Heart and Seoul: top things to do in South Korea

Whether you want to star in your own K-pop music video or step back in time to an ancient dynasty, South Korea makes everything possible. Add these unmissable experiences to your itinerary if you’re planning a trip to South Korea. Korean food alone is worth the price of the flights!

Peek into forbidden lands from the DMZ

Established in 1953, the Demilitarized Zone is a 4km-wide (2.5 mi) strip of land that functions as a buffer between North Korea and South Korea. Dotted with tanks and battle-ready soldiers, it’s an eerie and tense place and not what you’d expect at one of South Korea’s biggest tourist attractions. On a clear day, you might even be able to see into North Korea.

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Sample South Korea's nightlife

No one parties like the Koreans, so make sure you're ready for a big night out. Head to the Euljiro neighbourhood in Korea’s capital for a night on the town. Once a district of printing presses and electrical equipment stores, it’s now a hipster hot spot, full of creatives making their mark with affordable drinking holes and food spots.

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Step back in time in Gyeongju

Known as the museum without walls, Gyeongju happily lives in the past, once the capital of the Silla Dynasty. You can’t move for historical artifacts. It has more pagodas, tombs, temples, and palace ruins than anywhere else in the country. Bulguksa Temple is a highlight, widely considered a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art and home to seven national treasures.

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Become a K-pop star

K-pop (Korean pop) is a global sensation, entertaining the world with punchy anthems since the 1990s. Remember "Gangnam Style"? Artist Psy named his global hit after a luxury district in Seoul, famed for designer boutiques and celebrity sightings. Visit Gangnam today and wander along K-Star Road to see your favourite K-pop bands immortalized in cartoonish bear-shaped sculptures dotted along the shopping streets. It's Korea’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Ever wanted to make your own music video? HiKR Ground in the Jongno District of Seoul has a museum where you can fulfill your K-pop dreams. Jump between six themed areas, each lit like a K-pop idol music video, and then head to My Stage, where you enter an immersive backdrop. Edit the lighting and visuals to make it look like you’re singing in a bright pink spaceship or brilliant green laundromat. Whatever your idea, the helpful staff can help you bring it to life. Oh, and there are lots of props. If you didn’t love K-pop before, you will after a visit to HiKR.

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Wander the fortress wall of Hwaseong

Built in 1796 to protect the town of Suwon, this 5.7km (3.5 mi) fortification wall is now a lovely stroll with plenty of lookout spots. Start at the south gate and make your way to the octagonal tower on the summit for incredible panoramic views of the enemy city. You can even pay to ring the large Hyowon bell. Visit in August and the walls of the fortress come alive with colourful projections. For an old wall, it scrubs up pretty well.

Find bliss on Jeju Island

Korea’s beachy beauty, Jeju Island is a favourite among local vacationers and honeymooners. As well as stunning subtropical sunlounging spots, Jeju has a great collection of walking trails. The Jeju Olle trail goes all around the island, a great way to find the secluded spots. Travellers who are sick of the sunbed can explore an abandoned airstrip built in the 1920s, which has old aircraft and submarine caves.

Another alternative thing to do in Jeju is singing sea shanties with the local mermaids, specifically the female divers known as haenyeo. These mermaid-like mariners have been freediving to harvest seaweed and mollusks for centuries. The number of haenyea has declined over the years, but they’re still in good voice and continue to meet and sing traditional sea songs before they dive.

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Crash a wedding in Suwon

Once a contender for the country's capital, sprawling Suwon is best known for its UNESCO-listed fortress, and it’s also a portal to the 19th century. Visit the 99-hectare (245-acre) Korean Folk Village, and you’ll be transported back in time to the Joseon Dynasty. Throughout the day, traditional musicians, dancers, acrobats, and tightrope walkers put on performances. There’s even a fake wedding ceremony, but please bite your tongue when asked if there are any objectors.

Look pretty in cherry blossom pink

Come spring, one of the best times to visit South Korea, the country becomes blanketed in pretty pink petals. Cherry blossoms are a symbol of beauty, purity, and love in Korea. One of the best places to see them is Gyeongju. The ancient capital puts on a cherry blossom festival every April. Jeju Island and Jinhae also have festivals, and the headliners are generally tree-mendous. If you’re a cherry blossom superfan, you could do a cherry blossom tour. Start in Busan and then head to Gwangju and Seoul, where the blossoms bloom a bit later.

