Tjo YEE WONG
The Perfect 12-day South Korea Itinerary
Seoul - Ulsan - Busan
30 March 2024
Looking for an unforgettable graduation trip with your friends? South Korea should definitely be on your list! With 12 days to spare, you can explore Korea's landmarks, try new foods, and cafes, go on day trips, and shop to your heart's content. From the bustling streets of Seoul to the coastal cities of Ulsan and Busan, this travel itinerary will allow you to explore all the must-see destinations, carefully planned day trips in between, and hidden gems along the way!
Things to take note before travelling to Korea:
1. Download Naver Map / Kakao Map to navigate your way around Korea (most of the places and addresses are in Korean language)
2. If you have to check in/out of your accommodations early, I will recommend you to search for luggage lockers near your accommodations beforehand. (these luggage lockers are often found in metro stations)
3. If you are travelling with friends, the "Spiltwise" app will help to track bills and other shared expenses
4. There are a lot of stairs in Korea, especially their metro stations. Do wear comfortable shoes as you will need to climb multiple flights of stairs and lug your luggage.
5. High-speed trains (eg. KTX) leave on the dot. Be at the train station early and try to board the train at least 10 mins before it departs so that you will have time to store your luggage and find your allocated seats.
6. KTX tickets from "Korean Train Express" official website is cheaper as compared to other third-party websites
7. Bring along your own disposable plastic bags to store your trash as Korea has very few public trash cans.
8. Public transportation cards (T Card) can be purchased and topped up at the convenience store in Korea
9. Olive Young is REALLY addictive. Skincare and makeup products are definitely much cheaper here as compared to SG.
DAY 1: GANGNAM, SEOUL
Took a 6hr red-eye flight from Singapore to Seoul. We bought our T card from a vending machine at one of the metro stations before we dropped our luggage off at LOTTE City Hotel Guro, where we will be staying for 3 nights. (The nearest metro station from the hotel was "Guro Digital Complex" [green line]).
The first official stop of the day was Starfield Coex Mall. We had a quick brunch at Eggdrop and visited the famous Starfield Library to take some photos. Afterwards, we went to Apgujeong, Gotomall Underground Shopping Mall and Gangnam to do some shopping and ate dinner at Yoogane's Marinated Chicken Galbi, before heading back to the hotel.
DAY 2: GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA
Day 2 in Seoul started really early as we needed to travel quite a little to reach Gangneung. We took a 3hr morning bus ride to get to Gangneung from Seoul Express Bus Terminal to see the BTS Bus Stop (8-55, Hyangho-ri, Jumunjin, Gangneung-si). After reaching Gangneung Express Bus terminal, you will need to take another bus and stop at Jumunjin Beach's nearest bus stop. By the time we reach our destination, it was already lunch time so we bought some ramyeon from a nearby convenience store and sat at one of the benches along Jumunjin Beach. We had our lunch facing the sea and the weather that day was perfect as well.
After lunch, we walked along Jumunjin Beach before we made our way to Soontofu Gelato - a beautiful cafe with a seaview. We made our way back to Seoul and had dinner at a "pocha" at Gwangjin, Seoul before we ended the day.
DAY 3: SUWON, SOUTH KOREA
Before making our way to Suwon, we visited Eunpyeong Hanok Village, which is much less touristy compared to the other Hanok Villages. Near here is 1in1jan cafe which has 5 floors that offer a breathtaking view of Eunpyeong Hanok Village and Bukhansan Mountain. Next, taking an express bus to Suwon. We did another day trip to Suwon and visited two k-drama filming locations - Our Beloved Summer and 2521. If you are a fan of these two k-drama like us, Suwon will be a perfect day trip from Seoul and a place to include in your itinerary.
Just located beside "Our Beloved Summer" k-drama filming location is Hwaseong Fortress and near here is Haenggung Street. This little alley offers many photobooths and if you are travelling with your friends and family it will be a fun activity to take some photos with them. Later, we took a bus ride back to Seoul and had dinner at a "pocha" near "Guro Digital Complex" metro station. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel as we needed to pack and rest early before leaving early again on day 4. Alternatively, if you had extra time to spare in Suwon, you can visit the newly opened Suwon Starfield, located right outside Hwaseo Station on the no. 1 line.
