Seoul + Busan: two and a half hours by fast train from the capital to the sea
Palaces and towers in the north; beaches, a fish market and a temple on the rocks in the south. Korea is small, and that is its main convenience.
How the country works
South Korea is compact: the KTX crosses most of it in two and a half hours. So the «capital plus second city» route is not a compromise here but the norm. Seoul is about scale, tempo and the way tradition coexists with the twenty-first century. Busan is a port, relaxed, with mountains running down to the sea.
Seoul: five days
Gyeongbokgung palace with the changing of the guard and the Bukchon village beside it — tiled houses among modern blocks. Changdeokgung with its secret garden. Myeongdong and Hongdae for the evening, Itaewon for a mixed crowd. The Cheonggyecheon stream, where an elevated road was removed and the water brought back into the centre. Gwangjang market with street food in the aisles. And a separate day for the demilitarised zone on the northern border: booked in advance, with a passport and a dress code.
Busan: four days
Gamcheon village — coloured houses up the slope, former slums turned art quarter. The Jagalchi fish market, where what you choose is cooked on the spot. The beaches of Haeundae and Gwangalli with a view of the lit bridge. The Haedong Yonggungsa temple on cliffs above the sea — a rarity, since Korean temples are usually built in the mountains. And the Igidae coastal path with views across the bay to the city.
The train
The KTX runs Seoul to Busan in about two and a half hours, frequently, with tickets bought in an app. For anyone planning more than two cities there is a rail pass for foreigners covering several days — do the arithmetic first, because it does not always pay. You can fly between the cities, but with the airport runs the train wins.
When to go
April brings the cherry blossom, late October the maples; those are the two best months and both are short. Summer is hot, humid, with a rainy season in June and July and typhoons in late summer. Winter is dry and cold in Seoul, milder in Busan. If you must pick one month, October.
What to eat in Korea
A Korean table is a main dish plus a dozen banchan side plates, which are free and refilled. Samgyeopsal is pork belly grilled by you at the table and wrapped in lettuce leaves. Bibimbap is rice with vegetables in a hot stone bowl. Kimchi jjigae is a spicy stew on soured cabbage. In Busan the subject is fish: raw hoe, cod soup, and street food at the Jagalchi market. Coffee shops are a culture of their own here, and there are more of them than any city needs.
The demilitarised zone
A day trip from Seoul to the border with North Korea. It usually includes a viewing platform with binoculars from which a northern village is visible, the Third Infiltration Tunnel dug from the north, and Dorasan station, from which trains were once meant to run. The tour is booked in advance and only through accredited operators, with a passport, a dress code and photography banned at certain points. The version including the Joint Security Area is sometimes unavailable — that depends on the situation.
Practical matters
For a Russian passport entry is arranged through an electronic authorisation obtained in advance — it must be submitted before departure, and the rules change periodically, so check them before buying tickets. The T-money card works on the metro, on buses and in shops. English is understood in Seoul and less so in Busan, but a translation app copes everywhere.
Moscow → Seoul → Busan
Route and nights go into the form — adjust the date and passengers.