Gyeonggi-do
This retirement home around 50km south-east of Seoul is still inhabited by a declining handful of women, now mostly in their 90s, who were forced to work…
Must-see attractions in South Korea
Gyeongsangbuk-do
You’ll need a full day to explore the offerings in and around this temple about 30km north of Pohang. Bogyeong-sa is a gateway to a beautiful valley…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Beloved by locals as a place for exercise, peaceful contemplation and hanging out with loved ones, Namsan was a sacred shamanistic spot when the Joseon…
Gyeonggi-do
The largest and most attractive of the World Heritage–listed royal tombs scattered around Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, Donggureung is the burial place of seven…
Gyeongju
In the mountains above Bulguk-sa is this world-famous Unesco-listed Buddhist grotto, a magical place when rain and mists envelop the mountaintops and…
Northern Seoul
One of Seoul’s quirkier private collections makes for a surprisingly absorbing exhibition. It focuses on the artistry of locks, latches and keys of all…
Chungcheongbuk-do
This large fortress is 4km northeast of Cheongju, on the slopes of the mountain Uam-san. Originally built in the 1590s and renovated in the 18th century,…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
At the south end of Banpo Bridge are these three artificial floating islands interconnected by walkways. Each features futuristic buildings in a complex…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
A hunting ground in Joseon times, this large park offers a number of family-friendly attractions, including a sika deer enclosure, adventure playgrounds,…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Jikji-sa is a postcard-pretty temple in a wonderfully quiet mountain forest setting. The delicate paintings on the temple buildings have an appealing…
Chungcheongbuk-do
This park has easy hikes and year-round beauty amongst craggy cliffs. It's atmospheric and misty in winter and alive with cherry blossoms and azaleas in…
Chungcheongnam-do
This mountain fortress covers the forested hill of Buso-san (106m) and once shielded the Baekje capital of Sabi within its walls. Structures such as the…
Gangwon-do
Taebaek-san (Big White Mountain) is, for shamanists, one of the most sacred mountains in Korea. Five year-round hiking trails snake up through the park to…
Gyeongju
Arguably the best history museum in Korea, the Gyeongju National Museum is where you can appreciate the significance of this ancient city in one fell…
Jeollabuk-do
This national park is a hiker's playground and home of Deogyusan Muju ski resort. Gucheon-dong, a small tourist village, marks the start of the park’s…
Namhansanseong Provincial Park
Gyeonggi-do
The World Heritage–listed fortress of Namhansanseong (남한산성 도립공원), 20km south-east of central Seoul, once guarded the city’s southern entrance. Today it's…
Suwon
This 245-acre themed experience is designed to transport you back to the Joseon dynasty as you wander through picturesque grounds filled with thatched and…
Gyeonggi-do
If you're partial to a day out at a winery, brewery or distillery, mixed in with a bit of culture amid nature, then a day trip to Sansawon Brewery &…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
On a hillside east of town and on the far side of Weolyeonggyo Bridge, Andong Folk Village is a repository for traditional homes moved to prevent them…
Gyeongpo-ho & Gyeongpodae Pavilion
Gangneung
Immediately behind Gyeongpo Beach is Gyeongpo-ho, which attracts local residents looking for a little peace and quiet. There’s a 4km bicycle path along…
Gwangju
Opened in 1997, this is the final burial place for victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising of 1980, one of the most tragic incidents in modern Korean…
Gangwon-do
Set among the verdant hills of Chiaksan National Park, this colourful and vibrant temple is a beauty, its main courtyard festooned with vibrantly coloured…
Suwon
A contender for Korea's wackiest museum, Mr Toilet House is the former residence of Suwon's mayor, the late Sim Jae-duck. Appropriately designed like a…
Jeollanam-do
Though it's just 42 sq km in size, Korea’s smallest national park has crags, spires and unusually shaped rocks around every corner, as well as an 8m…
Jeju-do
Manjang-gul is the main access point to the world’s longest system of lava-tube caves. In total the caves are 7.4km long, with heights between 2m and 23m…
Sokcho
This large museum has a surprising amount of English in its narration of the history of the DMZ, as well as exhibits such as US POW letters and extensive…
Busan
Add this cable car to your list of must-do activities. The panoramic view of development coursing through valleys of verdant mountains is breathtaking. On…
Gyeongju
This is a very popular spot for couples to take pre-wedding photos, especially from June to early August when magnificent lotus blossoms seem to fill the…
Jeju-do
This popular maze is fun for adults and children. Created by American expat Fred Dunstin from 2232 Leyland cypress trees, it’s fiendishly clever. There is…
Southern Jeju-do
Although construction of this Buddhist temple was completed in 1997, it is one of Jeju-do’s most impressive buildings. The ornate hall is filled with…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Established in 1572 in honour of Yi Eon-jeok (1491–1553), Oksan Seowon was one of the most important seowon, or Confucian academies. Enlarged in 1772, it…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Completed in early 2017, Seoul's latest landmark is the 555m-high Lotte World Tower – the tallest skyscraper in Korea (and sixth highest in the world)…
Gangneung
Dating to the late Joseon dynasty, this national cultural property was for 300 years the home of a yangban (aristocratic) family. It was built for a…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
This five-level interactive shrine to K-Pop in the COEX Mall has already become a pilgrimage hot spot for fans since opening in 2018. The photo hall is…
Chamsori Gramophone & Edison Museum
Gangneung
This whimsical museum is a sheer delight. It combines the two loves of private collector Son Sung-Mok: gramophones and Thomas Edison. There are hundreds…
Jeollanam-do
At this coastal estuary, inscribed on the Ramsar list of protected wetlands, you can follow walkways through rustling reeds up to an observation hut on a…
Gyeongju
Finally, a temple where you can do more than just look around. The Buddha carved out of solid rock by Indian monks in the 6th century is fairly…
Gyeongsangnam-do
Tongdo-sa is noted for a sari, a crystalline substance thought to develop inside the body of a pure monk. The sari is enshrined in a fenced area and…
Gangwon-do
This Silla-era temple was founded in AD 645 by the Zen Master Jajang to enshrine relics of the historical Buddha. Although it fell victim to fires and was…
Gyeongju
Southeast of Tumuli-gongwon in the attractive sprawl of Wolseong-gongwon is the Far East’s oldest astrological observatory, constructed between AD 632 and…
