Top Ten Things to Do in Korea (with Photos)

Here’s a list of the top ten things you should do if you visit South Korea. These suggestions are based on my experience when I lived in Seoul. The activities will give you a good taste of what Korea has to offer. My ranking is based on how fun they are and how close they are to Seoul.

1. Walking tour (Seoul): Take a walking tour of Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace of Korea’s last dynasty, the Joseon.

Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung (2)

Stop by the Chongwadae, or Blue House, the official residence of the South Korean president.

Blue House

Walk along Cheonggyecheon, a canal walk just two blocks south of Gyeongbokgung off the main thoroughfare downtown, Sejongno.

Cheongyecheon

Cheongyecheon (2)

Sejongno

Keep walking a couple blocks south to Seoul’s City Hall. There aren’t many residential or shopping areas in the heart of downtown, but you will feel the pulse of Korea there.

Seoul City Hall

2. Shopping (Seoul): Shop for souvenirs and good deals at any one of a number of open-air markets and shopping districts in Seoul. The most popular are Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, Myeongdong, and Insadong. Namdaemun is the most famous and lies near Korea’s #1 Treasure, Namdaemun Gate. It’s your best bet for Korean souvenirs. For more traditional arts and crafts, try Insadong. Myeongdong is a trendy shopping area. Dongdaemun is less touristy and a bit off the beaten tourist path.

Namdaemun

Myeongdong

Night Market

3. Namsan Mountain (Seoul): Take a cable car to the top of Namsan Mountain in the heart of Seoul for some of the best panoramic views of the city. N Seoul Tower is more functional than beautiful but has a great view. Explore the paths in Namsan Park and check out the frequent events held there.

Seoul Tower

Seoul Tower (2)

Then visit nearby Namsangol Hanok, a traditional Korean village in Pildong on the north side of the mountain, for a taste of pre-modern Seoul.

Namsangol (2)

Namsangol

4. Dining and Entertainment: The dining and entertainment options in South Korea are endless. Great Korean food is available throughout the country; the best international cuisine is in Seoul and Busan. Try something different than bulgogi. Have some galbijim (beef ribs), bibimbap, or spicy takgogi along with kimchi and other banchan (side dishes). For vegetarians, dine at a Buddhist restaurant.

Korean Food

Korean Food (2)

Wash it down with soju, a Korean rice alcohol that some say tastes like vodka, or baekseju, a sweet alcohol.

Night Life (2)

Then head out for noraebang (karaoke) and sing your heart out with friends. Enjoy the nightlife in Hongdae, the bohemian area of Seoul, or trendy Gangnam. Seoul is a happening place in the evening. If you’re out late and need to refresh yourself, try some haejangguk (hangover soup) and then head to the jimjilbang (sauna) to relax.

Night Life

5. Panmunjom / DMZ Tour: Take a tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Joint Security Area (JSA) between North and Seoul Korea. No visit to Korea would be complete without a tour of the de facto border between the two countries. If possible, visit the “Truce Village” of Panmunjom and take a bus tour of the No Man’s Land between the two Koreas. Not all foreign nationals are allowed to tour Panmunjom, so check with a tour guide to see if you’re allowed to visit.

DMZ

DMZ (2)

6. Korean Folk Village: Located in Yongin, 45 minutes south of Seoul, the Korean Folk Village was built for tourists but is arguably the best example of Joseon-era Korean life. The attraction also has a lot of kiddie rides great for children. A fun daytrip from Seoul.

Folk Village

Folk Village (2)

Folk Village (3)

7. Seoraksan National Park: With great hiking and awesome views, Seoraksan is considered by many Koreans to be the most beautiful national park in South Korea. Visit a nearby hot springs to relax after a long hike.

Seoraksan

Seoraksan (2)

Seoraksan is not far from other great destinations in mountainous Gangwon Province, including Pyeongchang, future site of the 2018 Winter Olympics; Yongpyong Ski Resort in Pyeongchang, made famous by the biggest Korean drama of all time, Winter Sonata; and Odaesan National Park.

