SOUTH KOREA IN 10 DAYS: AN AMAZING TRAVEL ITINERARY

Are you planning for a trip to South Korea for 10 days or more? Here’s a 10-day South Korea itinerary. An amazing way to (re-)discover and enjoy South Korea.

South Korea Travel Buddy Corner

I travelled to South Korea with my good friend from Perth, Rangi.

Rangi and I travelled together from Perth via Hong Kong to Seoul. She is a fan of K-pop and K-dramas and has helped teach me K-pop and K-dramas 101. It is her first time travelling to South Korea.

Although we were in South Korea for more than 10 days, we only went around South Korea for 10 days as we started Day 1 at 4:00 pm and we left at 9:00 am on Day 12.

Read about my First Visit to South Korea here.

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South Korea Day 1: Myeongdong

Hello, Seoul!

We arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 2:00 pm from Perth via Hong Kong. However, we didn’t get out of the airport until 4:00 pm as we still had to get through a very long immigration line and pick up our luggage, Pocket WiFi rental and 72h Discover Seoul Pass.

We collected our 72hr Discover Seoul Pass at Incheon International Airport East. When we got our Discover Seoul card pass, we instantly used the AREX free voucher for a trip from the airport to Seoul station.

From Seoul Station, we took the subway to Myeongdong.

Read more about Discover Seoul Pass here.
👍 To get a discount on your Discover Seoul Pass, you can purchase the pass here.

Myeongdong

We stayed in Myeongdong as it is conveniently close to everything. We stayed at Crib 49 Guesthouse, which was about a 7-minute walk from Myeongdong station.

It was not a pretty easy walk as it was an uphill climb, especially with our luggage still with us and of course, we got lost! We took a wrong turn.

The check-in process was easy. After the receptionist showed us around and told us a quick run-through of the guesthouse rules, we got into our room tired, exhausted and out of breath. We decided to rest and freshened up a little.

👉 Book your Seoul accommodation here

It was 6:00 pm when we decided to head out. We went straight to the Myeongdong Shopping Center where there was a crowd. 

Street Food

We were hungry so we decided to have street food for our dinner. I went to the Cheesy Lobster first then the Prawns.

Then we just tried whatever food we passed by. My fave was still the Cheesy Scallops.

And just before heading back to the guesthouse, I found a new favourite which was the Bungeoppang. The perfect dessert to end the day!

Bungeoppang is a fish-shaped waffle that is filled with ice cream and honey syrup. The pic may not look like a fish-shaped waffle because I took a top view photo of it but just trust me, it is fish-shaped!

South Korea Day 2: Digital Media City + Hongdae + Namsan

The start of our 10-day South Korea trip. We started at Digital Media City. We activated our 72hr Discover Seoul Pass when we visited MBC World. Now, our 72-hour countdown begins.

Read more about Discover Seoul Pass here.
👍 To get a discount on your Discover Seoul Pass, you can purchase the pass here.

MBC World

MBC World is divided into 3 zones, M, B and C zone. We started our visit at the B Zone where most of the Korean dramas and variety show displays are found. We had fun taking photos.

Next, we went to the M Zone, where we experienced a 360-degree VR of a music show, watched a 15-minute G-Dragon hologram concert and did a BTS dance tutorial.

We also visited the 4th floor, where the Historical Drama Hall was located. 

Lastly, we visited the C Zone, where we virtually interacted with idols and stars of different shows. Before we left, we did a music recording with G-Dragon. I’m not even surprised why he’s still very famous.

Hongdae

From MBC World, we went to Hongdae to go to the Trick-Eye and Ice Museum. Hongdae gets a lot busier on Fridays so you may end up queuing just to get to the stairs from the subway.

After spending about 10 minutes just to get out of the station, we had to eat lunch first. We had lunch at Katsuya. It was delicious and inexpensive!

Trick-Eye and Ice Museum

After our scrumptious lunch, we went to the Trick-Eye and Ice Museum. We entered the Ice Museum first as we just had to get over the cold.

The Ice Museum has updated its display from when I previously visited. They still have the slide and a replica of the house at the end of the room and it was still cool literally and figuratively.

