3 Days in Seoul Itinerary (Perfect First-Time Guide)
Seoul is a huge and exciting city to explore but poorly planned itineraries waste hours in transit. With this itnerary you will use an optimised route to minimise travel time and spend more time on experiences. We cover a mix of culture, food, cafes and skyline views.
Quick Overview of This 3 Day Seoul Itinerary
This itinerary is perfect for first-time visitors to Seoul who have 3-5 days available. You will get to see a mix of the best of Seoul. The days are action packed so be ready to get amongst it early!
- Day 1: Culture + traditional Seoul
- Day 2: Cafes + trendy districts
- Day 3: Shopping + skyline views
Check out our Seoul You Tube Vlog to see what we got up to! While you’re there subscribe to our channel to help support us.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Essential Seoul Travel Tips
Seoul is a big city, these tips will help you get on track:
- Best area to stay – Lots of people choose to stay in Hongdae, or Insadong & Ikseon-dong, but we chose Myeongdong and it was an excellent base!
- A T-money card is used in Seoul for payments and transport.
- We used the subway system and buses in Seoul and it was super easy to get around. You use the T-Money card to pay and the signs are in English as well as Korean.
- Best time to visit Seoul is April/May or October/November when the weather is more mild. We were there in late November.
Day 1 – Palaces, Bukchon & Traditional Seoul
Spend day 1 in Seoul discovering the traditional side to this vibrant city. Explore the palaces and ancient towns and uncover its historic heart.
Gyeongbokgung Palace (Start Early)
Gyeongbokgung Palace is a former royal palace in Seoul. Established in 1395 the first and largest of the Joseon dynasty. It is now one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country.
It is one of the best photo spots and to make it better you can hire a hanbok to dress up in the traditional outfit. You will see loads of people doing it and better yet entry is free if you wear one. Plan to spend 2-3 hours wandering around here. There are also free tours to learn about the palace which take place from the front entry. It is closed on Tuesdays and every other day you can see a parade at 10am and 2pm which is similar to the English “changing of the guard”.
If you don’t want to dress up in a hanbok then you can purchase your entry ticket at the gate. There is the option to buy a Royal Palace Pass (Package Ticket for 4 palaces & Jongmyo Shrine) for the cost of ￦6,000. You can purchase this pass at any of the palaces or the shrine.
This full day cultural tour shows you around the history of Seoul if you want to be sure to fit the best in.
Bukchon Hanok Village
Bukchon Hanok Village is about a 19 minute bus ride or a leisurely stroll from Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is a residential neighbourhood where you will find many restored hanok (traditional Korean houses). Many of these traditional homes date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some are used as homes, shops and hotels with tourists looking for a charming stay, loving it here.
Free to visit you should plan to spend about 3 hours here, remember that local people do still live here so being respectful with noise and the buildings is appreciated. Morning is best to visit for fewer crowds, in fact in some areas there is a 5pm curfew when visitors should leave so that residents can have peace and quiet. There are the 8 scenic views of Bukchon Hanok Village which are the viewpoints that are most popular: ‘No. 1, view of Chengdeokgung Palace; No. 2, view of Wonseo-dong Handicraft Road; No. 3, view of the Gahoe-dong area; No. 4, view from the hill at Gahoe-dong (Bukchon Observatory – paid entry); No. 5, the view of the road uphill at Gahoe-dong; No. 6, the view of the road downhill at Gahoe-dong (most iconic view); No. 7, the view at house number (beonji) 31, Gahoe-dong; No. 8, the view of the stone stairway at Samcheong-dong.
Is it worth visiting Bukchon Hanok Village?
Yes! This is a must see in Seoul, the old architecture and quaint streets paired with cool cafes and viewpoints makes it undeniably beautiful. There are some museums here as well, we stumbled on this one where they insisted Mike take part, scanned his face and made a painting of him as a Korean prince from what we understand!
Changdeokgung Palace
This is one of the 5 palaces of Seoul and one of my favourites. It is really pretty and feels a little more calm than Gyeongbokgung Palace. It also has a secret garden that does require a special ticket to enter but is so worth it! (Tip-it is closed on Mondays)
Changgyeonggung Palace
Located right next to Changdeokgung Palace you can really do them both together. (closed on Mondays)
Jongmyo Shrine
This shrine is included in your Royal Pass and is located at the bottom of the Changgyeonggung Palace area. You can walk through here on the way out heading to Insadong.
