South Korea Itinerary: 10 Days in the Land of the Morning Calm
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While it’s no secret that my time living in South Korea has been full of ups and downs and it’s hard for me to break away and look at the bigger picture, I’ve recently been getting lots of instagram comments and DMs raving about the pictures I’ve posted and asking for recommendations of what to do when they come visit! It always comes as a surprise, because social media is always a highlight reel and I get so stuck in the little (and not so little) inconveniences that come with being an expat that I sometimes forget what an amazing place South Korea is to visit! And when I take a step back and look at all the experiences I’ve had in this country, it’s apparent that South Korea has so much to offer and there are so many unique experiences to be had here. I only have a few weeks left here which has got me thinking about all the thing’s I’ll miss about living here and all the things I haven’t done yet, and I’ve found myself hoping that all my friends back home get to experience South Korea at least once in their lives.
So I thought: if someone was blessed enough to be able to come here on vacation or holiday, what would I recommend for their South Korea Itinerary if they only had 10 days here? Because not everyone will be able to experience life here, and honestly, I think I would’ve left with much fonder feelings towards this country if I had come here for pleasure and not for work.
For a South Korea Itinerary 10 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in this country, and there are so many ways you can tweak this travel guide to have it suit your interests. Korea is a very small country, so you can pack in a lot!
When to visit South Korea
As always, timing your visit is very important when it comes to planning your 10 day South Korea itinerary. If you visit in first two weeks of April, your chances of catching Sakura Season is very high, as that is when cherry blossoms tend to bloom! As long as there isn’t heavy rain or a random snowfall, the cherry blossoms usually come around the same time each year. They do unfortunately bloom in Busan before they bloom in Seoul, but if you come during one of these weeks I think you have some pretty high chances of having these stunning pink flowers in each city!
Additionally, if the first two weeks of April don’t work for you, I would recommend coming in the last week of october or the first two weeks of November! This is when the fall foliage erupts all over South Korea, and the gingko trees that line the streets turn bright yellow. Seeing all the different traditional palaces and historic South Korean architecture amid all the stunning colors is truly unmatched, and I might even say that I prefer these colors to those of the cherry blossoms. DON’T COME FOR ME.
eSim for South Korea
Getting data in South Korea truly couldn’t be any easier - you don’t even have to take your current sim card out of your phone! My go-to way to get data and cell service in a foreign country is to use an eSim. I’ve used tons of different ones, sent lots of emails back with lots of different companies customer service people, and had a lot of bad experiences with eSims, that is, until I found Airalo. This is the most foolproof way to use your phone in a foreign country! You simply buy a plan, scan the qr code, turn on data roaming, and you’re all set. It’s so easy that even after living here a year that’s still what I use!
***** make sure your phone is not locked to a carrier before you buy an eSim! That’s the only bad thing about eSims, is that you have to have an unlocked phone.
South Korea itinerary 10 days
Days 1-5: Seoul
I would recommend spending your first day (the day you arrive into South Korea), and 3 other full days in Seoul, so that you can experience everything you want to see. Within these three days, I recommend splitting your activities up by proximity.
On your first of 10 days in South Korea, you’ll probably fly in from Incheon airport. There’s an airport train that will take you to all the way from either terminal in the airport to Seoul Station, where you can hop on the super easy to navigate metro. To ensure a smooth metro ride, be sure to download KakaoMetro (an app that makes subway travel so easy) and be sure to bring some cash in advance! You can buy metro tickets at the kiosks, but most times they only accept cash. A metro ticket costs less than 2,000 won (less than $1.50) so it’s super inexpensive.
I would recommend staying near Myeongdong in Seoul for multiple reasons. #1, it’s only one stop away from Seoul Station, which makes the initial journey to your hotel super simple, and it also makes the journey to the airport or the KTX station just as easy. It’s always annoying when you have to account for travel time to the train station or the airport, and then take that travel time into account.
Myeongdong is also super centrally located, which makes splitting up your Seoul itinerary into sections divided by parts of the city super simple! You can easily reach all sides of the city, whereas if you stay in a popular neighborhood such as Hongdae, you’ll have to commute 45 minutes to an hour to get to Gangnam or Itaewon. Myeongdong is also known for it’s shopping and night markets, so overall 10/10.
