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Seoul is one of the most populous cities in the world, home to some 10 million people in the centre plus 25 million in the wider metropolitan area. And yet Seoul is not a city that overwhelms visitors.
If you are looking for a diverse travel destination in Asia, the South Korean capital is the perfect spot.
The city is well-organised and easy to navigate, nestled among mountains and steeped in history – a history found not only in museums but out on the streets, on city walls and in palace courtyards.
If you can, spend five days there. Even that is not enough to understand Seoul, but it gives you a chance to know why you would want to come back.
Day one: the palaces of the Joseon kings
Your first day in Seoul is all about the kings. Gyeongbokgung – built in 1395, destroyed during the Imjin war (1592–1598) and reconstructed over decades – opens up behind its entrance gate like a city in its own right.
The palace has sprawling ceremonial courtyards, curved roofs in shades of blue and green, and guards in historical uniforms who carry out the changing of the guard several times a day. The ritual is choreographed down to the last detail. But it is more than just a spectacle; it serves as a reminder that this place was the centre of power on the Korean peninsula for five centuries.


If you use Gyeongbokgung as a starting point, head to the neighbouring Changdeokgung in the afternoon, which many historians consider the more architecturally accomplished of the two palaces.
A guided tour of the Biwon, or the Secret Garden, is a must. It contains ponds, pavilions and ancient trees set within grounds that were for centuries reserved for kings and their royal courts.
The best way to spend the evening is a stroll through Bukchon, the neighbouring hanok – traditional Korean houses – district with its cobbled lanes winding between old-style wooden homes that are still inhabited.
Bear in mind anyone wearing traditional hanbok attire is granted free entry to all of Seoul’s royal palaces. Rental outlets are located right outside the entrance gates.
Day two: the old city wall

The Hanyangdoseong – Seoul’s historic city wall – is one of the great surprises of the South Korean capital. Originally built in the 14th century to enclose what was then the capital of the Joseon Empire (1392-1897), it still winds its way for more than 18km (11 miles) through the city today.
The section along the Bugaksan ridge is particularly impressive: between granite cliffs and secured areas, you suddenly get a sweeping view of the metropolis.
Here, Seoul’s logical layout becomes clear. The city is framed by four mountains – Bugaksan, Inwangsan, Naksan and Namsan – that act as natural ramparts. The wall followed this topography, and the walking trail still follows it today.
Over Naksan, the route leads down into the Ikseon-dong neighbourhood, one of the liveliest in the city centre, with small cafes and Korean bistros in restored hanok houses.
Day three: exploring Gangnam across the Han River

The Han River both divides Seoul geographically and splits it into two worlds. To the north of the river lies the historic, somewhat rugged city centre with its palaces and markets.
As the city was barely able to expand northwards after the Korean war (1950-1953), development continued on the other side of the river. New neighbourhoods sprang up on the southern bank of the Han – the best known of which is Gangnam.
The neighbourhood, which became world-famous thanks to a pop song, is less of a cliché than you might expect, though it is also exactly what it purports to be: a hub of wealth, lifestyle and ambition.
Further west, Garosu-gil – a tree-lined avenue in the Apgujeong neighbourhood – winds its way past coffee bars, galleries and fashion boutiques. Gangnam is also a hub of Korean nightlife; head here after midnight to experience a different side of the city.
And then there is the ultimate test of your head for heights, not far from Gangnam: the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil-dong. At 555 metres (1821 feet), the tower is South Korea’s tallest building and offers a breathtaking view over Seoul, including from a glass platform.

Day four: taking in 5,000 years of history at museums
The National Museum of Korea in Seoul’s Yongsan district is one of the largest in the world and, at the same time, one of the most underrated places in the city.
The permanent exhibition takes visitors through 5,000 years of Korean cultural history: bronze swords from the pre-Christian Gojoseon era (2333BC-108BC), Buddhist sculptures of serene precision and celadon ceramics from the Goryeo period (918-1392) in their characteristic light green hue. Give yourself plenty of time here.
The National Folk Museum reconstructs everyday life in bygone eras: tools, clothing, household goods and rituals. The fourth day finishes at the Leeum, a private museum of contemporary Korean art in the Itaewon neighbourhood. The museum’s three buildings were designed by Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas, respectively. Three architectural styles offer three perspectives on contemporary South Korea.

