Autumn colour: Seoul, Seoraksan & Gangneung · 8 nights
9 days, 8 nights: Seoul (3N), Sokcho (Seoraksan) (3N), Gangneung (2N). Best time to go: Early–late October (Seoraksan peaks around mid-October, Seoul later).
Day 1: Arrive in Seoul
Seoul
- Insadong & Ssamziegil craft streets · 2 h. Traditional tea houses hide in the side lanes; Jogyesa temple is a five-minute walk.
- N Seoul Tower & Namsan cable car · 2 h. Cable car queues are long at weekend sunsets; the walk up from Myeongdong takes about 30 minutes.
Local tip: Traditional tea houses hide in the side lanes; Jogyesa temple is a five-minute walk.
Day 2: Explore Seoul
Seoul
- Gyeongbokgung Palace & changing of the guard · 2.5 h. Closed Tuesdays. Guard ceremonies at 10am and 2pm at Gwanghwamun; entry is free if you wear hanbok. The National Folk Museum inside is free.
- Bukchon Hanok Village walk · 1.5 h. Residential lanes: visitors are restricted to roughly 10am–5pm in the core area, with fines outside those hours. Keep voices down and don't photograph into homes.
- Changdeokgung Palace & Secret Garden tour · 2.5 h. Closed Mondays. The Secret Garden (Huwon) is by timed guided tour only; English slots sell out, so book online ahead or queue at opening.
- Gwangjang Market food tour · 1.5 h. Try bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) and mayak gimbap; check posted prices before ordering. Bindaetteok suits vegetarians if fried without meat.
Local tip: Closed Tuesdays. Guard ceremonies at 10am and 2pm at Gwanghwamun; entry is free if you wear hanbok. The National Folk Museum inside is free.
Day 3: Explore Seoul
Seoul
- Cheonggyecheon stream walk · 1 h. Starts at Cheonggye Plaza near Gwanghwamun; lantern displays in November.
- Hanbok rental & palace stroll · 3 h. Shops near Gyeongbokgung Station rent by the 2–4 hours; hair styling costs extra. Hanbok gets you into the main palaces free.
- COEX Starfield Library & Bongeunsa temple · 2 h. Free; the library is inside COEX Mall. Bongeunsa is across the road and quieter in the morning.
Local tip: Starts at Cheonggye Plaza near Gwanghwamun; lantern displays in November.
Day 4: Seoul → Sokcho (Seoraksan)
Sokcho (Seoraksan) · Seoul to Sokcho (Seoraksan), Express bus ~2h20 (longer in weekend traffic)
- Seoraksan cable car to Gwongeumseong · 2.5 h. Tickets are sold for timed departures; in October they can sell out by mid-morning, so arrive before 9am. Short rocky scramble at the top.
- Abai Village & gaetbae ferry · 1.5 h. Settled by refugees from the North during the Korean War; cross on the hand-pulled raft and eat squid sundae.
Local tip: Tickets are sold for timed departures; in October they can sell out by mid-morning, so arrive before 9am. Short rocky scramble at the top.
Day 5: Explore Sokcho (Seoraksan)
Sokcho (Seoraksan)
- Biseondae & Yukdam falls easy walk · 2.5 h. Flat valley trail from the Seorak-dong entrance; good for autumn colour without the cable-car queue.
- Ulsanbawi rock hike · 5 h. About 4 km each way via Sinheungsa, ending in 800-plus steel steps; start by 9am and carry water.
Local tip: Flat valley trail from the Seorak-dong entrance; good for autumn colour without the cable-car queue.
Day 6: Explore Sokcho (Seoraksan)
Sokcho (Seoraksan)
- Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market · 1.5 h. Queue for dakgangjeong (sweet fried chicken) — buy a box to take away.
- Sokcho Beach & Yeonggeumjeong sunrise · 1.5 h. Sunrise over the sea from the Yeonggeumjeong pavilion; swimming only in July–August.
- Naksansa seaside temple, Yangyang · 2 h. 20 min by bus or taxi south of Sokcho; the Hongnyeonam hermitage sits over the waves.
Local tip: Queue for dakgangjeong (sweet fried chicken) — buy a box to take away.
Day 7: Sokcho (Seoraksan) → Gangneung
Gangneung · Sokcho (Seoraksan) to Gangneung, Intercity bus ~1h
- Jeongdongjin sunrise · 2 h. Jeongdongjin station sits right on the beach; trains arrive before dawn. Packed on 1 January.
- Anmok coffee street on the beach · 1.5 h. Cafes along the sand; upper-floor terraces have the views.
- Chodang tofu village lunch · 1 h. Tofu made with seawater; ask for the plain sundubu if you want it mild or meat-free.
Local tip: Jeongdongjin station sits right on the beach; trains arrive before dawn. Packed on 1 January.
Day 8: Explore Gangneung
Gangneung
- Gyeongpo Beach & Gyeongpo Lake cycle · 2.5 h. Rent a bike or couple-bike around the lake; cherry trees line the lake in early April.
- Ojukheon house & museum · 1.5 h. Birthplace of the scholar Yulgok, who is on the KRW 5,000 note.
- Jeongdongjin sea rail bike · 1 h. Coastal track by the sea; priced per bike.
- Jumunjin fish market & breakwater · 2 h. The breakwater is a K-drama filming spot; the BTS album-cover bus stop is at nearby Hyangho Beach.
- Gangneung Jungang Market snacks · 1 h. Try dakgangjeong, squid sundae and jang kalguksu (spicy noodle soup).
Local tip: Rent a bike or couple-bike around the lake; cherry trees line the lake in early April.
Day 9: Depart from Gangneung
Gangneung
- Seongyojang aristocrat house · 1.5 h
Keep a buffer before your flight; check-out is usually noon.
Where to stay
- Seoul (3 nights): Myeongdong / Euljiro. Central for palaces and shopping, airport buses at the door, street food every evening.
- Sokcho (Seoraksan) (3 nights): Sokcho Beach / Daepo. Sea-view rooms and condos for sunrise, with seafood restaurants nearby.
- Gangneung (2 nights): Gyeongpo Beach. Beach and lake on the doorstep, with cafes and seafood restaurants.