Day 1
For Day 1, I recommend starting your day at one of Seoul’s most instagrammable cafes - Cafe Onion. This cafe is set in a traditional Hanok style house, and it is one of my favorite cafes in all of Seoul. It’s also a little foreshadowing for the rest of the day! From Cafe Onion, head to the Bukchon Hanok Village: a secluded little corner of Seoul that the modern developers have yet to touch. It’s absolutely stunning to wander around, get lost, and drink some tea from the roof of a tea shop.
After you get your fill of the cute little Hanoks, I would suggest touring some palaces. There are 5 in total, and they are all pretty close to each other! Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most popular, and Changdeokgung is another good one, especially if you visit in the fall, as there is a secret garden that is absolutely stunning when draped with all the colors of Autumn. The entrance to the palaces is super cheap, but one thing to note is that the only way to see the secret gardens of Changdeokgung is by booking a tour!
One way to get around the entrance fees to the palaces, however, is by renting a Hanbok! A Hanbok is the traditional Korean clothing, and there are plenty of places that you can drop in to choose your skirt and top combo. This experience is literally less than 15 USD for a few hours, makes your pictures even more stunning, and is a beautiful way to honor South Korean Culture.
Take the cable car up to Namsan tower for sunset, and head back to the hotel.
Read More: Things to do in Seoul
Day 2
For day 2, I suggest heading to the east side of the city and exploring Itaewon and Gangam. There are so many things to do over on this side of the city, such as the iconic Starfield library in the Co-ex Mall, Going up in the Lotte world tower, and visiting some cool museums in Itaewon (be sure to buy tickets in advance!)
As always, there are tons of instagrammable cafes sprinkled everywhere for you to rest your feet and fuel up on some coffee! Grab some Korean Barbecue for dinner, and call it a day.
Day 3
For day 3 of this 10 day South Korea Itinerary, we’re heading to Hongdae, which is on the west side of the city. This is a super hip area, popular with the younger crowd, and they have excellent brunch spots as well as some of the most photogenic cafes in all of Korea. Today, you’ll be cafe hopping like a true South Korean! Start at the pink pool cafe, then head to the 2D cafe, and end the day at the Harry Potter cafe if that’s something you’re interested in! You can always sub in some cafes that have piqued your interest, such as the poop cafe or the cave cafe.
South Korea loves it’s themed cafes!
We spent this day taking pictures, ordering teas instead of coffees so we didn’t overdose on caffeine, and just having a fun time enjoying how extra this country is.
Day 4
I saved the best for your last day in Seoul! You can’t leave Seoul without visiting Ikseong-dong. It’s not mentioned in many articles that talk about things to do in Seoul, but it ended up being my absolute favorite thing to do in Seoul. You can easily spend half of a day wandering through the cute Hanok streets, dropping into little boutiques, resting in cafes, and eating your heart out.
The very best food I’ve had in my entire year of living in Korea was in Ikseong-dong, at a very popular shabu-shabu place called Oncheonjib. We also got some souffle pancakes here for the first time at a cute little shop called Flippers, and it effectively ruined us, as no souffle pancakes that we’ve had since have managed to live up to those first ones we ate. There is something to see around every twist and turn of this little corner of the city, and you just have to see it for yourself.
Day 5
For day 5, you should get out of the city and take a day trip! One that I’m dying to do but haven’t done yet is to take a tour to the DMZ. There are half day tours and full day tours that you can take for pretty inexpensive. I’ve heard really good things about the tours, and even if you’re not a history buff, it’s definitely a flex to say that you set foot in North Korea, even if it is just in the corner of a conference room that’s split down the middle.
Some other day trips you could consider taking would be Everland, Lotteworld, Jeonju, Nami Island, or Seoraksan National Park! if this doesn’t suit your fancy, there are always more things to do in Seoul. You could go have a picnic by the Han river or have an experience such as visiting a traditional Korean Bathhouse.