The Trick-Eye Museum updated its displays too. The old displays were still there but there were a whole lot of more clever displays. They have improved their app as well, which made it more animated and enjoyable. TIP: Make sure to use their WiFi for their app to work faster.

The displays were so much fun that it made us not want to leave but we had to as we needed to go to our next destination before it closes.

Grevin Museum

The next stop was the Grevin Museum. The museum displayed life-like wax replicas of famous Hollywood actors, athletes, singers, prominent political and religious figures and popular K-pop idols and K-drama actors. They look like real people, it’s scary and amazing at the same time.

Namsan

We headed back to the guesthouse to freshen up a little and decided to visit N Seoul Tower. Bad idea since it was a Friday.

The line at the cable car was so long, it was out on the road and it was not moving. We decided to give up on the cable car and catch a taxi to the tower instead. When we arrived at the tower, the waiting time to go up the observatory was 50 minutes so we decided to do this some other day and just grab dinner instead.

We ate dinner at Hosigi Chicken and kind of over-ordered so we had to take away our leftovers.

After dinner, we hung around a bit to enjoy Seoul’s night lights. Despite the cold, Seoul is still pretty at night!

South Korea Day 3: Gangnam

Seoul Tiger Bus Tour – Around Gangnam

We head out to Gangnam and enjoyed the Seoul City Tour Bus – Course C, Around Gangnam. The city tour was free as we used our 72hr Discover Seoul Pass.

Read more about Discover Seoul Pass here.
👍 To get a discount on your Discover Seoul Pass, you can purchase the pass here.

The tour took us all around Gangnam City. The starting point was at Gangnam Station Exit 11. The bus departure was every hour and the duration of the whole course was about 1.5 hours. It was a hop-on, hop-off bus so we rode one round of the whole course first and got off at the starting point.

We had a quick lunch at Tokyo Steak and then we took the bus again.

COEX

We got off at the Starfield COEX Mall stop to get to COEX Artium SMTOWN. The first thing we saw when we hopped off the bus was the infamous Gangnam Style statue and had to take a photo. When someone stands below the hands, the Gangnam Style music starts to play.

SMTown Museum

We got into the SMTown building and we started at the SMTOWN Museum, which displayed all of SM’s artists, their awards, achievements and albums through the years. I didn’t know they had too many artists!

Each artist had their own section and an interactive photo booth as well. The museum also displayed clothes, shoes, microphones, props and all the other things the artists used in their tours and music videos.

After the museum, we went to the theatre to experience a hologram concert. The Super Junior show just ended, the Red Velvet show was about to start and EXO was still at 7:00 pm. I don’t know who these groups are and Rangi was keen to watch the EXO concert so we decided to just come back at 7:00 pm.

K-Star Road

We hopped on the bus again and stopped at the K-Star Road to take a stroll and have Rangi take photos of the Gangnamdols. Gangnamdol is a combined term for Gangnam, Idol and Doll. It is a teddy-bear like figure that symbolises the characteristics of K-pop groups on these dolls.

SMTown Theatre

We headed back to SMTown as traffic was building up. Since we were back too early, we stopped by the SMTown Shop to take a look at some souvenirs. The shop was selling anything with the artists’ faces on it, from pens, notebooks, phone cases, perfumes, etc. The prices were OK but the more famous the artists are the more expensive the item gets.

We waited for about an hour and hung around in the lobby of the SMTown Theatre. Aside from a massive TV, there were also some photo booths and a Hand Print Gallery near the theatre.

Then it was time for the show. Mobile phone use is not allowed. If they catch you taking a video or a photo they would approach you to delete it.

There is a part in the show where they were “talking” to the audience but there was no subtitle. I was lucky that Rangi understood Korean and did a good job translating. She also enjoyed the show so much!

South Korea Day 4: Downtown Seoul

Myeongdong Cathedral

It was a Sunday and we attended the English mass at Myeongdong Cathedral. The church was full of people. It seemed like most tourists were there but it might also be ex-pats living in Seoul.

Seoul Double Decker Bus – Traditional Culture Course

After the English Sunday Mass, we headed down to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza to do the Seoul Double Decker Bus – Traditional Culture Course. It was free thanks to our 72hr Discover Seoul Pass.

