As with any travel plan, this 1-week South Korea itinerary is very flexible and can be used as a guideline for what to see in South Korea.
In general, this itinerary includes all the main highlights of the country that can be reasonably expected to visit in 7 days. If you prefer a faster-travel style and want to cover more ground, then this itinerary can easily be adapted and expanded.
Similarly, if you prefer a more laid-back approach to travel, perhaps you could opt to skip Busan and take a few more days to explore Seoul at a slightly slower pace.
Either way, this 1-week South Korea itinerary should be used as a guide to get the most from your time on the Korean peninsula.
South Korea Itinerary: Seoul – Days 1-3
The itinerary naturally begins in Seoul. The Capital city is home to the busiest airports in the country and so makes a natural first stop for visitors to South Korea.
Where to stay in Seoul?
For a 1-week stay in South Korea, the best place to stay in Seoul for 1st-time visitors is Myeongdong.
North of the Han river, Myeongdong is centrally located and is within walking distance of N Seoul Tower, the Royal Palaces, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Gwangjang Market.
Myeongdong is also one of the main stops on the Seoul Subway Line 4 (Blue Line), making it easy to connect to other regions of the city in a matter of minutes.
- Best place to stay in Myeongdong for budget-conscious travelers: OYO Hostel Myeongdong
- Most highly recommended place to stay in Seoul: Royal Hotel Seoul
What to do in Seoul?
Royal Palaces
Seoul is home to 5 Royal Palaces, and visiting the palaces is the perfect way to dive right into the history and culture of South Korea. As you only have 1-week in the country, it would be prudent to choose only a couple of the Palaces as going to see all 5 would take quite a lot of time.
Arguably the best Palaces to visit are Gyeongbokgung Palace (the biggest palace) and Changdeokgung Palace (known as being the most beautiful) – thankfully, both are within walking distance of each other, which makes them easy to visit in a few hours.
Bukchon Hanok Village
One of the most popular attractions in Seoul and situated directly next to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village is a traditional Korean village that has been preserved in time.
You’re able to catch a glimpse into Korea’s past in the Bukchon Hanok Village, which makes it a popular place for photoshoots and Instagram enthusiasts. Interestingly, it is also one of the best places in Seoul to experience wearing Hanbok – traditional Korean clothing.
Gwangjang Food Market
You can’t come all the way to South Korea without trying some of the delicious, world-famous Korean cuisines.
The best place to do this is at Gwangjang Market, which has recently earned global recognition thanks largely in part to the hit Netflix food show – Street Food: Asia.
The show features Cho Yonsoon’s Kalgaksi knife-cut noodles stall, which is now the most popular stall to visit in Gwangjang Market.
One of the best tips for visiting South Korea is to try as much street food as possible – it is cheap, fresh, and utterly delicious!
Worth knowing: it is possible to visit the palaces, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Gwangjang in 1 day. It will be a busy day, but it’s definitely worth it!
Gangnam and Hongdae
The next day on your 1-week South Korea itinerary can be spent in 2 of Seoul’s most famous districts – Gangnam and Hongdae.
Gangnam, made famous by the 2012 PSY release ‘Gangnam Style,’ is one of the richest regions in Seoul and is known for being chaotic, extravagant, and lavish. If the first day in Seoul was all about the history and culture of South Korea, then your second day in Gangnam is going to be all about capitalistic, hyper-modern Korea.
Visit the Instagram-famous Starfield Library in the COEX Mall before wandering around the luxury department stores and shopping malls.
In the afternoon, catch the subway to Hongdae, on the South side of the Han river, a hip, indie region of Seoul close to Hongik University.
Known for being the liveliest area of the city, here you will find a number of bars, restaurants, and cafes – including the infamous Thanks Nature Cafe, where you can sip on your coffee while stroking the resident sheep that call the cafe home.
Myeongdong
Your final day in Seoul during the first half of your 7-day South Korea travel itinerary should be spent in Myeongdong.
The area is perhaps best known for being the shopping capital of South Korea, and this is reflected by the number of luxury fashion and designer brands that have flagship stores in the area.
