Things to do in South Korea

21 places worth the trip in South Korea, grouped by what they are. Every guide explains what to see, the best time to go and the practical details, checked against official sources. Best time to visit South Korea: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov.

Heritage (7)
Mosques & temples (3)
Cities (2)
Markets (2)
Islands (2)
Viewpoints (2)
Nature (1)
National parks (1)
Mountains (1)

Heritage in South Korea

Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace with its stone courtyard under a blue sky, Seoul

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Founded in 1395 as the official palace of the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung rewards visitors with grand throne halls, pond pavilions and two national museums inside its walls, just behind Gwanghwamun Gate.

Stone stairway bridges and stone terrace walls below a hall of Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju

Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Gyeongju

Capital of the Silla kingdom for close to a millennium, Gyeongju is a compact city of grassy royal burial mounds, a reflecting palace pond lit at night and UNESCO-listed temples.

Injeongjeon throne hall of Changdeokgung with its two-tier roof and stone terrace under a deep blue sky

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Changdeokgung Palace & Huwon

Built in 1405 and inscribed by UNESCO in 1997, Changdeokgung blends palace halls into the natural terrain and opens onto Huwon, a wooded rear garden of ponds and pavilions that glows in autumn.

Narrow lane between hanok walls and tiled roofs, with N Seoul Tower and city buildings beyond

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Bukchon Hanok Village

A residential neighbourhood of hundreds of tiled-roof hanok between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, where visitors are welcome by day but the busiest lane has set visiting hours to protect residents.

Arched stone floodgate in the Hwaseong wall over a stream, with a pavilion and pine trees on the rampart above

Suwon, Gyeonggi-do

Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

Built in 1794-1796 by King Jeongjo, Hwaseong's 5.7 km wall of gates, towers and pavilions loops around central Suwon and Paldalsan, free to walk and an easy day trip from Seoul.

Hahoe Village's tiled and thatched roofs among trees, with the river, sandy bank and forested hills behind

Pungcheon-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Andong Hahoe Village

A UNESCO-listed clan village of tile-roofed manor houses and thatched cottages, wrapped by a river bend and still home to descendants of the Pungsan Ryu clan.

Elevated view of dark tiled hanok roofs, courtyards and green trees in Jeonju Hanok Village

Pungnam-dong and Gyo-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk

Jeonju Hanok Village

A neighbourhood of more than 700 hanok in central Jeonju, with the Gyeonggijeon royal portrait shrine, a historic cathedral and lanes full of food stalls, craft shops and hanok stays.

Mosques & temples in South Korea

The Seoul Central Mosque's dome and twin minarets on the Itaewon hillside, seen across the frozen Han River

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Seoul Central Mosque

Opened in 1976 and run by the Korea Muslim Federation, the Seoul Central Mosque stands on a hill in Itaewon with its dome and two minarets, surrounded by halal restaurants and shops.

Bulguksa's stone front terrace with arched gate and stairway rising to painted wooden halls, under a blue sky

Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Bulguksa Temple & Seokguram Grotto

An 8th-century masterpiece of Silla Buddhism: Bulguksa's stone terraces and twin pagodas, and, higher up the mountain, the granite Buddha of Seokguram Grotto.

Haedong Yonggungsa's halls and arched stone bridge on rocky outcrops, with blurred surf in the foreground

Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Unusually for Korea, this temple stands right on the shoreline, its halls and pagodas spread across rocky outcrops with waves breaking below.

Cities in South Korea

Hillside of brightly painted houses at Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan

Busan, south-east coast

Busan

South Korea's second city wraps around beaches, hills and a working harbour, with Haeundae's sands by day and the lit-up Gwangan Bridge over Gwangalli Bay by night.

Terraces of small pastel-painted houses covering a hillside under a wooded ridge and clear blue sky

Gamcheon-dong, Saha-gu, Busan

Gamcheon Culture Village

A once-struggling hillside neighbourhood turned into a maze of colourful houses, murals and small galleries, with sweeping views towards Busan's harbour.

Markets in South Korea

Crowds around lit street-food carts on a Myeongdong street at night, beneath bright shop signs

Myeongdong & Namdaemun Market

Myeongdong's pedestrian streets of cosmetics shops, fashion brands and evening food stalls sit a short walk from Namdaemun Market, a sprawling traditional market of clothing, kitchenware and ginseng by Sungnyemun Gate.

Vendors in aprons and gloves at stalls piled with long silvery fish, under hanging lamps and Korean shop signs

Nampo-dong, Jung-gu, Busan

Jagalchi Market

One of Korea's largest seafood markets, on the harbour in Nampo-dong, where vendors sell live and dried fish and upstairs restaurants serve what you choose.

Islands in South Korea

Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone rising above a rocky cove and the sea, Jeju Island

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

Jeju Island

South Korea's largest island, built by volcanic eruptions and crowned by Hallasan. Expect turquoise coves, black basalt shores, waterfalls, crater hills and UNESCO-listed lava tubes.

Grove of tall, straight green trees over a grassy lawn on Nami Island

Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do

Nami Island

A half-moon-shaped island in the Bukhan River reached by a five-minute ferry from Gapyeong. Its tree-lined avenues, gardens and riverside paths make an easy day trip from Seoul.

Viewpoints in South Korea

N Seoul Tower on the summit of Namsan, its slopes covered in autumn trees above low-rise city buildings

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

N Seoul Tower & Namsan

The 236-metre N Seoul Tower crowns wooded Namsan in the heart of Seoul, offering a panoramic observatory, love-lock terraces and a cable car ride, and it is lit up every evening.

Steep green cliffs of Seongsan Ilchulbong above a rocky cove and blue sea

Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju

Seongsan Ilchulbong

A crater-topped tuff cone that rose from shallow sea on Jeju's eastern tip. A steep stair trail leads to the rim for views over the crater, the coast and Udo, and it is a classic sunrise spot.

Nature in South Korea

Wide lava tube passage with layered grey walls lit by white lamps along the walkway

Gimnyeong-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju

Manjanggul Lava Tube

A vast lava tube in north-east Jeju where visitors walk about 1 km of tunnel to a 7.6-metre lava column. Reopened on 30 May 2026 after a closure that began in December 2023.

National parks in South Korea

Long jagged granite ridge above forested slopes under a cloudy sky in Seoraksan

Sokcho, Inje and Yangyang, Gangwon-do

Seoraksan National Park

A mountain park of jagged granite ridges, waterfalls and valleys, with Sinheungsa temple and the Ulsanbawi rock near the Sokcho entrance. Famous for autumn foliage.

Mountains in South Korea

Snow-covered summit of Hallasan against a deep blue sky

Jeju-si and Seogwipo-si, Jeju

Hallasan National Park

The 1,947-metre volcano at the centre of Jeju, with forested slopes, alpine shrubland and the Baengnokdam crater lake at the summit. Summit trails require advance reservation.

South Korea holiday packages

Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace with its stone courtyard under a blue sky, Seoul

CultureCity break

South Korea · 9 nights4★ Hotel

Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan

Gyeongbokgung
Temple stay
Busan seafood market

Includes accommodation · private transfers · daily breakfast · guided sightseeing

Indicative from

$2,608 pp

Hillside of brightly painted houses at Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan

FamilyNature

South Korea · 11 nights4★ Resort

Korea & Jeju Island Family

Jeju lava tubes
Lotte World
Hanok village

Includes accommodation · private transfers · daily breakfast · guided sightseeing

Indicative from

$2,957 pp

South Korea travel overview Plan a South Korea trip

South Korea travel guides