Read more about Discover Seoul Pass here.
👍 To get a discount on your Discover Seoul Pass, you can purchase the pass here.

The course took us around Seoul, its palaces and other notable landmarks. We rode one whole loop of the course, which took about 2 hours.

When we reached the starting point again, we grabbed a quick lunch at the food court of Doota Mall and headed back to the double-decker bus.

On our second bus ride, we got off at Seoul Station to get a quick photo of the Namdaemun Gate. Who would’ve thought the gate had some art in it when you get a bit closer.

Then we headed to Seoul City Hall and Gwanghwamun Plaza. At Gwanghwamun Plaza, it was busy with tourists and families going about their Sunday activities.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

After a few snaps around the plaza, we headed inside the Gyeongbokgung Palace. The palace was the main royal palace and the largest of the palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty.

Inside the palace complex, you can also find the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea.

Hanboknam

It was around a 10-minute walk from the National Folk Museum of Korea to Hanboknam. Since we have the Discover Seoul Pass, we just showed it at the counter and they gave us a key to the locker to put in our belongings. 

We headed up to the second floor to choose from a whole lot of tops, bottoms and headdresses. Hairstyling is free with the pass as well. The shop ladies helped us choose the right top and bottom and assisted us with getting them on.

We roamed around the area wearing the hanbok and took some photos. We returned it and then visited the Changdeokgung Palace and its Secret Garden.

Changdeokgung Palace

Changdeokgung Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known for its architectural details and its Secret Garden. When we arrived at the palace, the Secret Garden was closed so we just wandered around the spacious palace grounds instead.

Running Man Experience Center

After the palace, we walked towards the Running Man Experience Center at Insadong SM Duty Free Building. There, we enjoyed fun-filled games. My favourite was the Mirror Maze. Easy to get around but too hard to find your way out!

We got hungry after all the fun and games so we ate dinner at a nearby restaurant, GimGaNe, and then headed towards the Namsam Cable Car.

N Seoul Tower

Because it was a Sunday, there were no lines and no wait times to get to the Namsan Cable Car. We easily got a ride and got to the tower quickly.

At the observatory, we ate desserts and enjoyed Seoul’s night lights with a warm tea.

South Korea Day 5: Nami Island Tour

Our 72hr Discover Seoul Pass has expired so we booked a Nami Island + Petite France + Garden of the Morning Calm.

👉 Book your Nami Island + Petite France + Garden of the Morning Calm tour here.

For the tour, they picked us up at Myeongdong Station Exit 2 at 11:00 am. The first stop of our tour was at Petite France, it was about an hour and a half drive.

Petite France

Petite France vibe is inspired by France with its buildings looking like you are in an actual French village and of the book, The Little Prince. It is also a place where K-dramas are filmed. You would know because as soon as you enter, they have a huge poster of the K-dramas and the scenes that were filmed there.

Our tour guide gave us 1.5 hours to explore the place on our own.

Nami Island

Nami Island was our second stop. The terminal to the island was just a few minutes away from Petite France. There are 2 ways to get to the island, ride the ferry or with an extra fee, do the zipline. We took the ferry.

As soon as we got to the island, we booked a 20-minute Story Tour Bus. The tour uses a small car that seats just a few people. It took us around the outer part of the island and it had an English commentary on what we are seeing along the way.

After the quick tour around the island, we did a walk towards the inner part of Nami Island. There were a lot of picturesque spots.

It was 5:00 pm when it was time for us to get back to the bus.

Garden of the Morning Calm

The last stop was the Garden of the Morning Calm. Our guide explained that during summer, the place would be a garden full of pretty flowers and in winter to early spring, it would have its Festival of Lights.

We got in and the sun hasn’t set yet. However, the place already looked amazing. We waited for it to be fully dark so it would be prettier than it already is. I could just stay there all night!

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

We left at around 7:00 pm and got off at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. We ended our day looking for the LED Roses and then grabbed some dinner afterwards.

South Korea Day 6: Mapo + Hongdae + Digital Media City

Gyeongui Line Forest

Halfway through our 10-day South Korea trip, we started the day off late and headed to Gyeongui Line Forest. It was a foggy and cold day. We walked around the area and explored the Gyeongui Line Book Street.