Onion Cafe
This really good and really cute cafe is near Bukchon Village View #1. It is worth popping into and getting a coffee and cake. There could be a line up as it is pretty popular. As well as great coffee or matcha you can try one of the famous Pandoro for 5,000 Won. It looks like little mountains made of Italian-style bread covered in powdered sugar.
Insadong Streets
This area is vibrant and lively, it is known primarily for Insa-dong Culture Street. You will find stores selling handicrafts, traditional pottery, teahouses and cultural items. Come here to buy your souvenirs.
Ikseon-dong (Hidden Gem)
Head to Ikseon-dong for traditional aesthetic alleyways, cool shops and cafes. This is a trendy area and also home to the Ikseon-dong Hanok Village.
Day 2 – Hongdae, Cafes & Youth Culture
Changgyeonggung Palace
If you have purchased the Royal Pass then you can tick off the last of the palaces today. This palace was one the quarters where Queens and concubines lived, then became a zoo and is now restored to its original style.
Deoksugung Palace
This palace is famous for blending traditional Korean palace architecture with Western-style buildings.
Hongdae Street Area
The Hongdae steet area is really popular, especially with younger crowds as it is near a university. There are cool shops here as well as cafes. The vibe here is fun and there are lots of bars, buskers and clubs.
Best Cafes in Hongdae
These cafes are our favourites in Hongdae, make sure to check out Perception for the cool vibe, Cinamon Sweet cafe for the cutesy factor and Hongdae Cafe for the views. Our overall favourite was Shinleedoga which is in a traditional house.
Shopping & Street Performances
Hongdae is the place to come for shopping, it has everything from great bargains to the trendiest offerings. The bohemian vibes of Hongdae make it a great place to chill out and soak up the vibes of Seoul.
Stay in Hongdae
Some people prefer to stay in Hongdae for vibrant culture, great cafe scene and shopping. If you are interested in this then our pick is if the Holiday Inn Express Seoul Hongdae by IHG or the Mercure Ambassador Seoul Hongdae. The RYSE Hotel is expensive but beautiful.
Day 3 – Myeongdong, Museum, Library, N Seoul Tower & Night Views
Myeongdong Shopping Street
Myeongdong Shopping Street is known for street food. Come here to eat to your hearts content and then walk around the shops that surround the street. If you are looking for skin care you can find loads of options here.
Myeongdong Cathedral
This 19th-century, Gothic-style Catholic cathedral is a landmark just near Myeongdong shopping street. It is made of brick and has a 45m-high bell tower. It also sits on top of a big 7-Eleven!
Local Korean Chicken
I am not talking about the fancy or popular Korean fried chicken, I am talking about a seriously popular with locals only friend chicken shop. It is tucked away in Myeongdong and so good! Everything is fried in front of you and you can get a whole chicken put on your table. Yep that’s dinner! They even give you gloves so you can get after it with your hands…Mike was loving it!
Shopping Malls
There are lots of shopping malls you can check out, they are all huge. Some of the big names are Hyundai, Lotte and IFC. Lotte World Tower is also popular, this one is in South Koreas tallest building.
Starfield Mall + Library + Gangnam Statue
The Starfield Mall is in Gangnam and is an really nice upmarket shopping centre where you will find the Gangnam Style Statue. The gorgeous Starfield Library is also located in the mall and was decorated beautifully for Christmas when we were there in late November.
Bongeunsa Temple
This temple is often regarded as one of the nicest and is right next door to Starfield Mall making it an easy add on. It is a traditional Korean Buddhist temple complex with a 23 m Maitreya Buddha statue.
The Royal Tombs
The Royal Tombs are opposite (a few streets over) from the Starfield Mall if you are looking for more historic places of interest.
War Memorial of Korea
The War Memorial of Korea was a really interesting place to visit. It is extensive and really engaging. From the oldest history to modern times you can walk through it all. There are some interactive displays, real tanks, planes and vehicles to see inside as well as a massive outdoor area with more vehicles that are even bigger! We were more interested in this museum than we expected, it is free to enter.
N Seoul Tower (Namsan)
The N Seoul Tower is a very tall viewpoint across the city, enter just before sunset to get the light going down over Seoul! You can prebook your ticket so you can enter smoothly when you arrive as well. Alternatively you can book this ticket that includes a return cable car (redeem the digital ticket for a paper ticket at the station before arriving-check details in the link)
Evening: Best Night Views in Seoul
If you want to get out and about in the evening then head to the water and take a Starlight Aurora Cruise along the river. There is onboard music and they go to the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain show. Alternatively you can check out the Jamsil Baseball Stadium Game Experience with Dinner or Night Palace & Market Food Tour (with Vehicle) where you check out a palace, temple and street food markets to try the local foods.
Map of This 3 Day Seoul Itinerary
This itinerary is set up so you can stay in an area or you will just be moving once or twice, the city is really big so moving across it zigzagging around wastes a lot of time. This should save time in transit.
Where to Stay for This Itinerary
There are a few popular areas to stay in Seoul, it really depends on your style and preferences as well as budget.
- Hongdae – stay for cafes + nightlife
- Myeongdong – stay for convenience
- Insadong – stay for culture
How Much Does 3 Days in Seoul Cost?
Seoul is more expensive than other Asian cities, closer to Japan pricing. This is our rough budget breakdown:
- Accommodation – our hotel was about $100 USD per night which is pretty good for a decent hotel, great area and buffet breakfast included. There are more expensive/luxury options as well as cheaper budget but in general accommodation in the centres is expensive.
- Food – you can buy street food snacks, eat at local restaurants and keep it cheap or go to a great Korean BBQ or a fancy restaurant. Cafes are not cheap, the price of coffee at a cafe is pretty much the same as in Australia, but it is the experience you are going for. You can find reasonable coffee prices at takeaway shops, if you are cafe hopping – go to ones that offer a nice environment so you can soak it up.
- Transport – the T Money card makes getting around easy, we used buses adn the subway and it was easy to get around and not too expensive. Having the T Money card is the best option.
- Activities – we bought the Royal Pass to get to see all the palaces and then went to mostly free attractions. The prices of most attractions is pretty similar to that in Japan.
How to Extend This to a 1 Week Korea Itinerary
If you have more time and can extend this into a 1 week Korea Itinerary then firstly I am so jealous as I really want to come back and do this, and secondly this is what I would do. I actually planned this as I hoped we might be able to to squeeze in some more time but didn’t get to. Hopefully will return soon to do it. Use the high speed train to get around I would also book tickets in advance as they can sell out which isn’t ideal especially if you are on a schedule.
Days 1–3: Seoul
Soak up the capital city and check out as much of the many things to do here. Our itinerary above should help you plan your time well.
Days 4–5: Busan
Busan is somewhere I can’t wait to go! I want to see the colorful Gamcheon Culture Village, explore the seaside temples like Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, ride the Haeundae Blueline Park sky capsule and Oryukdo Skywalk as well as check out the fresh seafood at Jagalchi Market. If you want to join a tour to see it all check this tour out which is really well rated. Alternatively you can purchase a Busan pass with attractions of your choice included. Did you know that you can get to Busan from Japan as well? There is a boat from Osaka to Busan, or alternatively you can go from Busan to Osaka! We loved both countries, our time in Japan was amazing too. If you are coming from Seoul the the train or bus are the usual options. Be sure to pre book your transport as it can sell out.
Day 6: Gyeongju or Jeonju
Head to Gyeongju if you are in to history and love exploring historic sites. This is the option most people take as it is a little larger and more ‘touristy’, its Starbucks is even in a traditional Hanok house. You can do a day tour here from Busan if you don’t want to move around as much.
Jeonju if you are a foodie, the small town is almost all made up of the Jeonju Hanok Village and its winding alleyways. It is a small area full of culture and great for photos. You can dress up in a hanbok to wear while here for photos, they are so pretty!
You could potentially also take a day from Seoul or if you have a late flight on day 7 you could visit the second village in with the extra time.
Day 7: Return to Seoul
Leave early and get back with enough time to spend in Seoul or leave late and get back just in time to head to the airport. That way you can use the morning to spend in your last town.
Alternative option: Day Trips from Seoul
There are loads of day trips you can do from Seoul, in fact you can even get to Busan for a day trip! These are the ones we would do if we had more time in South Korea and wanted to keep Seoul as our base for the week.
