A Weekend in Seoul | 2-Day Seoul Travel Itinerary
Alexis Collazo
2 years ago
So you want to go to Seoul, but you only have two days to spend there. How can you make the most of your time?
Well that was exactly the case for my two friends who came to visit from Japan. I, being their resident tour guide, wanted to make sure that their experience would be one worth remembering, filled with as many sights and locations as possible, so that they could make they could create ton of memories in just two days.
If you've only got two days in Seoul, try our itinerary to make the most of it.
Overview
Saturday: Myeongdong → Gyeongbokgung → Insadong → Namsan Tower → Hongdae
Sunday: Itaewon → Jjimjilbang(찜질방) → Gwangjang Market → Gangnam
Day 1: A Saturday to Remember
Since my friends flew into Korea the night before, we were able to start the day off with no hassle.
Street Food & Shopping in Myeongdong (명동) - 10am
We started the day off in Myeongdong, ready to do some light shopping and some good eating. Since Myeongdong is famous for its shopping and street food, we knew we could enjoy some leisurely strolling as made our way down the streets, taking in the business as locals and tourists walk the streets. My friends loved seeing the various street vendors and what they had to offer as they took in their first real look of Seoul.
We peopled watched and ate some delicious treats at Cafe Mignon for a small break.
Wearing Hanbok & Exploring a Palace at Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) - 12pm
After energizing ourselves with the street food in Myeongdong, we head off to Gyeongbokgung. Of course when you visit Seoul, you have to visit at least on palace, so we chose the biggest one. But before heading to the palace, we stopped at Hanbok Girls, a hanbok shop located nearby, to get ourselves dressed for the full experience.
Once satisfied with our beautiful hanbok, we headed over to Gyeongbokgung where we explored, took pictures, and took in the history of great Korean landmark.
Once our rental time was finished, we changed back to our regular clothes and then headed to Gwanghamun Square to visit the King Sejong statue and rest at a cafe.
More Shopping & Sightseeing in Insadong (인사동) - 4pm
Once we were feeling rejuvenated from our small break, we headed to Insadong for more shopping and sightseeing. We looked at the various cultural items being sold and made a mental note of places we'd like to stop by later on for my friends to buy gifts and souvenirs.
We then headed to the Ssamziegil Shopping Complex where we did more window shopping and stopped at the famous Poop Cafe where we enjoyed chocolate hodeok, a Korean sweet pancake that was filled with chocolate sauce.
Get an Amazing View of Seoul from Namsan Tower (남산타워) - 8pm
After getting dinner in Insadong, we hopped on a subway to head towards Namsan Tower. After arriving at the designated bus stop, we rode up the hill right to the base of the tower. Little did we know, the Namsan Night Walk was occuring so there was a dance party happening right at Namsan Tower! Not only did we get an amazing view of the city but some early evening entertainment.
Enjoy the Nightlife of Hongdae (홍대) - 10pm
As many people in their 20's, we looked forward to enjoying the night life in Seoul. We chose Hongdae since it has a wide variety of places to visit such as pochas, bars, night clubs and noraebang (Korean karaoke). My friends enjoyed seeing foreigners and locals interacting in place we visited. We even made some new friends as the night went along.
Day 2: A Relaxing Sunday
After a very busy Saturday, we were in desperate need for recuperation, so our schedule was considerably lighter than the day before.
An International Haven in Seoul: Itaewon (이태원) - 10am
We started the day off exploring the streets of Itaewon. My friends were curious to learn about the area where foreigners were known to spend time and even start businesses. We walked the streets and even paid our respects to the victims lost in the Itaeweon crowd crush, before heading to the other side to check out local businesses and restaurants in the area.
Sweat Our Troubles Away at a Traditional Jjimjilbang - 1pm
After a morning of walking and and exploring, we were ready for the highlight of our day, going to the Jjimjilbang, or Korean sauna. One of my friends who was visiting lives in Japan, so she was familiar with bath houses and hot springs, but everyone was excited to experience the place we'd seen so many times in various K-dramas.
Photo from Creatrip (ours came out blurry ㅠㅠ)
We headed to Sparex, a Jjimjilbang near Gwangjang Market, since we'd be visiting their later, and spent the afternoon relaxing, snacking, and sleeping at the sauna. We initially only planned to be there a couple of hours, but we all enjoyed it so much, that we spent a majority of the day there.
Experience a Traditional Korean Market: Gwangjang Market - 5pm
After all of that lounging and relaxing, we were ready for our next stop, the famous Gwangjang Market. While we had eaten street food the day before at Myeongdong, my friend's were excited to experience a traditional market. We immediately hit the stalls, looking for something delicious to eat. While some of use were open to trying more atypical dishes like gopchang and chicken feet, others were not as thrilled so we split into groups, on a mission to find foods that fit all of our preferences.
Once we finished our solo adventures, we headed to a restaurant within the market to try live octopus and a variety of kimchi pancakes with makkeoli, Korean rice wine.
City Lights & Window Shopping in Gangnam - 8pm
After an eventful eating experience, we headed to our final destination of the day, Gangnam. Naturally due to the popularity of Psy's Gangnam Style, my friends were eager to see the area that inspired the song. We walked down the streets and viewed the electronic billboards, the statues, and the busy atmosphere common to the Gangnam area.
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And just like that, our busy weekend was over. While there is only so much you can do in the span of two days, there is certainly a ton that can be accomplished in that time. While my friends were disappointed to not have more time in Seoul, they were also content knowing it provided another reason for them to visit again in the future.
Getting around Seoul can be difficult on your own but with sites like Creatrip, you can get assistance on every step of the way. From the airport, to various sites and locations across Korea, find a guide, a package a tour, and more on Creatrip's site.
Where do you want to visit on your trip to Seoul?