Hongdae

Time for lunch and we ate at Aori Ramen. I ordered the Mild Spicy Ramen with extra pork. However, I wasn’t able to finish it as mild spicy was still too spicy for me.

After lunch, we wandered around Hongdae, shopped a little and grabbed some sweets to eat. Since it was a Tuesday, it was not as busy as when we were last there (which was a Friday).

Digital Media City

After Hongdae, we headed to the Digital Media City to wait for the SBS MTV The Show to start. The SBS MTV The Show is a music program that features artists performing their newly released music or music that is currently on the charts.

Tickets for SBS MTV The Show are not always available.
🔍 Check to see the availability of The Show here.

Korean Film Museum

While waiting for it to start, we walked around Digital Media City. We visited the Korean Film Museum, which featured famous Korean films, the evolution of films in Korea, how they were shot and the instruments and tools they used in filming.

Digital Media City Gallery

The other place we visited was the Digital Media City Gallery. It is an interactive exhibition hall and has a theatre that gives a brief Digital Media City introduction.

The theatre is the only one that gives an English option. Other displays do not have a language option so most of the time, you will have to guess what exactly is the display about and what you need to do.

After, we walked towards the SBS Prism Tower building and waited in the lobby for the SBS MTV The Show meet up.

SBS Prism Tower

It was almost 4:00 pm when the guides started to come in and checked the tickets. We were told that we’re not allowed to take any photos or videos when the show starts. After the briefing, they made us find a seat in the lobby again and we waited a little bit more. It was not until past 5:00 pm that we headed inside the studio.

In the studio, we were in the seated section at the back. The stage wasn’t as big as I thought it would be. Below the stage were people standing and on the side, a television facing the audience. There were people near the stage who were fan club members for the artists that were performing that day. Most of them had banners and light sticks.

I didn’t know anyone that performed on The Show that day but I went to the show because I wanted to know how music shows work.

SBS MTV The Show

Just before the show started, a staff came over and told us again that we were not allowed to take any photos or videos when the show starts. If we get caught, we’ll be sent out of the studio immediately.

The show started and the hosts started talking and introduced the first act. It was halfway through the song and the artists on stage stopped singing and dancing. They started greeting the audience. For a moment there, I got confused. I didn’t understand what was happening but when I looked at the TV, the artists were still on stage, performing.

I thought maybe it was just because they were the first act so they had the second part of their performance pre-recorded. However, that went on for the next few artists. The last act, which I assumed was the famous group out of all that presented, didn’t even perform live. Their performance was pre-recorded and they weren’t even there on The Show.

I felt ripped off but Rangi explained that this happens on Korean music shows. Despite the half live performance from the artists, it was still a good experience.

The show finished near 8:00 pm. After we exited the building, some of the groups that performed were on their way out as well.

South Korea Day 7: DMZ Tour

We booked a DMZ Morning Tour. JSA tour was not available due to government relations with North Korea. Our pick up location was at Myeongdong Station Exit 2 at 7:40 am.

Booking for the DMZ and JSA tours is not always available.
🔍 Check to see the availability of the DMZ Morning Tour here
or the DMZ + JSA tour here.

Imjingak

The first stop of the tour was Imjingak. It is located in Paju, South Korea, 7km from the Military Demarcation Line. This is a place of remembrance for divided Korean families after the Korean war.

We got held up longer than expected at Imjingak as our tour guide was not so sure if we would be able to continue the rest of our tour due to bad weather. There was too much fog!

After our tour guide finally got the green light to continue with the tour, the next stop was the DMZ Third Infiltration Tunnel.

DMZ Third Infiltration Tunnel

The Third Infiltration Tunnel is one of the tunnels that North Korea dug to be used for a surprise attack on Seoul but it was detected by South Korea.

Like my first visit to the tunnel, we walked down the tunnel and it was still a struggle going back up. This time around, we did the rest stops in intervals so we would not be running out of breath when we reached the exit.

Dora Observatory

The third stop was Dora Observatory. We were directed to go to the newly opened building, which had an observation deck bigger than the old one. It had more binoculars for visitors to use as well. However, just like my last visit, it was still foggy! There was thicker fog this time around so it was harder to see North Korea and their Propaganda Village.

