Our Actual 5-Day Itinerary in South Korea

I’m not a “plan every minute” person. Ask anyone who’s traveled with me.

So when I sat down to map out five days in South Korea, and the list of stops kept growing (Hahaha), part of me thought, this is too much. We’re going to be exhausted.

We were a little exhausted. But it worked. This is our actual 5-day South Korea itinerary, no polishing and no “ideal version” I wish we’d done. Steal it, trim it, or make it your own.

Things to Know Before You Go

Best time to visit

Spring (cherry blossoms) and autumn (fall colors) are the classic picks, and they’re popular for good reason. Winter is cold but pretty, and summer is hot and humid. We visited in March, when we thought spring was already coming. When we arrived, it was spring weather, but it became abnormal because we got snow on our last few days. 😅

Money

South Korea uses the won (KRW). Cards are widely accepted, but keep some cash for markets and small street food stalls. Gwangjang Market and Myeong-dong in particular are more fun when you can just point and pay. We always have cash on hand, but mostly, we paid using our credit cards.

Basic phrases

You can get by without Korean, but a few words go a long way:

• Annyeonghaseyo (hello)
• Kamsahamnida (thank you)
• Igeo juseyo (this one, please), which is basically your restaurant survival phrase, and yes, I pointed a lot.

And to be honest, after this trip I enrolled in a Korean Class in Cebu, which is why I am excited to go back to South Korea so I can use all the Korean phrases I learned so far. Hwaiting (fighting)!

Safety

Seoul felt very safe to us, even in the busy evening crowds at Myeong-dong. The usual rules apply: watch your bag in crowded spots and keep your phone charged, because you’ll be leaning on maps all day.

We are a bit nocturnal, and we went out in the middle of the night, even as late as 1 am, and we felt pretty safe.

And of course, we always want to protect ourselves with anything, so we bought our travel insurance in Safety Wing.

Pre-Travel Guide: Planning Your Trip to South Korea

Visa

Salamat to whoever invented checklists, because you’ll need one. Filipino passport holders generally need a C-3-9 tourist visa to visit mainland South Korea, including Seoul. K-ETA isn’t an option for Filipinos, since it’s for visa-exempt nationalities. There are limited visa-free options for Jeju Island and for group tours in the Jeolla region, but neither covers a Seoul itinerary like ours.

In 2026, the Korea Visa Application Center waived the long-standing three-month bank statement requirement, though a bank certificate may still be requested. Fees and requirements change often, so check the Korean embassy or KVAC before you apply.

I applied in Cebu, and you can read my Korean Visa Application experience on this blog.

Transport

Seoul’s subway does most of the work. Get a transit card, tap in, and stop worrying about tickets. Suwon is an easy day trip by train or subway from Seoul. For Day 4, we skipped the DIY logistics and booked a tour.

We also flew from Cebu to Seoul via Cebu Pacific, which is the most affordable airline in the Philippines. At the airport, we got our T-money card, which we use for train and bus transportation. You can also get it via Klook in advance.

Accommodations

We stayed at Hotel Venue G, located in Jongno District. It was a fantastic location because it is in front of Cheonggyecheon Stream.

We spent most of our time around central Seoul, and you’ll see why when you read the itinerary: Myeong-dong shows up twice. 😅

Tours & activities

We booked one tour in Klook for Day 4, covering Alpaca World, the Chuncheon cable car, and Nami Island. These are far enough from Seoul that a tour saves you a lot of headaches.

Our Actual 5-Day South Korea Itinerary

Day 1: Seoul’s Palaces, Markets, and Hanbok

Morning:

Cheonggyecheon Stream

This stream runs through the middle of downtown Seoul. It was buried under an elevated highway for decades and restored in 2005. It’s an easy, flat walk to ease into the city, and honestly a good way to shake off the flight. This is the first stop because this stream is in front of our hotel. 😅 The only regret I have is not walking through until I reach the spot where people read and just chill. Maybe next time.

Gwangjang Market

One of Korea’s oldest traditional markets, and where you go to eat. Think bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes), mayak gimbap, and rows of stalls with plastic stools. Just point at something and sit down.

I believe this was even more famous because of a Netflix series called Street Food: Asia, where they feature a food stall from this Market. When we went there, a lot of people were lining up for their food, so we just went to different stalls.

