South Korea Travel Guide

Whether you call it the Land of the Morning Calm or dynamic Korea, one thing’s for certain: South Korea’s at the forefront of technical modernity, and still has an attention-grabbing and notable ‘closed door’, autonomous mentality. You can munch on spicy Kimchi in a tower block overlooking an ancient palace, or pull shapes in a cutting edge Drum and Bass club before going to bed on the heated wooden floor of your traditional pagoda-roofed bedsit.

Everything in Korea centres on Seoul, one of the world’s largest cities, which sprawls over the hills around the River Han. Koreans are obsessed with hill walking, and half the city seems to migrate to the craggy slopes every weekend; during the week the calm beauty of the palace grounds, full of rippling lakes, patterned designs and stunning traditional architecture are a mammoth draw.

Outside the capital, the mountains of Gangwon Do stretch all the way to the eastern sea, and are a hiker’s Mecca, as well as home to bungee jumps, quad biking, white water rafting and students drinking potent, one-dollar-a-bottle Soju until they can’t stand. In the mornings the fresh air of the forested mountains and swimming amongst the freezing waterfalls clears the head, while in winter affordable ski resorts pop up in the middle of it all. 

Head right out to sea and you’ll find Ulleungdo, an isolated island off the eastern coast, where locals make their living on squid boats amongst clear waters and towering bays that look like they’re made for pirates. In the south, volcanic Jeju, known as Korea's Hawaii, towers over a dying breed of female fisherman, who dive to the depths to pluck shells from the sea floor. Gyeongju is the place to explore Buddhist temples and aging culture, while the busy second city of Busan teems with sunbathers in the summer. Daecheon beach is home to the fabulous annual mud festival, which is every bit as messy as it sounds.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Korea without food that’s both outstanding and affordable. Forget dog, this kingdom is far more about healthy, cheap bites, and they’re every bit as varied as the country itself.