Seoul, Busan and the volcanic trails of Jeju

Who it is for

For a first trip to South Korea that wants, beyond the capital, the southern port and the volcanic landscape that UNESCO has recognised on Jeju.

Not for anyone who can only travel in summer: the monsoon runs from late June to late July, and on Jeju the humid heat, rain and risk of storms and typhoons last from June to September.

The strategy

Seoul gets three days: a palace with the Jongno neighbourhoods, the centre or the Yongsan museums, and a third area chosen by interest, plus a fourth for the Demilitarized Zone, which can only be visited on a tour with a certified guide. Busan is about 325 km away, in the south-east of the peninsula; compare train and bus for your date and arrival station. In Busan, one area per day, because the old port and the beaches lie at opposite ends: Nampo with Gamcheon and Jagalchi, then Haeundae or Gwangalli. From Busan there are flights to Jeju, which gets four days, with the first three nights in Jeju City and the fourth in Seogwipo: the old capital and the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park; the east with the Manjanggul lava tube, the Haenyeo Museum and Seongsan Ilchulbong; Hallasan by the Seongpanak trail, booked the month before; and the waterfalls and coast of Seogwipo. For the west and the interior, a rental car gets more done than the bus, and foreigners need a passport and an International Driving Permit. The way home leaves from Jeju, on the shuttle to Gimpo in Seoul or on one of the island’s direct international flights. May and October suit all three cities.

What you will see

• Gyeongbokgung, Seoul. Joseon’s main palace, founded in 1395, destroyed during the 1592 invasion and rebuilt between 1865 and 1867, with further restoration since 1990.
• Jagalchi Market, Busan. Jagalchi includes the market building and fish stalls by Jung-gu’s harbour; it grew with traders and refugees from the Korean War.
• Seongsan Ilchulbong, Jeju. A 182 m tuff cone that rose from the sea in a shallow eruption thousands of years ago and is now joined to the island by sand and gravel.

Day by day

Seoul

1. 1
   Day 1: One palace and the neighbourhoods of Jongno

   1. 1GyeongbokgungEssential
   2. 4JongmyoWorth a visit
2. 2
   Day 2: The centre and Namsan, or a museum day

   1. 6CheonggyecheonUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. 7Dongdaemun Design PlazaUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. 5Namsan and N Seoul TowerWorth a visit
   4. 3National Museum of KoreaEssential
3. 3
   Day 3: Jamsil and an afternoon in the south

   1. Lotte World Tower and Seoul SkyIf there is time
4. 4
   Day 4: Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) (day trip) · if you have more time

   

Busan

1. 5
   Day 5: Nampo with a break; Gamcheon as an alternative

   
2. 6
   Day 6: One coastal area, with a break and return

   1. 8Haeundae and the Blue Line ParkIf there is time
   2. 6Haedong YonggungsaWorth a visit
3. 7
   Day 7: Choose one area: temple, remembrance or coast · if you have more time

   1. 7Taejongdae and YeongdoWorth a visit

Jeju

1. 8
   Day 8: Jeju-si: the old capital and the memory of the 4·3

   1. Jeju MokgwanaUp to half an hourIf there is time
   2. SamseonghyeolUp to half an hourIf there is time
   3. YongduamUp to half an hourIf there is time
   4. 7Dongmun MarketUp to half an hourWorth a visit
2. 9
   Day 9: East: the lava tube, the haenyeo and Seongsan Ilchulbong

   1. 3ManjanggulOne to two hoursEssential
   2. 5Haenyeo MuseumOne to two hoursWorth a visit
   3. Bijarim ForestOne to two hoursWorth a visit
   4. 2Seongsan IlchulbongOne to two hoursEssential
   5. SeopjikojiUp to half an hourIf there is time
   6. 1HallasanHalf a day or moreEssential
3. 10
   Day 10: Hallasan by the Seongpanak trail

   1. 1HallasanHalf a day or moreEssential
4. 11
   Day 11: Seogwipo: waterfalls, market and the Olle 7 coast

   1. 8Jeongbang WaterfallUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. OedolgaeUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. JusangjeolliUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   4. 9Cheonjiyeon WaterfallUp to half an hourWorth a visit