Korea itinerary 7 days: Seoul's palaces and markets, then Busan by KTX

This Korea itinerary for 7 days gives you four nights in Seoul for palaces, hanok lanes and markets, then the KTX to Busan, about 2.5 hours, for two nights by the sea. You change hotels once, and every day has one main area so you're not crossing the city twice.

A week is a good first visit to Korea. It suits first-timers, couples, friends and families who'd rather see two cities well than four in a rush. Below you'll find each day, why it sits where it does, how to get between places, and what to book before you fly.

The route at a glance

• Route: Seoul (4 nights) → Busan (2 nights)
• Flights: into Seoul Incheon, home from Busan Gimhae (or back to Incheon by KTX)
• Pace: one area a day, with a free choice on Day 4
• Long ride: one KTX train, Seoul to Busan, about 2.5 hours
• Good for: first-timers, couples, friends and families with school-age children

Why this order? We start in Seoul because most flights land at Incheon and the palaces and old neighbourhoods are the heart of a first visit. Busan comes last because it's slower and by the sea, which makes the end of the week feel like a rest. Flying home from Busan saves a long trip back north on your last day.

Day 1: Arrive at Incheon and settle into Seoul

Many flights from Singapore are overnight and land at Incheon early in the morning. The AREX express train reaches Seoul Station in about 43 minutes from Terminal 1 and about 51 minutes from Terminal 2, and the all-stop train takes a little longer. We'd stay near Seoul Station, City Hall or Jongno, which keeps the palaces close.

Keep today light. Drop your bags, have a long lunch, and walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream as the lights come on. If you still have energy, Gwangjang Market is good for an early dinner of bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and noodles at the counters.

Day 2: Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon and Insadong

Start at Gyeongbokgung, the largest of Seoul's palaces, when it opens at 09:00. Entry is 3,000 won for adults, and free if you wear hanbok, which you can rent nearby. The palace is closed on Tuesdays, so swap this day with Day 3 or Day 4 if that's when it falls.

Walk east into Bukchon, where tiled hanok houses line steep lanes. People live here, so keep your voice down and stay on the public paths; parts of the village have visiting hours. In the afternoon, drift down to Insadong for tea houses and craft shops, then to Ikseon-dong's small alleys for dinner.

Day 3: Changdeokgung's Secret Garden and Gwangjang Market

Changdeokgung is the palace we'd choose if you only had time for one, and its Secret Garden is the reason. The garden is visited in timed sessions, and online tickets open at 10:00 Korea time six days before your visit, so book as soon as you can. Our Secret Garden booking guide has the details. The palace and garden are closed on Mondays.

After the garden, walk to Changgyeonggung next door, then take the short ride to Gwangjang Market for lunch if you didn't go on Day 1. Spend the evening in Myeongdong or take the cable car or a bus up Namsan to N Seoul Tower for the view over the city.

Day 4: Your choice, Hongdae and the Han River or Suwon

We keep Day 4 open because groups rarely want the same thing by now. Choose one:

• Hongdae, Yeonnam-dong and Mangwon Market: cafes, street music and a market for snacks, then a picnic by the Han River at Mangwon Hangang Park. Our Korean convenience store guide explains what to pick up for it.
• Suwon Hwaseong Fortress: a walk along the walls of an 18th-century fortress, about an hour from central Seoul by subway or train.
• A slow day: a jjimjilbang (bathhouse), a museum such as the National Museum of Korea, and an early night before the train.

For more ideas on what to eat in the city, see our Seoul food guide.

Day 5: KTX to Busan, then Gamcheon and Jagalchi

Take a morning KTX from Seoul Station to Busan. The fastest trains take about 2 hours 15 minutes, and most take about 2.5 to 3 hours. KTX tickets go on sale at 07:00 Korea time two months before the travel date, and Friday and Sunday trains fill first, so see our KTX booking guide before you book.

Busan Station is close to the old port. For a first Busan meal, a bowl of dwaeji gukbap near Seomyeon or Busan Station is the local classic. Leave your bags and go to Gamcheon Culture Village, where painted houses climb the hillside in steps. In the late afternoon, walk around Jagalchi, Korea's best-known fish market, where you can choose seafood downstairs and have it cooked upstairs. The main market building closes on some Tuesdays, so check before you go.

Day 6: Haeundae, the coast and Gwangalli at night

Spend today on the east side of the city. Haedong Yonggungsa, a temple on the rocks above the sea, opens early and is free, so go first, before the tour groups. Then head to Haeundae for the beach and the walking path around Dongbaekseom island.

In the evening, go to Gwangalli beach, where the Gwangan Bridge is lit up after dark and the cafes face the water. If you'd like a different kind of late-night snack, one of Busan's self-serve ramyeon shops is a fun stop; our Buldak ramyeon guide explains how they work.

Day 7: Fly home from Busan, or KTX back to Seoul

From Busan Gimhae Airport, Singapore Airlines and Jeju Air fly non-stop to Singapore. The airport is reached by light rail, which links with Busan Metro at Sasang and Daejeo, so allow about an hour from Haeundae.

