Plan Seoul by neighborhood,
not by attraction count.
Where you stay changes your airport transfer, daily transport and how much of Seoul you can actually enjoy. Start with the neighborhood, then group nearby areas into realistic days.
Choose your base before building the itinerary
Myeongdong is convenient for many first-time sightseeing routes, Hongdae works well for airport rail access and nightlife, while Gangnam fits travelers focused on the southern side of the city. The best area depends on what you will do most often—not on a universal ranking.
Useful for palace areas, shopping and central sightseeing.
Strong for Airport Railroad access, nightlife and western Seoul.
Better when your plans are concentrated south of the Han River.
Group Seoul into zones
Avoid crossing the city repeatedly. Combine palace and traditional-neighborhood areas on one day, central shopping on another, and southern Seoul on a separate day. This protects usable travel time and makes public transport much easier to manage.