FROM MY TRAVELS
Seoul
Last updated: October 2026
The view from Seoul Tower was the whole point of my post: the city spread out below, especially once the lights came on. Leave enough room in the day to enjoy the evening. Crossing Seoul again and again is tiring.
Route overview
Stops are approximate. Dashed lines show the order, not the roads. Optional stops are swaps, not extras.
Select a stop below to locate it. Drag to pan; use the controls or arrow keys to explore.
Before you go
- Cards are widely useful; carry won for markets and transport-card top-ups. Confirm foreign-card acceptance at self-service kiosks.
- A T-money card is useful on participating buses and metros. Keep cash for top-ups unless your chosen machine or app explicitly accepts your card.
- Use Naver Map or KakaoMap for local routes and save addresses in Korean. Jeju has no metro. It’s buses, taxis or a hire car.
- Arrange remote pickups in advance; a city taxi app does not guarantee a car near a rural trail or coastal stop.
- Papago or another translation app helps with menus. ‘Annyeonghaseyo’ means hello and ‘gamsahamnida’ means thank you.
- Buy a visitor SIM or compatible eSIM with the coverage and number you need. Check whether the plan supports calls and registration-dependent services.
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A route for your visit
Times are rough. Allow extra time for getting there, leaving and transfers.
Morning · Give Gyeongbokgung enough time
Gyeongbokgung was the principal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and its gates and courtyards make that ceremonial scale visible. Walk past the first photo spot and see how the spaces open up.
Check the palace's opening day and visitor arrangements first. Allow two to three hours for the grounds. Don’t plan the whole visit around the ceremony. If it’s closed, choose another currently open cultural visit and simplify the rest of the route. Attractions next to each other don’t always close on the same days.
Lunch and a browse in Insadong
Walk towards Insadong for a seated lunch, then browse a few smaller streets and stop for tea if a place looks inviting. This is where I’d slow down between the palace morning and the hill later. If the palace ran long, cut the browsing short. Don’t skip lunch. If you're enjoying the area, spend longer and make the Namsan visit a simpler evening outing.
Insadong brings tea shops, crafts and art into a smaller street setting after the palace. Leave time for tea and a browse. It’s more than a shortcut south.
Namsan gives Seoul a green hill in the middle of its dense urban landscape. Enjoy the view from the public areas first, then decide if the tower is worth it.
Afternoon · Namsan, with the tower optional
Choose an access route that suits your mobility and check how much walking remains after the transport connection. Allow a couple of hours for the journey and hill as a planning estimate. The paid tower is a separate decision, especially in poor visibility. Myeongdong works for dinner afterwards. If the weather turns, swap the hill for an indoor cultural stop.
Myeongdong’s shopping and food streets show a busier contemporary side of the city. Keep the evening to one easy loop and dinner.
If the tower is part of your afternoon, compare N Seoul Tower observatory tickets; the observatory ticket and the journey up Namsan are separate decisions.
Evening · Finish nearby
If you want dinner and another short walk, the Myeongdong area keeps the evening reasonably connected to the hill outing. Otherwise, return towards your accommodation. Gangnam belongs on a different day in this plan. If it’s wet, swap Namsan for something indoors. Doing both means rushing each.
What to budget
Prices checked September 2026. These are for the named ticket or service. Check your date and what’s included before you pay.
- Gyeongbokgung standard adult entry: KRW 3,000 — Standard foreign adult daytime admission; age and other exemptions apply, and special programmes may need separate tickets. Price source
Budget KRW 10,000–25,000 per person for a simple meal. That’s a rough guide. Drinks and nicer restaurants cost more. Price transfers separately, especially private drivers, boats and airport trips.
A few photo tips
- Reach the palace early for softer light and more room in the courtyards; follow guards’ directions around ceremonies.
- At Namsan, find an official lookout around blue hour. You don’t need to go up the tower for every photo.
If the weather changes
Use a museum and an Insadong tea stop, replacing the exposed hill if rain or low cloud removes the view.
The final day and your flight
Morning flight: stay within reach of Incheon or Gimpo, as booked the night before, then keep the morning for checkout and the transfer. Allow for the airline’s check-in time as well as the trip.
Afternoon flight: keep the morning near your accommodation and allow for the correct airport; a full palace-and-hill route needs another day. Work out the transfer and bag pickup time before deciding when to finish.
Booking checks
Check official palace hours, tours and closures, along with Namsan transport operation. If renting hanbok, allow fitting and return time in addition to the palace visit. Respect local photography and residential guidance in any nearby hanok streets.
Useful booking links (optional)
Trip extras
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