Start at Apgujeong Rodeo Station on the Suin-Bundang Line. It is a different station from Apgujeong Station on Line 3, so check the exact name in your transit app before you ride. Everything below is within walking distance, so once you get off you should not need the subway again. Budget four to five hours, more if you plan to linger in cafés. A late-morning start works best: many shops and cafés in this area open between 11am and noon, and independent shops often close one weekday, so it is worth checking a specific place's social media the same day before making a detour for it.
1. Leave by Exit 5 or 6 and start with Apgujeong Rodeo Street. The interesting part is not the main road but the side lanes, where select shops and Korean designer labels are clustered. Walk one block in, then back out, rather than following a straight line on the map. The lanes behind Rodeo Street are also where you will find most of the dessert shops and small roasteries, so this is the natural place for your first coffee. Allow one to one and a half hours for this stretch at an unhurried pace.
2. Next is K-Star Road, which runs from near Exit 2 of Apgujeong Rodeo Station toward the Cheongdam intersection. Bear figures representing K-pop groups line the sidewalk along the way. If photos are the point, go in the morning or early afternoon when the pavement is quieter; walking the full length takes about 20 to 30 minutes one way. Many visitors only want the figures, so if time is short, walk the first stretch and turn back.
3. For serious shopping, continue to Galleria Department Store near the Apgujeong intersection, or cross to Hyundai Department Store's Apgujeong main branch near Apgujeong Station on Line 3. Each is roughly a 10-minute walk from Rodeo Street. Department stores take international cards everywhere and have English-speaking information desks, but small independent cafés and shops in the lanes may accept fewer payment methods, so carry some cash or a card you know works abroad. Foreign visitors can claim a tax refund at participating stores above a minimum purchase amount, either instantly in-store or at the airport, and your physical passport is required at the time of purchase. A photo or copy will not be accepted, so bring the real thing.
4. Finish at Dosan Park, about 10 minutes on foot from Rodeo Street. The park itself is small, a 20-minute circuit at most, but the tree-lined streets and quiet café lanes around it make it a good place to end. The brunch spots and popular dessert shops near the park are busiest between noon and 4pm on weekends, and many take walk-ins only rather than reservations. If there is a specific café you want on a weekend, aim for opening time; if you would rather stroll without queueing, come on a weekday. Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong is another 15 to 20 minutes away on foot if you still have energy left.