In this guide
- The route at a glance
- Which day to start
- Day 1: Seoul, palaces and old lanes
- Day 2: Seoul, choose your side of the city
- Day 3: Seoul to Jeonju
- Day 4: Jeonju to Yeosu
- Day 5: Yeosu to Suncheon to Busan
- Day 6: Busan
- Day 7: Busan to Gyeongju to Seoul
- How to cut it to five days
- How to add Jeju
- Small things that help
Many first trips to Korea stick to Seoul and Busan. With a week and a rail map, you can make a loop instead: the old capital and its palaces, a hanok town, the south coast, the beaches of Busan and the royal tombs of Gyeongju, then back to Seoul on one fast train. It does move quickly, so we also show how to cut it to five days.
The route at a glance
- Days 1 and 2: Seoul (2 nights)
- Day 3: KTX to Jeonju (1 night)
- Day 4: KTX to Yeosu (1 night)
- Day 5: Suncheon, then bus to Busan (2 nights)
- Day 6: Busan
- Day 7: KTX to Gyeongju, then KTX back to Seoul
Which day to start
Start on a Wednesday if you can. That makes Day 3 a Friday, when Jeonju's Nambu Night Market is open, and Day 5 a Sunday, which keeps you away from Suncheon's Monday closures. Book trains as soon as your dates are firm: VisitKorea says tickets usually go on sale a month ahead, and weekend seats on the Jeonju and Yeosu line go quickly.
Day 1: Seoul, palaces and old lanes
Spend the first day at Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon and Insadong. Details and exit numbers are in our three days in Seoul.
Day 2: Seoul, choose your side of the city
Take your pick from the other two days of the Seoul plan: Namdaemun, Myeongdong and the view from Namsan, or the younger streets of Hongdae and Seongsu. Tomorrow's train will most likely leave from Yongsan Station, not Seoul Station, so check your ticket.
Day 3: Seoul to Jeonju
Move: KTX from Yongsan to Jeonju Station, about 1 hour 40 minutes, then about 25 minutes by city bus to the Hanok Village. Have lunch, see Jeondong Cathedral and Gyeonggijeon, then walk the lanes and climb Omokdae around sunset. On a Friday, finish at Nambu Night Market. Our two days in Jeonju has the walking order.
Day 4: Jeonju to Yeosu
Use the morning for Jaman Mural Village or a quiet walk by Jeonjucheon Stream. Move: back to Jeonju Station for a KTX south on the same line to Yeosu Expo Station. Allow roughly an hour and a half. In the afternoon, walk the breakwater to Odongdo and ride the Maritime Cable Car. Spend the evening on the seafront, from Yi Sun-sin Plaza to the Romantic Cart Bars.
Day 5: Yeosu to Suncheon to Busan
Move: train or bus to Suncheon, roughly half an hour by train or about 50 minutes by bus. See Suncheon Bay National Garden or the wetland; with a bus to catch, one is enough. Our Yeosu and Suncheon plan has both, with the bus numbers. Move: late afternoon bus from Suncheon Bus Terminal to Busan Seobu Terminal at Sasang Station, about 2 hours 30 minutes. Subway Line 2 from Sasang runs through Seomyeon, Gwangan and Haeundae, so choose a hotel near that line, and check the last bus in advance.
Day 6: Busan
After three days of moving, stay in one place. Pick the coast, Haeundae and Gwangalli with the bridge at night, or the old city of Gamcheon, Jagalchi and Nampo-dong. Our three-day Busan itinerary covers both, so choose by mood and weather.
Day 7: Busan to Gyeongju to Seoul
Move: KTX from Busan Station on subway Line 1 to Gyeongju Station, about 30 minutes according to the city of Gyeongju. The station sits outside town, so take a local bus or taxi to the old center. With only one day, stay there: Daereungwon's grass tombs, the cafés of Hwangnidan-gil and Cheomseongdae are all within walking distance. The temples in the hills need more time; see our Gyeongju guide.
Move: KTX from Gyeongju Station to Seoul Station, about 2 hours 10 minutes. You will have your luggage with you today, so find out in advance whether the station has lockers. Plan your flight home for the following day, not Day 7.
How to cut it to five days
- Keep the south coast, drop Jeonju. Day 1: Seoul. Day 2: KTX from Yongsan to Yeosu, about 3 hours 10 minutes, with Odongdo and the night sea. Day 3: Suncheon, then bus to Busan. Day 4: Busan. Day 5: Gyeongju, then KTX to Seoul.
- Keep it simple, drop Jeonju and the south coast. Days 1 and 2: Seoul. Day 3: KTX to Gyeongju and stay overnight near the old center. Day 4: KTX to Busan, about 30 minutes. Day 5: Busan. If your flight home leaves from Gimhae, you don't need to go back to Seoul at all.
How to add Jeju
Jeju is an island, so it means flying, and VisitKorea lists flights to Jeju from Gimpo in Seoul, Gimhae in Busan and Yeosu. The tidiest way is after Yeosu and Suncheon: fly from Yeosu Airport to Jeju, which the airport says takes about 45 minutes. Spend three days there with our three-day Jeju itinerary, then fly to Gimhae and pick up the Busan days. That turns a week into about ten days.Check the flight schedule before you fix anything else.
Small things that help
- Pack for stairs. This route changes hotels four times, and stations are not always easy with a big suitcase. Look for the elevator symbol on station maps.
- A week of moving catches up with you. Keep at least one evening free for your hotel room; see our notes on resting well on a Korea trip.