Dorasan Station

Our fourth stop was the Dorasan Station. The train station still looks very new and unused. The train station is still NOT being used for trips to North Korea and only serves four train trips daily including the DMZ train that comes from Seoul.

It had a miniature display of the moment North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met at the Military Demarcation Line.

Ginseng Center

The last stop was the Ginseng Center. This facility was quite strict as we weren’t allowed to take any pictures when they were showing us their ginseng displays and products. They claimed that they had the premium ginseng products and it was not sold anywhere else. We later found their products were sold at Myeongdong but the price was twice what the Ginseng Center was selling it.

The tour ended just before 2:00 pm and we were dropped off at Seoul City Hall. We spent the rest of the day window shopping at Myeongdong.

South Korea Day 8: Lotte World + Han River Cruise

Lotte World

We headed off to Lotte World Mall. It was about lunchtime when we got there so we grabbed something to eat at Chef Lee Food Truck.

After lunch, we rented some ice skates at Lotte World Ice Rink. I did a few laps around the ice rink and then we left to bike around Han River.

Seoul Bike Around Han River

We used our Discover Seoul Pass to rent the bike for free. Luckily, there was a Seoul Bike depot just right outside Lotte World Mall’s exit. Yes, despite our Discover Seoul Pass being expired, we were still able to use it for a FREE Seoul Bike rental.

Update: Discover Seoul Pass will now get activated if you use your Seoul Bike benefit. The FREE Seoul Bike rental should now be used within the pass duration.

It was almost 6:00 pm when we decided to return the bikes. With the help of Kakao Maps, it showed us that there was one Seoul Bike depot located right at one of the exits of Yeouido Station. We returned the bikes and then headed off to Yeouido Han River Ferry Terminal.

Han River Music Cruise

We got to Yeouido Han River Ferry Terminal at exactly 7:30 pm. Since we booked our tickets online, we had to show a copy of the purchase at the ticket booth so they would register us.

👉 Book your Han River Cruise here.

As it was too cold outside, most of the people stayed indoors enjoying the music. We braved the outdoor deck to enjoy the view.

This was a great way to end the day as the views of Seoul from the Han River is so stunning at night. Despite it being freezing cold (as we did this in March), I would definitely do this again!

South Korea Day 9: Busan

We started the day by taking the 6:00 am KTX train from Seoul to Busan, which was about a 2.5-hour train ride. We booked the Busan City Tour Jumbo Bus which got us around Busan’s tourist attractions.

👉 Book your Busan City Tour Bus here.

Busan City Tour Jumbo Bus

The Busan City Tour Jumbo Bus is a hop-on, hop-off bus which took us from Busan Station to Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, Hinnyeoul Culture Village, Yeongdo Sky Observatory, 75 Square, Taejongdae Park, National Maritime Museum, Busan Bridge, Oryukdo Island, Yongho Sightseeing Boat Quay, Pyeonghwa Park, Songdo Beach, BIFF Square, Jagalchi Market and back to Busan Station.

Songdo Beach

Our first stop was Songdo Beach. It is one of the most popular beaches in Busan. When we got off, we went to the edge of the skywalk which had some paths with see-through floors.

After walking around the skywalk, we took the Busan Air Cruise, a cable car, to get us to the other side of the beach.

When we got to the other side, outside the cable car building, there was a park with dinosaurs and other animated animals. We walked further and found this red suspension bridge, which looked pretty cool and had an amazing overlooking view of the beach. As we were pressed for time, we did not go explore the forest.

We headed back to have our lunch and ordered the local King Crab. It was a bit spicy for me but definitely fresh!

Yeongdo Sky Observatory

Our next stop was the Yeongdo Sky Observatory. It is an observatory with a stunning view of the sea and other attractions in Busan. It had transparent floors which let visitors see what is underneath it and binoculars to check out the places and ships up close.

Oryukdo Islands

Our last stop was the Oryukdo Islands, which is a group of 5 to 6 rocky islands depending on the tide of the day.

Busan is a fan of transparent glass floors as the Oryukdo Sky Walk also had them. The skywalk at Oryukdo is guarded. Visitors are required to wear a shoe cover and there are only several people allowed to go in at a time.

