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Some Sevit
At the south end of Banpo Bridge are these three artificial floating islands interconnected by walkways. Each features futuristic buildings in a complex that comprises restaurants, an exhibition hall and an outdoor stage. Definitely aim to visit at night when its buildings are lit
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Haslla Art World
Sitting atop a hill, this park has contemporary Korean sculptures set amid a pleasant 11-hectare garden with winding paths and boardwalks. On a clear day, there are incredible sea views. It’s a nice ramble for an hour or so, but the artworks are generally underwhelming, albeit quir
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Magok
Magok-sa was founded in the 7th century AD and, like most Korean temples, has had its buildings restored and reconstructed through the years. Unlike most temples, however, its extant buildings are being allowed to age gracefully, and there are quite a few atmospheric halls, stumpy
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Heuksando
Heuksando, on the way to Hongdo, is the larger, more populated and more accessible of the two islands. Views from its peaks show why Dadohae Haesang means ‘marine archipelago’. Fishing villages are linked by trails, but walking around the island takes around nine hours. Fortunately
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Namiseom Island
Part of popular TV drama Winter Sonata was set on this island in an artificial lake southwest of Chuncheon. It’s home to rows of majestic redwoods, ginkgos and pines, making it ideal for strolling. The island is also home to roaming deer, ostriches and various waterfowl, and hosts
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Yakcheon
Although construction of this Buddhist temple was completed in 1997, it is one of Jeju-do’s most impressive buildings. The ornate hall is filled with vibrant murals of scenes from Buddha’s life and teachings. The main hall has galleries overlooking a 3m-tall statue of Buddha. The t
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Manjang
Manjang-gul is the main access point to the world’s longest system of lava-tube caves. In total the caves are 7.4km long, with heights between 2m and 23m. In this section you can walk around 1km underground to a 7m-high lava pillar, the cave’s outstanding feature. The immense black
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Bori
Between Namhae-si and Sangju beach, Bori-am is a busy Buddhist hermitage on Geum-san (금산; Geum Mountain, 681m) famous for brilliant sunrises and mesmerising vistas, the kind that move people to reconsider the meaning of life. The hermitage is a 30-minute drive from Namhae-si, or ca
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Unju
Legend has it that Unju-sa originally housed 1000 Buddhas and 1000 pagodas, built because, according to traditional geomancy, the southwest of the country lacked hills and needed the pagodas to ‘balance’ the peninsula. The remaining 23 pagodas and some 100 Buddhas still make up the
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Seonun
Founded in 577 and last rebuilt in 1720, this Zen temple is nestled among the verdant hills of Seonunsan Provincial Park. Just behind the temple is a 500-year-old camellia forest that flowers around the end of April. Beyond, there are hiking trails that take you to up to the outerl
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DMZ Museum
This large museum is inside the Tongil Security Park, on the left side of the road as you approach the Goseong Unification Observatory . It has a surprising amount of English in its narration of the history of the DMZ, as well as exhibits such as US POW letters and extensive photos
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Wolchulsan National Park
Korea’s smallest national park has crags, spires and unusually shaped rocks around every corner, as well as an 8m Buddha rock carving, steel stairways and a 52m steel bridge spanning two ridges. The popular route is the 8km, six-hour hike from Dogap-sa in the west to Cheonhwang-sa
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Cheollipo Arboretum
The Cheollipo Arboretum is among Asias top botanical institutions, with a collection of more than 13,000 species from over 60 countries, laid out with diligent care across 64 hectares of lush coastal property. Only a fraction of it is open to the public, but even that is spectacula
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Namdaemun Market
You could spend all day in this swarming night-and-day market and not see it at all. The largest market in Korea, each section has hundreds of stalls, from clothing to handicrafts and accessories. Its market food, though, is the biggest highlight with dozens of stalls selling sujeb
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Jagalchi Fish Market
Anyone with a love of seafood and a tolerance for powerful odours could easily spend an hour exploring the country’s largest fish market. Narrow lanes outside the main building teem with decades-old stalls and rickety food carts run by grannies who sell an incredible variety of sea
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Gosu Donggul
This stunning limestone cave is a rabbit’s warren of metal catwalks and spiral staircases running through 1.7km of dense, narrow grottoes. It’s quite an intimate experience where you get up close with the rock formations. Unlike garishly lit caves, Gosu Donggul feels old and drippy
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Mr Toilet House
A contender as Koreas wackiest museum, Mr Toilet House is the former residence of Suwons mayor, the late Sim Jae-duck – appropriately designed like a toilet. As well as hilarious poo-related exhibits and a sculpture garden, it also covers more serious sanitation issues. Kids especi
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Guin
This stately complex’s 30-odd buildings are wedged into a valley, with steep, forested slopes on either side. The gold-roofed buildings are as elaborate as you’d expect, very close together and connected with elevated walkways. You may stumble upon monks chanting and drumming as yo
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Goseong Unification Observatory Building
While this area was part of North Korea from 1945–53, today this building is the closest most South Koreans can get to glimpsing that world. There are binoculars (₩500 for two minutes) installed on the viewing deck, and inside the observatory is a large map labelled (in Korean only
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63 Square
From the basement of the gold-tinted glass skyscraper 63 City , one of Seoul’s tallest buildings, you can access five different attractions, the pick of which is 63 Sky Art Gallery . This combines a 60th-floor observation deck offering panoramic views, with top-class, regularly cha
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