South Korea Grand Tour — 13 days
Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island. Day-by-day itinerary: Arrival in Seoul; Palaces & the Hanok Village; DMZ & Itaewon; Lotte Tower & KTX to Gyeongju.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival in Seoul
- 08:00 — Arrival at Incheon ICN
- 10:30 — AREX Express → Seoul Station
- 13:00 — Hotel in Myeongdong — Seoul
- Walk to Myeongdong — Seoul → Myeongdong
- 15:00 — Myeongdong — shopping & street food — Myeongdong
- Up to Namsan — Myeongdong → Namsan
- 18:00 — N Seoul Tower at sunset — Namsan
- Subway to Mapo — Namsan → Mapo BBQ Street
- 20:30 — Galbi dinner (grilled short ribs) — Mapo BBQ Street
Day 2 — Palaces & the Hanok Village
- 09:00 — Gyeongbokgung Palace — Jongno-gu
- Subway to Bukchon — Jongno-gu → Gahoe-dong
- 11:00 — Bukchon Hanok Village — Gahoe-dong
- Walk to Insadong — Gahoe-dong → Insadong
- 13:00 — Jeonju-style bibimbap — Insadong
- 15:00 — Insadong — art & traditional tea — Insadong
- Subway to Dongdaemun — Insadong → Dongdaemun
- 17:30 — Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) — Dongdaemun
- Subway to Hongdae — Dongdaemun → Hongdae
- 20:00 — Evening in Hongdae (student district) — Hongdae
Day 3 — DMZ & Itaewon
- 08:00 — DMZ tour (Demilitarised Zone) — DMZ
- Bus back from the DMZ — DMZ → Itaewon
- 14:00 — Lunch in Itaewon — Itaewon
- Subway to Gangnam — Itaewon → Gangnam
- 16:00 — Gangnam & COEX Mall — Gangnam
- Subway to Hongdae — Gangnam → Hongdae
- 20:00 — Dakgalbi dinner (spicy chicken) — Hongdae
Day 4 — Lotte Tower & KTX to Gyeongju
- 09:00 — Lotte World Tower — view from the 123rd floor — Jamsil
- 12:00 — Lunch near Jamsil
- 14:30 — KTX Seoul → Gyeongju (2h20)
- 17:30 — Hotel check-in — Gyeongju
- 19:30 — Local ssambap dinner — Gyeongju
Day 5 — Gyeongju, the Silla Capital
- 09:00 — UNESCO-listed Bulguksa Temple — Gyeongju
- Taxi to Tohamsan — Gyeongju → Toham-san
- 11:00 — Seokguram Grotto — Toham-san
- 13:00 — Ssambap lunch in Gyeongju
- 15:00 — Tumuli Park — Silla royal tombs — Gyeongju
- Walk to the pond — Gyeongju → Donggung & Wolji
- 17:00 — Anapji Pond lit up — Donggung & Wolji
- Walk to the centre — Donggung & Wolji → Gyeongju
- 20:00 — Hanjeongsik dinner (Korean set meal) — Gyeongju
Day 6 — Gyeongju → Busan
- 09:00 — Train Gyeongju → Busan (1h)
- 11:00 — Hotel check-in — Haeundae, Busan
- To the temple — Haeundae, Busan → Busan
- 13:00 — Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (by the sea) — Busan
- Walk to the market — Busan → Jagalchi Market
- 15:00 — Jagalchi Market — ultra-fresh sashimi — Jagalchi Market
- Taxi to Gamcheon — Jagalchi Market → Busan
- 17:30 — Gamcheon Culture Village — Busan
- 20:00 — Milmyeon dinner (Busan cold noodles)
Day 7 — Busan in Full
- 08:30 — Haeundae beach at sunrise — Haeundae
- Taxi to Nampo-dong — Haeundae → Nampo-dong
- 10:30 — BIFF Square & Nampo-dong — Nampo-dong
- 13:00 — Lunch of ssiat hotteok in Nampo — Nampo-dong
- Walk to Yongdusan — Nampo-dong → Yongdusan
- 15:00 — Busan Tower & Yongdusan Park — Yongdusan
- Taxi to Songdo — Yongdusan → Songdo
- 17:30 — Songdo fishing village & cable car — Songdo
- Taxi to Gwangalli — Songdo → Gwangalli
- 20:00 — Last dinner of hoe (Korean sashimi) — Gwangalli
Day 8 — Flight to Jeju
- 10:00 — Flight Busan → Jeju (50 min)
- 12:30 — Hotel check-in — Jeju City
- Taxi to Seongsan — Jeju City → Seongsan
- 15:00 — Seongsan Ilchulbong hike — Seongsan
- Taxi back to Jeju City — Seongsan → Jeju City
- 19:30 — Jeju black pork dinner (heukdwaeji) — Jeju City
Day 9 — Hallasan Volcano
- 07:00 — Hallasan hike — Jeju
- Taxi to the centre — Jeju → Jeju City
- 14:30 — Late lunch of Jeju noodles — Jeju City
- Taxi to the falls — Jeju City → Jeju
- 17:00 — Jeongbang Falls — a waterfall into the sea — Jeju
- Taxi back to the centre — Jeju → Jeju City
- 20:00 — Fresh seafood dinner — Jeju City
Day 10 — Udo Island & the Lava Tube
- 09:00 — Manjanggul — 7 km lava tube — Jeju
- Drive to the port — Jeju → Seongsan → Udo
- 12:00 — Ferry to Udo Island — Seongsan → Udo
- Walk to the scooter hire — Udo Island
- 13:00 — Tour the island by electric scooter — Udo Island
- 15:00 — Udo peanut ice cream — Udo Island
- 17:00 — Back to Jeju
- 20:00 — Galchi-jorim dinner (braised hairtail fish) — Jeju City
Day 11 — Tea Fields & Cliffs
- 09:00 — O'sulloc tea plantation — Seogwipo
- Drive to Jungmun — Seogwipo → Jungmun
- 11:30 — Jusangjeolli basalt cliffs — Jungmun
- 13:30 — Lunch in Jungmun
- 15:30 — Jeju Folk Village — Pyoseon
- Drive back to Jeju City — Pyoseon → Jeju City
- 20:00 — Last Jeju black pork dinner — Jeju City
Day 12 — Flight Back to Seoul
- 09:00 — Flight Jeju → Seoul (1h)
- 11:30 — Hotel check-in — Seoul
- 14:00 — Changdeokgung Palace + Secret Garden — Seoul
- Walk to the market — Seoul → Jongno
- 17:00 — Gwangjang Market — bindaetteok — Jongno
- Subway back to the centre — Jongno → Seoul
- 20:00 — Farewell galbi dinner — Seoul
Day 13 — Seoul & Departure
- 09:00 — Namdaemun Market — last souvenirs — Namdaemun
- Subway back to the centre — Namdaemun → Seoul
- 11:30 — One last bibimbap — Seoul
- 14:00 — AREX → Incheon ICN
- 18:00 — Return flight from Incheon