Top South Korea Attractions

A country proud of its cultural history, South Korea has several palaces, shrines and ancient gardens for tourists to explore. The country also has several dozen national and provincial parks, renowned for their natural beauty, and traditional folk villages.

Seoul
Seoul with its neon lights, skyscrapers and 24 hour shopping also offers a wealth of historical and cultural sights including five royal palaces and several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
To the south of the Seoul city limits, there is Seoul Grand Park. It is the nation's largest park complex. It consists of the nation's largest zoo and a botanical garden that houses 169,327 plants from 1,196 different species, Seoul Land Amusement Park, a hiking trail, a campground and National Museum of Contemporary Art.

Incheon Ceramic Village
Also in the vicinity of Seoul, this village represents the Korean ceramic culture which has brilliantly flourished for about one thousand years. In this village, about 80 ceramic workshops are clustered, so visitors have the chance to see the pottery making process in the traditional kilns, create their own ceramics and also purchase the beautiful items. The Ceramics Festival is held each fall.
 
Bukhansan National Park
Very near Seoul is Bukhansan National Park characterized by granite peaks and deep valleys. The mountain has many historical remnants and relics. At Bukhansan, you can see the 500-year-old fortress wall, 100 temples, and the Sunsubi monument which was built during the reign of King Jinheung of Silla to draw boundaries.

Suwon Korean Folk Village
South of Seoul is the Suwon Korean Folk Village, a functioning rural community and wonderful reconstruction of the past. Craftspeople can be observed at their trades. There are also daily performances of traditional folk dances, acrobatic shows, an art gallery, and lots of outdoor food places. During festivals or special days, traditional festival celebrations and weddings are also recreated.

Dongdaemun (Great East Gate):
Dongdaemun is Korea's largest wholesale and retail shopping district. It has 26 shopping malls, 30,000 specialty shops, and 50,000 manufacturers. You can buy silks, clothes, fashion accessories, shoes, sports goods, house-hold goods, electronics, office supplies, toys and just about everything.

Gayasan National Park
The park is famous in Korea for its historic sites and scenic landscapes. Some of these include Haeinsa (Temple), rock-carved standing stone Buddha, Yongmun waterfall, and Honglyudong valley. There are three different hiking courses. It is home to 1,904 species of plants and animals. The temple, Haeinsa houses the Tripitaka Koreana which was built with about 80,000 hand-carved wooden printing blocks over a period of 16 years (from 1236 to 1252). It has been designated as a national treasure.

Namsan Park
It contains many places of interest, including the National Theater, Namsan Public Library, Namsan Botanical Gardens, and several memorial statues. There is also a cable car leading to Seoul Tower. To the north is Namsangol Traditional Folk Village which has preserved the architecture and gardens of the area during the Chosun Dynasty (1392-1910). It is one of the five most beautiful areas of Seoul and a famous summer resort.

DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
The Demilitarized Zone is the area that separates North and South Korea. Here you can walk into the Third Tunnel of Aggression (dug by North Korea to infiltrate the South), stand on the Freedom Pavilion (where you can see North Korean soldiers looking at you through binoculars) and enter the room where the two sides still hold negotiations.

Gyeongju
Gyeongju has been called a “museum without walls” with traces of the temples, palaces and monuments of the era from 57 BC to AD 935. Sights include the 8th century, Asia’s greatest Buddhist shrines with a magnificent seated Buddha under a granite dome, Bulguksa Temple, a masterpiece of Silla architecture, and Tumuli Park with tombs of the Silla Royal Family. The most impressive structure to survive is undoubtedly the seventh-century Chomsongdae, an observatory that ranks amongst the oldest in Asia. Other places of interest include the Gyeongju National Museum, Handicraft Village and the Yangdong Folk Village consisting of 160 traditional houses between 200-500 years old. While visiting Gyeongju, you can either stay in the city centre or the nearby Bomun Lake Resort, with deluxe hotels, shopping, casino, pleasure boats and hot springs. Nearby Pulguksa Temple is one of the country’s most famous and a major tourist draw. Up on the mountain above Pulguksa temple, is the fascinating Sokkuram Grotto, an ancient and highly complex cave-like structure containing a large granite Buddha

Busan
Busan is South Korea's largest port and second-largest metropolis. Here, the Busan tower offers a nice panorama of the city and the surrounding islands. You can also visit the Beomosa Temple which is one of the five special Buddhist temples in Korea, the Yi Sun-shin statue, the Jagalchi fish market, the beaches, and the famous hot-spring spas. Hundae Beach just outside Busan is the premier holiday resort on this coast.

Insa-dong
More than 100 antique shops and countless art galleries are tucked away here. From ancient Chinese pottery to yellowed books and delicate jewelry, most visitors manage to find a treasured souvenir or a special gift among the quaint stores. There are also plenty of restaurants, taverns and traditional teahouses in the area.

Jeju Island
It is the largest and one of the most popular of Korea’s 3000 islands. It is dominated by Mount Halla, Korea’s highest mountain at 1950m (6400ft). The island's primary attractions are beaches, fishing, golf, casinos, scuba diving, botanical gardens of Hallim Park, hiking through the world's longest lava tube, the hot springs and coastal waterfalls.
Festival lovers should come here in early October for Cheju's cultural festival.

Onyang
It is a hot-spring resort which is reputed to be about 600 years old. It also has the Sudeoksa Temple and the Onyang Folk Museum. Also, a 14m high sitting Buddha is worth seeing near Cheonan, east of Onyang.

Seoraksan National Park
120km north-east of Seoul, it’s a beautiful mountainous area with caves, waterfalls, clear streams and magnificent beaches. Many scenic trails lead to lonely hermitages and temples, such as the seventh century Singheungsa Temple, the oldest Zen meditation temple. There is also a cable car which rises 1100metres to Gweongeumseong Fortress.

Songnisan National Park
Other than the beautiful scenery, the park has the most magnificent temple of the country, Beopjusa; home to Korea's tallest Buddha statue (33m high).

Hallyeo Waterway National Park
Park is made up of picturesque coastlines, 368 islands, hundreds of temples and assorted historical relics. The coast offers lots of opportunities for deep-sea fishing as well.

Myeong-dong
Paradise for shoppers, Myeong-dong is Seoul's retail area with massive department stores, boutiques, restaurants, fast-food outlets and malls.

Andong district
Towards the center of South Korea, this rural district retains much of its traditional culture. Here the Musil Folk Village and Museum is well worth visiting. The nearby Hahoe Folk Village is particularly known for its mask makers and dancers. The annual Andong Folk Festival and Masked Dance Festival take place in October.