South Korea

Fashion- and technology-forward but also deeply traditional, this dynamic city mashes up palaces, temples, cutting-edge design and mountain trails, all to a nonstop K-Pop beat.

Design Matters

Over the last decade Seoul has worked hard to soften its industrial hard edges into an appealing urban ideal of parks, culture and design. Glass, concrete and steel are crafted into natural forms at the spectacular Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park and City Hall. The popularity of the beautifully landscaped parks alongside the central Cheong-gye stream and the Han River has spurred on the creation of more green spaces and cycle routes. Join Seoulites enjoying time out shopping in stylish boutiques and drinking at cool cafes and convivial bars.

Historical Fragments

Gaze down on this sprawling metropolis of around 10 million people from atop any of Seoul’s four guardian mountains and you’ll sense the powerful pungsu-jiri (feng shui) that has long nurtured and protected the city. History clings tenaciously to the ‘Miracle on the Han’, a phoenix arisen from the ashes of the Korean War. So while Seoul has its eye clearly on the future, you'll also encounter fascinating fragments of the past in World Heritage–listed sites such as Jongmyo shrine, in the alleys between the graceful hanok (traditional wooden homes) in Bukchon, and striding along the magnificent Seoul City Wall.

24-Hour City

Whatever you want, at any time of day or night, Seoul can provide. An early-morning temple visit can lead to a palace tour followed by tea-sipping in Bukchon and gallery-hopping in Samcheong-dong. Soju (a vodka-like drink) and snacks in a street tent bar will fuel you for shopping at the buzzing Dongdaemun or Namdaemun night markets, partying in Hongdae or Itaewon, or singing in a self-service karaoke noraebang. Follow this with steaming, soaking and snoozing in a jjimjilbang (sauna and spa). By the time you look at your watch, it will be dawn again.

Beyond the Walls

Public transport is brilliant, so there’s no excuse for not stretching your travel horizons beyond the city limits. The fearsome Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), splitting South from North Korea, exerts a powerful attraction and makes for a compelling day trip. To the west, Incheon is a fascinating port where the modern world came flooding into Korea at the end of the 19th century, and today whose Chinatown and waterfront are still an interesting fusion of people. To the south is Suwon, home to impressive World Heritage–listed fortifications, built by King Jeongjo, that snake 3.5 miles (5.7km) past majestic gates and pavilions.

Seoul

The centuries-old heart of Seoul revolves around these once-regal quarters of palaces. Between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, Bukchon covers several smaller areas, including Samcheong-dong, and Gahoe-dong, famous for its traditional hanok (wooden homes). West of Gyeongbokgung, Seochon is an increasingly popular area for casual wanderings between galleries, cafes and boutiques. South of Bukchon are the equally maze-like and gallery-filled streets of Insa-dong, and the newly hip hanok area of Ikseon-dong.

Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

Seoul’s retail world bursts forth in the brightly lit, packed-to-the-gills and supremely noisy streets of Myeong-dong. This is Seoul’s equivalent of London’s Oxford St or New York’s Fifth Ave, with the massive, 24-hour Namdaemun Market on hand just in case you need to exponentially add to your shopping options. Looming over the commercial frenzy are the peaceful and tree-clad slopes of Namsan, a great place for exercise and city views.

Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

Gangnam (meaning South of the River) is booming with new luxury high-rises bisected by broad highways. Expansive areas of greenery figure, too, in the shape of Olympic Park, the strip of recreation areas along the Han River, and Seonjeongneung Park, home to royal tombs. Luxury label boutiques are clustered in Apgujeong and Cheongdam. You’ll also find several major performance-arts centres across the district.

Gangnam & Southern Seoul

Defined by the off-limits US army base that eats up a great chunk of Yongsan-gu, this area has long been Seoul's ‘foreign’ hangout for hamburgers, hookers and everything else. Nowadays, Itaewon (and adjacent 'hoods Hannam-dong, Haebangchon and Gyeongridan) boasts one of the most dynamic restaurant scenes in Asia, with a new global food trend emerging every five minutes. This diversity extends to the nightlife, with craft beer, underground clubs and something for every sexual persuasion. In daylight hours, the area has several major museums you won’t want to miss.

Itaewon & Yongsan-gu

Jeju-do (제주도), Korea’s largest island, has long been the country’s favourite domestic holiday destination thanks to its beautiful beaches, lush countryside and seaside hotels designed for rest and relaxation. There’s plenty on Jeju-do to appeal to those who prefer to be active. Hike up South Korea’s highest mountain, Halla-san, or climb the incredible tuff cone Seongsan Ilchul-bong, rising straight from the sea, to watch the sun rise from the ridge of a crater. For a less-demanding nature experience, meander along one of the Jeju Olle Trails and explore tangerine-trimmed country roads, jagged coasts and narrow lanes dotted with cottage-style homes made from black lava rock. The ocean is never far away, so plunge into blue seas to view coral as colourful as the sunsets and dig into Jeju-do’s unique cuisine, including seafood caught by haeneyo (female free divers).