Myeongdong is also the best place to buy Korean beauty products – regarded as having the best beauty products in the whole world.
One of the best things to do in Myeongdong is to book tickets to the NANTA Theatre show – it is a completely non-verbal Korean comedy show that focuses on 4 chefs desperately trying to cater for a wedding in only 1 hour. It is high-octane, interactive, and absolutely hysterical!
South Korea Itinerary: Busan – Days 4-5
Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city, making it the perfect place to explore away from Seoul during your 1-week South Korea trip.
Worth noting: some alternatives to explore other than Busan – Gyeongju (often referred to as the ‘Museum without walls’), Jeju (Korea’s largest island and paradise), Seoraksan (a stunning national park North-East of Seoul that is great for hiking)
How to get to Busan from Seoul:
By Train:
- A KTK high-speed train from Seoul to Busan can take as little as 2hr 15mins, but typically the journey will take around 3 hours.
- Prices vary depending on the type of ticket and date of travel, but it will cost somewhere in the region of US$79 for a return ticket.
- Most KTX trains leave from Seoul Station or Yongsan Station.
By Bus:
- A public bus from Seoul to Busan usually takes between 4-5 hours, depending on traffic and time of day.
- Prices again vary depending on what kind of coach you decide to take, but they can start from as little as US$20 one-way. This makes a bus journey the cheapest way to get from Seoul to Busan
- The best station to get the bus from is the Seoul Express Bus Station
Where to stay in Busan:
Haeundae Beach is the most popular place to stay in Busan for tourists. It is close to the water and has a wealth of options when it comes to luxurious accommodation.
- Best place to stay in Haeundae for budget-conscious travelers: Kimchee Haeundae Guesthouse
- Most highly recommended place to stay in Busan: Hotel Paradise Busan
What to do in Busan?
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Often referred to as the ‘most beautiful temple in South Korea,’ Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is one of the very few examples of a temple being built by the sea on the Korean peninsula.
Free to enter, the temple is a great place to explore during your 1-week South Korea trip as it highlights how important faith and spirituality is to the Korean people. The temple was originally built in 1376 as a dedication to the Sea Goddess Buddha of Mercy.
Jagalchi Fish Market
The largest fish market in South Korea is found in the heart of Busan’s bustling docks and sells a vast amount of dried and fresh fish.
Jagalchi Fish Market is also one of the best places in Korea to try the famous Eomuk (Korean fish cakes). They come served in many different varieties but mainly consist of ground white fish and represent a tasty on-the-go treat in Busan.
Gamcheon Cultural Village
Rather ambitiously coined as the ‘Machu Picchu of Korea,’ Gamcheon Cultural Village is a series of tiered, colorful houses etched into the mountainside in Busan.
Gamcheon was originally a settlement for refugees during the Korean War but in 2009, a series of projects began to introduce students and artists to help make the village into a cultural attraction.
Today, you are able to walk through the village, admiring the colorful architecture, and even follow the brilliant Gamcheon Cultural Village Tourist Stamp Map, which is a trail that leads you to all of the main highlights in the area.
South Korea Itinerary: Seoul – Day 6-7
To round out your 1-week in South Korea, it is best to head back toward Seoul. This is the likely destination of your departing airport, and there are still a few crucial activities that you won’t have had time to complete at the beginning of your itinerary.
What to do in Seoul for your final few days in South Korea?
DMZ Tour
The Korean Demilitarised Zone, often shortened to DMZ, is one of the most intriguing, fascinating, and poignant places on the planet.
In terms of how to visit the Korean DMZ, it is a simple day trip from Seoul, which is easiest when joining an organized tour. There are many tour operators that run day trips to the Korean DMZ from Seoul, but the best is from Klook.
One of the main highlights of a visit to the DMZ is the newly-refurbished Dora Observatory, where you are able to use the telescopes provided to peer into one of the most conservative and repressed regimes in the world – North Korea.