If your flight leaves from Incheon, take an early KTX back to Seoul, then the AREX to the airport. That's about 4 hours door to door, so it suits an evening flight.

Getting around (approximate)

• Incheon Airport to Seoul Station: AREX express about 43 minutes from Terminal 1, about 51 from Terminal 2
• Around Seoul: subway and buses with a T-money card, usually 10 to 40 minutes between areas
• Seoul to Suwon: about 1 hour by subway or train
• Seoul to Busan: KTX about 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours
• Around Busan: Busan Metro and taxis; Haeundae to the old port is about 40 to 50 minutes by metro
• Busan Gimhae Airport: light rail to Sasang or Daejeo, then the metro

Do you need a Korea Rail Pass for 7 days?

Not for this route. It has one long train ride, so a single KTX ticket is simpler, and you can book it two months ahead. The Korea Rail Pass covers 2 to 5 travel days, and its seats open only one month before, so it pays off only if you add more long rides, such as Gyeongju or Jeonju on separate days.

Rough budget per person (approximate, excluding flights)

• Accommodation: about 50,000 to 120,000 won a night per person when sharing a double room, more in Seoul than in Busan
• Food: about 40,000 to 80,000 won a day, less if you lean on markets and convenience stores
• Transport for the whole route: about 80,000 to 120,000 won, including the KTX and the airport trains
• Sights and activities: about 10,000 to 30,000 won a day, since many palaces and temples are cheap or free

These are planning estimates, not quotes. Prices move with the season, the exchange rate and how many of you share a room.

What to book early

• Changdeokgung Secret Garden: online at 10:00 Korea time six days ahead; spring and autumn sessions go quickly
• The KTX to Busan: two months ahead for a Friday, Sunday or long weekend
• Hotels: a few months ahead for cherry blossom season (roughly early April) and autumn colour (roughly late October to early November)
• Hanbok rental: a day or two ahead if you want to wear it at Gyeongbokgung

From Singapore

A non-stop flight from Singapore to Seoul Incheon takes about 6 to 6.5 hours. Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Scoot, Jeju Air and Trinity Airways (formerly T'way Air) fly the route, and many departures leave Changi around midnight and land in Seoul early in the morning. For the flight home, Singapore Airlines and Jeju Air fly non-stop from Busan Gimhae to Singapore, which takes about 6.5 hours.

Korea (KST, UTC+9) is 1 hour ahead of Singapore (UTC+8) all year. Neither uses daylight saving.

A Singapore passport doesn't need a visa for a short visit of less than 90 days. Singapore is also on Korea's list of countries temporarily exempt from the K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) until 31 December 2026, Korea time. Without a K-ETA you fill in an arrival card, either on paper or free online through the e-Arrival Card website from 3 days before you land.

For trips that land on or after 1 January 2027, check the official K-ETA website before you fly. As of 30 October 2026, no extension beyond 31 December 2026 had been announced. If a K-ETA is needed, apply only on the official site (k-eta.go.kr), at least a few days before you travel.

For 2027, a week on the ground plus a travel day at each end fits three windows on our Singapore public holidays 2027 page:

• Chinese New Year: 4 days of leave, Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 February, gives Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 February, 9 days. It's mid-winter in Seoul, so pack for well below freezing, and book early, since it's one of the busiest weeks to fly.
• Hari Raya Haji and Vesak Day: 3 days of leave, Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Friday 21 May, gives Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 May, 9 days. Late spring is mild and green, our favourite time for this route.
• Good Friday: Monday 22 to Thursday 25 March as leave gives Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 March, 9 days. Cherry blossoms in Seoul usually come a little later, roughly early April.

If you only have a long weekend, see our weekend getaways from Singapore for shorter trips.

Planning this trip as a group

• Book the KTX together in one booking, so the group sits in the same carriage.
• Use Day 4 as the split day. Shoppers, cafe lovers and history fans can each have their morning and meet for dinner.
• Book the Secret Garden together on the same session, since tickets are timed and late arrivals aren't let in.
• Keep the plan in one place. With Tripmo's group trip planner, each person's ChatGPT, Claude or Grok adds to one shared plan on a map, so bookings and ideas don't get lost in the group chat.

More itineraries

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• 7 days in Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in one week
• Seoul food guide: what and where to eat in Seoul
• All itineraries

Sources

Last checked: 30 October 2026.

• K-ETA official website, Notice on Extension of K-ETA Temporary Exemption: the exemption runs from 1 January to 31 December 2026 (KST) for the countries already exempt. Notice dated 23 December 2025.
• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Singapore, Information about K-ETA: Singapore passport holders are exempted from K-ETA till 31 December 2026.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, South Korea: Singapore passport holders do not need a visa for short-term entry of less than 90 days.
• Korea e-Arrival Card, guide: free, from 3 days before arrival, replaces the paper card.
• Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, Gyeongbokgung admission: closed on Tuesdays; adult admission 3,000 won.
• AREX, express train: Incheon Airport to Seoul Station in 43 minutes from Terminal 1 and 51 minutes from Terminal 2.
• Korail: KTX tickets from 07:00 two months before departure; Korea Rail Pass seats from one month before.
• Flight times and airlines: published airline schedules for late October 2026, approximate.