Seoul is the beautiful capital of South Korea. When I was planning my Seoul trip, I was a little taken aback by the numerous attractions here. Therefore, I decided to create this clear and concise Seven-Day Itinerary to help other travelers plan their trip. As usual, please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below!
Day 1 – Samcheong-dong, Insa-dong, Namdaemun
Samcheong-dong
Insa-dong
We started our first day in Seoul at Samcheong-dong, an area that is famous for its eclectic mix of majestic palaces, artisan cafes, art galleries, and Korean traditional houses.
Read more: 5 Things to Do in Samcheong-dong
Afterwards, we made our way to Insa-dong, an area with many Korean art galleries showcasing traditional Korean art. There are also many charming teahouses, restaurants, and fashion shops here.
Read more: 4 Things to Do in Insa-dong
Finally, we went to Namdaemun Market, which has over a thousand shops selling a huge variety of items such as clothes, art, ginseng, fishing equipment, etc. Over here, wholesalers sell from 12am to 6am, while retailers operate from 7am to 5pm. The famous Shinsegae Department Store is located nearby. In the large department store you will find luxury boutique shops (Ferragamo, Hermes, etc), a classy Food Market, and a large Food Court. The mall opens from 10.30am to 8pm.
Day 2 – Nami Island, Myeongdong
Nami Island
Myeongdong
Nami Island is where the classic Korean drama “Winter Sonata” was filmed. Other than the Winter Sonata tributes around the island, we also loved this picturesque island for its lush green fields and majestic redwood trees.
Read more:
How to Get to Nami Island and back to Seoul
8 Things to do on Nami Island
Afterwards, we made our way to the vibrant enclave of Myeongdong, famous for being a food and shopping haven. I am seriously missing all the good food we ate here!
Read more: 6 Things to Eat in Myeongdong
Day 3 – National Museum of Korea, Itaewon, Dongdaemun
National Museum of Seoul
Itaewon
Dongdaemun
We had an educational morning learning about the fascinating history of Korea at the National Museum of Seoul. This is the largest museum in South Korea and has many interesting exhibitions and well-preserved historical artifacts.
Afterwards, we went to Itaewon, a culturally diverse district with shops and restaurants from all over the world. The area developed as such because of the presence of American soldiers here during the Korean War. We also visited N Seoul Tower, where we got an awesome view of Seoul’s skyline.
Read more: 8 Things to Do in Itaewon
After dinner, it was time for shopping and we spent a few hours at Dongdaemun Market. This is a famous shopping district in Seoul with lots of large shopping malls. The malls open till very late, so it is very vibrant and lively at night.
Read more:
4 Things to Do at Dongdaemun
“Okrumong” – Authentic Korean Bingsu at Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Day 4 – University Quarter
Ewha Womans University
Caffe Bene
University Quarter consists of two main areas: Sinchon and Hongdae. We loved this area because there’s lots of good food and shopping places here. In addition, the prices are very affordable because the main consumers are the students from the various universities around. We spent an entire day here!
Read more:
6 Things to Do at University Quarter
5 Places to Eat at University Quarter
Day 5 – Gangnam
Gangnam is a prime estate district in Seoul where many wealthy South Koreans reside. It is the inspiration for the wildly-popular song by Psy: “Gangnam Style”. We spent a full day shopping and eating at this colourful district.
Read more:
5 Things to Do at Gangnam
8 Best Cafes in Garosugil
Day 6 –Yeouido Hangang Park, Gwangjang Market
Yeouido Hangang Park
Gwangjang Market
After breakfast, we headed to Yeouido Hangang Park, famous for its beautiful Cherry Blossoms. We were visiting in April so the gorgeous flowers were in full bloom.
Afterwards, we went to Gwangjang market. There are about 5000 shops here selling a variety of fabrics, Hanbok, clothes, shoes, bags and many more. However, our favourite section was the vibrant food market which had loads of stalls selling delicious Korean food.
Day 7 – Home!
We caught the early morning train to the airport and flew back to Singapore. And that’s the end of our Seoul seven-day itinerary! I hope you found it useful. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below.