2 days in Seoul

Day by day

1. Day 1: Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwangjang Market

   Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwangjang Market, Changdeokgung and the Secret Garden and Bukchon Hanok Village, then N Seoul Tower and Namsan in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Gyeongbokgung Palace

      The changing of the guard ceremony is held at the gate.

   2. Late morning

      Gwangjang Market

      Upstairs and around the edges, traders sell silk, linen and vintage clothes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Korean barbecue

      Barbecue restaurants in every district; Mapo and Sinchon are known for pork, and the alleys behind Jongno 3-ga for inexpensive grills.

   4. Afternoon

      Changdeokgung and the Secret Garden

      Behind it, the Secret Garden (Huwon) of ponds, pavilions and old trees can only be seen on a guided tour.

   5. Late afternoon

      Bukchon Hanok Village

      Viewpoints on Bukchon-ro 11-gil look over the rooftops to the city towers.

   6. Evening

      N Seoul Tower and Namsan

      Walk up through Namsan Park from Myeongdong in about 40 minutes, and stay for the city lights after sunset.

2. Day 2: Insadong and Ssamziegil and Myeongdong

   Insadong and Ssamziegil, Myeongdong, Dongdaemun Design Plaza and National Museum of Korea, then Lotte World Tower and Seoul Sky in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Insadong and Ssamziegil

      The spiral Ssamziegil complex climbs four floors of craft shops around a courtyard. Side alleys hide traditional tea houses serving jujube and quince teas.

   2. Late morning

      Myeongdong

      The neo-Gothic Myeongdong Cathedral, completed in 1898, stands at the top of the hill.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bibimbap

      Casual restaurants across Insadong and Jongno; vegetarian versions are easy to request.

   4. Afternoon

      Dongdaemun Design Plaza

      The surrounding wholesale fashion malls trade late into the night.

   5. Late afternoon

      National Museum of Korea

      The permanent galleries are free, and a children's museum is attached.

   6. Evening

      Lotte World Tower and Seoul Sky

      Clear autumn and winter days give the longest views; check the visibility forecast before buying tickets.

Before you go

• Changdeokgung and the Secret Garden: Secret Garden tours have limited places; reserve online in advance, especially in spring and autumn.

If it rains

• Swap in War Memorial of Korea (Yongsan): Combine it with the National Museum of Korea, about 15 minutes away by subway or taxi.
• Swap in Lotte World (Jamsil): Weekday mornings outside school holidays have the shortest queues.
• Swap in Starfield Library at COEX (Gangnam): Visit Bongeunsa afterwards for the contrast of a Buddhist temple facing the Gangnam towers.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–22 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.6 hours in December to 14.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Trains run from about 5:30am to around midnight and are frequent, clean and inexpensive, with distance-based fares and free transfers to buses.

More or fewer days

• One day in Seoul
• 3 days in Seoul
• 4 days in Seoul
• 5 days in Seoul
• 7 days in Seoul

Questions travellers ask