Day 0: Annyeong Hasaeyo Daehan Minguk!
| 8:00 PM | Landing at Incheon International Airport |
| 8:30 PM | Clear immigration and retrieve internet card |
| 10:00 PM | Ride train to Seoul Station |
| 11:00 PM | Arrival at Seoul Station |
| Transfer to Subway Line 4 | |
| 11:10 PM | Alight at Sookmyung Women’s University Station |
| 12:00 PM | Check in and settle down |
Day 1: Commencing Seoul-searching!
| 1:00 AM | Lights out! |
| 7:30 AM | Wake Up call! |
| 8:30 AM | Proceed to Gyeongbokgung Palace |
| 8:45 AM | Purchase entrance tickets |
| 9:00 AM | Enter the palace and begin tour |
| 10:00 AM | Watch the changing of guards |
| 10:15 AM | Resume palace tour |
| 11:30 AM | Exit on the north gate. |
| Take pictures of the Blue House. | |
| Look for a place to have lunch | |
| 12:00 Noon | Lunch Break |
| 1:30 PM | Look for a branch of Dal.Komm Coffee |
| 2:00 PM | Dessert time at Dal.Komm Coffee shop (Gwanghamun Square area) |
| 3:00 PM | Check out the Sunday market fare at Gwanghamun Square |
| 3:30 PM | Proceed to Ehwa Women’s University |
| 4:00 PM | Alight at Ehwa Station (Subway Line 2) |
| Walk towards the campus | |
| Tour around Ehwa Women’s University | |
| 5:30 PM | Early dinner |
| 7:00 PM | Go back to accommodation to prepare for travel to Sokcho |
| 8:30 PM | Proceed to Dong Seoul Terminal bus station (Gangbyeon Station, Subway Line 2) |
| All express buses to Sokcho are fully-booked. Look for alternative | |
| 9:00 PM | Proceed to Gangnam Bus Terminal (Express Bus Terminal Station, Subway lines 3, 7, and 9) |
| Book ticket to Sokcho | |
| 9:30 PM | Tour Gangnam Underground Shopping Mall |
| 11:00 PM | Departure for Sokcho |
Day 2: First International Hike!
| 1:30 AM | Arrival in Sokcho |
| Ride cab and proceed to Hostel | |
| 2:00 AM | Check in at Hostel |
| 2:30 AM | Settle down and lights out! |
| 6:30 AM | Wake up call |
| 7:10 AM | Walking tour of Sokcho |
| 7:20 AM | Sunrise viewing at the harbor |
| 7:30 AM | Sokcho Fish Market |
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast at the Hostel |
| 9:00 AM | Wait for a bus to Seoraksan National Park |
| 10:30 AM | ETA Seoraksan National Park. |
| Tour around the Seoraksan National Park area | |
| Book ticket for cable car. | |
| 11:00 AM | Begin hike to Ulsan Bawi Rock |
| 12:30 PM | Arrivla at Heundeulbawi Rock/Gyejoam |
| 1:30 PM | Arrival at Ulsan Bawi Rock summit. Photo ops! |
| 2:00 PM | Begin descent to Seoraksan National Park entrance area |
| 3:00 PM | Arrival at Seoraksan National Park entrance area |
| Ride cable car to the Gwongeumseong Fortress | |
| 3:20 PM | Eat snacks before hiking to the Gwongeumseong Fortress |
| 3:30 PM | Begin hike to the Gwongeumseong Fortress |
| 3:40 PM | Gwongeumseong Fortress tour |
| 4:00 PM | Proceed to Seoraksan Park base via cable car |
| 4:20 PM | Tour Sinheungsa Temple. Photo ops |
| 5:10 PM | Ride bus to Sokcho town center |
| 6:00 PM | Tour the famous Sokcho Fish Market |
| 7:30 PM | Retrieve baggage at hostel |
| Proceed to bus station | |
| 8:00 PM | Dinner at the bus station |
| 9:00 PM | Departure for Seoul |
| 11:15 PM | Arrival in Seoul |
| 11:45 PM | Settle down in new accommodation |
Day 3: Korean Modern History, A Park and Shopping!
