Seoul, South KoreaBy ArrivLast checked
Plan a trip to Seoul
Palaces on one side of the river, glass towers on the other, and food at every hour. Eat late. It is one of the easiest big cities to navigate as a visitor, partly because the subway is signposted in English and partly because nothing is far.
- Food trips
- First-timers
- Weekend getaways
- Nightlife
Free to run, and you keep editing after. Add who's coming or a pace like “slow mornings” to shape the result.
Seoul at a glance
Two things decide a Seoul trip: the month you go and where you sleep. Both are covered below, along with the four stops worth planning a day around and the way to get between them once you are there. Budget 4 to 6 days, and then move any of it around on the map.
- How long
- 4–6 days
- When to go
- April to early June, then September to November, which is when it is mild and clear. Summer is hot and brings a July monsoon, while winter is cold and dry. Fine spring dust can push air quality down for days at a stretch.
- Getting around
- The subway is signposted in English, cheap, and reaches everywhere worth reaching, and the AREX train links Incheon airport to Seoul Station in under an hour. Get a T-money card at the machine when you arrive.
What to build the plan around
- 1
Gyeongbokgung Palace
The main Joseon palace, with a guard-changing ceremony, and entry is free if you wear hanbok, which plenty of people do.
- 2
Bukchon Hanok Village
Traditional houses on a hillside next to the palace, and because people live there, keep your voice down.
- 3
Gwangjang Market
The best street food in the city, especially the bindaetteok and mayak gimbap stalls, which are the two to queue for.
- 4
Bukhansan National Park
Granite peaks inside the city limits, reachable by subway in under an hour, which is a sentence you cannot write about many capitals.
Where to stay in Seoul
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- Myeongdong
- Central and convenient, heavy on shopping, and the easiest base if you have not been here before. Browse stays in Myeongdong
- Hongdae
- The student district and the cheapest of the three, with the best live music and late food once the bars fill. Browse stays in Hongdae
- Itaewon / Hannam
- The most international dining and the closest to the museum, though the quieter streets are the ones uphill. Browse stays in Itaewon / Hannam
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Itineraries close to Seoul
Seoul has no itinerary of its own yet. These are the nearest ones, and every stop is already mapped.
Seoul planning questions
- How many days do you need in Seoul?
- 4 to 6 days is the usual answer, and the low end works only if you skip one of the four stops. Four days covers the palaces, two markets, and both sides of the river. Six adds the DMZ, which runs as a half or full day tour and has to be booked ahead, plus a morning up in Bukhansan.
- What is the best time to visit Seoul?
- April to early June, then September to November, which is when it is mild and clear. Summer is hot and brings a July monsoon, while winter is cold and dry. Fine spring dust can push air quality down for days at a stretch.
- Where should I stay in Seoul?
- Depends what you want to be able to reach on foot. Myeongdong: Central and convenient, heavy on shopping, and the easiest base if you have not been here before. Hongdae: The student district and the cheapest of the three, with the best live music and late food once the bars fill. Itaewon / Hannam: The most international dining and the closest to the museum, though the quieter streets are the ones uphill. Nightly rate and walking distance pull against each other in all three, so you have to pick the version of that trade you mind least.
- How do you get around Seoul?
- The subway is signposted in English, cheap, and reaches everywhere worth reaching, and the AREX train links Incheon airport to Seoul Station in under an hour. Get a T-money card at the machine when you arrive.
- What should I see first in Seoul?
- The first thing to slot in is Gyeongbokgung Palace, because once you have given it a morning the rest arranges itself around that. The main Joseon palace, with a guard-changing ceremony, and entry is free if you wear hanbok, which plenty of people do. After that, Bukchon Hanok Village, then Gwangjang Market, though the order between those two barely matters.
- Can I build a Seoul itinerary automatically?
- Yes. Arriv takes the trip length, the pace you want, and the size of the group, then returns a mapped Seoul itinerary built from venues that exist. Editing it is the point, so nothing it hands you is fixed, and you sign in only when you want to save or share.