A 10-day visit is recommended for South Korea. The small size of the country, combined with good roads, multiple domestic airports, and excellent public transportation, makes it possible to travel efficiently.
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One week in South Korea offers enough time to immerse yourself in the country's culture, cuisine, and pristine landscapes. On a highlights tour, you can tick off all three while staying in Seoul, Andong, and Gyeongju or focus on the street food scene of Busan and Jeju Island on a culinary trip.
South Korea in 3 WeeksYou have the luxury to cover a lot of ground and really immerse yourself in every destination during a three-week South Korea itinerary. Expand your stay in each of the country's major cities to get to know the place, or squeeze in extra destinations like Sokcho or Jeju Island.
Other FAQ About Planning a South Korea ItineraryAs a general rule, I like spending between 10 days and two weeks in South Korea. This allows you a few days each in Seoul and Busan, which you can use as bookends for destinations such as Seoraksan, Geongju and Jeju, which you can visit in-between Korea's large cities.
Like practically every country in the world, prices have increased post-pandemic in South Korea, so you'll be paying a little more for everything than you would have done a few years ago. Despite that, costs are lower than most Western countries, so accommodation in the country still offers up good value for money.
But just like most other countries, most of South Korea is affordable compared to its capital. In cities such as Busan, Daegu, and Gyeongju, you can get a spacious room for two in a four-star hotel, including breakfast, for as little as US $70 a night.
You could spend a lifetime in a city as sprawling as Seoul, and you still wouldn't be able to see everything. But, one week in Seoul is enough time to have a thorough introduction to the city's best palaces, restaurants, museums, and other attractions.
This depends on your style of travel, but a mid-range budget for a solo traveler spending 10 days in South Korea would be about $65USD per day. If you're willing to stay in cheap hostels, stick to more free activities in Seoul, and eat local foods, then you could get it down to maybe $40USD per day.
Perfect For a Weekend, Perfect For More Than a WeekWhether you're visiting just for a short weekend getaway, or looking to fill up a week or beyond – Jeju is well suited to any kind of holiday. If you only have two days up your sleeve, it's still well worth it to visit.
If you are thinking of visiting South Korea and would like to have a practical itinerary to cover both Seoul and Busan, allot at least 5 or 6 days. If you are also visiting Jeju, you'll need to add 2 or 3 more.
The average cost of living in South Korea is reasonable. It is not as cheap as living in some Asian countries like Laos or China, but it is also not as expensive as Japan or Singapore. In general, the most expensive living costs in the country will be found in the capital, Seoul.
South Korea is 5.1% more expensive than Japan in 2022. Remember when teachers went to South Korea rather than Japan due to cheaper living cost and higher salaries?
Korean food doesn't have as high of an international profile as some other national cuisines, so once you arrive in South Korea, you will have plenty of new food to try. Fortunately, the food price in Korea is exceptionally low (and the food is delicious), making the cost of traveling in South Korea a pretty good deal.
With low crime rates, the streets of Korea are quite safe, and theft or assault is hardly seen or heard of. Additionally, in order to guide and assist tourists, Tourist Police can also be found in major tourist areas.
High season is considered to be January, November and December. The cheapest month to fly from the United States is April. Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Seoul flight deals.
You could easily pass a couple of weeks wandering the streets of Seoul, visiting a different festival or cafe or museum each day, but most first timers come for just 5 days in Seoul. So this Seoul itinerary covers a little something for every interest, plus a few swaps dependent upon weather and days of the week.