"Our Beloved Summer" Filming Location: 09-1 Jangan-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do
"Twenty-Five Twenty-One" Filming Location: 산1-46 Namchang-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
DAY 4: ULSAN, SOUTH KOREA
Took a morning KTX to Ulsan from Seoul Station. Dropped our luggage off at Staz Hotel Ulsan, where they offer hotel guests a complimentary luggage storage area.
KTX Travel time: 2 hour 10 minutes
Things to do in Ulsan:
1. Daewangan Park
2. Ilsan Beach
3. Ulsan Grand Park
4. Taehwagang Bamaboo Forest
5. Ganwoljae Flame Grass Road
6. Ganjeolgot Lighthouse
Despite only spending two nights in Ulsan, it was one of my favourite places for this trip. I will highly recommend Ulsan if you prefer visiting a less touristy place. This place has also lots to offer but since we were short of time, we only visited Daewangan Park and Ilsan Beach. Along Ilsan Beach, there are a few cafes and restaurants nearby. We stopped by Bread Paje Ilsan - a bakery and cafe. Their breads and desserts was so delicious!! This cafe also offers a view of Ilsan Beach. Highly recommend.
Afterwards, we head to grab dinner at Bolikkoch (74 Haesuyokjang 10-gil, Ilsan-dong, Dong-gu, Ulsan, South Korea). We ordered their fried fish set and it was so worth it. It comes with many side dishes and we enjoyed the seaweed soup the most!
Around Ilsan Beach, there are many other seafood options that you can choose from as well.
DAY 5: GYEONGJU, SOUTH KOREA
On our second day in Ulsan, we decided to take a day trip to Gyeongju. This place has one of the cutest cafes, restaurants, and shops. It was definitely one of our highlights for this trip.
We spent the whole day wandering around Hwangnidan-gil (shopping street), went cafe hopping and had lunch at WAEGA (39-2 Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea).
When we visited Gyeongju, it was on a Sunday and all the cafes and shops were open.
Cafes in Gyeongju:
1. Olivee
2. Mun Toast
3. Yellow Doughnut
4. Ecoto
5. Rose de Paris
6. Cafe Florian
7. From Sanglok
8. Noka
For dinner, we went to Lyusenso - a ramen restaurant (74-11 Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea) before walking to the bus terminal for our 1-hour bus ride back to Ulsan.
DAY 6: BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA
Get an early start and take an express bus to Busan. From Ulsan, it will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Upon reaching Busan, we took a train to Gwangan Station to store our luggage in the locker and head to Gwangan Market afterwards. There are a few restaurants around Gwangan Market and we happened to chance upon a Gimbap store and a Kalguksu (Korean knife-cut noodles) store [South Korea, Busan, Suyeong-gu, Namcheon-dong, 번지 1층 261-2].
Things to do at Haeundae Blueline Park:
1. Haeundae Sky Capsule Photo Spot (near Mipo Station) - (부산광역시 해운대구 중동 991-24)
2. Visit Edge 993 cafe / Ocean Breeze Cafe
3. Haeundae Sky Capsule - Blueline Park
4. Haeundae Beach Train
5. Cheongsapo Twin Lighthouse
Collected our luggage and check-in to our Airbnb which was located right beside Gwangalli Beach.
DAY 7: HUINNYEOUL CULTURE VILLAGE, BUSAN
Day 7 was more chill as we started the day a little later than usual. The first thing we did was to find a brunch place. We were on the way to Gamcheon Culture Village and we just happened to pass by Kimbap Cheonguk (286-1 Chungmu-daero, Seo-gu, Busan, South Korea). To get to Gamcheon Culture Village, we needed to take bus 2/2-2. This bus will bring you directly to the culture village but do note that this bus is slightly smaller than their usual bus and it tends to be quite packed.
Next, we had a little tea break at a cosy cafe - Having Moment (196 Jeoryeong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan, South Korea), situated right above Huinnyeoul Culture Village. this cafe have a gorgeous view of the sea and afterwards, you can take a short stroll along this costal village. There are small and cute boutique stores, scenic coastal views, murals and other colourful cafes to explore.
My friend and I had an impromptu plan and decided to visit LOTTE Department Store Gwangbok which was just a few bus stops away from Huinnyeoul Culture Village. We did some shopping there before heading back to Gwangalli Beach for dinner (광안리 국수 153구포국수 가성비 맛집) and then back to our accommodation.
DAY 8: ORYUKDO SKYWALK, BUSAN
Our last day in Busan, we decided to visit a temple by the sea - Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Busan. This temple is situated on the coast of the north-eastern part of Busan and offers stunning sea views.
We were a little hungry so we stopped by 호떡샵 (19, Suyeong-ro 384beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan) that sells Hotteok and it was really good. Along this street, we also found a place that serves Kalguksu and it was 11/10!! This place is situated in a small alley just one street away from the main road.
After having a satisfying lunch, we made our way to Oryukdo Skywalk and Oryukdo Park. We were really lucky to see all the yellow daffodils in full bloom as we visited Korea in early March. The weather was also clear and it was a picture-perfect moment to capture the pretty golden flowers and the glittering sea. This was one of my favourite photos I have captured for this trip. This is a must-visit place if you are in Busan during the spring season.
Since we were in the land of the most aesthetic cafes, visiting another cafe is a must. We decided to travel back to Gwangalli Beach and enjoyed the sunset at Cafe Haute (209 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea) which has a perfect view of Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Bridge. After a little cafe date, we had our last dinner in Busan near Gwangan Beach Park. We ordered a seafood stew to share and it was so worth it. Seafood here is a must-try if you are in Busan.
DAY 9: MYEONGDONG / HONGDAE, SEOUL
Day 9 is back to Seoul city.
After spending 5 days in the outskirts of Korea we had to spare some time to do some last-minute shopping in Seoul. But first, we have to check in to our Airbnb. Our Airbnb host was really nice to let us check in early. This time, our accommodation in Seoul is much more central and nearer to all the famous shopping streets.
The Airbnb we stayed at was just 10 minutes away from Myeongdong so of course we had to check it out first. Later, we visited Hongdae and spent the rest of our day here.
DAY 10: BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE, SEOUL
Situated between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace is Bukchon Hanok Village. This historic neighbourhood features well-preserved hanok houses, narrow alleyways, and stunning hilltop views. I recommend visiting in the early morning for a peaceful and less crowded experience.
We had lunch at Mukshidonna Samcheongdong before going to DEUS Cafe. This was one of my favourite cafes I visited this trip. The food and drinks were good and the environment here was really chill. We spent almost 3 hours just talking here...
The last stop of the day: Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
We did more shopping at Hyundai City Outlets which is located right beside DDP and had dinner at 비와별닭갈비 동대문점 (281, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul).
DAY 11: SEONGSU, SEOUL
On the last full day in Seoul. We left the Airbnb early and made our way to Seoul Forest. It was the start of Spring so we did not expect to see many trees blooming, but we were fortunate enough to see some yellow flowers here.
We had lunch was at 육전국밥 성수역점 (88, Achasan-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul). If you love beef, this place is for you. We tried their "steamboat" and everything was so good. Even their side dishes.
Next stop: Seongsu - a place of trendy cafes and culture
This is where all the gen z's are at with all the cool pop-up stores and it is a place filled with fashion, beauty, art, and gastronomy. We were short on time, so we only managed to explore the main streets of Seongsu. Nonetheless, this place is highly recommended if you are looking for a place that is less "touristy" and underrated.
Insadong was our third stop of the day. We continue with our retail therapy here before heading back to Hongdae for the second time to continue our second round of retail therapy.
DAY 12: ITAEWON, SEOUL
On the last morning in Seoul, was free and easy. We did not really plan what-to-do for this day but we head to Itaewon first to stroll their shopping street and have lunch before we go to Hongdae again...
Even though we came here for the third time on this trip, each time we were here, the shopping experience was just different. We did our last-minute shopping here before heading back to our accommodation to pick our luggage up. Our final stop on this trip was Incheon International Airport. (Would advise you to book a taxi through the Kakao app if you have too many things to carry.)
The airport is about an hour away from Seoul, so if you have a flight to catch do leave early.
My recent graduation trip with my friend to Korea was absolutely incredible and dream come true for both of us. We had the chance to explore some of the country's most beautiful cities, like Seoul, Ulsan, and Busan. The people were friendly, the food was delicious, the shopping experience was a whole different level, there were so many aesthetic cafes, and each city had its own unique charms. This graduation trip definitely exceeded all my expectations and I hope to be back soon with my friend and create more memories. <3