduced fare.
Autumn foliage: from mid-October, add two nights in Sokcho for Seoraksan (express bus from Seoul about 2h30) and go on weekdays. In late October to early November, Naejangsan is a day trip from Jeonju.
Monsoon and typhoons: in late June to late July, keep the routes but swap hikes for museums, markets and jjimjilbang, and keep a spare day before any Jeju flight or island ferry in August and September.
Winter: add two nights in Pyeongchang for skiing at Yongpyong or Alpensia, 2 to 3 hours by bus or KTX from Seoul, and swap Jeju beaches for its tangerine farms.
Slow travel and budget: take the 10-day route over two weeks, use express buses instead of KTX (Seoul to Busan about 4h15 for roughly 25,000-45,000 won), eat at kimbap shops and markets, and spend a night in a jjimjilbang for around 15,000-20,000 won.
Places on these routes#
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More South Korea guides#
South Korea travel guide · Best Time · Cherry Blossom · Costs · Culture · Food · Getting Around · Nightlife · Shopping · Visas
South Korea itinerary FAQs#
How many days do you need in South Korea?
Seven days covers Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan at a steady pace. Ten days is better for a first trip, adding Jeonju and a DMZ day. Two weeks lets you add Andong and three nights on Jeju.
Is 7 days enough for Seoul and Busan?
Yes. Spend three nights in Seoul, two in Gyeongju on the way and two in Busan, connected by KTX. If you skip Gyeongju, give the extra day to Seoul.
Should I go to Jeju on a first trip to Korea?
Only with ten days or more. Jeju needs at least two nights and usually a rental car or long bus rides, so on a one-week trip it costs you Gyeongju or a Seoul day.
How long is the train from Seoul to Busan?
KTX takes 2h15-2h45 from Seoul Station, and SRT from Suseo takes a similar time. Standard fares are about 59,800 won on KTX and 52,600 won on SRT.
Is the Korail Pass worth it?
Usually not for these routes. A Seoul to Busan return plus a Gyeongju stop costs less in single tickets than most pass options, so it pays off only if you ride several long KTX legs on consecutive days.
How much does a week in South Korea cost?
Excluding international flights, about 700,000-900,000 won (US$500-640) on a budget and 1.3-1.7 million won (US$930-1,200) mid-range. Seoul hotels and KTX fares are the biggest costs.
Can you do Korea without a car?
Yes. Trains, express buses, subways and city buses reach everything on these routes. The only place a car really helps is Jeju, and it requires an International Driving Permit.