Seoul & the Han River Coast: Incheon to Nami Island

Seoul is one of those cities that looks manageable on a map and turns out to be vast, layered and full of things you did not plan for. The Joseon dynasty palaces sit a short walk from glass-tower shopping districts. Street food stalls operate in the shadow of a 14th-century city gate. The neighbourhoods each have their own register — Insadong is craft and tea, Hongdae is students and busking, Myeong-dong is cosmetics and crowds. Six days is enough to understand the city’s range without pretending to exhaust it. You fly Malaysia Airlines direct from Kuala Lumpur, landing at Incheon in the evening. The next morning takes you east to Nami Island — a river island famous for its long tree-lined avenues and the Korean dramas filmed along them — then to the Gangchon Railbike, a pedal-powered cart on a disused rail line above the river valley. It is one of those activities that sounds gimmicky and turns out to be one of the better afternoons on the trip. Day three covers the historical core: Gyeongbokgung Palace with a Hanbok wearing experience, Namsan Tower and the Love Padlock Wall, and Seoul Grand Park. Day four shifts to the cultural quarter — Eunpyeong Hanok Village, Insadong and a hands-on kimchi-making session at the Seaweed Museum, followed by the Starfield Library inside COEX Mall. Day five is the city's commercial energy: Hongdae, Myeong-dong, Namdaemun, and the midnight flight home. Halal meals are included throughout. The Itaewon mosque is on the Day 3 itinerary. This tour is for you if you want Seoul covered properly — the palace, the palate and the streets — in a single well-structured departure.

• ◆Hanbok experience at Gyeongbokgung — Joseon dynasty palace in central Seoul
• ◆Gangchon Railbike — pedal-cart on a disused rail line above the river valley
• ◆Nami Island — the tree-lined river island from those Korean dramas
• ◆Kimchi-making session at the Seaweed Museum, Insadong
• ◆Eunpyeong Hanok Village — old Seoul architecture in the northern hills
• ◆Starfield Library inside COEX Mall — one of Seoul’s most photographed interiors
• ◆Malaysia Airlines direct from Kuala Lumpur — 30kg baggage included

Day-by-Day