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Naksan Provincial Park
This small coastal park south of Sokcho is home to the temple Naksan-sa , established in AD 671 and enjoying glorious sea views all around. A majestic 15m-tall statue of the Goddess of Mercy, Gwaneum, presides over the East Sea from a promontory. Notably it has never fallen victim
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Seokbul
Hard to find, difficult to reach and a wonder to behold, this hermitage has Buddhist images meticulously etched into stone. Visually powerful in scale and impact, it’s the kind of work that moves visitors to exclaim ‘wow’ as they step back and arch their necks to get the full pictu
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Bulguk
On a series of stone terraces about 16km southeast of Gyeongju, set among gnarled pines and iris gardens that would make Van Gogh swoon, this temple is the crowning glory of Shilla architecture and is on the Unesco World Cultural Heritage list. The excellence of its carpentry, the
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Bongeun
Located in the heart of ritzy Gangnam, the shrines and halls of the Buddhist temple Bongeun-sa, with its tree-filled hillside location, stand in direct juxtaposition to its corporate high-rise surrounds. Founded in AD 794, the buildings have been rebuilt many times over the centuri
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Changgyeonggung
Originally built in the early 15th century by King Sejong for his parents, the oldest surviving structure of this palace is the Okcheongyo stone bridge (1483) over the stream by the main gate. The main hall, Myeongjeongjeon , 1616, has lovely latticework and an ornately carved and
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Lotte World
This huge complex includes an amusement park, an ice-skating rink, a cinema multiplex, department store, folk museum, shopping mall, hotel, restaurants and more. Kids and adults alike will love the place, which is basically an indoor Korean version of Disneyland, complete with ‘fly
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Hongdo
This is the most popular and beautiful of the islands west of Mokpo. Some 6km long and 2.5km wide, it rises precipitously from the sea and is bounded by sheer cliffs, bizarre rock formations and wooded hillsides cut by ravines. The island is ringed by islets and sunsets can be spec
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Bukhansan National Park
Granite-peak-studded Bukhansan National Park is so close to Seoul that it’s possible to visit by subway – which partly accounts for why it sees more than 10 million hikers a year. It offers sweeping mountaintop vistas, maple leaves, rushing streams and remote temples. Even though i
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Jogyesan Provincial Park
This park is home to two noteworthy temples, Songgwang-sa to the west and Seonam-sa to the east. A spectacular 8km hike (about four hours) connects the two temples. You can also take a detour over the peak of Janggun-bong (884m). Songgwang-sa is considered one of the three jewels o
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Seoraksan National Park
This park is one of the most beautiful and iconic on the entire Korean Peninsula. Designated by Unesco as a Biosphere Protection site, it boasts oddly shaped rock formations, dense forests, abundant wildlife, hot springs and ancient Shilla-era temples. Seorak-san (Snowy Crags Mount
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Byeonsan
Byeonsan-bando is Koreas only national park with both mountains and sea. During the summer months, sandy Byeonsan Beach , backed by pines, and Gyeokpo Beach , with its dramatic cliffs and caves, are the top draws. From Gyeokpo, ferries depart for the island of Wido , which has a sa
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Busosan
This mountain fortress covers the forested hill of Buso-san (106m) and shielded the Baekje capital of Sabi within its walls. Structures such as the Banwollu Pavilion offer lovely views of the surrounding countryside. Sandy paths weave through pine trees past temples and pavilions.
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Sangdang San
This large fortress is 4km northeast of Cheongju, on the slopes of the mountain Uam-san. Originally built in the 1590s and renovated in the 18th century, it has walls that stretch 4.2km around wooded hillsides, offering great views of farms, mountains and the city. Its size makes i
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Donggureung
The largest and most attractive of the World Heritage–listed royal tombs scattered around Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, Donggureung is the burial place of seven kings and 10 queens from the Joseon dynasty. Located 20km northeast of central Seoul in Guri, the tombs are set over 196 hectare
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Cheongnamdae
Once the holiday home of South Korean presidents, this villa is no Camp David, but it’s a beautiful lakeside park, with 185 hectares of well-manicured grounds and 2.3km of paths along the lakefront and across the gently rolling hills. You can linger in the Chogajeong Pavilion where
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Haein
This Unesco World Heritage–listed temple should be on every visitor’s not-to-be-missed list. As well as being one of Korea’s most significant temples, Haein-sa is also one of the most beautiful. Part of its beauty lies in the natural setting of mixed deciduous and coniferous forest
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Bogyeong
You’ll need a full day to explore the offerings in and around this temple. About 30km north of Pohang, Bogyeong-sa is a gateway to a beautiful valley boasting 12 waterfalls, gorges spanned by bridges, hermitages, stupas and the temple itself. There are good hikes including Naeyeon-
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Yangdong Folk Village
Getting here is not easy, but your journey to this Joseon-dynasty village will be rewarded with an up-close, intimate look at superb traditional architecture in a decidedly noncommercial setting. Designated as a cultural-preservation area, the entire village (replete with stone wal
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Seodaemun Prison History Hall
Built in 1908, this one-time prison is a symbol of Japanese cruelty and oppression during their colonial rule of Korea from 1910 until 1945. However, it was also used by Koreas various postwar dictators up until its closure in 1987. View the original cell blocks where independence
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National Museum of Korea
The grand, marble-lined, modernist building cleverly channels plenty of natural light to show off Korea’s ancient treasures. Among the must-see exhibits in the ground-floor galleries are the Baekje Incense Burner , an extraordinary example of the artistry of the 6th- to 7th-century
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