South Korea is a wonderful country to explore with so many incredible places to visit! We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and were so happy to be able to visit so many incredible places. We have compiled a list of some of our favourites and hope that you enjoy visiting them just as much as we did! Happy travelling!
Seoul
Seoul is an amazing city – jammed packed with so many, many things to do! Among our favourites are enjoying a baseball game at Jamsil Stadium, shopping at Nadaemun Market, and eating in the Gangnam area! If you are looking for a 3-Day itinerary, then this is the post for you! There are different “pockets” within the city. You’ll definitely want to spend time visiting the palaces, check out the nightlife in the Hongdae area, and keep an eye out for the many festivals that occur throughout the year!
Busan
Busan is located in the southeastern part of the country, just a quick 2-hour journey by train from Seoul! It’s a great coastal city with a low-key vibe. Busan has a couple of great beaches, mixed with a fun city nightlife! It certainly is a great place to check-out and if you need some ideas on what to do, check out this post!
Seoraksan National Park
Visiting Seoraksan National Park was high on my bucket list after moving to South Korea! There are many different trails to climb, and they also have a cable car that you can take as well! Although I wish I had done more hiking while I was there, I did a day trip from Seoul to hike Ulsanabwi peak. Check out this post to learn about the logistics of getting to and from Seoraksan in a day!
Seonyudo Island
Looking for a fun coastal weekend getaway? Seonyudo Island offers just that and was a perfect weekend away from the big city life. Life on the island is slow-paced and is purely for those who love the outdoors. We spent our time biking, hiking, and fishing on the island and couldn’t of had a better weekend spent. Be sure to read this post, which explains all about our time visiting Seonyudo Island!
Jeonju
We stayed in Jeonju both before and after our time at Seonyudo Island! Jeonju has amazing eats and we absolutely enjoyed exploring the city. There is also a small hike which offers incredible views of the traditional buildings that make up Jeonju. It is an awesome city to explore and surely must not be missed!
Jangho Beach
Janghao Beach was a fun destination on the east coast of the country! You can easily take a bus to get there at a reasonable price! We went in the fall season, and many of the water activities were closed. We would recommend going in the summer in order to maximize your time there! Overall, though we certainly enjoyed our visit and especially loved the ocean railbike ride!
Bukhansan National Park
Now you don’t need to leave Seoul to hike some great trails that offer incredible mountainous views! Bukhansan National Park can be reached by Seoul’s metro system, and it was a wonderful day well spent! I was amazed by the incredible views, while being just a short journey away from the city center! If you are looking for an adventurous day activity from Seoul, then certainly keep hiking in Bukhansan National Park in mind!
Jeju Island
If there is one place that you’ve probably added to your list “to see” in South Korea, it’s Jeju Island. And it’s for good reason. This incredible island is a quick plane ride away from Seoul and is so much fun to explore! We personally enjoyed the Seowipo city area the most. There are many hikes to explore and waterfalls to view! A great weekend destination for sure!
Pohang
Pohang is located in the southern part of South Korea, just north of Busan. It is a fun beach destination, and you can even go surfing there! I took my first-ever surf lesson in Pohang and had a blast as a beginner surfer! Pohang has relaxing beaches and a chill vibe. A fun place for a low-key weekend!
Gapyeong
We went to Gapyeong to see The Garden of Morning Calm and Petite France! It was a fun day trip from Seoul, and we especially loved the lighting festival during the winter months at The Garden of Morning Calm. Be sure to bundle up, and it does get quite chilly seeing the beautiful light decorations at night! Located just outside of Seoul makes it an easy day trip!
Incheon
Incheon is a neat city, not too far from Seoul! This is also the city that you’ll likely fly in and out of as its the major international hub for flights to Seoul! We decided to make a day trip from Seoul to actually spend some time in Incheon. You can easily reach there using public transportation, and it was a pretty neat city to check out. It combines traditional life and architecture with modern industrial-type buildings. It has great museums and was truly a great day trip!
With so many great areas to explore, you’ll definitely enjoy your travels around the country! We hope that this small list was helpful to assist in deciding where you should go! If there are other places you enjoyed going to that aren’t on this, be sure to let us know your favourites!
If you are planning on moving from South Korea with your pup, be sure to check out my guide on Flying with a Large Dog from South Korea to Vietnam!
