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3 Days in Seoul (with Tour Prices Compared)
A short first visit to Seoul in autumn: a day in the old palace quarter that ends with a market food tour, a day at the DMZ, and a day out to Nami Island for the autumn leaves. Every paid stop is a tour we compared across three booking sites, and the gaps are free time.
Day 1: Palaces, Bukchon and a market food tour
- Morning: Gyeongbokgung palace and Bukchon Hanok Village on your own. (Not one of the tours we compared; palace entry fees and opening days unverified.)
- Afternoon: wander Insadong, or rest at your hotel (free).
- Evening: the Seoul Street Food Market Tour. It's listed under the same name on GetYourGuide, from US$79 (4.9 from 1,588), and on Viator (5.0 from 1,831), which showed no price when we checked. It replaces dinner. If you're a confident eater, a DIY evening at Gwangjang Market costs much less.
Day 2: The DMZ
- Morning into afternoon: a DMZ group tour with a North Korean defector Q&A. A tie at from US$50: GetYourGuide's DMZ tour (4.9 from 22,907) and Viator's group tour with the 3rd Tunnel and a suspension bridge (5.0 from 30,379). Klook's 3rd Tunnel and Gamaksan suspension bridge tour (5.0 from 347) showed no price. Bring your passport, and don't plan this for a Monday: most DMZ sites close on Mondays, and the military can cancel tours at short notice. Lunch is usually not included.
- Evening: free. Dinner near your hotel and an early night before the Nami day.
Day 3: Nami Island and Petite France
- All day: Nami Island, Petite France and the Garden of Morning Calm. Klook's day tour with options for the alpaca farm and the rail bike was from US$67.55 (4.8 from 8,720). The price depends on the package you pick, and lunch is usually extra. We didn't re-check matching listings on the other two sites.
- Or swap in: Seoraksan National Park. Viator's Mt. Seorak, Nami Island and Garden of Morning Calm day trip was from US$89.40 (4.9 from 1,283); Klook's Seoraksan and Nami tour (4.7 from 553) showed no price. It's a long day, often 12 hours or more, so check whether lunch and the cable car are included.
- Evening: back in Seoul, free.
Rough cost per person
| Item | Cheapest site | From |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul Street Food Market Tour (replaces dinner) | GetYourGuide | $79 |
| DMZ tour with defector Q&A | GetYourGuide or Viator (tie) | $50 |
| Nami Island, Petite France and Garden of Morning Calm | Klook | $67.55 |
| Total, paid tours | about $197 |
That's $79 + $50 + $67.55 = $196.55 in "from" prices, before taxes, fees, other meals, hotel and transport. Swapping Nami for the Seoraksan day brings it to $218.40, and skipping the food tour for a DIY market dinner brings it to $117.55 plus whatever you eat.
Skip if…
- Skip the DMZ if your free day is a Monday, if you're travelling with young kids (the tunnel walk is steep), or if modern history isn't your thing.
- Skip the food tour if you're happy ordering on your own at Gwangjang Market; it's the priciest item here.
- Skip Nami if you're visiting late in November, after the leaves have fallen, or if you'd rather keep all three days in the city.
- Skip the Seoraksan swap if you don't want a 12-hour coach day; Nami is the shorter trip.
A November note: leaves, cold mornings and busy weekends
Fall color usually peaks in Seoraksan in mid-to-late October, and in Seoul's palaces, parks and on Nami Island in late October to early November. November days cool quickly and late-month mornings can be near freezing, so bring layers for the DMZ observatories. Foliage weekends are busy at Nami and Seoraksan and "from" prices can rise, so pick weekday departures and keep free cancellation, since the military can cancel DMZ tours and weather can change mountain plans.
See every price, rating and site side by side in the full Seoul November tours comparison, which also covers a Korean cooking class.