Seven dazzling days in South Korea

This itinerary is for the helpless Korea virgins (and despite Korea's burgeoning tourism, we know you're out there), not been-there-done-that backpackers in search of the obscure.  But the adjective "dazzling" here is no meaningless tag. It's a nod to the process of aggressive elimination and selection that gave us the model itinerary for seven days of travel in South Korea. 

Warning: routes marked on this map may deviate slightly from actual routes.

It's not a comprehensive list -- being selective tends to make that difficult. But while you may not be seeing everything, what you're seeing will still be thrilling. 

Monday: Good old Seoul  

Incheon International Airport is the gateway to Seoul. Numerous taxis, airport limousine buses -- and now, a specialized railway line -- shuttle passengers to and fro, but the airport limousine buses offer the best value. Bus 6701 towards the Seoul City Hall from Gate 4B or 11A will take you straight to the Westin Chosun in downtown Seoul. The fare is ₩15,000. 

This five-star business hotel is comfortingly insular. But more importantly, sights like City Hall, Gwanghwamun Plaza, and various palaces are within walking distance.

As temptingly comfortable as the rooms may be, the surrounding attractions will make it worthwhile to shake out your air legs and walk off your post-plane bloat with a tour of the surrounding palaces. 

Guesthouse Hyosundang near Anguk Station: proof that not all budget lodging has to be a dinky concrete eyesore.

Across the street from the Westin Chosun is Deoksugung, one of the five Joseon-era palaces in Seoul. Deoksugung's noteworthy features include an art museum and Western-influenced architecture. Admission is ₩1,000 (less than US$1)

Three times a day, except on Monday, a Royal Guards Changing Ceremony takes place in front of the main gate of Deoksugung.

Further north along the main road is the next stop, Gyeongbokgung, Seoul's largest and arguably grandest palace. It's certainly the oldest, dating back to 1394, a mere two years after the birth of the Joseon Dynasty. 

The road you're walking along is Sejongno, named after Sejong the Great, the Joseon Dynasty king who invented Hangul, or written Korean.

The iconic statue looking down at the road and shaking his spear is Admiral Yi Sun-Shin. 

And the anachronistic, palatial gateway up ahead is Gwanghwamun, through which you enter Gyeongbokgung. 

Samgyetang, a traditional boiled chicken dish served at the nearby Tosokchon Samgyetang, makes a healthy and filling midday meal. 

Gyeongbokgung, former seat of royal authority and site of inventions and assassinations, is now accessible to visitors for ₩3,000.

Formerly home to kings and consorts, it is now home to the National Folk Museum of Korea, easily spotted by its pointed pagoda-tipped roof. History buffs might find it worthwhile to tour the museum. Shutter-happy aesthetes in a hurry will find the lovely gardens, ponds, and pavilions enough. 

No matter how hurried, there is no excuse for missing the following historically important and visually pleasing landmarks: Hyangwonjeong Pond (Above), Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, and Geunjeongjeon, the imperial throne room.

If you exit Gyeongbokgung through the National Folk Museum entrance you will find yourself in the photogenic district of Samcheong-dong, poster child for the tasteful fusion of traditional and modern, and replete with endearing cafés and boutiques. 

At the southern end of Samcheongdong is the ostentatiously traditional Bukchon Hanok Village, a 600-year-old neighborhood of winding alleys and cozily packed hanok, or traditional Korean-style residences with sloping eaves, tiled navy-blue roofs and latticed sliding doors. 

Further south is Insadong, shamelessly touristy but not without its charms. Most of the attractions are gathered along one main pedestrian street strung with divergent alleyways, and consist of tea houses, art galleries, antique shops and souvenir shops. 

More on CNNGo: Insadong: Art, nostalgia and boho

As with souvenir shops all around the world, Insadong's stores are also inundated with cheaply manufactured, pseudo-local goods, but there's still much that's salvageable: a notebook of hanji -- an improbably tough and stringy traditional Korean paper with the translucence of tissue paper -- for wordsmith friends, or celadon ceramics for your mother -- are much better than a logo-inscribed mug.  

Once you've reached Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5, you've completed your circuit of historic Seoul for the day. A short walk will take you to City Hall Station on Line 2. 

A few stations away from City Hall is the Gwangjang Market, your multi-stop, multi-shop market for a traditional Korean wardrobe. But it's better known for its street foods -- sundae, bindaetteok, mandu, perfect for dinner on the move. The Euljiro 4-ga stop on Line 2 will take you straight to Gwangjang Market. 

Gwangjang Market closes at 7 p.m., so dinner will have to be fast. But Korean street food is, taste-wise and design-wise, easy to wolf down.

Coming alive as Gwangjang Market shuts down for the day is the sprawling Dongdaemun Market nearby, a labyrinthine shopping district of nocturnal malls and hundreds of wholesale traders, retailers, and traditional markets.

More on CNNGo: 3 top Doota boutiques for the fashion-forward 

While many of the traders keep regular hours, closing around 6:30 p.m., others -- for example, Doota Mall -- keep less conventional hours, opening at night and closing at dawn. 

For these malls, the night is just beginning.

Depending on your stamina or how interested you are in browsing through hundreds of stores and thousands of clothes, shoes, accessories and other miscellaneous items, Dongdaemun might either take 30 minutes or three hours. 

Westin Chosun Hotel
87 Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 중구 소공동 87번지); +82 2 771 0500; www.echosunhotel.com/Eseoul.action

Hyosundang (효선당)
49-14 Yulgok-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 율곡로 49-14); +82 2 725 7979; eng.hyosundang.com 

Tosokchon Samgyetang (토속촌 삼계탕)
85-1 Chebu-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 제부동 85-1); +82 2 737 7444 

Gwangjang Market (광장시장)
6-1 Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 예지동 6-1); +82 2 2267 0291; kwangjangmarket.co.kr 

More on CNNGo: 50 reasons why Seoul is the world's greatest city