Admittedly, this is not the best itinerary - there were lots of things where we could have improved when we planned for this, but here it goes!

My flight to Korea was around 2.30PM Malaysian time, and the flight to Incheon International Airport took 5 hours and 50 minutes. By the time we reach the airport, it was already 10PM+ and we were taking the all-stop-train to our hotel outside Seoul Station.

Our flight back to Malaysia was early in the morning at 9AM, so we basically didn't do much on that day. Take out the first and last days for flight and below is the final travel itinerary we had for a 7-day trip from 21 to 27 Feb.

7-Day Seoul Travel Itinerary

20 Feb

Pocket WiFi Rental
Pick-up your Pocket WiFi device at our counter located at KLIA2 Arrival Hall Level L2-13

Day 1: Reach Airport at Incheon
Go to Seoul Station on all-stop-train.
Get T-Money card (Touch n Go) for subways.
Can reload RM100-ish into it. (30,000 won)
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21 Feb (Thursday) 

Day 2: Visit Anguk
Line 1 Seoul Station → City Hall Station → Jonggak Station → Jongno 3-ga Station

Change to Seoul Metro
Line 3 Jongno 3-ga Station → Anguk Station Exit 6

Visit Insadong

Korean streets, shops to explore. Right outside Anguk Station Exit 6.
Best time: Saturday (2PM - 10PM) and Sunday (10AM - 10PM) because no cars.

Review: Visit after 10AM, not earlier. Most stores open later in the day and nothing would be open even if you visit early. 

Visit Ssamziegil Shopping Complex

62, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Open 10:30 - 20:30
Is along Insadong streets. Shops are nicely decorated and is at the center of Insadong. Visit top level to see Wall of Love where people leave love messages on plastic tags and leave it on the wall.

Review: Unique shopping complex that slowly spirals upwards as you walk, so you don't need to walk the stairs. 

Visit Bukchon Hanok Village 

(Anguk Station Exit 3)
Head right after go out from exit 3.
Walk about 200m will see info about Bukchon Village Walking Tour.
600-year-old village area for full Korean experience. Inside here also can rent hanbok.

Review: We didn't visit the entire thing. Managed to visit a free museum, there's also lots of local shops and food to browse through :)

Visit Samcheongdong Street

Connected from Bukchon Hanok Village. Beautiful tree experience (no flowers no leaves cause winter) but many little shops also open here.

Note: Didn't end up visiting this area. 

Line 3 Anguk station→ Gyeongbokgung (Exit 5)
Get Hanbok Rental Services (optional)
Seohwa Hanbok (few minutes walk away) or other hanbok rental stores nearby. Usually can get free visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace

Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace 

Guard-on-Duty Performance in Gwanghwamun gate at 11:00AM and 1:00PM
Sumungun (Gatekeeper) Military Training in Hyeopsaengmun Gate at 09:35AM and 1:35PM.

Review: We rented hanbok for 2 hours and managed to get free hairdo and accessories services for 15,000 won (Almost RM50). The palace was huge and there's lots of spots for photography, especially with all other travelers wearing traditional hanbok as well! We did not arrive at a time when there were performances, however.

Visit Namdaemun Market

Line 3 Gyeongbokgung → Jongno-sam-ga
Line 1 Jongno-sam-ga → Seoul Station
Line 4 Seoul Station → Hoehyeon
Exit 5. Closed on Sundays. Open past 11PM also.

Review: It's mostly food, food, food. This market is one that is the most similar to Malaysian night markets that I can find. You can even buy fishes, meat and other actual groceries. Snacks are available everywhere, and there are some stalls for clothes too. It's not bad :) 

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22 Feb (Friday)

Day 3: Visit Myeongdong & Dongdaemun
Line 4 Seoul Station → Hoehyeon → Myeongdong

Visit Myeongdong Shopping City

Exit 6 to visit Myeongdong City Center.
Full of shopping areas including Lotte Department Store.
Cosmetics can be bought here. Don’t buy from first store because many will offer free samples.

Review: They weren't kidding when they called this Myeongdong Shopping District! We were here all the way until evening and we never finished browsing through all the streets. Cosmetics, clothings, cafes - even cats, dogs, racoons & meerkat cafes!!! - and many others. You really need to be here and experience it to know what it's all about.

Visit Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

Line 4 Myeongdong → Chungmuro → Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station
Exit 1 to visit Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
Art hall, museum, fancy architecture design.
If you go to Yigansumun Exhibition Hall in DDP, right next to it you’ll find the LED rose garden.

Review: A must-visit if you love beautiful architecture and art stuff. There's art museums and art displays. A good photo spot whether it's in the morning or later at night. 

Visit Dongdaemun Night Market

Line 4 Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station → Dongdaemun Station (it's actually within walking distance, just opposite the street)
Open between 10PM – 5AM

Review: Didn't quite like this one. Most shops were old and selling the same things over and over - things like seat cushions, socks and undergarments etc. There are lots of places for traditional Korean food here though.

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23 Feb (Saturday)

Day 4: Activities in Seoul
Line 1 Seoul Station → City Hall Station
Change line
Line 2 City Hall Station → Euljiro 1-ga Station

Running Man Activities

Exit 3 from Euljiro 1-ga Station for Running Man Thematic Experience.
RM50/pax, open from 10AM to 8PM. Game experience lasts for 1 hour, visitors advised to wear pants for better mobility.
Complete game within 60 minutes with over 80 points for present.
Tickets booked on Klook.

