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I visited South Korea in October 2024 after seeing my grandparents in China and I spent 10 days there and visited Jeju Island, Busan, and Seoul.

This was my first time in South Korea so I wanted visit some touristy spots like Busan and off the beaten path locations like Jeju Island. Jeju Island was especially high on my bucket list after reading The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (if you haven’t read it yet, you need to!!), one of my favorite books; which is about the female divers on Jeju Island. Apparently Jeju Island is the “Hawai’i of Korea” (people love to make Hawai’i as a comparison to anything with natural beauty idk) so I was even more curious to visit.

I think South Korea might be the best first time spot in East Asia for solo travelers and backpackers as it’s easy, friendly for English speakers, and super safe! China is amazing but difficult if you don’t speak Mandarin and it seems like mostly groups or couples travel around Japan and both of those have so many spots to see, it might be overwhelming to plan!

I spent 5 days on Jeju Island, 3 days in Busan, and 2 days in Seoul. You can probably spend less time on Jeju Island and more time in Seoul if you’re more interested in typical South Korean cities and want to get beauty procedures done.

Your maps apps will not work in South Korea so you’ll have to download Naver and South Korea is pretty cash heavy which you’ll need to get your metro ticket.

I flew from Shanghai directly to Jeju Island for about $100 but if you visit Jeju Island, you’ll probably have to fly to Seoul first so I would buy a roundtrip flight from Seoul.

Seoul is pretty backpacker friendly but I personally didn’t think there was too much to do as it’s just a major city but if it’s your first time in East Asia or you love KPOP and Kdramas, you’ll probably love it!

I’ll also share 2 different accommodation options: one for budget backpackers and one with nicer amenities for the mid-range traveler. Now that I’m 28, I tend to do a mix of both while traveling.

Fly into Seoul first and you can either explore Seoul in the beginning or end of your trip.

Where to stay on a budget: Seoul Cube Myeongdong

Where to stay with more of a budget: Huga Inn

I stayed in Seoul Cube Myeongdong cause it’s super central, clean and close to the metro and the bathrooms were really clean. I spent my time in Seoul chilling so my recs here aren’t that detailed. I spent much more time in Jeju and Busan so those are much better.

What to do in Seoul:

• Gyeongbokgung Palace is the main palace to visit. If you dress up in a Hanbok , you can enter for free!
• Visit Bukchon Hanok Village and walk around and visit the cafes
• Go out in Hongdae to experience South Korean nightlife
• Shop at Olive Young for skincare and makeup
• Walk around Cheongyecheon stream and hang out
• Explore the Myeongdong Night Market
• Hike Inwangsan Mountain for beautiful views of the city and to get in nature
• Walk around the area of Boing bar for nice bars
• Try Bingsu which is amazing shaved ice (Poem cafe is a good option) and Korean BBQ (Myeongdong Beef All You Can Eat)

Fly to Jeju Island. I book all of my flights on trip.com in Asia.

People either stay in Jeju City or Seogwipo and I think Seogwipo is better as it’s closer to the touristy spots. Jeju City is just where the airport is. You can take the bus from the airport to Seogwipo easily.

Where to stay on Jeju Island on a budget: Mido Hostel

Where to stay with more budget: Heyy Seogwipo

I stayed at Backpacker’s Home which was nice but I think it’s currently under construction.

It’s easiest to rent a car around Jeju Island so you’re able to see more of the island. The nature is unreal and the public transportation is pretty limited. If you don’t want to rent a car, you can do these tours with GetYourGuide.

What to do on Jeju Island:

• Visit Jusangjeollidae park and walk around
• See the pink muhly at Manor Blanc if you’re visiting in the fall. There’s an entrance fee but I’d never heard of pink muhly until I went to South Korea and it’s soo beautiful!
• If you scuba dive, dive with Orange Dive Center which is walking distance from the hostel. The coral is incredible in Jeju!
• Take a day trip to Udo Island, you can rent electric cars and drive around the island in a few hours. There is a ferry there around every hour and you can drive onto the ferry. If you’re lucky, you can see the female divers of Jeju Island diving to catch food for their families. You have to stop at Jimmy’s Ice Cream and try the local peanut ice cream, it’s delicious!
• Hike to Seongsan Ilchulbong for views of the cliffs.
• Visit the Jeju Stone Park
• Watch sunset at Suwolbong Peak Summit. There are cliffs and beautiful views there. If you visit in summer, go to Woljeongri Beach for pristine water. There are cute cafes nearby and many water activities you can do.
• Explore the Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market and get dinner there!
• Hike around Seogwipo Jeongbang Waterfall. Entrance tickets in South Korea are usually around 1000 won. There’s also a super nice cafe in the park.
• Explore Lee Jung Seop Street for fun late night eats and arcades. We found a really good bingsu place there.

Fly to Busan for around 3 days. Stay longer if you like! I think Busan is beautiful and super chill and the beach is nice.

Where to stay in Busan on a budget: Dynamic Guesthouse Hostel

Where to stay in Busan on more of a budget: L7 Haeundae Hotel by Lotte

I either walked or took the bus everywhere in Busan. I took the metro from the airport to Haeundae.

What to do:

• Visit Haeundae Beach for a chill beach day
• Visit Haeundae Blueline Park
• Visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple which is a Buddhist temple on the water. It’s super calm and beautiful.
• Go to the Korean Spa at Spa Land in Centum City. Korean Spas are pretty famous and this is a super nice one! It’s about $20 for 6 hours.
• Take a day trip to Gamcheon Culture Village. It used to be a refugee village and now it’s pretty touristy and colorful. Coffee It House is a beautiful spot to see it from the top and start.
• Take a day trip to Gyeongju which is a beautiful, historical town. You can use GetYourGuide to take a day tour.
• Watch the drone show on Gwangali Beach every Saturday night. It was my first drone show I’ve seen and it was so cool!
• There was an amazing bingsu place near Gwangali Beach (I think I ate Bingsu every day in South Korea).

Take the train back from Busan to Seoul. The bullet train takes about 2 hr 40 min and costs around $42. You can book it here.

I hope you enjoyed your trip in South Korea and it was filled with plenty of Seven Eleven runs and amazing views and food!