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Seoul, South Korea · Free itinerary
3-Day Seoul Itinerary: Best Things to Do
Seoul is South Korea's dynamic capital where 600-year-old royal palaces and serene Buddhist temples sit beside neon shopping districts and the soaring Lotte World Tower. Three packed days take you from the Joseon-era heart of Jongno to the Namsan skyline and the glossy boutiques of Gangnam.
3 days 27 stops Seoul, South Korea
✅ Complete your trip to Seoul
Book the essentials and keep this itinerary handy on the road.
1 Royal Palaces, Bukchon & Insadong
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
🗺️ Day route — numbered stops in order (static map)
🍽️
Cafe Onion Anguk 🍴 Food
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
📍 Anguk (Jongno-gu), Seoul
1h 15m
Trendy bakery-cafe in a restored hanok serving pastries and coffee for an early start (opens 07:00 weekdays).
🚶
9:20 AM – 9:30 AM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.5 mi
· 10m
📍
Gyeongbokgung Palace 🏛️ Landmark
9:30 AM – 11:15 AM
📍 Sejongno (Jongno-gu), Seoul
1h 45m
Seoul's grandest Joseon-era royal palace, famous for its throne hall and changing-of-the-guard ceremony (closed Tuesdays).
🚶
11:25 AM – 11:30 AM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.2 mi
· 5m
📍
National Folk Museum of Korea 🖼️ Museum
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Sejongno (Jongno-gu), Seoul
1h
Free museum within the palace grounds tracing everyday Korean life through the centuries (closed Tuesdays).
🚶
12:34 PM – 12:45 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.5 mi
· 11m
🍽️
Tosokchon Samgyetang 🍴 Food
12:45 PM – 2:00 PM
📍 Sajik (Jongno-gu), Seoul
1h 15m
Beloved restaurant serving ginseng chicken soup (samgyetang) just west of the palace.
🚶
1:58 PM – 2:15 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.8 mi
· 17m
📍
Bukchon Hanok Village 🏛️ Landmark
2:15 PM – 3:35 PM
📍 Bukchon (Jongno-gu), Seoul
1h 20m
Hillside maze of preserved traditional hanok houses with classic palace-and-rooftop views.
🚶
3:37 PM – 3:45 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.4 mi
· 8m
📍
Changdeokgung Palace & Secret Garden 🏛️ Landmark
3:45 PM – 5:30 PM
📍 Waryong (Jongno-gu), Seoul
1h 45m
UNESCO-listed palace whose wooded Secret Garden, visited by timed guided tour, is one of Seoul's loveliest retreats (closed Mondays).
🚶
5:32 PM – 5:45 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.6 mi
· 13m
📍
Jogyesa Temple ⛪ Religious site
5:45 PM – 6:30 PM
📍 Gyeonji (Jongno-gu), Seoul
45m
The main temple of Korean Jogye Buddhism, lit with paper lanterns in the heart of the city.
🚶
6:40 PM – 6:45 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.2 mi
· 5m
📍
Insadong-gil & Ssamziegil 🛍️ Shopping
6:45 PM – 7:35 PM
📍 Insadong (Jongno-gu), Seoul
50m
Arts-and-crafts street lined with galleries, teahouses and the spiral Ssamziegil mall.
🚶
7:40 PM – 7:45 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.1 mi
· 5m
🍽️
Gaeseong Mandu Koong 🍴 Food
7:45 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Insadong (Jongno-gu), Seoul
1h 15m
Michelin Bib Gourmand hanok dumpling house famous for its Kaesong-style mandu.
2 Myeongdong, Namdaemun & Namsan
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
🗺️ Day route — numbered stops in order (static map)
🍽️
Hadongkwan 🍴 Food
8:00 AM – 9:10 AM
📍 Myeongdong (Jung-gu), Seoul
1h 10m
Century-old Michelin Bib Gourmand institution serving rich beef gomtang soup, a classic Seoul breakfast (opens 07:00, closed Sundays).
🚶
9:18 AM – 9:30 AM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.6 mi
· 12m
📍
Deoksugung Palace 🏛️ Landmark
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
📍 Jeong-dong (Jung-gu), Seoul
1h 30m
Compact palace blending Korean halls with Western-style stone buildings beside City Hall (closed Mondays).
🚶
11:06 AM – 11:15 AM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.4 mi
· 9m
📍
Sungnyemun (Namdaemun Gate) 🏛️ Landmark
11:15 AM – 11:50 AM
📍 Namdaemun (Jung-gu), Seoul
35m
Korea's National Treasure No. 1, a grand 14th-century wooden gateway and former city wall entrance.
🚶
12:17 PM – 12:30 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.6 mi
· 13m
🍽️
Myeongdong Kyoja 🍴 Food
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
📍 Myeongdong (Jung-gu), Seoul
1h
Michelin Bib Gourmand noodle house renowned for its hand-cut kalguksu and mandu since 1966.
🚶
1:34 PM – 1:45 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.5 mi
· 11m
📍
Namdaemun Market 🛍️ Shopping
1:45 PM – 3:05 PM
📍 Namdaemun (Jung-gu), Seoul
1h 20m
Sprawling traditional market packed with bargain goods, street food and bustling alleyways.
