5 Days in Seoul: A Relaxed Itinerary for First-Timers

Five days is a lovely amount of time in Seoul: enough for the famous sights, the neighbourhoods locals actually hang out in, an evening by the river and a day out of the city, without rushing. This plan builds on our 3 days in Seoul plan and adds two more days. Each day stays in one part of the city, so you spend your time looking around rather than changing trains.

Before you start

• Closing days: Gyeongbokgung Palace closes on Tuesdays and Changdeokgung on Mondays, so swap days around if needed.
• Get a transit card on arrival. See our transit card guide.
• Use a Korean map app. See Naver Map vs Google Maps.
• Where to stay: central areas such as Myeongdong, Jongno or City Hall work best. See our Seoul neighbourhoods guide.

Day 1: palaces, hanok lanes and the stream

Start early at Gyeongbokgung Palace and see the changing of the guard at Gwanghwamun Gate. Walk to the hanok lanes of Bukchon and the cafés of Anguk, browse Insadong's craft shops and tea houses, and finish with an evening walk along Cheonggyecheon stream. Hanbok wearers get free palace entry, and there are rental shops near the station.

Day 2: markets, Myeongdong and Namsan

Have breakfast at Gwangjang Market (try bindaetteok, mung bean pancakes), spend the afternoon in Myeongdong's shops and street food stalls, and go up to N Seoul Tower for sunset. See our street food guide and tax refund guide.

Day 3: Hongdae, Yeonnam-dong and the Han River

Spend the afternoon in the west of the city. Yeonnam-dong has relaxed cafés and a long park on an old railway line, and Hongdae next door is Seoul's university area, with street performers, shops and nightlife. Before dinner, head to the Han River: Mangwon or Yeouido Hangang Park are easy to reach, and Yeouido has river cruises after dark. Order fried chicken to the riverbank like locals do; see our food delivery guide.

Day 4: Seongsu, Gangnam and Jamsil

See modern Seoul. Start in Seongsu-dong, an old factory district turned into cafés, concept stores and pop-ups, with Seoul Forest park nearby. Cross the river to Gangnam for the COEX mall and its giant library, then end the day in Jamsil at Lotte World Tower, where the Seoul Sky observatory has one of the city's best night views, and Seokchon Lake is lovely for a walk. See our Seoul night views guide.

Prefer something calmer? Swap Gangnam for Changdeokgung Palace and its Secret Garden (by guided tour, book ahead), and finish the day in a Korean bathhouse; see our bathhouse guide.

Day 5: a day trip

Choose one:

• The DMZ: by organised tour only; bring your passport and book ahead.
• Suwon: walk Hwaseong Fortress, about an hour away by subway or train, and finish with fried chicken near the market.
• Nami Island: river island walks, best in autumn.
• Incheon: Chinatown and Songdo, handy if you are flying out the next day.

Our day trips from Seoul guide covers how to get to each.

Getting around

The subway reaches every stop on this plan, and transfers between subway and bus are discounted with a transit card. Taxis are good value late at night or for short hops; see our Kakao T taxi guide and Seoul subway guide.

Tips for five days in Seoul

• Do the busiest sights early and keep evenings for markets, the river and night views.
• Book ahead for the DMZ tour, the Secret Garden tour and observatories at sunset.
• Leave some time free. Seoul is best enjoyed with a few unplanned hours for cafés and wandering.
• Want to see more of Korea? See our 7 days in Korea plan.

Related guides

3 Days in Jeju: An Island Itinerary for First-Timers3 Days in Seoul: A First-Timer's Itinerary7 Days in Korea: A First-Timer's Itinerary (Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan)