3 days in Seoul: a day-by-day sightseeing plan

Seoul's five Joseon palaces sit within walking distance of glass towers and busy shopping streets, so this plan pairs palace mornings with walks through the neighbourhoods around them. Day one covers the eastern palaces, the royal shrine and Bukchon's hanok lanes, day two runs from Gyeongbokgung along the Cheonggyecheon stream to Namsan Tower, and day three adds the National Museum of Korea, a quieter palace and the history of Seodaemun Prison.

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Day 1

Changdeokgung, Jongmyo and Bukchon Hanok Village

5 stops

09:00
Changdeokgung
About 1 h 40 min
The best preserved of Seoul's palaces is a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose halls follow the slope of the hills behind them. The Secret Garden at the back is seen on guided tours with limited places, so book one ahead if you want it in this slot.
Walk, 6 min
10:50
Changgyeonggung
About 1 h 30 min
Connected to Changdeokgung by a side gate, this palace is quieter, with a pond and a white Victorian-style glass greenhouse from 1909 at the far end. Walk south afterwards to Jongmyo.
Walk, 7 min
12:30
Jongmyo
About 35 min
The royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon kings is a UNESCO site, and its long main hall is one of the most striking buildings in Korea for its simplicity. Visits are often by guided tour, so check the schedule for your day.
Walk, 10 min
13:15
Tapgol Park
About 1 h
A small park where the 1919 Declaration of Independence was read aloud, the start of the March First Movement, with a marble pagoda from the 15th century kept under glass. It is a quiet, short stop, so use the rest of the slot for lunch around Insadong nearby.
Walk, 22 min
14:40
Bukchon Hanok Village
About 45 min
A hillside neighbourhood of tiled-roof hanok houses with views over the city from its upper lanes. People live here, and parts of the village limit tourist visits to daytime hours, so keep your voice down and stay on the streets.

Day 2

Gyeongbokgung, Cheonggyecheon and Namsan Seoul Tower

5 stops

09:00
Gyeongbokgung
About 1 h 40 min
The first and largest palace of the Joseon dynasty, with the throne hall, the Gyeonghoeru pavilion on its pond and the National Folk Museum inside the grounds. Watch for the guard ceremony at the main gate as you arrive.
Walk, 19 min
11:00
Cheonggyecheon
About 1 h 5 min
A restored stream that runs below street level through downtown, with stepping stones, bridges and murals along its banks. Walk a stretch eastwards, then cut south to Deoksugung.
Walk, 6 min
12:15
Deoksugung
About 1 h 35 min
This palace mixes traditional halls with Western-style stone buildings from the Korean Empire period, and the stone-wall road along its side is a pleasant walk. The plan gives it a long slot, enough for the grounds and the art museum in the stone hall.
Walk, 18 min
14:10
Myeongdong Cathedral
About 45 min
A red-brick Gothic church from 1898 and the seat of Seoul's Catholic archdiocese, standing above the shopping streets of Myeongdong. Look inside, then head up Namsan by the cable car or the wooded paths.
Walk, 22 min
15:20
Namsan Seoul Tower
About 1 h 5 min
The tower on top of Namsan gives the widest view over Seoul, with the mountains around the city on a clear day. It ends the day, so stay for the evening lights over the city if you want.

Day 3

The National Museum of Korea, Gyeonghuigung and Seodaemun Prison

4 stops

09:00
National Museum of Korea
About 1 h 35 min
Korea's flagship museum is vast, so pick a few rooms: the quiet gallery with two pensive Buddha statues, the gold crowns of Silla and the marble pagoda standing inside the main hall. The plan's slot suits that and a walk by the pond outside.
Walk, 1 min
10:40
Bukhansan Monument
About 20 min
The original stone stele that King Jinheung of Silla set up on Bukhansan in the sixth century is now kept inside the National Museum. It is a short look before you leave; then take a taxi north to Gyeonghuigung.
Taxi, 13 min
11:15
Gyeonghuigung
About 1 h 30 min
A smaller palace, rebuilt in part, that sees far fewer visitors than the others, with the Seoul Museum of History beside it. It is a calm place to walk the courtyards before the last stop.
Walk, 17 min
13:05
Seodaemun Prison
About 1 h 30 min
The prison built under Japanese rule held Korean independence activists, and its cell blocks and exhibits tell their story plainly. It is a sombre end to the trip, and Independence Gate stands in the park outside.

Good to know

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons; summer is hot and humid with a rainy spell, and winter is cold and dry.
A T-money card covers the subway, buses and many taxis, and most stops in this plan are close to a subway station.
The palaces each close one day a week, and not all on the same day, so check before you fix the order of days.
Book the Secret Garden tour at Changdeokgung ahead; places are limited.
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3 days in Seoul: a day-by-day sightseeing plan

Changdeokgung

Changgyeonggung

Jongmyo

Tapgol Park

Bukchon Hanok Village

Gyeongbokgung

Cheonggyecheon

Deoksugung

Myeongdong Cathedral

Namsan Seoul Tower

National Museum of Korea

Bukhansan Monument

Gyeonghuigung

Seodaemun Prison

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