Seoul Capital Area

The capital region, home to over half of South Korea's population, covering Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, with palaces and hanok, shopping and food, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and the DMZ all in one place.

This region follows Korea's traditional regional divisions and includes three first-level administrative units: Seoul Special City, Incheon Metropolitan City and Gyeonggi Province. Ganghwa Island and the West Sea Five Islands, which belong to Incheon, are also included.

Highlights: in Seoul, Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Bukchon Hanok Village, Insadong, Myeongdong, Hongdae, Seongsu-dong and the Han River parks, the night view from N Seoul Tower, and shopping in Dongdaemun and Gangnam; in Incheon, Chinatown, Songdo New City and the historic sites of Ganghwa Island; in Gyeonggi, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Korean Folk Village and Everland in Yongin, the DMZ Third Tunnel and Dora Observatory in Paju, Dumulmeori in Yangpyeong, and the ceramic villages of Yeoju and Icheon.

Classic itinerary: 4–5 days in Seoul, plus a day trip to Suwon Hwaseong, a half-day or full-day DMZ tour and a day trip to Incheon, for 6–7 days in total; you can continue to Chuncheon, Nami Island or the Gangneung coast in Gangwon Province.

Getting around: Incheon International Airport is the main gateway, with the AREX Airport Railroad running direct to Seoul Station; Gimpo Airport mostly handles domestic and short-haul East Asian flights. The capital-area subway covers Seoul, Incheon and most Gyeonggi cities, and the T-money transit card works throughout; KTX trains depart from Seoul, Yongsan and Suseo to destinations nationwide.

Good to know: the DMZ and Panmunjom can be visited only on a guided tour, you must bring your passport, and tours may be canceled at short notice depending on the security situation; popular palaces close on either Monday or Tuesday, depending on the palace, and wearing hanbok gets you into the palaces free; sights are crowded on spring and autumn weekends.

Destinations

Itineraries