Lotte Trevi Plaza

We then got back to Busan Station to get to Lotte Trevi Plaza to grab some dinner before heading back to Seoul.

South Korea Day 10: Seoul’s Hipster Area

On this day, we visited some of Seoul’s most instagrammable places.

Common Ground

Common Ground is a shopping mall built with shipping containers. It features street fashion stores on the ground floor and a dining experience on the upper floors.

After taking a few snaps of the place, we ate lunch at Zeranin, a Japanese restaurant. I never knew what FULL meant ’til I finished this meal!

Seoul Forest

Next, we went to Seoul Forest, the third largest park in Seoul. It is peaceful and odd at the same time as the forest is co-existing with shopping malls and buildings.

Since it was a weekend when we visited, there were a lot of kids with their parents and teens playing sports and chilling with their friends.

Under Stand Avenue

Just across Seoul Forest is another shopping mall built with shipping containers, Under Stand Avenue. Under Stand Avenue is a bit smaller than Common Ground but still Instagram-worthy.

Chyeongyecheon

Then, we went to the Chyeongyecheon Stream. The stream was part of Seoul’s urban renewal project, which made it a recreational site. It has been featured in a few K-dramas and K-pop videos.

The last time I was in South Korea, we visited the Chyeongyecheon Stream at night. This time around, it was in the afternoon so it had a different feel.

Myeongdong

For dinner, we ate at BHC Chicken in Myeongdong, which is famous for its chicken and beer. We ordered the half spicy and half original fried chicken and of course, we had to have it with soju!

South Korea Day 11: Insadong

This was our second to the last day in South Korea. But really, the last day of our 10-day visit to South Korea as our flight was at 9:00 am the next day.

Bukchon Hanok Village

We visited the Bukchon Hanok Village, a preserved Korean traditional village in Seoul. People are living in these houses so although this village is a tourist attraction, there are banners and signs asking visitors not to be too loud and respect the residents’ privacy.

Insadong

Next, we visited Insadong to shop for souvenirs. But before doing some shopping, I brought Rangi to the Teahouse that I visited a couple of years back and had her try their tea and traditional Korean snacks.

The teahouse had their outdoor area closed as we were the only ones there but the place still had good ambience, food and tea.

After shopping and before heading back to Myeongdong, we tried the Tiramisu Ice Cream at Kiss The Tiramisu. It was delightful!

Myeongdong

We went back to the guesthouse to re-pack our luggage to make our shopping fit.

For dinner, we ate at Wangbijib, a Korean BBQ restaurant. We ordered a set and the staff were kind enough to grill the meat for us.

After our scrumptious dinner, we bought some deserts at the Myeongdong night market. Then, we headed back to our guesthouse as we had to wake up early the next day for our flight.

South Korea Day 12: We’ll be back soon, South Korea!

Our 10-day South Korea visit has ended. It was time to say goodbye to Seoul. I must say South Korea in 10 days felt like a short trip. Well, 10 days is never enough to get around anywhere really.

The guesthouse arranged a taxi to take us to the airport.

It was lots of fun and we had an amazing 10 days in South Korea. ‘Til next time!

South Korea In 10 Days Recap

During our 10-day South Korea trip, we got to extend our travel to Busan and Nami Island. We were able to visit a lot of museums and experience new attractions for free with our Discover Seoul Pass. We also got to use the pass for its free vouchers and discount offers.

When you visit, check the availability of the DMZ tour. It is an experience you can’t miss! Also, when you are in South Korea during winter to early spring, I highly recommend booking a Garden of the Morning Calm tour to see the Festival of Lights.

I hope you find my 10-day South Korea travel itinerary helpful. Enjoy your amazing 10-day (and more) trip to South Korea!

South Korea In 10 Days Links

• Accommodation – Agoda, book here
• Discover Seoul Pass – To get a discount, you can purchase the pass here
• City Bus – Busan City Tour Bus, book here
• Cruise – Han River Cruise, book here
• Show – SBS MTV The Show, book here
• Tour – Petite France + Nami Island + Garden of the Morning Calm Tour, book here
• Tour – DMZ Morning Tour, book here or the DMZ + JSA tour here

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First Visit To South Korea: An Awesome 5 Days
Discover Seoul Pass Review: What You Need To Know