Seoul in 3 Days: A First-Timer's Itinerary (with Opening Hours)

The plan at a glance

Day	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
1. Old Seoul	Gyeongbokgung Palace	Bukchon Hanok Village → Insadong	Dinner at Gwangjang Market
2. Downtown & views	Myeongdong	N Seoul Tower	Dongdaemun Design Plaza
3. Young Seoul	Seoul Forest → Seongsu cafés	Hongdae	Sunset at Mangwon Hangang Park

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Day 1: Palaces and old Seoul

Everything today is within walking distance, except the last short subway ride to dinner.

Gyeongbokgung Palace (morning)

• Getting there: Line 3 Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5, or Line 5 Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 2.
• Hours: 09:00–18:00 in spring and autumn, until 18:30 in summer, until 17:00 in winter. Last entry is one hour before closing. Closed on Tuesdays.
• Tickets: ₩3,000 for adults. Free if you wear hanbok, which is why you’ll see so many rental shops nearby.
• Changing of the guard: usually at 10:00 and 14:00 by Heungnyemun Gate. It can be cancelled in rain or extreme heat, so check on the day.
• Free English tours: at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:30 (not on Tuesdays).

Bukchon Hanok Village (early afternoon)

Walk east from the palace through the hilly lanes of traditional hanok houses.

• In the core area (the “red zone”), tourists may only visit from 10:00 to 17:00. Outside those hours you can be fined ₩100,000.
• People live here. Keep your voice down, don’t photograph inside homes, and keep groups small.
• Nearest station: Line 3 Anguk, Exit 3.

Insadong (afternoon)

A street of teahouses, galleries and craft shops, 10–15 minutes’ walk south of Bukchon. A good place for a tea break and souvenirs.

Gwangjang Market (dinner)

Take the subway to Jongno 5-ga Station (Line 1), Exit 8, right by the market.

• The food alley is open 09:00–23:00 every day. The rest of the market closes at 18:00 and doesn’t open on Sundays.
• Try bindae-tteok (mung bean pancakes), mayak gimbap and yukhoe.
• It gets very crowded, so mind your bag.

Day 2: Downtown and city views

Myeongdong (morning)

Seoul’s best-known shopping district, packed with cosmetics shops and, from the afternoon, street food stalls. Line 4 Myeongdong Station.

N Seoul Tower (afternoon to sunset)

• Getting up:
  • The Namsan Cable Car runs 10:00–23:00 and costs ₩15,000 round trip or ₩12,000 one way.
  • Or take Namsan Circular Bus 01 from Chungmuro Station (Exit 2) or Dongdaemun Station (Exit 6).
• Observatory: 10:00–22:30 on weekdays and until 23:00 on weekends. Tickets are ₩29,000 for adults. The lower floors and the Namsan grounds are free.
• Tip: go up before sunset and walk down through Namsan Park afterwards.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (evening)

Zaha Hadid’s curving landmark looks best after dark.

• Getting there: Bus 01 back down to Dongdaemun, or the subway to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Lines 2, 4 and 5), Exit 1.
• Hours: the indoor spaces are open roughly 10:00–20:00. The outside is free to walk around any time.
• Closed: New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and Chuseok. Some exhibitions charge admission.
• Look out for the seasonal Seoul Light projection show on the building.

Day 3: Seongsu, Hongdae and the Han River

Seoul Forest and Seongsu (morning)

• Start with a walk in Seoul Forest: open 24 hours and free. Get off at Seoul Forest Station (Suin-Bundang Line), Exits 3 or 4, or Ttukseom Station (Line 2), Exit 8.
• Then wander into Seongsu, a former shoe-factory district now full of cafés, design shops and pop-up stores (Seongsu Station, Line 2).

Hongdae (afternoon)

Seongsu and Hongik University Stations are both on Line 2, so it’s one direct ride across the city. Hongdae is known for buskers, indie music, street fashion and cafés. Weekends are liveliest.

Mangwon Hangang Park (sunset)

• The closest Han River park to Hongdae: about 20 minutes’ walk from Mangwon Station (Line 6), Exit 2.
• Open 24 hours and free, and usually less crowded than the bigger riverside parks.
• Pick up snacks or delivery food and watch the sun go down over the river.

Before you go

• Don’t do Day 1 on a Tuesday, when the palace is closed. If Day 1 is a Sunday, Gwangjang’s food alley is still open.
• Get a transit card first. You’ll take the subway several times a day. See transit cards compared.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Bukchon and Namsan are hilly.
• Not sure where to stay for this plan? Myeongdong or Jongno keeps Days 1 and 2 short. See where to stay in Seoul.