Review: THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! The activities are relatively simple, but it does require some luck and techniques. Some machines also seem to be a little faulty, not registering contacts or something. Yes, it affects your scores! On first glance it totally looks like a place for kids to play - and I do agree to some extent. Most of us only managed to accumulate a little more than 60 points out of 80, and we walked away with a tiny badge. 

Visit Lotte Department Store

Exit 7 or 8 from Euljiro 1-ga Station. Directly connected to the station.
Open 10:30AM - 8PM

Review: Okay we definitely wasted time here. Lotte Department Store sells branded stuff - Imagine Pavilion KL or Premium Outlet. It is, however, connected to Young Plaza, a place that was much more affordable and actually shop-able. There's also an underground shopping area that you can visit near the station exit. 

Visit Grevin Museum

Euljiro 1-ga station Exit #1.
Has 4 floors for viewing and activities. Entry for adults is 18,000 won in-store and 16,000 won online (Between RM57 to 65). Last entry at 6.15PM
Ticket Booked on Klook

A picture automatically taken after we completed an activity inside Grevin Museum

Review: Love this place! I have never visited other wax museums before, but this was quite a good deal. The wax figures were nice, and each section - music, sports etc, were aptly decorated according to their themes. Although there were game stations, some were not functioning. We were mainly there for the wax figures though so I guess that's okay. 

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24 Feb (Sunday)

Go to Lotte World

Lotte World directly connected to Jamsil Station
RM115 per person. Include full day pass and admission to Lotte World Folk Museum
OR for RM152, get Lotte World full day pass + Lotte World Aquarium Daily Pass.
Open 0900-2200
Show the voucher at Lotte World South Gate (Group Ticket Office) to redeem paper tickets.

Review: Never made the mistake we did by going there on a Sunday. If you HAVE to be there on a weekend, purchase Magic Pass instead of normal ticket to skip the 2-hour queues. Ticket redemption counter is also quite a distance away from Jamsil station. We didn't visit the Folk Museum located inside the indoor theme park, but we did visit the Aquarium. That was definitely a worthwhile experience! They have penguins and chubby little seals and even a beluga whale!

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25 Feb (Monday)

Day 6: Go to Suwon

Line 4 Subway Seoul Station → Geumjeong Station
Line 1 Subway Geumjeong Station → Suwon Station Exit 5.

Visit Korean Folk Village

Take shuttle bus from Suwon Station to Korean Folk Village at 10:30, 12:30 or 14:30. Buses directly transiting from Suwon to Korean Folk Village also available.
Ticket Booked on Klook

Performance sessions
Farmer's Music and Dance 11:00, 14:00
Acrobatics on a Tightrope walking 11:30, 14:30
Equestrian Feats 12:00, 15:00


Return trip: Go back with shuttle bus from KFV → Suwon Station 13:50 or 16:00. Buses also available to Suwon station.

Review: We missed the first performance at 2PM D: The trip from Seoul Station to Suwon Station took a while, and we didn't quite figure out how the buses there work until the return trip. So we missed the first performance. However, the other two performances we saw were great, and there is also a small theme park inside this place! KFV is great for photography, and there's also this fancy little place inside it where you can see the traditional lifestyles, food, clothings and much more for other countries. It's a huge place that you can visit for an entire day without much issues. 

Visit Yeongdong Market

Suwon Station Exit 5, 8, or 10
Walk 4 minutes to bus stop bound for Paldalmun
Board green buses No.35, 11 or 13, travel for 5 stops. Walk straight 1 minute to reach marketplace.

Review: Our hotel was actually in Paldalmun area, so we didn't need to take a bus to this market. There's quite a lot to shop here as well, although perhaps a little more suited for older generations than younger ones.

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26 Feb (Tuesday) 

Visit Hwaseong Fortress

In Paldalmun area, within direct sight upon arrival.

Review: The entrance fee is barely 1,000 won - about RM3.60. It's quite a small hike up the fortress. Even when we visited, it was 12 degrees when other days were mostly 3-5 degrees celsius. The lady at the info center communicated with us in good English about the backstory and history of the fortress before we went up. She also guided us on the best route around the entire fortress and palace. It's very beautiful!

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DAY 7- 27 Feb  (Wed) 

Visit Ewha Woman's University

Review: This is like a mini version of Myeongdong - outside the university anyways. The university is open for tour and visits, although there's a schedule for a proper tour. You are free to visit around the campus, but do be quiet! It is, after all, a university. A beautiful one. There are plenty of cafes, food spots and clothing stores around this university. 

Visit Hongik Univ. Area 

Review: It finally feels more like KL shopping streets. You'll see Zara, H&M, Forever 21 and whatnot as standalone buildings here as you stroll down the streets. Plenty for us to shop for several hours! 

Visit Happy Day Spa 

Review: Had quite a culture shock because everyone was strolling about so freely without clothes at the shower and locker area. We only went for the sauna experience downstairs because it does not require going around in a birthday suit. There a 3 different sauna rooms, two of which we tried. One was too hot for us and we did not go in. It's over all very comfortable, and there's an open space where you can just grab a mattress-like thing and a pillow-ish block and lie around wherever you please. 

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We took the all-stop-train directly from Hongik Univ. Station to Incheon International Airport around 4.30AM the next morning for our 9AM morning flight back.

I hope this itinerary can guide you on tourist attraction spots in Seoul!