Days 6-10: Busan
On day 6 of this 10 day South Korea Itinerary, head to Seoul Station, which is only one metro stop away if you end up staying in Myeongdong! Grab a KTX ticket that will take you to Busan. Trains to Busan typically take 2 hours and 45 minutes, but the KTX station in Busan is located far from where you would ideally want to stay. Once you arrive, grab a taxi to your hotel in Busan!
Where to stay in Busan
In my opinion, the best place to stay in Busan is by Gwangalli Beach. All the attractions in Busan are pretty spread out, and staying in Gwangan will put you right in the center of all the action. It’s not too far from one side of the city or the other, you’re right on the beach, you have lots of fun restaurants, bars, and brunch places all within walking distance, and you’re not too far from the parties!
A lot of people tend to stay in Haeundae on their first visit to Busan, but in reality there aren’t too many good restaurants or bars in this area, and it’s super far from a lot of the best places in the city! Try to Stay in Gwangan. Here’s my favorite place to stay in Gwangan!
You’ll stay in Busan for 3 days, and then depending on the season you choose to visit, take a day trip!
( Hotel photos below from Hotel1
Day 6
On day six, take the KTX to Busan, and then a cab to your hotel, and get settled in! This will be a super chill day, and you can explore the area you’re staying in! If you’re staying closer to Busan station, maybe go see Busan Tower. If you’re staying by the beach, take a little walk! Museum DAH is something you could do that doesn’t take much time and isn’t too far out of the way. Grab some Korean dinner and just relax.
Read More: Best things to do in Busan
Day 7
On day 7, head over to the Gamcheon Cultural village! It is quite the trek to get there, involving multiple metro transfers and a bus, but public transportation in Korea is super simple so don’t be worried. You can read all about how to visit Gamcheon Cultural Village in my guide here!
Read More: How to visit Gamcheon Cultural Village
After you’ve completed the loop around the village, head back down the hill in a bus, and you can walk to Nampo. Nampo is famous for it’s markets, and you can find dupes for any designer item here LOL. You can get some really authentic street food, browse the shops, find some shirts with silly Kanglish phrases on them, and it’s overall just a really fun experience to have before heading all the way back to the main part of the city.
Alternatively, you could go visit Busan Tower if you haven’t already! It’s also on this side of the city, and has a really beautiful park to walk around in, especially if you visit during the fall.
Day 8
On day 8, you could do a few things. If you chose to plan your 10 days in South Korea itinerary around the cherry blossoms, there’s no way you can miss visiting Jinhae. There are tons of tour busses that will take you directly there for a full day, and it is, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in South Korea.
I would absolutely spend an entire day out of your 10 day South Korea itinerary to see this incredible sight; it really is worth planning your entire trip around.
You can read all about my experience at the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival HERE!
Day 9
As your last day in Busan, I recommend that you head over to the east side of the city, towards the Haeundae area. This beach is one of the best in Korea, and I’ve always loved seeing the contrast of the beach with the ocean and the towering skyscrapers that are so close to the beach it looks like they’re on the sand. If you come in the summer, feel free to just lounge on the beach! If you come when it’s colder, make sure to bundle up, as taking a walk along the beach and sitting in the sand is just almost fun, because the beach is so beautiful.
From here, you can get a very cheap taxi to the most famous temple in Korea: Haedong Yonggungsa. It’s also nicknamed “The Temple By the Sea”, and it’s one of the best things to do in Busan! It takes about an hour to explore, and you can even grab some street food there and have a nice little lunch at the temple.
Additionally, if you have an opening in your afternoon, consider spending it at one of Busans many instagrammable cafes, as some of them rival Seoul’s! And you can never have too much coffee😉
Read more: The Best Cafes in Busan
That’s all for this South Korea Itinerary - 10 perfect days in the Land of the Morning Calm!
Korea is such a beautiful country, and I can only hope that everyone get’s to experience it once in their lives. The food, all the little cultural quirks like the aesthetic cafes and the convenience stores, the traditional architecture mixed in with the modern city… There’s nothing quite like it!
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My last roundup post while still living in Korea! Catch up on what I’ve gotten up to this summer: