At a glanceThree nights in Seoul, a two-hour bullet train to Gyeongju for two nights among royal tombs and temples, a half-hour hop to Busan for two nights by the sea, then a short flight to Jeju Island for four slow nights of craters, coastal trails and seafood. It suits couples who love food, design and easy trains. Go from April to May or late September to November.
South Korea is one of the easiest honeymoons in Asia to get to from the US. Incheon International Airport has nonstop flights from a long list of American cities and the country's KTX bullet trains make the mainland feel small.
This route runs from north to south. It starts with three nights in Seoul for palaces, markets and late-night food, then takes the train to Gyeongju, the old capital of the Silla kingdom. There you sleep in a hanok, a traditional wooden house. By day you cycle between grassy royal tombs.
Busan, half an hour farther by train, is Korea's big port city on the sea. Two nights there give you beaches, a clifftop temple and the lights of the Gwangan Bridge at night.
The last four nights are on Jeju Island, a short flight south. It is your slow stretch: a volcanic island of crater walks, black stone walls, tangerine groves and women divers who still harvest the sea. You rent a car, drive the coast and eat grilled black pork for dinner.
The route
- SeoulSouth Korea · 3 nights
- GyeongjuSouth Korea · 2 nights
- BusanSouth Korea · 2 nights
- Jeju IslandSouth Korea · 4 nights
- Best months
- April to May and late September to November
- Trip length
- 12 days
- Budget
- About $250–700 a night for two in upscale hotels, less in hanok guesthouses (approximate)
Day by day
Days 1–3: Seoul
Land at Incheon International Airport (ICN). The AREX express train reaches Seoul Station in under an hour, or a limousine bus runs to the main hotel areas. Buy a T-money card at a convenience store for the subway. Check in and eat something easy nearby.
On day 2, rent hanbok, the traditional dress, from a shop near Gyeongbokgung and stroll the palace grounds in them. Then book the guided tour of the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung, a wooded royal garden of pavilions and ponds. Walk through the hanok lanes of Bukchon afterward.
On day 3, eat your way through Gwangjang Market, with its mung bean pancakes and knife-cut noodles. In the evening, take the cable car or walk up Namsan to N Seoul Tower and look out over the city lights. Then end with a picnic and a cold drink beside the Han River. Sitting on the riverbank with the bridges lit up is the romantic moment of Seoul.
Days 4–5: Gyeongju
Take the KTX from Seoul Station to Gyeongju Station on day 4, about two hours. A bus or taxi reaches the historic center in about 20 minutes. Spend your first night in a hanok guesthouse, with a mattress on a heated floor and a courtyard outside your door. Ask for a private bathroom.
Rent bicycles in the afternoon and ride through the tomb parks, where great grassy mounds hold the kings and queens of Silla. After dark, walk to Wolji Pond, where the restored palace pavilions are lit and reflected in the still water. That evening walk is the romantic moment of Gyeongju.
On day 5, go early to Bulguksa, a temple complex of stone bridges and wooden halls, then continue up the hill to the Seokguram Grotto and its granite Buddha. Move to a hotel at Bomun Lake for the second night if you want a bed frame and a spa after the hanok.
Days 6–7: Busan
Take the train or a taxi from Gyeongju to Busan on day 6, about half an hour by train or an hour by car. Check into a hotel at Haeundae or Marine City. In the evening, go to Gwangalli Beach and watch the Gwangan Bridge light up across the bay from a seafront bar. That view is the romantic moment of Busan.
On day 7, visit Haedong Yonggungsa in the morning, a temple set on rocks right at the edge of the sea. Then ride the sky capsule along the coastal rail line from Mipo toward Cheongsapo, a slow little pod above the waves. In the afternoon, wander the painted lanes of Gamcheon Culture Village.
For dinner, go to Jagalchi Market, pick your seafood downstairs and have it cooked upstairs. Couples who want a slower day can spend the afternoon at Spa Land in Centum City instead, with hot spring baths and heated rooms.
Days 8–11: Jeju Island
Fly from Busan's Gimhae Airport (PUS) to Jeju International Airport (CJU) on day 8, about an hour. Pick up a rental car and drive to the east coast near Seongsan, about an hour.
On day 9, climb Seongsan Ilchulbong, a crater rising from the sea, before sunrise. Watching the sun come up over the ocean from its rim is the romantic moment of Jeju. Later, take the ferry to Udo and cycle the small island's coast road. Watch for the haenyeo, the women divers, coming ashore.
On day 10, move to Jungmun on the south coast for your splurge nights and walk a section of the Olle trail near Seogwipo past waterfalls and sea cliffs. Have grilled black pork for dinner.
Keep day 11 slow. If you are both keen walkers, hike part of Hallasan, the volcano at the island's center. Otherwise spend the day at your resort spa, visit a tangerine farm or sit in a seaside cafe with a view.
Day 12: Home via Seoul
Fly from Jeju to Seoul Gimpo (GMP), about an hour, with departures all day. Then transfer to Incheon for your international flight, roughly 30 to 45 minutes by AREX train or taxi. Leave a generous gap, at least four hours between landing at Gimpo and your flight from Incheon.
If your flight leaves late, use the spare time for one last meal in Seoul or a stop at a jjimjilbang, a Korean bathhouse, to freshen up. Incheon has its own spa and lounges too.
Return the rental car at Jeju airport with time to spare. Korean airports are efficient, but domestic flights fill up at weekends and on holidays.
Getting Between Stops
The KTX from Seoul Station to Gyeongju Station takes about two hours. Gyeongju to Busan takes about half an hour by train or an hour by car. Book trains ahead for weekends and holidays.
Busan to Jeju is a flight of about an hour from Gimhae Airport. Jeju to Seoul Gimpo is also about an hour, with frequent departures on Korean Air, Asiana and budget carriers.
On Jeju, renting a car is by far the best way to explore. You need an International Driving Permit along with your US license. Elsewhere, use subways, buses and taxis with a T-money card. Kakao T is the standard taxi app. Use Naver Map or KakaoMap for directions, since Google Maps does not give walking directions in Korea.
Where to Stay
In Seoul, stay near the old center for the palaces. Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is near Gwanghwamun Square and The Shilla Seoul sits on the slopes of Namsan with gardens and a large spa. For high views, Signiel Seoul fills the upper floors of Lotte World Tower.
In Gyeongju, book a hanok guesthouse near Daereungwon or the Gyochon hanok village for one night, then a hotel at Bomun Lake for the second if you want more comfort.
In Busan, Park Hyatt Busan in Marine City looks over the yacht harbor and the Gwangan Bridge. Signiel Busan and Paradise Hotel Busan face the sand at Haeundae.
On Jeju, spend two nights on the east coast in a stylish pension or rental house, then two at Jungmun, where The Shilla Jeju and Lotte Hotel Jeju sit in gardens above the sea.
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When to Go
April and May are lovely. Cherry blossoms usually peak in late March or early April, a little earlier in Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju than in Seoul. Canola flowers turn Jeju's fields yellow and May is warm and green, ideal for walking.
Late September to November is the other high point. Skies are clear, temperatures are comfortable and fall leaves turn the palaces and temples red and gold, usually peaking in late October or early November. Silver grass covers Jeju's volcanic cones.
Summer is hot and humid, with a rainy season from late June into July and typhoon risk in late August and September, which can cancel Jeju flights. Winter is cold in Seoul but milder in Busan and Jeju. Avoid Lunar New Year and Chuseok, when trains and flights fill.
Budget and Booking
Plan on roughly $350–700 a night for two at the top Seoul, Busan and Jeju hotels named here, about $100–250 for a good hanok guesthouse in Gyeongju and $150–300 for a stylish rental on Jeju's east coast. All figures are approximate.
Book hotels first, especially in cherry blossom and fall foliage weeks, then the KTX and domestic flights.
Korea is good value for food. Market meals, barbecue and noodle shops cost little, while tasting menus in Seoul are a great splurge. Add the rental car on Jeju, fuel, the Secret Garden tour, temple tickets, the sky capsule in Busan and Spa Land. Tipping is not expected in Korea.
Make It Shorter or Longer
For nine days, drop Busan. Go from Seoul to Gyeongju, then take the train or a bus to Busan's airport for a flight to Jeju, spending three nights in Seoul, two in Gyeongju and three on Jeju.
With two weeks, add a night in Jeonju, about two hours from Seoul by KTX, for its large hanok village and famous bibimbap. Or add two nights in Sokcho on the east coast for Seoraksan National Park, which is spectacular in October.
Another option is to add Yeosu on the south coast between Busan and Jeju for its island bridges and seafood. Keep Jeju at the end, since its slower pace makes the best finish.
Honeymoon Tips
Korean couples love matching outfits and photo studios. Booking a couples photo session in rented hanbok in Seoul makes a fun and inexpensive keepsake.
At temples, dress modestly and speak quietly. At bathhouses and spas, men and women bathe separately and nude in the bath areas, with mixed areas in clothes provided. A hotel room with a private bath avoids the question.
Korea is very safe, with excellent public transport at night. Taxi drivers rarely speak much English, so keep hotel addresses in Korean on your phone.
On Jeju, the sea can be rough and cold outside summer. Swim only at lifeguarded beaches. If you hike Hallasan, start early, since trails close in the afternoon. Entry and visa rules depend on your citizenship and can change at short notice, so check the official government website before you book.
FAQPlanning this trip
How do we get around South Korea on a honeymoon?
By KTX bullet train on the mainland and short flights to Jeju. Seoul to Gyeongju takes about two hours by train and Gyeongju to Busan about half an hour. Busan to Jeju is about an hour by air. On Jeju, rent a car, since sights are spread out and the buses are slow.
Is a hanok stay comfortable?
It is cozy and memorable, though simple. You sleep on a mattress over a heated floor, with a low table and a courtyard shared with a few other guests. Rooms are small and some lack private bathrooms, so ask. One night is a great experience; many couples move to a hotel at Bomun Lake for the second.
Can we fly nonstop to South Korea from the US?
Yes. Incheon International Airport (ICN) has nonstop flights from many US cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Washington Dulles. That makes Korea one of the easiest long-haul honeymoons in Asia.
Is Jeju Island good for a beach honeymoon?
Jeju is more about volcanic scenery, coastal walks and food than lounging on sand. Its beaches are lovely in July and August, when swimming is best, but the island shines in spring and fall. Think craters, waterfalls, tangerine groves and seaside cafes rather than a tropical lagoon.
When is the best time for a South Korea honeymoon?
April to May for blossoms and green hills, or late September to November for clear skies and fall leaves. Both are mild and comfortable for walking. Avoid the rainy season from late June to July and Korea's big holidays, Lunar New Year and Chuseok, when transport fills up.
