Historic sites
Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram, Gyeongju
Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang
Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla kingdom for nearly a thousand years and is called 'the museum without walls'.
Travel tips in South Korea
Historic sites
Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul
Jongno-gu, Seoul
The grandest of Seoul's five royal palaces, built in 1395 for the Joseon dynasty, set against the mountains.
Natural features
Jeju Island and Hallasan
Jeju
A volcanic island off the south coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Hallasan, South Korea's highest mountain (1,947 m), lava tubes such as the …
Historic sites
Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul
Jongno-gu, Seoul
A hillside neighbourhood of traditional Korean wooden houses (hanok) with tiled roofs, between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces.
Historic sites
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and JSA
Paju-si, Gyeonggi
The heavily fortified border strip between North and South Korea.
Attractions
Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan
Busan
A hillside neighbourhood of brightly painted houses stacked up the slopes above Busan's port, once a refugee settlement, now full of murals, art inst…
Food and drink
Gwangjang Market, Seoul
Jongno-gu, Seoul
One of the oldest and largest traditional markets in Korea, opened in 1905, with rows of food stalls where you sit on benches to eat bindaetteok (mun…
Historic sites
Hahoe Folk Village, Andong
Andong, North Gyeongsang
A traditional village of tiled and thatched houses in a bend of the Nakdong River, still lived in by the Ryu clan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Walks and treks
Seoraksan National Park
Sokcho, Gangwon
South Korea's most famous mountain park, with granite peaks, waterfalls and temples, especially spectacular in autumn.
Historic sites
Suwon Hwaseong Fortress
Suwon, Gyeonggi
A fortress wall built in the late 18th century around the centre of Suwon, nearly 6 km long, with gates, watchtowers and bastions, a UNESCO World Her…
Places to stay
Templestay at a Korean temple
Hapcheon-gun, South Gyeongsang
Many Buddhist temples in Korea offer templestays of one or two nights, where you join monks for early morning chanting, meditation, a tea ceremony an…