The Joint Security Area (JSA) is also a popular spot to visit in the DMZ, as you can actually step a few meters into North Korean territory while you visit.
*Worth noting: the JSA has been temporarily closed since 2021, and there is no official projection of when, or even if, it will reopen.
A trip to the DMZ is undoubtedly going to be one of the most abiding memories you will have of your week-long South Korea excursion.
N Seoul Tower
For your final stop during your 7 days in Korea, you should head south from Myeongdong towards Namsan Park.
The park is home to N Seoul Tower, an iconic feature on the Seoul skyline and one of the tallest structures in the country. It was originally built as a communication tower, but today it is one of the most popular tourist spots in Seoul.
You can hike up to the tower from the base of Namsan Tower, but for a more unique experience, you should catch the cable car that leaves from the cable car station on Hoehyeondong Street. The ride only takes around 3 minutes, but it provides excellent views all over Seoul and the surrounding mountains.
Tips for Visiting South Korea
Underneath you will find a few tips and tricks for making the most out of your week in South Korea.
Save money with a Korean Rail Pass
During your 1-week in South Korea, if you choose to use the train to get down to Busan or perhaps even a day trip to Gyeongju, then buying a Korean Rail Pass is going to save you a lot of time and money.
The rail pass can be bought for 2/3/4/5 days and can be non-consecutively – for example, you could buy the 2-day pass on Monday and travel down to Busan, and then use the same flexible pass on your return leg to Seoul on a Thursday.
Apps to Download before you arrive in Korea
Here’s a quick rundown of some apps that are going to come in handy when you visit South Korea:
- Naver Map – Google maps doesn’t function well in South Korea, so Naver Map is the best alternative
- KakaoTalk – a messaging app used in Korea that is similar to Whatsapp
- KakaoMap – handy alternative to Naver Map
- Google Translate – the ‘take a photo’ feature is great for translating menus and signs
- Subway Korea – useful for navigating the subway system in the capital
Buy a SIM Card at the Airport
Having a Korean SIM Card is going to prove very handy for traveling in South Korea – you will be able to use your phone to translate signs and use Naver Map to navigate around the country.
Buying a SIM Card at Seoul Incheon Airport is likely your best bet to get a SIM Card as Incheon is the country’s busiest and most well-connected airport. Most visitors to South Korea often transit through Seoul Incheon Airport.
Learn Important Customs and Traditions before you arrive in Korea
There are a few traditions and customs that you need to learn before arriving in South Korea – you want to do your best to not offend anybody while you’re visiting the country. Here are some of the main customs to be aware of:
- Always receive things using 2 hands
- Don’t pour your own drink at a table
- Make sure nobody’s drink gets down to being empty
- Take your shoes off when inside homes/bedrooms (slippers are always provided in hotels/hostels/guesthouses)
Frequently Asked Questions about South Korea Travel
Is 1-week enough in South Korea?
1-week in South Korea is the perfect amount of time to experience the highlights of Seoul while also being able to take in another part of the country, like Busan, in this itinerary.
Is it safe to visit South Korea?
South Korea has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, comparable to many major countries in Europe, so it is a very safe place to visit.
As with traveling to any country, however, it is best to observe general travel safety precautions when in Korea – don’t go out by yourself late at night, stay in well-crowded areas, etc.
What’s the best time to visit South Korea?
Here’s a quick rundown of the best times of year to visit South Korea:
- Best time to see Autumn Colours – October/November
- Best time to witness snow – January/February
- Best months to see the famous Cherry Blossoms – March/April
Is South Korea an expensive place to visit?
In general, South Korea can be as expensive or as budget-friendly as you prefer. If you choose to eat at high-end restaurants every night and get taxis all over Seoul, then it’s likely your trip is going to be pretty expensive.
If you opt to eat street food from the markets and utilize Seoul’s amazing subway system, then you can easily keep the costs down for a trip to South Korea.
South Korea is one of the most dynamic and unique countries in the world, and hopefully, this 1-week South Korea itinerary has provided you with the tools to go and explore everything the Korean peninsula has to offer.
