,

7-Day Itinerary to South Korea: For First Timers Who Meander

Itinerary to South Korea

One week in South Korea is enough to discover a portion of Seoul and visit one other city. This 7-day Itinerary to South Korea is at a meandering pace and has tons of buffer time to add additional activities if desired. It was created based on my trip to South Korea, with some updates based on my personal experience. While my friends and I had considered seeing a K-Pop concert, it was a popular group and we weren’t invested enough to attempt getting difficult-to-attain tickets. I chose to visit Jeonju, but some other places I’ve heard people enjoy are Busan and Jeju Island.

Day 1: National Museum of Korea

Grab a bite to eat somewhere, then spend a day at the National Museum of Korea. Depending on your museum viewing speed, this attraction could take up to half a day. While there is a cafeteria inside the National Museum of Korea, I’d recommend heading somewhere else to eat afterward. If you need ideas on what/where to eat, check out my post on Top 10 Foods to Try in South Korea.

If you still have energy after a day at the museum, you could try to squeeze in a visit to a skyline viewpoint such as Lotte Tower. Or just take it easy and rest up before a big day of walking tomorrow.

After dinner, consider checking out norebang / karaoke nearby and singing your heart out. Norebang is a popular pastime in South Korea, so I felt like it was a fun experience to see what it is like.

Day 2: Gyeongbokgung Palace & Myeong-dong Night Market

Itinerary to South Korea, changing of guards ceremony

Early in the morning, go through the Gwanghwamun Square, wave to the statue of King Sejong, and then get to the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. I’d recommend getting to Gyeongbokgung Palace at around 9:30AM – 9:45AM so that you can find a spot to stand before the changing of the guards ceremony begins at 10AM.

Gyeongbokgung Palace Pavillion

The guard ceremony takes about 15 minutes and afterwards, you are free to explore the palace.. The Gyeongbokgung Palace is huge. Two things that you mustn’t miss are the two pavilions. They are surrounded by water and are a great place to take serene photos.

After you’ve had your fill of the palace, get some refreshing iced tea at O’sulloc Tea House. The tea leaves are from Jeju Island, and my favorite was the sejak, which is traditional young green tea. There are plenty of other tea options and sometimes they might have samples out for you to try.

As you walk back towards the metro or the more central part of Jong-no, you could choose to wander through Bukchon Hanok Village. However, since Jeonju is later on in this itinerary, I would say that the Bukchon Hanok Village pales in comparison to the hanok village at Jeonju.

In the late afternoon, head over to Myeong-dong Night Market area for some shopping and street food. The streets are going to be extremely crowded with tourists, but it’s a fun area in the center of Seoul and worth stopping by. The cheesy baked lobster is the claim to fame, but at the selling price, I’m not sure if I’d say it is a “must-have” snack (we tried two different stalls too). If none of the snacks appealed to you or if you still have room in your stomach, try the raw soy-marinated crab at Hamcho Ganjang Gejang. This was one of my favorite dishes when I was there.

Day 3: Insadong-gil & Ikseon-dong

Start by exploring Insadong-gil pedestrian street. When we were there, there were stalls set up selling various dry foods and trinkets. Stop by Ssamzigil if you are interested in crafts and buying souvenirs. When you are hungry, eat lunch at the Bukchon Sonmandu Insa Main Branch.

After lunch, go to Ikseon-dong Hanok Street and wander around this traditional street filled with many cute shops. After you are done taking photos, stop by a cafe for an afternoon break and enjoy dessert, tea, or coffee.

Hat shop in ikseon-dong

Day 4: One Night Trip to Jeonju, A Traditional Hanok Village

Jeonju hanok village

Jeonju is a charming picturesque hanok village that is filled with traditional streets and buildings. It is home to the raw beef bibimbap and is the place to experience a makgeolli (Korean rice wine) bar. It is easy to get there from Seoul and only takes about an hour and a half on a train.

Check out my detailed 24-hour itinerary in Jeonju here.

Day 5: Hongdae

After returning from Jeonju and checking in to your next place of lodging, head over to Hongdae Street. There are lots of things happening in Hongdae in the afternoon/evenings and I find it a great place to people-watch. Since it is near a University, the crowd and energy are a lot younger. You can catch the buskers performing in the evenings, go shopping on the streets, and have plenty of options for dining (from street food to Korean barbeque) and drinking.

Buskers dancing away on Hongdae street

Day 6: Gangnam & Han River

Everyone has heard of Gangnam. Here, you can choose to visit the picturesque Starfield Library, go shopping for some luxury brands above ground, or go underground shopping at the Gotomall Underground Shopping Mall for more affordable clothing.

Han River at night

Once you’ve had your fill of Gangnam, head to the Han River which you’ve probably seen from afar while traveling to and from various parts of Seoul.

Tip: Dodge all types of contact with the people holding flyers/ads as you get to the river.

After you’ve strolled around and taken all the photos you’ve wanted to, head over to the convenience store docked by the river and buy yourself a bowl of ramyeon, an experience that I highly recommend. When you go into the convenience store, you can pick your ramyeon of choice, extra toppings, and they will give you a bowl for you to cook the ramyeon right on the spot! You take the bowl outside of the convenience store where there is a ramyeon cooking station that boils your noodles for you at optimal timing and temperature. I ate mine with kimchi, an egg, and a cold can of beer.

Day 7: Free Day

I like to leave a free day to go shopping or buffer time in case the weather is not cooperative or just to relax. While I didn’t have the chance to experience a Korean sauna, I think it would’ve been a super relaxing and fun experience with some friends. On my last day, my friend and I ate delicious soondae-guk, went to a Korean arcade played some games, and sang some karaoke songs before our flight in the evening.

Have other questions that weren’t answered in this itinerary to South Korea? Check out my post on travel tips to South Korea.