When I used to think of South Korea, the first thing that would come to mind was Seoul, the big city with all the delicious street food. During our recent visit, I found that there are so many other beautiful cities to see, in addition to Seoul, especially in the countryside. Here are the places we visited, some of the places we stayed, and the foods you must try during your visit!
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PLACES TO VISIT IN SOUTH KOREA
SUWON
SUWON HWASEONG FORTRESS
The Suwon Hwaseong Fortress is an amazing walled fortress that extends over three miles and surrounds the center of Suwon city. While there, you will notice different color flags. Each color indicates the direction you are at – black for north, blue for east, red for south, and white for west. We were short on time so we were only able to explore the east part of the fortress. I would’ve loved to see more.
SOKCHO
KOREAN FOLK VILLAGE
The Korean Folk Village is a traditional Korean culture theme park that offers a unique experience of traditional Korean culture and heritage. It includes a Market Village, Amusement Village, Folk Village, and Marketplace. You will find souvenir shops at every village, including the Marketplace. At the Folk Village, there is a Joseon Dynasty village that was created by relocating and restoring about 270 real houses from different parts of the country. Check out the performance times for the Folk parade, which features upbeat traditional music and dancing. There are also artisans who practice their traditional trades. I bought a daegeum (Korean flute) and am still trying to learn how to play it. It is definitely harder than it looks!
MT. SEORAK NATIONAL PARK
Located in northeast South Korea, Seoraksan Mountain is one of the country’s most visited national parks and Korea’s third largest mountain. It stretches across several cities including Sokcho, Goseong, Inje and Yangyang in Gangwon Province. Within the park are two Buddhist temples, Baekdamsa and Sinheungsa. After visiting Sinheungsa, we took the cable car and did a 30 minute hike to the beautiful Gwongeumseong Fortress.
ANDONG
The city of Andong is well known for preserving its folk traditions, which include the Andong masks and historic villages. Andong is also known for their jimdak, a spicy chicken dish that you must try!
ANDONG HAHOI VILLAGE
While in Andong, we visited the Andong Hahoi Village, a village that Queen Elizabeth II visited. It is a traditional village that preserves the architecture, folk traditions, and clan-based villages (villages with about 100 households or less) of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). We visited during the summer and it was really hot. Luckily, they had souvenir shops where we were able to buy fans. It helped a little but I would recommend visiting during the cooler seasons or wearing light, breathable clothing.
GYEONGJU
BULGUKSA TEMPLE
Bulguksa Temple is one of Korea’s best known temples. All the stone bridges, stairways, and pagodas are original. Originally built in A.D. 535. It is a very beautiful temple to explore.
SEOKGURAM GROTTO
At Seokguram Grotto, you can find one of the world’s finest shrines of Buddha. It contains a monumental statue of the Buddha looking at the sea but we were not allowed to take any photos.
TUMULI PARK
Tumuli Park includes more than 20 large and small tombs from the Silla period. The tombs are presumed to be those of kings and court officials.
WOLJI POND
Wolji Pond is an artificial pone in Gyeongju National Park that was part of the palace complex of ancient Silla. Wolji means “pond that reflects the moon.”
WOLJEONGGYO BRIDGE
Featured in the K-Drama The King: Eternal Monarch, the Woljeonggyo Bridge is the largest wooden bridge in Korea.
BUSAN
We only had one day in Busan and enough time to visit Busan Tower and two markets before catching our flight to Jeju Island. I would love to visit South Korea again and see more of Busan.
BUSAN TOWER
Enjoy the beautiful panoramic views of Busan Port from Busan Tower and have fun walking through the cool light show on your way out.
JAGALCHI FISH MARKET
Jagalchi Fish Market is Korea’s largest seafood market that sells fresh and dried fish. Most of the people who sell fish are women and this tradition has been carried on from the Korean War when many men were at war while their wives took over the family businesses.
GUKJE MARKET
Gukje Market is Korea’s largest traditional market in Busan. They are famous for the street foods and alleyways with vendors selling clothing, homeware, souvenirs, and more.
SEOUL
Seoul was the last stop of our trip. It was fun exploring the different shopping districts, visiting the lovely Han River, and experiencing the traditional scene of the guard changing ceremony.
GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE
Gyeongbokgung Palace was the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty. There are various halls and pavilions within the palace that showcase the rich history and culture of South Korea. The change of the guard ceremony is something to see. It takes place at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day, except Tuesdays. Try to arrive in the area at least 15 minutes before it starts, to get a good spot, as it gets very crowded. Also, it can get very hot here, like some of the other attractions we visited during the summer, June to be exact. I highly recommend going during the cooler months, if possible.
MYEONGDONG SHOPPING STREET / NIGHT MARKET
Myeongdong Shopping Street is very popular in Seoul, famous for its beauty and skincare products, and many Korean and International fashion brands. They have underground stores, shopping malls, and a LOTTE Department Store. At night, it turns into a street market with food vendors that line the street. The night market is open from around 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week but there are less stalls from Monday to Thursday. It does get a lot more crowded from Friday through Sunday.
NAMDAEMUN MARKET
Namdaemun Market is the largest traditional market in South Korea. They sell a variety of goods which include clothing, accessories, electronics, and traditional Korean products. It is here that you can get the famous red ginseng. There are many vendors that sell ginseng and will bargain with you so do some shopping before buying. This goes for other purchases as well, as this is the place to go for bargains.
‘NANTA’
I highly recommend you getting tickets for NANTA. It is a live, 90-minute non-verbal comedy show located in Myeongdong. It is very entertaining with a lot of laughs!
INSADONG STREET
Insadong Street is known for its traditional Korean crafts, art galleries, and antiques. There are also a number of shops, teahouses, and restaurants.
ODUSAN UNIFICATION TOWER
The demilitarized zone (DMZ) offers a limited number of tours per day. We were on a tour and were told that we would have to wake up extra early and it wasn’t guaranteed that we would be able to tour the DMZ because of the limited number of tours. Because of this, our group decided not to do the tour and visited the Odusan Unification Tower instead. On a clear day, you can get a great view of North Korea through the telescopes. It was foggy while we were there but we could see homes and guard posts through the telescope. South Korea is on the left side and North Korea is on the right.
HAN RIVER
The beautiful Han River is one of the main freshwater sources and fourth longest river in South Korea. We had a lovely dinner buffet at chavit cuisine but didn’t get a chance to relax and enjoy the scene at Han River since we were on a tour. It looked like the perfect place to have a picnic and watch the sunset.
WHERE TO STAY
Here are some of the hotels we stayed at during our visit.
NEST HOTEL INCHEON
Nest Hotel Incheon is a 5-star hotel located 10 minutes from the Incheon International Airport. It is a beautiful modern hotel with a great breakfast buffet.
RAMADA BY WYNDHAM GANGWON SOKCHO
Enjoy breathtaking ocean views, sunsets, and relaxing walks along the pier at the Ramada hotel in Sokcho.
LAHAN GYEONGJU
Lahan Gyeongju is beautiful 5-star hotel, located in Gyeongju. They have a bowling alley, which we really enjoyed and a lovely walking path along Bomun Lake, right outside of the hotel. The delicious breakfast buffet at The Plate has 200+ dishes and a panoramic view of Bomun Lake.
LOTTE HOTEL SEOUL
LOTTE Hotel Seoul is a 5-star hotel but it is not what you would expect for a 5-start hotel. What made up for it was the LOTTE Department Store Main Store and food court, adjacent to the hotel, and its location. It is a short walk to Myeongdong Shopping District. The LOTTE Department Store has a variety of Korean label brands and high-end brands. It is a beautiful department store. While there, be sure to check out the food court in the basement. They have an impressive variety of foods and desserts.
MUST-TRY FOOD IN SOUTH KOREA
We sure ate good while in South Korea! See my post on the the foods you must try. Also, be sure to try the banchan (side dishes) at every restaurant you dine at. They each specialize in their own variety.
TRAVELING TO SOUTH KOREA
Flying on Asiana Airlines was amazing! It was our first time and actually our first time even hearing of the airlines. We were very impressed. The food was so delicious and the service was impeccable. We were served two meals on our 10-hour flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Incheon, South Korea. Our first meal was Bibimbap and our second meal was a seafood pasta dish. Check out Asiana Airlines for your trip to South Korea!
Happy Travels!
BK Travel Collage 