Jongmyo Shrine

A Joseon-era royal ancestral shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s calm and open, with long, low buildings, and a good contrast after the market crowd. Check the current visiting rules before you go, since access can depend on tours and timings.

Only guided tours are available on weekdays, and it takes about 1 hour. We couldn’t wait, so we just decided to go to our next destination.

Changdeokgung Palace

Another UNESCO-listed palace, and to me the prettiest of the ones we saw. It’s tucked against the hillside and feels more natural than grand. The Secret Garden is a separate guided visit, and we didn’t go. I enjoyed it here because it was less crowded.

Afternoon

Cafe Layered

Our coffee break between palaces. We saw a lot of cafes and couldn’t resist trying one, so we chose this one. We had a plain homemade scone, spring onion cream cheese scone, sesame cream cheese scone, hibiscus tea, and Earl Grey milk tea.

Location: 84-14 Jae-dong Jongno-gu Seoul

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the main royal palace in Seoul, first built in 1395. It’s one of the best places to admire traditional Korean architecture and, of course, take photos in hanbok! The palace grounds are huge, so make sure to give yourself enough time to explore.

We rented our hanbok from Daehan Hanbok that afternoon before heading to the palace. Wearing traditional Korean clothing made the experience more fun, and we got free admission to the palace as a bonus! 😆 It’s definitely a fun way to experience a little bit of Korean culture, even if you feel slightly ridiculous walking around in a fancy outfit.

Evening

Myeong-dong

Seoul’s shopping district, packed with street food, skincare shops, and neon. It’s crowded and loud, and it’s fun. We actually ate at Ungteori Samgyupsal for dinner. We also did a little shopping to end our day.

Day 2: Suwon and Hwaseong Fortress

Suwon is a short train or subway ride from Seoul. Hwaseong Fortress was built in the late 1700s under King Jeongjo and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The wall loops around the old city for a few kilometers, so this is a “walk it and stop at the gates” kind of day.

Morning

Hwaseong Fortress

We spent our second day exploring Suwon’s historic sites, starting at Hwaseomun (West Gate) before walking around the fortress and its beautiful gates.

We also visited Hwaseong Temporary Palace, Paldalmun (South Gate), Nam Su Mun (South Water Gate), Hwahongmun (Water Gate), and Janganmun (North Gate). Each stop offered a glimpse into Korea’s history, with Hwahongmun being one of my favorites for its beautiful arches over the stream.

After a day of exploring, we took a coffee break at Cafe Dohwa before heading back to Seoul for dinner.

Want to know more about our Suwon trip, including the places we visited and travel tips?

Cafe Dohwa

After all the walking, we had a coffee break and a very deserved sit-down. Their cake is also very good.

Location: 33-1 Jangan-dong Paldal-gu, Suwon-si Gyeonggi-do

Evening

Jonhno Heungbuga

After spending most of the day walking around the fortress, having a proper meal was definitely welcome before calling it a day.

We actually ate a bit late since we rested for a while before going out for dinner. We ordered a lot because everything seemed delicious. It was my first time trying Bossam (보쌈), which is a traditional Korean dish featuring tender, thinly sliced pork belly that is boiled in spiced aromatic broth and wrapped in fresh leafy vegetables.

Location: 40 Gwansu-dong Jongno-gu Seoul

Day 3: Hanok Village, a Temple, and Hongdae

Morning

Eunpyeong Hanok Village

We started the day at Eunpyeong Hanok Village, a modern hanok village located in the northern part of Seoul.

The village has traditional-style Korean houses with mountains in the background, giving it a different atmosphere from the more touristy areas of central Seoul.

It was a peaceful place to walk around and take photos.

Bodeure Cafe

While exploring the area, we stopped at Bodeure Cafe for coffee. It was run by an old couple, which was very cute because it was only them serving us. When we arrived in the restaurant, we were the only customers.

After walking around Eunpyeong Hanok Village, it was nice to sit down for a while and enjoy the slower pace of the neighborhood. We ordered a very delicious pancake, which was perfect for our brunch.

Location: 205-4 Jingwan-dong Eunpyeong-gu Seoul

Afternoon

Jingwansa Temple

We continued to Jingwansa Temple, a historic Buddhist temple located near Bukhansan Mountain.

The temple has a peaceful setting surrounded by nature, making it feel very different from the busy streets of central Seoul. If you’re looking for a quieter cultural experience, this was a lovely stop to add to our itinerary.

