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South Korea: What You Could Be Doing in South Korea!

10/3/2022

South Korea

#southkorea #korea #seoul
South Korea is an amazing place and has a bit of everything that any person can ask for. Tremendous locations, invigorating culture, delectable cuisine- you name it, and you will find it in South Korea. You will also find a huge diversity in the locations offered to ranging from ancient Buddhist monasteries and temples perched amongst nature atop mountains to the ultra-modern city of Seoul. So, if you are planning a trip to S. Korea, here are some places that you just cannot miss!

Changdeokgung Palace

The 15th century saw the Joseon Dynasty building five grand palaces throughout South Korea, around Seoul, and the Changdeokgung Palace is one of them. This used to be the regular residence of the king as well as the royal family. It is more of a palatial complex with a plethora of buildings with different administrative and residential needs. There are even libraries, meeting rooms, dining rooms, and other wondrous architectural creations. The 78-acre Huwon palace garden situated behind the palace is entirely unmissable. There are beautiful pagodas, lakes, and streams, and wonderfully kept green spaces in the garden.

Busan

The second-largest city in the country is Busan and it comes with a stunning beach. It is a fun place that is also filled with loads of culture and historical facts. It is also very easy to reach Busan from Seoul- all you need to do is take the bullet train from Seoul and you’ll be in Busan in a couple of hours. The Beomeosa Temple and the Gamecheon are two places that you just can’t miss while on a trip to Busan. Gamecheon is one of the European-styled villages situated exactly atop a cliff against the sea, somewhat like Santorini in Korea.

The Jagalchi Market in Busan is the largest among the seafood markets in the entire country. You have to visit the place if you are a food buff and fond of seafood. Several smaller restaurants in the region serve food, so you can eat seafood fresh from the sea.

North Seoul Tower & Lotte World

The North Seoul tower is one of the most iconic locations in Korea. It has been represented in various artistic works, films, books, and so on. If you are in Korea, you have to visit this place in Seoul. It is constructed atop a mountain, and with the combined height of the tower, you go as high as 500 m above sea level. This gets you an amazing view of the entire city in front of you. The surrounding Mount Namsan is also a brilliant place to explore, especially because of the many hiking trails in the region. There are restaurants and observation areas (both indoor and outdoor) within the tower.

A cable car from Myeogdong will take you to the base of the tower from where you'd have to hike up the remaining part. While in the area, you should also visit the Namsan Hanok Village. Hanok Villages are places where the ancient culture has been preserved and you get a glimpse of how life used to be back then.

There’s another superb attraction waiting for you at the base of North Seoul Tower- the Lotte World. You get a taste of the exact commercial culture in Korea at this place. This is an amazing place for kids as well as adults. Kids could enjoy the many rides available in the park, the cultural performance, magic shows in Magic Island, while adults could shop for all kinds of souvenirs, visit Korean workshops, and much more.

Bukchon Hanok Village

Hanok Villages are a common sight throughout Korea and could be best described as living museums. These are particular locations where restoration and preservation work has been conducted to get back the old, ancient neighborhoods. In short, these are functioning places, where you get an original idea of how life used to be in Korea. Bukchon is one of the original locations of a Korean village. If you visit Bukchon, you will be put on a time machine and flown 600 years into the past to experience life as it was back then.

Hanoks are the preserved buildings and there are many such intact buildings where you can experience the true Korean culture. Some of the hanoks have been modified into museums to give you insights into life back then. There are also cultural shows and demonstrations hosted in some of the hanoks which are just wonderful to look at. You could also live in some of the hanoks which have been converted to hotels and experience the Korean lifestyle from the core. Some of the hanoks are even inhabited by residents which give makes enjoying the place an even more wholesome experience.

Seoraksan National Park

Seoraksan was the first region in Korea to be declared a national park. This eco-hub has a bit of everything natural that you could ask for-waterfalls, lakes, long hiking trails, over 1,500 species of fauna, and 1,000 species of flora. You would also come across two different Buddhist temples within the park- one of them having a dramatic name like "Temple of a Hundred Pools". However, the temple is indeed rightly named since there are numerous ponds around the temple fed by streams. The park is about 3-4 hours away through the road and if you cannot reach the top of the mountain, a cable car would easily take you there!

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace, also known as the Northern Palace is another one of the five grand palaces erected by the Joseon Dynasty during their reign. It was constructed in 1395 and had seen much turmoil since then. It is an elaborate and beautiful palatial complex and it is easy to lose yourself in the immenseness of the place. It also features a rough history since the palatial complex has been destroyed multiple times, bombed, had seen several re-constructions, and was even occupied by the Japanese, once in 1592 and more recently in 1990.

Two of the original palatial structures from the 14th century still exist in the complex. These are the Gyeonghoery Pavillion and the Hyangwonjeong Pond and you have to see these to witness some fine work from the Joseon period. The National Palace Museum as well as the National Folk Museum, both within the palatial complex are worth a visit. You will also get guided tours within the palatial complex to get a better idea of the history and beauty of the place.

Hallyeo Maritime National Park

Taking a one-hour ride from downtown Seoul in a bus or a car would take you to a scenic wonder in the form of a raw coastline spanning over several individual islands. This is the Hallyeo Maritime National Park and should be o your list of activities to do in Korea. The islands come with different hiking trails for you to enjoy a quiet day out with amazing views of the coastline and cliffs all around you. The Hallyeosudo Viewing Ropeway is a cable car service in the region and happens to be the only dual-cable, automated circulating system in the entire country. A ride on the cable car is about 9 minutes long wherein you'd travel 2.5 km to the summit. The summit is one of the most stunning places in Korea since you get a brilliant, uninterrupted view of the countryside and the coastline. You could easily spot Daemado, a Japanese Island from the summit.

Bulguksa Temple

Bulguksa Temple is one of the most famous and most visited Buddhist temples of Korea. It is also an important historic site and should be on your list of must-visit places while in Korea. It has also been classified as "Scenic Site Number One" by the Korean government. There are several pagodas, Buddha statues, and as many as seven national treasures of the country in this temple.

To reach the Bulguksa Temple you have to take the KTX high-speed train from Seoul to Gyeongju, which is the ancient capital of Korea. The journey would take about 2.5 hours.

Jeju Island

Jeju Island could be considered to be the Hawaii of Korea. It is a volcanic island and a resort destination and the best way to reach Jeju is through a flight from Seoul (it takes only 1 hour)! This is home to Mt. Hallasan, which is the highest South Korean mountain. You also get to see miles and miles of gigantic lava tubes, almost the size of railway tunnels.

While in Jeju Island, you should also visit Jungmun Beach to get an interesting taste of Korean culture. You will find many diving women here, who would dive hundreds of feet into the ocean to collect seafood. There are also many hiking trails in the region for adventure lovers. Hot springs, as well as spas, are abundantly available and thus this is a brilliant place to be if you want to relax and chill!