Yongpyeong

Yongpyeong (2)

8. Busan: Korea’s second largest city and its busiest port, Busan came into its own when it hosted the 2002 Asia Games and 2005 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. Stay on the beach in the suburb of Haeundae and try the bokguk (pufferfish soup) — if you dare. If not, Busan is famous for its charcoal-grilled bulgogi.

Haeundae

The most notable attraction in the area is Beomeosa, a Buddhist temple. It’s a daytrip just north of Busan.

Beomeosa

Beomeosa (2)

9. Gyeongju: Head to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC – 935 AD). The historic area is full of artifacts, including grassy burial mounds holding the tombs of the Silla kings and the Cheomseongdae Observatory. The area offers beautiful views of the Korean countryside. Numerous Buddhist temples and statues are hidden in the hills, and the Pacific Ocean is a half hour drive away.

Gyeongju

Gyeongju (3)

Gyeongju (2)

10. Jeju Island: A large island off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island is beloved by many Koreans for its beauty, warm weather, interesting rock formations created by volcanic lava flows, and a local culture unique to Korea. Stay in Jeju City and explore the island’s beaches, parks, and towns in several daytrips.

Jeju (2)

Jeju (3)

Jeju (5)

Jeju (4)

The island’s main symbol, phallic statues called harubang, are considered guardian spirits to ward of evil. It’s likely that they were inspired by, well, Jeju’s rock formations.

Jeju (6)

Jeju

Extra! Yeosu: Visit Yeosu, site of the 2012 World Expo, in South Cholla Province. The World’s Fair runs from May 12 to August 12, 2012. The theme of the Expo is “The Living Ocean and Coast.” Wolchulsan National Park, also in South Cholla not far from Yeosu, is a great place to hike. Many Koreans say that the Cholla region serves up some of the country’s best Korean food.

Wolchulsan (2)

I couldn’t list everything you can do when you visit Korea. Some honorable mentions include the National Museum of Korea, the War Memorial of Korea, and Bukhansan National Park in Seoul; Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon; and Ulleungdo, an island off the coast of Korea.

War Museum

War Museum (2)

Suwon Fortress

Spring is lovely, especially when the cherry flowers blossom in April and May. Summers in Korea are hot and humid, especially during the monsoon season, but the trees and flowers are in bloom, and the country is a sea of green. Watch out for yellow sand from Mongolia around June and heavy monsoon rains from the South China Sea in July-August.

Bukhansan

Bukhansan (2)

Winters are cold, but the snow blankets the land with a brilliant white.

Snow

Snow (2)

The best time to visit Korea is in the fall, when it’s not too hot or cold and the leaves turn into bright fall colors. The country is ablaze with shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Wolchulsan

Anytime of the year, Korea is naturally beautiful.

Wolchulsan (3)

Map picture

 

Note:  This is an updated version of an earlier entry posted in 2007. This update includes photos and some new destinations.

M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He recently published a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories available as an ebook and in print on Amazon.com. His upcoming book, Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, will be released on March 31, 2012. He lived in Seoul, Korea in 2005-07 and now lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers. Contact him at me@mgedwards.com, on Facebook, on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.

 

© 2012 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.

  1. Shauna

    I just love these postings w/ pictures. I’m saving them for Caleb. It’ll make a place more “real” to him when he learns about it from someone who’s been there. Who knows, maybe it’ll inspire him to be a world traveller one day.

  2. righteousbruin9

    You have captured the essence of South Korea very well. My family and I lived in Jeju for 5.5 years, and loved the culture, and Jeju’s subculture. Seogwip’o, on the south shore, is also well worth a day or two. A hike up Halla-san is a must.

    On the mainland, Kaya-san is worth a few days of hiking, and the cuisine of Cholla-buk do is second to none, especially the bibim-bap. For alcohol, mak-goli is preferable to soju, in that it has a tad more medicinal value.

