03/12/2025
🇰🇷 5 Days. 80km. Endless Seoul Magic.
Every now and again I need to step away from the desk and fill my own travel bucket — and a few weeks ago I spent 5 unforgettable days exploring Seoul with my best friend.
70km of walking + 10km of cycling later, I can safely say we made the absolute most of it!
✈️ Travelled in Business Class comfort with Jetstar Australia direct from Brisbane.
🛖 Stayed in Bukchon Hanok Village, where restored Joseon-era homes meet modern comforts. The curfew and resident-only access meant peaceful, crowd-free mornings and evenings.
🚇🚲🚶♀️ Getting around was a mix of subway, tours, bikes and plenty of walking.
1️⃣ Day 1
Started with peanut butter oat lattes and breakfast at Thanks, Oat (IG: ) — the first of many visits!
A 10km Old Seoul bike tour (IG: ), fried chicken + beer for lunch, and a private 14-course Korean beef degustation at Born & Bred Korea (IG: ) — absolutely unforgettable.
2️⃣ Day 2
Namsan cable car to N Seoul Tower, followed by an autumn-coloured walk back down the hill.
A 5-hour hidden-alley food tour (IG: ) — kalguksu, makgeolli, soft-shell crab, beef tartare… and yes, live octopus — finished with the hilarious Nanta Show in Myeongdong.
3️⃣ Day 3
Breakfast at Artisan Croissant, palace exploring, and a pamper-stop at Seoul TBC (IG: ) — Aqua Peel, Small Face Sculpting and Décolleté Lymph (felt like 5 years erased!).
A Moonlight Walking Tour (IG: ) through mural villages, Naksan Park and the Hanyang City Wall, finishing with Korean BBQ and soju bombs.
4️⃣ Day 4
A private hike to Seunggasa Temple in Bukhansan, hot pot bibimbap for lunch, a Korean spa experience, then over to Gangnam to explore Starfield Library — ending the day with dumpling soup at Mandoojip.
5️⃣ Day 5
Breakfast at Artist Bakery (IG: ) before visiting the War Memorial of Korea — incredibly meaningful as my grandfather served in the Korean War.
Finished with souvenir, skincare and kimchi shopping… and a custom bracelet with my name written in Korean.
✨ Closing Thoughts
Seoul completely exceeded my expectations — the food, the colour, the history, the energy and the warmth of the people made it a place I’ll recommend often. Five days barely scratched the surface, and I can’t wait to return.
If Korea is on your wishlist, I’d love to help you plan something just as memorable.