The Ultimate 7 Day Seoul Itinerary – Updated 2020

This is my Seoul seven days itinerary! When I was planning my Seoul trip, I was a little taken aback by the numerous attractions here. Therefore, I decided to create this itinerary to help other travelers plan their trip. This article was last updated on 02 May 2020.

Map of Seoul

Above is a simple map of Seoul to give you a rough idea of the various areas in Seoul.

Day 1: Samcheong-dong, Insa-dong, Namdaemun

On the first day, we checked into our pretty Airbnb near Seoul Station. If you are planning to stay at an Airbnb too, click here to get a $45 Airbnb coupon.

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.

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.

If you plan to stay in this area, you can consider staying at CenterMark Hotel, a decent hotel located near the popular attractions.

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.

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 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. Find out how you can get to 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!

If you want to stay in Myeongdong, I would highly recommend staying at the Aloft Seoul Myeongdong, a new and modern hotel located conveniently near Myeongdong shopping street.

Day 3: National Museum of Korea, 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.

A convenient hotel to stay at in this area is the Hamilton Hotel. It is located in an ideal location to enjoy the bars, clubs and eateries of 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.

Day 4: University Quarter

Ewha Womans University

Caffe Bene

University Quarter consists of two main areas: Sinchon and Hongdae. We loved this area because it is home to lots of good food and shopping places.

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!

If you love nightlife, you can consider staying at the Benikea Premier Marigold Hotel, located in the vibrant club district of Hongdae.

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”. The main popular areas are Sinsa-dong, Apgujeong-dong, and Cheongdam-dong.

In Sinsa-dong, we visited the beautiful Garosugil which is home to lots of awesome cafes.

If you love cafe-hopping, you may consider staying at Dormy Inn Premium Seoul Garosugil, a nice hotel conveniently located just minutes away from Garosugil.

If you like shopping, make sure you visit Apgujeong Rodeo Street and Cheongdam Fashion Street. You will find many foreign and luxury brands at these two shopping districts.

Day 6: 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 Express Train to Incheon airport and flew back to Singapore. And that’s the end of our Seoul seven-day itinerary!

Below is a timetable of our itinerary for your easy reference. You can also view it as a picture file or customise it by downloading the excel version.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Seoul Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?