- Jeonju Hanok Village Tour from Seoul – see all the highlights and travel from Seoul and back!
- Seoraksan National Park – day trip to enjoy the foiliage or explore temples or Nami Island.
- Nami Island – full-day tour to Nami Island and the Garden of Morning Calm, with a rail bike option.
- Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Tour – visit the fortress and learn its history, then visit a folk village.
- DMZ Insider Tour: possibly the most popular day trip from Seoul with such an interesting insight.
Is Seoul Worth Visiting?
Seoul is definitely worth visiting for its interesting culture, easy travel set up, delicious food. We found it to be safe and had no problems while there at all. The only things we didn’t love were the crowds and the expense, while we could find decent midrange accommodation and affordable food the cost for the cute cafes was a little annoying! I would skip it if you are looking for an intense cultural experience or anyone who wants a slow travel experience.
Essential Seoul Travel Tips
These tips I wish we had known for our time in Seoul, South Korea, I hope they will help you plan your trip:
- Book accommodation early! This is a universal tip for all countries but especially those that are a little expensive and you want quality accommodation. We booked our accommodation months in advance and it was S100 USD per night, checking a few weeks out and it was $250USD a night.
- Use Naver Maps over Google Maps – Naver Maps is way better in Seoul, there are better walking routes and times. It isn’t as good in the English version but still better than google maps.
- Use the T Money card to make getting around easier, you can also use it to pay for things in shops like 7-ELeven.
- Stay central to reduce travel time – we stayed in Myeongdong to be super central and it was great. The bus we booked to and from the airport dropped us right on a close by main street making it walkable. The buses ran along this same street to get further around the city and lots of attractions such as shopping, neighbourhoods and palaces were walkable.
- There is an airport train you can book to get to the city but we found these airport ‘limousine’ buses to be better and only slightly more expensive. The airport is about an hour from the central city.
What I’d Skip / Do Differently For Seoul
Over crowding the itinerary is the number 1 mistake so I would skip anything that was not really of interest. For example if you are not really into history then one palace would be enough. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to do too much or doing ‘everything’ just because you think you have to.
Walking around and taking in the moment are also really important in a vibrant city like Seoul as it can really move fast. Don’t underestimate the size of Seoul, seeing what you can or are interested in one area is great because then you don’t have to go back there, unless you loved it and have time.
Keep more time for shopping. I really didn’t think about how much time shopping would take up and I wish I had left more ‘dedicated’ time for it. I could have spent hours shopping in Hongdae for clothing and in Olive Young for skincare and cosmetics. Seoul is a cool city and I would have loved to had time to bring some of that home with me.
I would keep some space in my luggage for purchases! Don’t go with a full bag, you will definitely want to bring things home!
FAQs About Visiting Seoul
Is Seoul expensive?
Seoul is a more expensive city than usual Asian cities, think more like Tokyo than Bangkok. There is always the options available to do it really cheap you will just take a dip on quality.
Is 3 days enough?
3 days in Seoul is enough if you only want to see the city. You will get to experience the history, culture and soak up the vibrant atmosphere it is so known for.
Best time to visit Seoul?
The best times to visit Seoul are spring (April to May) for cherry blossoms or autumn (September to November) for the fall leaves. Both seasons have the mildest weather of the year. It is really hot in summer and snows in winter. We were there early December and got some snow in Seoul.
Where should I stay?
We stayed in a great quality midrange hotel in Myeongdong. It was so well located and perfectly convenient to explore the city.
Seoul is one of the most vibrant and coolest cities in the world, bursting with things to see. If you are looking for a dynamic city to explore, you will love Seoul
Plan your trip:
👉 Read next: How to spend a perfect 3 days in Shanghai
👉 Plan your trip: 2-Week China Itinerary or our 2-Week Japan Itinerary
👉 Don’t miss: Tokyo is a must visit! This is what you have to do there.
Want to see it all in action? Watch our full China series on YouTube (subscribe to our channel to stay up to date with our travel guides) and follow along on Instagram @passport_nomads and @kelly___buckley for real-time travel tips, guides, and behind-the-scenes moments.
We hope this guide helped you plan an unforgettable trip.
If you’d like to support our work, you can buy us a coffee here ☕ — it helps us keep creating free, in-depth travel guides for destinations around the world.