Hongdae

From the peaceful surroundings of Jingwansa, we headed to Hongdae, one of Seoul’s most energetic neighborhoods. Hongdae is known for its youthful atmosphere, shops, cafés, restaurants, street performances, and nightlife. It was a complete change of scenery from our morning visit!

While exploring the area, we stopped by a caricature shop to have our faces drawn as souvenirs. Of course, we also did a photobooth session, which I’m honestly obsessed with! There are so many cute photo booths in Korea, and I couldn’t resist taking pictures to remember our trip.

Evening

Kyochon 1991

For dinner, we stopped at Kyochon 1991 for Korean fried chicken.

Korean fried chicken was one of the foods we wanted to try during our trip, and this was a great way to end our time in Hongdae.

Statue of King Sejong the Great

After dinner, we visited the Statue of King Sejong the Great in Gwanghwamun Square.

King Sejong is one of Korea’s most historically significant kings and is particularly known for the creation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Since I was also studying Korean, visiting this monument was especially meaningful for me.

Then we ate ice cream before going home.

Day 4: Alpaca World, Cable Car, and Nami Island

For our fourth day, we booked a Klook day tour that took us outside Seoul.

This was one of our busiest days because we visited several destinations in Chuncheon and the surrounding area before returning to Seoul.

All three stops are in Gangwon Province, outside Seoul, so a tour saves you a lot of logistics.

Morning

Alpaca World

Our first stop was Alpaca World, an animal-themed attraction where we got to see and interact with alpacas and other animals.

It was a fun change from the historical attractions we had been visiting during the first few days, especially if you’re traveling with family or simply enjoy animal experiences.

My husband, who spent some time in Peru, said the alpacas here were much better trained and nicer! 😆 I guess he has some alpaca experience to compare them with!

Chuncheon Samaksan Mountain Lake Cable Car

Next, we headed to the Chuncheon Samaksan Mountain Lake Cable Car. It offers beautiful views of the mountains and lake, giving us a different experience from exploring Seoul.

The ride was both fun and a little nerve-wracking! The cable car route is known as one of the longest in South Korea, stretching about 3.6 kilometers. The ride takes approximately 15–20 minutes one way, depending on conditions, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery (and get a little nervous if you’re afraid of heights, like I was!).

Afternoon

Nami Island

We continued to Nami Island, one of the most popular day-trip destinations from Seoul. The island is known for its tree-lined paths, beautiful seasonal scenery, and romantic atmosphere.

What I enjoyed most was biking around the island! 🚲 It was such a fun way to explore because we could cover more areas instead of just walking. We got to see more of the island at our own pace, and honestly, I think biking made the experience even more memorable.

You can probably tell from our vlog how much we enjoyed our time here! It’s one of those places where you don’t have to rush from one attraction to another. Just rent a bike, enjoy the scenery, and have fun exploring together.

Evening

Myeong-dong

Back for round two, because once wasn’t enough.

Day 5: Last Stops Before the Flight Home

Morning

Namdaemun Market

We started our last day at Namdaemun Market, one of Seoul’s traditional markets.

It’s a great place to browse local goods, souvenirs, clothing, food, and other items. We also enjoyed walking around and picking up a few things before our flight.

Afternoon

N Seoul Tower

Our final sightseeing stop was N Seoul Tower, located on Namsan Mountain.

The tower is one of Seoul’s most recognizable landmarks and offers panoramic views of the city. It was a fitting final stop because we could look out over Seoul and see the city we had spent the past five days exploring.

Evening

Flight back to the Philippines.

After visiting N Seoul Tower, we made our way back for our flight home.

And just like that, our five days in South Korea came to an end!

If you want to save this itinerary for later, here’s our trip summarized:

Five days isn’t enough to see everything in South Korea, but our itinerary gave us a nice mix of history, culture, food, cafés, shopping, nature, and day trips outside Seoul.

We also intentionally mixed busy sightseeing days with different types of experiences. Day 1 was focused heavily on Seoul’s historic attractions, Day 2 took us to Suwon, Day 3 combined traditional and modern Seoul, and Day 4 was our big day trip outside the city.

If you’re planning your first trip to South Korea and only have five days, you can use our itinerary as a starting point and adjust it depending on what you want to see, how much walking you’re comfortable with, and where you’re staying.

South Korea is definitely a place where I would happily return for another trip — there is still so much more to explore! 🇰🇷

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