| 12:30 AM | Lights out |
| 6:30 AM | Wake up call |
| 7:30 AM | Proceed to Seoul Station |
| 7:45 AM | Light breakfast |
| 8:00 AM | Join Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) tour bus |
| 8:30 AM | Depart from Seoul to DMZ |
| 9:30 AM | Arrival at DMZ bus stop |
| Tour the area | |
| 10:00 AM | Arrival at Demilitarized Zone area |
| 10:10 AM | DMZ Museum Tour |
| 10:20 AM | Watch a short documentary about the DMZ area and the current state of the Korean War. |
| 10:40 AM | DMZ Tunnel Tour |
| 11:20 AM | Proceed to DMZ observation deck area |
| 11:30 AM | Arrival at the observation area |
| View the North Korean side | |
| Photo-ops. Buy souvenirs at the souvenir shop | |
| 12:00 Noon | Proceed to Gyeongui Railroad Line Dorasan Station |
| 12:10 PM | Exploration of the Dorasan station |
| 1:45 PM | Departure for Seoul |
| 1:40 PM | Arrival at the Ginseng Museum. |
| Guided museum tour (some salesmen are Filipino :)) | |
| 2:30 PM | Late lunch |
| 3:30 PM | Proceed to Haneul Park |
| 4:15 PM | Alight at the World Cup Stadium Station, Subway Line 6 |
| Walk to Haneul Park | |
| 4:30 PM | Arrival at Haneul Park. |
| Tour the park and photo-ops | |
| 6:30 PM | Depart for Myeongdong from World Cup Stadium station |
| 7:10 PM | Arrival at Myeongdong Station, Subway Line 4 |
| Look for a locker at the station to leave thing | |
| 8:00 PM | Dinner! |
| 9:00 PM | Tour around Myeongdong Shopping area |
| 11:00 PM | Return to accommodation |
Day 4: The Best of Autumn: Gapyeong County Tour
| 12:30 AM | Lights out! |
| 6:00 AM | Wake up call. |
| 6:30 AM | Proceed to Yongsan Station |
| Book ticket for Gapyeong Station | |
| 7:00 AM | Departure for Gapyeong County |
| 8:00 AM | Arrival at Gapyeong County Station |
| Breakfast and coffee | |
| 8:30 AM | Wait for bus to Nami Island |
| 9:00 AM | Arrival at Nami Island entrance |
| Purchase entrance ticket | |
| Ride the ferry to Nami Island | |
| 9:07 AM | Welcome to Nami Island! |
| 9:20 AM | Begin Nami Island Tour |
| 12:20 PM | Return to Nami entrance area |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:20 PM | Ride bus to Garden of the Morning Calm |
| 2:45 PM | Arrival at the Garden of the Morning Calm |
| 3:00 PM | Begin tour of the Garden |
| 5:30 PM | Ride bus to Cheongpyeong train station |
| 6:30 PM | Ride train to Seoul. Depart for Seoul |
| 8:00 PM | Arrival in Seoul. Depart for Insadong |
| 9:00 PM | Alight at Anguk Station, Subway Line 3 |
| Dinner! | |
| Tour around Insadong. | |
| 11:00 PM | Return to accommodation |
| 12:00 PM | Lights out! |
Day 5: Korean Cultural Immersion
| 7:00 AM | Wake up call |
| Fix things for check out | |
| 8:00 AM | Proceed to Jonggak Station, Subway line 1 |
| 8:30 AM | Ride bus to Korean Folk Village |
| 10:00 AM | Arrival at the Korean Folk Village |
| Late breakfast | |
| 10:20 AM | Start Korean Folk Village tour |
| 10:40 AM | Watch community performance at the KFV ampitheater |
| 11:30 AM | Ride bus going to Seoul |
| 12:30 PM | Check out from accommodation and move to hostel |
| 1:30 PM | Alight at Jonggak Station |
| 2:30 PM | Ride bus going to Jingwansa |
| 3:15 PM | Arrival at Jingwansa |
| Check in and settle down | |
| Switch to temple clothes | |
| 3:30 PM | Jingwansa temple stay orientation |
| 4:30 PM | Jingwansa temple tour |
| 6:00 PM | Ceremonial banging of the temple bell |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner |
| 7:00 PM | Tea time and interview with the temple sunim |
| 9:00 PM | Lights out! |
Day 6: 108 Prostrations and Another UNESCO Heritage Site
| 2:45 AM | Wake up call |
| 3:00 AM | Join the early morning meditation of the monks |
| Perform 108 Prostrations | |
| 4:00 AM | Resume sleep 🙂 |
| 6:00 AM | Wake up call |
| Break fast | |
| 6:30 AM | Tour Bokhansan National Park |
| Mini-hike to the mountain near Jingwansa | |
| Free time | |
| 10:00 AM | Departure for Insadong |
| 11:30 AM | Tour Insadong area |
| Early lunch | |
| 12:10 PM | Walk to Changdeokgung Palace from Insadong |
| 12:20 PM | Tour around Changdeokgung Palance |
| 2:30 PM | Begin guided tour of the Secret Garden |
| 3:40 PM | Exit Changdeokgung Palace and proceed to Insadong |
| 4:00 PM | Snack time and rest |
| Try Korean traditional snack hobing | |
| 5:00 PM | Return to accommodation |
| 6:00 PM | Depart for Namsan Seoul Tower |
| 6:30 PM | Arrival at Namsan Seoul Tower |
| Do a walking tour of the area | |
| Take a picture of the Seoul night skyline | |
| Visit the famed love locks | |
| 9:00 PM | Return to accommodation |
| 11:00 PM | Lights out! |
I will be sharing the second half of our South Korean itinerary in a separate piece. 🙂
For the second part of our South Korean trip itinerary, click here.
The Pine-Scented Chronicles 