  3. MikesFilmTalk

    You know every time I see a blog about Korea, I think to when I first got in the USAF I had a chance to go there. I actually got a couple of chances. I passed each time. Now I could kick my past self in the pants…hard. Lovely pictures and if I ever get over there, at least I’ll know where to go! 🙂

    • mgedwards

      Hey, congrats, you’re my 200th follower! Something more to add to your mantle! 🙂 Seriously though, thanks for connecting. Korea was a lot of fun. Really, really enjoyed it. I’m going to publish a post next week about one of the places we visited, the Korean Folk Village. Brings back great memories. If you have a chance, definitely do it!

  4. phil marcus

    Hi there – love your blog! How much time would you suggest to see most of the things in your post. I have 2-3 weeks. Is that enough time? Could I see the highlights in 2 weeks?

    Thanks
    Phil

    • mgedwards

      Hi Phil, thanks for contacting me. I think it would take at least a month to see everything without feeling rushed. A trip to Western Province to see Liuwa and Mongu can take a week. If you have two weeks, I suggest spending a few days in Livingstone to see the falls, then go to Lusaka for a few more, and fly up to South Luangwa National Park to spend a few days on safari. That’s a fabulous trip! Enjoy it; Zambia’s a busy country. Thanks for stopping by my blog — feel free to visit anytime and post comments. I move to a different part of the world each week.

    • mgedwards

      Thanks, David! It’s amazing what photo editing can do to spice up older digital photos. Most are from 2005 to 2007 with a 6mpx point and shoot. Korea is awesome — you should definitely go! In some ways I really miss it, although right now, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than in Thailand!

    • mgedwards

      Thanks, Cindy, for stopping by World Adventurers and your comment. I’m glad you liked the post. With each article I try to put the reader in the narrative so they feel like they’re on location. Please come again!

  5. Bernard

    Another great thing if you’re in South Korea in January is the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival. My wife and I spent the day there last week (Jan 2013). It’s in the Lake District up towards the DMZ. Reasonably easy to get to on public transport – we took the ITX train from Yongsan to Chuncheon, then intercity bus from there to Hwacheon. They have loads of ice related things to do and see. Huge ice and snow sculptures, ice fishing (through the frozen river), ice skating and all sorts of other activities. We had such a nice day just looking around and taking hundreds of photographs that we are going to go again this week and take some of our friends along with us.

    • mgedwards

      Hi Bernard, thanks for your comment. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival is one event my family and I didn’t attend when we lived in Korea. It sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for pointing it out to readers — I hope visitors to Korea in January check it out! It’ll make the trip during one of the coldest months of the year a little cooler.

  6. mgedwards

    Thanks, Michael. That’s a great question. Yellow sands (Asian dust) were my least favorite time of the year in Korea. They usually happen around April, unfortunately close to when the cherry blossoms bloom. Yellow sands are when dust from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia blows across China, Korea and even Japan. It’s horrible and unfortunately is naturally recurring. If you’re asthmatic or have breathing problems, it’s best to avoid Korea at that time of the year.

  7. ms ann

    hi mr edwards. Tnx for this useful info. Im just wondering if you could suggest some places to go/things to do if it will just be for a week-vacation… My hubby and i plan of visiting korea in feb 2014. what season do they have during that time of the year? will it be ok to be there during the chinese new year? I ask because in some countries, a lot of stores are closed during CNY. Tnx so much…

  8. joanne

    Got so excited after reading your posts. I’m planning to bring my family to korea next year. My sons (15 & 17 yrs old)are asthmatic. When is the best time to go to seoul?
    Thank you!

  9. Jon Janson

    Hey awesome post!

    I’m going to Seoul next week with my dad and have been trying to find some things to do. We’ll only be there for 4 days unfortunately, so I want to make sure we see the good stuff. I think I have a pretty good idea of where to go, but I was wondering how easy is it to get around – is the subway good there? I currently live in Tianjin, China, and the subway is pretty good, and there is English most places to help get around.
    Second question is how expensive is it? I have no idea how much I should expect to pay for a meal or a quick excursion (to the DMZ perhaps?)

    Any thoughts would be appreciated!

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