Getting around South Korea without overpaying for rail
How KTX, SRT, express buses and the Tmoney card actually fit together, when the KORAIL Pass is worth buying, and why Jeju needs a car booked before the room.
Planning budget
≈ €1,734(₩2,800,000 original)Rate snapshot 2026-08-26The shape here is deliberate: the mainland stays a straight line running south-west then east, and Jeju comes last, reached by a short flight from Busan rather than a return to Seoul. That ordering saves a full day compared with the common mistake of flying the island out of Incheon in the middle of the trip.
Four days on Jeju is the minimum that justifies the flight and the rental desk. Book the car before the room — supply tightens on weekends and holidays — and bring your home licence, passport and a valid International Driving Permit obtained before you leave home. Any Hallasan summit route needs an advance reservation.
Keep the last mainland day flexible if you are travelling in late summer. Typhoons do cancel Jeju flights, and a spare day at the end of the route is the difference between a rearranged afternoon and a missed connection home.
The route
Day-by-day route
- Day 01
Arrive in Seoul
Tmoney card, express train into the city, and an early night after one short walk and a meal near the room.
Seoul
- Day 02
The historic core
Gyeongbokgung at opening, Changdeokgung's rear garden if slots remain, then the Bukchon lanes on foot.
Seoul
- Day 03
Markets and Euljiro
Gwangjang at lunch, the afternoon in Ikseon-dong, and the evening in the printing alleys as they turn into bars.
Seoul
- Day 04
Hongdae and the west
A daytime market or gallery, then the university district after dark for the loudest, cheapest food in the country.
Seoul
- Day 05
A half-day on the ridge
Bukhansan or Inwangsan by subway and bus, back in the city for the afternoon, and bags packed for an early train.
Seoul
- Day 06
KTX to Jeonju
Under two hours south-west. Check into a hanok inside the village and walk the quarter after six, when the day trippers have gone.
Jeonju
- Day 07
Jeonju food and Gyeonggijeon
Bibimbap at an old-established house, the shrine and the paper workshops, then a makgeolli house for the evening.
Jeonju
- Day 08
Across to Gyeongju
Cut east by train and bus, then take a bicycle around the burial mounds and Cheomseongdae in the afternoon.
Gyeongju
- Day 09
Bulguksa and Seokguram
The temple terraces and the grotto Buddha in the morning, the lit pond at Donggung after dark.
Gyeongju
- Day 10
South to Busan
Half an hour on the train, then Jagalchi market and the hillside lanes of Gamcheon before the light goes.
Busan
- Day 11
The coast temple and the east side
Haedong Yonggungsa near opening, the coastal walk afterwards, and Gwangalli in the evening.
Busan
- Day 12
A slower Busan day
The beaches, a bathhouse or the modern art on Yeongdo, keeping the day to one side of the city.
Busan
- Day 13
Fly to Jeju
Under an hour from Gimhae. Collect the rental car, allow for the off-airport shuttle, and drive east to your base.
Jeju
- Day 14
The east coast and Udo
Seongsan Ilchulbong early, the ferry across to Udo for the black cliffs, and Manjanggul on the way back.
Jeju
- Day 15
Hallasan or the west coast
A reserved summit route if the weather holds and you booked it, or the quieter western beaches and coast road if not.
Jeju
- Day 16
Depart from Jeju
Return the car with fuel and shuttle time to spare, and fly home via Seoul or Busan.
Jeju
Keep reading
Related guides
Sources
- Korea travel guide, Korea Tourism Organization, accessed
- Ticket reservation and timetables, Korea Railroad Corporation, accessed
- Driving in Jeju, Jeju Tourism Organization, accessed
- Typhoon information, Korea Meteorological Administration, accessed