🚶
3:19 PM – 3:30 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.5 mi
· 11m
📍
Myeongdong Shopping Street 🛍️ Shopping
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
📍 Myeongdong (Jung-gu), Seoul
1h 15m
Neon-lit pedestrian district of cosmetics flagships, fashion stores and street-food carts.
🚶
4:49 PM – 5:00 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.5 mi
· 11m
📍
Namsan Cable Car 🎭 Entertainment
5:00 PM – 5:40 PM
📍 Hoehyeon (Jung-gu), Seoul
40m
Short aerial cable-car ride up wooded Namsan mountain toward the tower.
🚶
5:39 PM – 5:50 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.5 mi
· 11m
📍
N Seoul Tower 🌄 Viewpoint
5:50 PM – 7:20 PM
📍 Namsan (Yongsan-gu), Seoul
1h 30m
Iconic mountaintop tower whose observatory offers 360-degree views over the whole city at dusk.
🚶
7:27 PM – 7:45 PM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.8 mi
· 18m
🍽️
Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong Myeongdong 🍴 Food
7:45 PM – 9:05 PM
📍 Myeongdong (Jung-gu), Seoul
1h 20m
Lively Korean BBQ chain grilling premium pork belly tableside, a hearty dinner finale.
3 Gangnam, COEX & Lotte World Tower
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
🗺️ Day route — numbered stops in order (static map)
🍽️
Butterfinger Pancakes (Cheongdam) 🍴 Food
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
📍 Cheongdam (Gangnam-gu), Seoul
1h 15m
A cheerful American-style brunch spot in Cheongdam serving fluffy pancakes and eggs benedict from 07:00.
🚶
9:11 AM – 9:30 AM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.9 mi
· 19m
📍
Seonjeongneung Royal Tombs 🌳 Park
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
📍 Samseong (Gangnam-gu), Seoul
1h 15m
UNESCO-listed Joseon royal burial mounds set in a tranquil forested park amid Gangnam towers (closed Mondays).
🚶
11:04 AM – 11:15 AM ·
Walk to next stop
· 0.5 mi
· 11m
📍
Bongeunsa Temple ⛪ Religious site
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Samseong (Gangnam-gu), Seoul
1h 15m
Thousand-year-old Buddhist temple with a towering Maitreya Buddha statue facing COEX.
🚗
12:38 PM – 12:45 PM ·
Travel to next stop
· 1.4 mi
· 7m
🍽️
Gangnam Myeonok 🍴 Food
12:45 PM – 2:00 PM
📍 Sinsa (Gangnam-gu), Seoul
1h 15m
Long-running Gangnam institution famed for galbijjim braised short ribs and cold naengmyeon.
🚗
2:07 PM – 2:15 PM ·
Travel to next stop
· 1.6 mi
· 8m
📍
Starfield Library 🏛️ Landmark
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
📍 Samseong (Gangnam-gu), Seoul
1h
Dramatic free public library with soaring two-story bookshelves inside COEX Mall.
🚗
3:20 PM – 3:30 PM ·
Travel to next stop
· 2.1 mi
· 10m
📍
Garosu-gil 🛍️ Shopping
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Sinsa (Gangnam-gu), Seoul
1h 30m
Ginkgo-lined Sinsa boulevard packed with designer boutiques, flagship stores and cafes.
🚗
5:09 PM – 5:30 PM ·
Travel to next stop
· 4.4 mi
· 21m
📍
Seoul Sky Observation Deck 🌄 Viewpoint
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Jamsil (Songpa-gu), Seoul
1h 30m
Observation deck near the top of Lotte World Tower, Korea's tallest building, for sunset city views.
🚗
7:12 PM – 7:30 PM ·
Travel to next stop
· 3.8 mi
· 18m
🍽️
Samwon Garden 🍴 Food
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Sinsa (Gangnam-gu), Seoul
1h 30m
Landmark hanwoo Korean BBQ restaurant since 1976, set around a leafy garden courtyard.
🚗
8:57 PM – 9:15 PM ·
Travel to next stop
· 3.8 mi
· 18m
📍
Lotte World Tower Plaza 🎭 Entertainment
9:15 PM – 10:00 PM
📍 Jamsil (Songpa-gu), Seoul
45m
Riverside plaza and illuminated fountains at the base of the glittering tower to end the night.
🏨 Where to stayReal, vetted stays near your route — check the reviews, then book.
Bukchonmaru Hanok Guesthouse★★
Bukchon (Jongno-gu)
A traditional hanok guesthouse on a quiet lane minutes from Bukchon Village and the palaces.
Nine Tree by Parnas Seoul Myeongdong 2★★★★
Myeongdong (Jung-gu)
A polished modern hotel steps from Euljiro and Myeongdong shopping.
L7 Myeongdong by Lotte★★★★
Myeongdong (Jung-gu)
A stylish lifestyle hotel with a rooftop bar in the center of Myeongdong.
Signiel Seoul★★★★★
Jamsil (Songpa-gu)
An opulent five-star hotel in the upper floors of Lotte World Tower with sweeping city views.