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Find beauty at the Leeum

A fascinating blend of Korean and international exhibits, the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art is South Korea’s most prized art spot. It has two buildings. Museum 1 houses a collection of traditional art, including folk paintings, ceramics, swords, jewellery, and 36 national treasures. Museum 2 is more contemporary and mixes Korean artists with big hitters such as Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, and Damien Hirst. Even if you’re not a big art fan, you’re sure to find something to muse over meditatively in Seoul’s premier art gallery.

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Eat as much Korean food as possible

Once you’ve had Korean street food, it’s hard to go back to those Friday night takeouts you get back home. Everything steamed and fried in Korea is mouthwateringly good, from mandu dumplings to kimchi stews. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand exactly what you’re ordering; the uniquely Korean flavours will have you coming back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. You must try KFC on your trip — Korean fried chicken, that is, not the fast-food restaurant you probably have at home!

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Discover South Korea's beaches

You might not naturally think of South Korea when planning a beach vacation, but don’t write it off. From the city beaches of Busan to the idyllic island hangouts of Jeju, South Korea has an abundance of shores to explore. If you are in Seoul and fancy some sea air, catch a two-hour train to Jeongdongjin Beach. You literally jump off the train and onto the sand. It’s the closest station to a beach in the world. Koreans often come here for the stunning sunrises, but it’s also a lovely place to spend the day. It has plenty of snack spots and even a rail bike track where you can pedal a cart along the railroad tracks, a great way to see the area.

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Go hiking in South Korea

With 23 national parks, South Korea isn’t short on trails. From Bukhansan in the north to Jirisan in the south, the wild kaleidoscopic landscapes are ripe for walking. Every level of explorer can find a route to their liking, all changing colour with the different seasons. For altitude seekers, Seoraksan National Park is the highest of the lot. The crags are bragworthy. Climbers could attempt a summit of the six peaks of Ulsan Bawi. For a more leisurely day exploring, the three waterfalls of Biryong, Daeseung, and Yongso offer nice, relatively flat hiking trails.

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Soak in Seoul's city panorama

A must-do when in Seoul is taking the cable car up Nam Mountain to N Seoul Tower. The views of the city are jaw-dropping, especially at sunset. Another impressive spectacle is the changing of the guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace. Time it right and you’ll see an army of flag-waving royal guards in colourful robes performing their ceremonial dance outside the Gwanghwamun Gate.

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Shop at night in Seoul

One of the best things to do in Seoul is to shop. Some stores never close. If you thought post-night-out online shopping was your downfall, you’re going to lose your mind in the night markets of Seoul. Time your visit during the off-season sales, and you might need a bigger suitcase. For a local shopping experience, try South Korea’s oldest and largest market, Namdaemun Market. Join meandering shoppers as you navigate myriad clothing, accessory, and handicraft stalls. Prices are pretty good, but you may want to try some soft haggling. The best part is Restaurant Alley. Whatever kind of Korean food you’re after, this section of the market has it.

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Feel the rush at a South Korea theme park

If you’re travelling in South Korea with children, a theme park day will get the adrenaline going. Lotte World in Busan is a Lotte fun. It’s a mix between Disneyland and SeaWorld, with a terrifying "gyro drop" tower. Visit after dark for discounted rates and added spookiness. For the water babies, Caribbean Bay in Yongin, just outside Seoul, is a good place to splash around. Everland theme park is right next door if your sea legs get the better of you. It has water coasters, U-shaped tube slides, surf challenges, and a wave pool.

Explore Busan

Busan’s white-sand Haeundae Beach is a hugely popular hangout and celebrity hot spot. Set up camp here and do some people-watching. You can also wander among the murals and sculptures of Gamcheon Culture Village. Once a settlement for refugees during the Korean War, it’s now a rainbow-coloured labyrinth and open-air museum. You have to climb a few stairs, but "Little Prince Village" is full of rewarding photo spots.

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Breathe in the sea air at Yeosu

Where the mountains meet the sea, Yeosu is a captivating blend of pretty islands and volcanic beaches, connected by a cable car and an intricate network of bridges. Get a bird's-eye view of the forest-green island of Odongdo from the cable car, lose yourself in the immersive art exhibits and oversized sculptures of Yeosu Art Land, and make some time for the Yeosu Fish Market to sample the catch of the day.