Jeju-do

Korea’s cultural warehouse, Gyeongsangbuk-do (경상북도) is a region resplendent in both natural beauty and heritage sites, including enchanting temples, ancient pagodas, rock-carved Buddhas and sublime tombs. Gyeongju is often called ‘the museum without walls’ for its historical treasures, many of which are outdoors. The rounded tumuli (burial mounds) hillocks in the centre of town are beautiful and serene pyramids – stately reminders of the dead they still honour. The region’s major city, Daegu, has a historic centre peppered with heritage churches and an excellent medicinal-herb market, with nearby streets drenched in neon, superb restaurants and craft beer bars. Elsewhere, Haein-sa is a must-see temple-library amid gorgeous mountain scenery that contains the Tripitaka Koreana, 1000-year-old wooden tablets inscribed with sacred Buddhist texts and ingeniously preserved. The ancient town of Andong offers multiple exploration options, while off the coast sits the rugged island of Ulleungdo, with endless opportunities to enjoy spectacular coastal landscapes.

Gyeongsangbuk-do

Seoul's staggeringly efficient mass transit system makes its surrounding areas incredibly accessible, whether for easy day trips or longer excursions. And despite such proximity, cities such as Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do with its World Heritage–listed fortress, or Incheon with its intriguing multicultural background, have a vibe all their own.

It's just as easy to get back to nature around Seoul, too. The well-trodden mountain trails of Bukhansan National Park may be only a subway ride away from the city, but they are a world away in atmosphere. And further north, the most unlikely nature reserve of all, the long-depopulated Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), is the region's grimly voyeuristic tourist drawcard. Throw into the mix the dreamy sweep of West Sea islands easily reached by ferry from Incheon, and one of the world's great megacities just got even bigger.

Gyeonggi-do & Incheon

The best sites in Korea either awe you with beauty or deepen your understanding of the culture. Busan (부산) and Gyeongsangnam-do (경상남도) do both. Busan’s easily accessible mountains, beaches and hiking trails, as well as its colourful seafood and drinking scene, make it very easy to love. It’s also home to the world’s largest shopping and entertainment complex and a bedazzling world-class cinema centre. Gyeongsangnam-do’s natural beauty – the verdure of rolling mountains and the vibe of yesteryear coastal towns untouched by tourist development – is closer than you think, thanks to an efficient transport system. Hop on a bus and you’ll be rewarded with outstanding trails in Jirisan National Park, glorious temples in hideaway locations, and lush rice paddies in just about every rural community. For marine treasures, board a ferry and go island-hopping around Tongyeong. On land or by sea, Gyeongsangnam-do is accessible, affordable and waiting to be explored.

Gyeongsangnam-do

Some of Seoul’s most charming neighborhoods are clustered in an arc across three of the city’s guardian mountains. To the east, beside Naksan, you’ll find the student and performing-arts hub of Daehangno. Moving anticlockwise across to Bukaksan is Seongbuk-dong, an affluent residential district with excellent museums. Buam-dong further west is the starting point for hikes along the scenic Seoul City Wall, while the slopes of Inwangsan are home to the city’s most famous shamanist shrine. Continuing south there's a park dedicated to the country’s independence at Seodaemun.

Northern Seoul

Mountainous Gangwon-do (강원도) gives you some of South Korea’s most spectacular natural parks and scenic landscapes, up-close Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) experiences, and laid-back coastal towns and beaches on the East Sea. This is where many Seoulites escape – to get lost in the hills, chow down on Chuncheon’s fiery chicken dish dakgalbi or the raw fish of the coastal towns, or leap into a frenzy of sports such as skiing in Pyeongchang, which hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics. While the province may not have that much by way of cultural antiquities, what it does have – Gangneung’s 400-year-old Dano Festival, for instance – it celebrates with zest. And Gangwon-do can be quirky, too. Near Samcheok you’ll find a park full of unabashed phallic sculptures standing cheek by jowl with a humble fishing village, while Gangneung has a museum dedicated to its founder’s lifelong obsession with all things Edison.

Gangwon-do

This beautiful southwest province is one of Korea’s greenest and least developed. The heartland of Jeollanam-do (전라남도) has rolling hills, the towering Sobaek Mountains to the east and 6100km of coastline to the south and west, with more than 2000 islands offshore – less than 300 of which are inhabited. The province was largely isolated for centuries and it retains an off-the-beaten-track feel. It also has a rebel edge, and is proud of its ceramic and artistic traditions, its exiled poets and its pro-democracy martyrs. With a comparatively balmy climate, Jeollanam-do is famous for its bountiful harvests, fresh seafood and green tea, celebrated in several festivals. For all its rural atmosphere, Jeollanam-do has urban elements too: Gwangju, the province's largest city, has a hip vibe and an active arts scene centred around a much-hyped cultural centre.