South Korea has everything a traveler could want in a vacation destination. It has a rich and fascinating history, as well as a vibrant culture, excellent cuisine, friendly people, and world-class tourism infrastructure (including a new high-speed rail system). It’s also a land of contrasts, with views ranging from ancient Buddhist mountain top temples like Bulguksa to ultra-modern skyscrapers like Seoul’s Lotte World Tower.
1. Changdeokgung Palace
Changdeokgung Palace was the most popular royal house among the five great palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty near Seoul in the 15th century. The emperor and his family went about their daily lives in this palace.
The palace is more than a single building; it is a collection of buildings, each of which served a specific purpose. Some are utilized for sleeping quarters, while others serve as libraries, eating rooms, and meeting rooms, among other things. Make a point of visiting the 78-acre Huwon, or palace garden, behind the palace. There are numerous paths, grassy spaces, pagodas, streams, and lakes.
2. Cheongsando Island
Terraced rice paddies, sweeping ocean views, and fields of golden rapeseed flowers characterize southern Cheongsando Island’s natural beauty. The island is also known for embracing the concept of slow living, staging an annual “Slow Walking Festival” where visitors and inhabitants are urged to stroll the walking routes as slowly as possible in order to better appreciate the environment.
3. Samgwangsa Temple, Busan
Every year, approximately a million people visit Samgwangsa Temple for its annual lantern festival, which commemorates Buddha’s birthday (typically in late May). Countless lanterns light up in beautiful colors beneath the night sky during the event.
4. Boseong County
Boseong’s fields provide over 40% of the country’s green tea supply, and its magnificent green fields draw photographers and filmmakers as well as tea aficionados.
5. Jirisan National Park
This is the country’s oldest recognized national park, with 119,350 acres of rolling mountains and valleys, temple complexes, and Asiatic black bear habitats that attract visitors.
6. Naganeupseong Folk Village
Houses, castles, and monuments appear virtually exactly as they did 600 years ago in this community as if time has stood still. Aside from its cultural value, the hamlet is a one-of-a-kind tourism destination where tourists may tour residences, enjoy traditional dance performances, and learn about Korean tea ceremony etiquette.
7. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Busan
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, in the northwest corner of Busan, has one of the most beautiful sites of any temple in the country, overlooking the sea. Because the majority of temples are located in the highlands, the opportunity to meditate while watching the sunrise over the sea is particularly unique.