Two week itinerary suggestions for Korea

Hello,

I'll be in Korea from Sept. 10 to Sept. 23, and would like to visit Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island. If you know of any good tour companies or travel tips for getting around Busan and Jeju Island, please let me know.

What is the most off the beaten path destination that you enjoyed visiting outside of Seoul? By that, I mean not Seouraksan, Kyoungju, or the DMZ. I'd love to visit maybe a mountain or a beach somewhere in between Seoul and Busan.

Is there a rail pass that's only available for foreigners like in Japan (I'm a US citizen)? Or is it pretty cheap to buy separate fares?

Also, if you're travelling through Korea during the same time, I'd love to hear from you. :)

Thanks so much!

Jeewon

Juwangsan National Park about 4 hours by bus from Busan, is absolutely beautiful. It's in the middle of nowhere (as much as anything can be in Korea) and not that well known. The small town next to the mountain is really quiet and nice, and the park itself has not only the peaks, but also three lovely waterfalls, an impressive canyon, and a number of caves. I was very pleasantly surprised by it - definitely one of the nicest places I've seen in Korea.

I don't think there's a railpass, but in any case, the trains aren't that expensive (KTX is pricier) and you may find you need to take buses as well.
If you go to Busan, try the shark diving at Busan Aquarium...great fun.

I really enjoyed Baengnyeondo (Island) 4 hours by boat from Incheon.

http://beta.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/South_Korea/North/Incheon/Baengnyeong/

Ulleungdo was also good:

http://beta.trekearth.com/members/ChrisJ/photos/Asia/South_Korea/North/Gyeongsangbukdo/

Korail / KTX does offer discounts, but they're not really worth it, unless you intend to travel on every rail line in Korea, or are continuing on to Japan. Don't bother booking a travel agent on mainland Korea where public busses go everywhere & frequently. Try to book the fast boat(s) to Baengnyeongdo, Ulleungdo, & Jejudo in advance, as package groups of Koreans on domestic holidays, can make boarding at the Mokpo, Mukho, & Yeonan piers difficult.

http://www.seomticket.co.kr/

If you go to Busan, skip the Haeundae area - I was there not long ago and frankly, it sucks.

There are places between Seoul and Busan well worth a visit - get yourself to Daegu and Gyeongju!

Daegu is a LOT more manageable than Seoul and Busan in terms of size, simple and cheap as chips public transport, and loads of good restaurants. Great nightlife too (much better than Busan imo). Not as congested as Seoul either, it's a lot more pedestrianised in the center.

Gyeongju is old-school Korea so you should definitely plan on making a stop there to absorb some culture.

Haeundae is really only worth visiting in June, for the sand festival. Nearby Dongbaek Headland is well worth a look, & is similar to Taejongdae, (also in Busan) but not as good.

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/312

I lived near Daegu for a year & it didn't really do it for me. It's too spread out, & you need a car or taxis (which are very cheap in Korea, btw). The public transport is not as good as Seoul or Busan, & there's less to see in the area. 'Haeinsa' is a notable exception.

Some other out of the way attractions are Tapsa, Boseong Tea Plantation, Namae in Spring for the tulips, & Jinhae also in Spring, for the cherry blossum.

Skyscraper City has some stunning images of Korean landscapes, & is well worth scrolling through all 11 pages:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=545728

Page 5 is especially jawdropping:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=545728&page=5

Hello!

My husband and I spent 2 weeks traveling in Korea last summer and absolutely loved it! I really don't think a rail pass would be a good idea because it's highly likely you'll want to take buses too - there are lots of places that the train doesn't go. The buses are clean, cheap and run frequently, though, so it's not a problem. Actually, we found that overall everything in Korea is clean, reasonably priced and well-organized!

Love motels were not at all like the name would suggest - other than the porn collection in the hallway we found they were just really great value hotels. Really clean, too!

In addition to the places that have been suggested already, we loved Seoraksan National
Park and enjoyed the Mask Dance performance at the Hahoe Cultural Village (close to Andong - the public bus times are co-ordinated with the end of the performance - LOVE Korea!)

There are tourist info booths everywhere and they all have someone who speaks English, in direct contrast to everyone else where we almost never found anyone who spoke English. This was super helpful for calling hotels to make sure they had room before we walked over there. They can also help with maps and other info.

Have fun, Korea is awesome!

Wendy Sewell
IanAndWendy.com
Our photos from our trip to Seoraksan National Park
Our photos/videos/blog from Hahoe Folk Village

Hi! My name is Emma and I'm currently travelling in Korea with my friend Moa. We are in Pusan right now. Have you been to Pusan yet? Did you find a good place to stay? And also, do you have any tips on what to do/see in or around this city? Thanks a lot! Best regards, Emma

In Busan, try: Busan Tower, Jalgachi Fish Market, Boemoesa, Hurshimchung spa, and Taejongdae.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Busan

I stay in the Choryang district near Busan Stn, when Im in Busan, but it's a little seedy late at night in the area, with all the Russian hookers & their pimps / clientale. The Mirabell Hotel is around 30k a night.

Thank you all for all your wonderful tips!