3 Days in Seoul: A First-Timer Itinerary That Doesn't Zigzag Across the City
A simple 3 day Seoul itinerary for your first trip, one area per day, with the subway stop for each part, where to eat, and the Korean to say along the way.
The biggest mistake I see on first trips to Seoul is zigzagging. A palace in the north in the morning, Gangnam in the south for lunch, back up to Hongdae for dinner. Seoul is huge, and you end up spending half the day on the subway.
So this plan does one area per day. Every stop is a short walk or one or two subway stops from the last one. It's the same plan I give friends who ask me where to start.
Before you start
- Get a T-money card at the airport convenience store. It works on every subway and bus below. (Here's how it works.)
- Check the day. Gyeongbokgung Palace is closed on Tuesdays. If Day 1 falls on a Tuesday, swap Day 1 and Day 2.
- Stay central. Anywhere near Jongno, Myeongdong or Hongdae makes all three days easy. (How to book a place to stay)
Day 1: Palaces and old Seoul
| Time | Where | Get off at |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | 경복궁 Gyeongbokgung Palace | Gyeongbokgung Stn (Line 3), Exit 5 |
| 12:00 | 북촌한옥마을 Bukchon Hanok Village | walk 15 min east |
| 13:30 | 인사동 Insadong, lunch and tea | walk 10 min south |
| 15:30 | 익선동 Ikseon-dong hanok cafes | walk 10 min east |
| 18:00 | 광장시장 Gwangjang Market dinner | Jongno 5-ga Stn (Line 1) |
Get to the palace before the 10:00 guard ceremony at the main gate. If you rent a hanbok nearby, entry is free.
Insadong is a good place to buy your first ticket, snack or souvenir in Korean. At any ticket window, this one sentence works:
입장권 한 장 주세요.
ip-jang-gwon han jang ju-se-yo "One ticket, please."
For two people, change 한 장 to 두 장 (du jang).
End the day at Gwangjang Market with 빈대떡 (bin-dae-tteok), a crispy mung bean pancake. Point at what you want and say:
이거 하나 주세요.
i-geo ha-na ju-se-yo "One of these, please."
Day 2: Markets, Myeongdong and the tower
| Time | Where | Get off at |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | 남대문시장 Namdaemun Market | Hoehyeon Stn (Line 4), Exit 5 |
| 12:30 | 명동 Myeongdong, lunch and skincare shopping | Myeongdong Stn (Line 4), Exit 6 |
| 16:30 | 남산서울타워 N Seoul Tower | cable car from Myeongdong |
| 19:00 | Myeongdong street food | back down the hill |
Namdaemun and Myeongdong are side by side, so this is an easy walking day. Go up the tower about an hour before sunset. You'll see the city in daylight, at sunset and lit up at night without having to come back.
Day 3: Young Seoul and the Han River
| Time | Where | Get off at |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 | 성수동 Seongsu-dong cafes and pop-ups | Seongsu Stn (Line 2), Exit 3 |
| 13:00 | 서울숲 Seoul Forest picnic | walk 15 min, or Seoul Forest Stn |
| 15:30 | 홍대 Hongdae and 연남동 Yeonnam-dong | Hongik Univ. Stn (Line 2), Exit 3 or 9 |
| 19:30 | 한강공원 Han River park, ramyeon at sunset | Mangwon or Yeouinaru Stn |
Seongsu to Hongdae is one long ride on Line 2, the green circle line, with no transfer. (Here's how to read the signs when you get off.)
Finish where Seoul people finish a nice day: at the river. Buy instant ramyeon at the convenience store in the park and cook it in their machine. (What the cashier will ask you)
Too tired for the subway back? Take a taxi, and when you're close, say:
여기서 내려 주세요.
yeo-gi-seo nae-ryeo ju-se-yo "Please let me off here."
What about dinner?
Day 1 is the market. On Day 2 or Day 3, do Korean BBQ at least once. It's the meal people talk about after the trip. (How to order it)
Have more than 3 days?
Add a Gangnam day (Bongeunsa Temple, Starfield Library, Lotte World Tower) and a day trip out of the city. I put both into my printable Seoul guide, along with 30 places, the nearest station and exit for each one, and the Korean to say at every stop. Print it, fold it in your bag, and you never need to look up the plan again.
Printable on Etsy
Printable Seoul Travel Guide
All 30 places with the nearest station and exit, 3 and 5 day itineraries, 6 day trips and the Korean to say at each stop. 10 pages, A4 and US Letter.
Get the printable guideMini quiz
1. Day 1 falls on a Tuesday. What do you do?
Swap Day 1 and Day 2. Gyeongbokgung is closed on Tuesdays.
2. You want two tickets. What do you say?
입장권 두 장 주세요 (ip-jang-gwon du jang ju-se-yo).
3. Your taxi is almost there. How do you ask to get out?
여기서 내려 주세요 (yeo-gi-seo nae-ryeo ju-se-yo).
Want more ideas for each area? Here are the 15 places I send every first-timer.
Free download
The Seoul Cheat Sheet
Ten signs, eight cafe words and six travel phrases on two printable pages. Tell me where to send it.
From the author
Learn to Read Korean in 7 Days
A printable, step-by-step workbook that takes you from your very first letter to reading a real cafe menu and Seoul signs. Numbered stroke order, a memory trick for every letter, and real words from Day 1.
See the workbookEmma is a Korean-American who grew up in the US and now lives in Seoul. A marketer by trade, she spent years guiding first-time visitors around Korea and teaching them to read Hangul.