seoul in 5 days, 4 nights
Myeongdong on arrival, palaces and Bukchon in hanbok, a day of cafés in Seongsu and Hongdae, Namsan and Itaewon with fried chicken by the Han River, and a last morning before the flight home.
Day 1 Arrive and Myeongdong
- Morning
- Fly from KL to Incheon, about 6.5 hours; Korea is an hour ahead of Malaysia.
- Afternoon
- Take the AREX train to Seoul Station, about an hour, and check in.
- Evening
- Myeongdong, two stops from Seoul Station, for street food and K-beauty shops. Start with tteokbokki, chewy rice cakes in sweet, spicy chilli sauce.
Day 2 Palaces and hanok
- Morning
- Rent a hanbok near Gyeongbokgung, the grandest of the Joseon palaces. Wearing one gets you in without a ticket.
- Lunch
- Lunch near the palace.
- Afternoon
- Walk up to Bukchon Hanok Village, the hillside lanes of tiled-roof houses between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. People live here, so keep your voice down.
- Evening
- Gwangjang Market, a short taxi or subway ride away, for bindaetteok, crispy mung bean pancakes fried fresh at the long counters.
Day 3 Seongsu and Hongdae
- Morning
- Take Line 2 to Seongsu for café hopping and indie shops.
- Lunch
- Lunch in Seongsu.
- Afternoon
- Ride Line 2 across the city to Hongdae, about 40 minutes, for more shops and cafés.
- Evening
- Watch the buskers in Hongdae, then Korean BBQ: pork belly or marinated beef grilled at your table, wrapped in lettuce with garlic and ssamjang.
Day 4 Namsan, Itaewon and the Han River
- Morning
- Take the cable car up Namsan to N Seoul Tower for the view over the city.
- Lunch
- A short taxi ride down to Itaewon, where the streets around the Seoul Central Mosque have the city's widest choice of halal food.
- Afternoon
- Back to the hotel to rest, or finish the shopping.
- Evening
- Have Korean fried chicken delivered to a Han River park, such as Yeouido, and eat by the water. It's the classic Seoul evening.
Day 5 Home
- Morning
- A last breakfast and some K-beauty shopping near the hotel.
- Lunch
- An early lunch.
- Afternoon
- AREX back to Incheon, about an hour, and fly home.
Good to know
- Malaysians have needed a K-ETA, Korea's online travel authorisation, in recent years. Check the current rules and apply on the official site well before you fly.
- Get a T-money card for the subway and buses, and use Naver Map or KakaoMap. Google Maps directions are limited in Korea.
- For halal food on any day, Itaewon is the easiest place to head.