It is also worth visiting the architecturally unique National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, which opened in 2013. Designed by Mihn Hyun-jun, it skilfully plays on the contrast between traditional court architecture and modern museum architecture.
Day five: the border with North Korea
The final day takes you out of the city, into a landscape where the history of the 20th century remains unresolved. The demilitarised zone (DMZ) begins around 50km north of Seoul.
What sounds like a day trip is, in reality, one of the most unusual experiences a trip to South Korea has to offer.
Your starting point is Imjingak Park, a sprawling site on the banks of the Imjin River, where guided tours set off.


Amid the relics of war and memorials, there is also a statue of peace here. Two seated girls commemorate the “comfort women” from South Korea and North Korea who the Japanese military forced to work in military brothels during World War II. This is a quiet place before the larger excursion.
The journey further north begins with a first reminder of where you are heading. The bus stops at a checkpoint, soldiers board and walk silently through the rows checking ID cards. It is calm and professional, and this is precisely what makes it so unsettling.
At the Dora Observatory, the nearest civilian viewpoint to the border, you can look through binoculars at the North Korean city of Kaesong on the horizon. You can see houses, chimneys, and beyond them nothing but uncertainty.
A 1953 armistice agreement ended Korean war combat, but the Korean peninsula is still officially at war, and visiting the DMZ reminds visitors of that. Seoul, one of the world’s most dynamic cities, is just an hour’s drive from this line.
Bear in mind you can only visit the DMZ on an authorised guided tour. Book several weeks in advance. You need to bring a passport. Strict rules of conduct and a dress code apply.


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5 days in Seoul: the best things to do, from palaces and museums to the DMZ

Visitors walks through the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on June 21, 2026. (Photo by JADE GAO / AFP)

Visitors wearing traditional hanbok dresses take a selfie in front of Gwanghwamun Gate, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung, a former royal palace in Seoul, on March 16, 2026. Photo: AFP

Visitors walk through Gyeongbokgung, a former royal palace in Seoul, on June 21, 2026. Photo: AFP

Biwon, or the Secret Garden, at Changdeokgung palace. Photo: Shutterstock

Seoul’s ancient city wall with urban sprawl behind it. Photo: Shutterstock

A cruise along the Han River in Seoul. Photo: Shutterstock

Tourists look out on Seoul from the Lotte World Tower observation deck. Photo: Xinhua

The National Museum of Korea, among the largest museums in the world, takes visitors through 5,000 years of Korean history. Photo: Shutterstock

Visitors walk beside a military fence at Imjingak Park near the demilitarised zone (DMZ) in Paju, South Korea, on November 22, 2023. Photo: AFP

Visitors use binoculars to look at the North Korean side of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) from an observatory in Paju, north of Seoul. Photo: Sopa Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

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Goo Chan-oo, a South Korean “office worker collector”, with some of his art collection. He and other collectors talk about their collecting experiences, which artists they are watching and the exhibitions to catch during Seoul Art Week, which runs from August 31 to September 6. Photo: Goo Chan-oo

 Lee So-young is an art collector, historian and educator. Photo: Lee So-young

Artworks inside Lee’s home. Photo: Lee So-young

Designer Teo Yang believes collectors need to support artists they like over the long term. Photo: Teo Yang

Inside designer Teo Yang’s studio in a restored traditional Korean house. Photo: Teo Yang

Kim Dong-un (right) and his wife Hwang Yoo-sun visit a Georg Baselitz exhibition on one of their holidays. Photo: Kim Dong-un and Hwang Yoo-sun

Perdu CXIII (2021) by Lee Bul, part of Kim and Hwang’s collection. Photo: courtesy of Thaddaeus Ropac

“Office worker collector” Goo Chan-oo began collecting almost by accident a decade ago. Photo: Goo Chan-oo

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Travel & Leisure

South Korea’s capital is a sprawling mix of old and new. Here’s a 5-day itinerary to help first-time visitors see why the city is so special


South Korea’s capital is a sprawling mix of old and new. Here’s a 5-day itinerary to help first-time visitors see why the city is so special.


5 days in Seoul: the best things to do, from palaces and museums to the DMZ

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}South Korea’s capital is a sprawling mix of old and new. Here’s a 5-day itinerary to help first-time visitors see why the city is so special

South Korea’s capital is a sprawling mix of old and new. Here’s a 5-day itinerary to help first-time visitors see why the city is so special