South Korea: Seoul, Busan & the Provinces

Seoul

Seoul, the capital, is a vast metropolis of more than nine million people set along the Han River and ringed by mountains. It juxtaposes grand Joseon-dynasty palaces and traditional hanok quarters with neon-lit shopping districts and futuristic architecture.

At the city's historic heart stand five Joseon-era palaces, of which Gyeongbokgung is the largest and grandest, its throne hall framed by the peak of Bugaksan behind. Nearby, the Bukchon Hanok Village preserves narrow lanes of traditional tile-roofed houses between the palaces, and the changing of the royal guard is staged daily at the main gates. Many visitors rent hanbok, the traditional dress, to wander these sites.

Modern Seoul rises right alongside the old. The 236-meter N Seoul Tower crowns Namsan mountain with panoramic city views, the curving Dongdaemun Design Plaza is a landmark of contemporary architecture, and districts such as Gangnam, Myeongdong and Hongdae blaze with signage after dark. The restored Cheonggyecheon stream threads a green corridor through downtown, and the mountains surrounding the city give elevated lookouts over the skyline.

Where to take photos

• Gyeongbokgung — the largest Joseon palace, its throne hall set against Bugaksan, with daily guard-changing ceremonies
• Bukchon Hanok Village — sloping lanes of traditional tiled houses between the palaces, calmest at dawn
• N Seoul Tower — the Namsan summit tower offering panoramic skyline views by day and night
• Dongdaemun Design Plaza — Zaha Hadid's flowing silver-clad landmark, lit up after dark

Busan

Busan is South Korea's second city and largest port, a coastal metropolis spread between mountains and the sea on the country's southeastern tip. It is celebrated for its beaches, its vast seafood market, and a brightly painted hillside village.

Set around natural harbors, Busan combines city beaches such as Haeundae and Gwangalli with the bustle of Jagalchi, the largest seafood market in the country, where the morning catch is sold and cooked on the spot. The Gwangan Bridge spans the bay and is illuminated at night above the beach and skyline. The city hosts a major international film festival each autumn.

On a steep hillside, the Gamcheon Culture Village is a maze of pastel houses stacked above the harbor, originally a refugee settlement and now a lively arts district threaded with murals, cafés and tiny galleries. To the east, the Haedong Yonggungsa temple is unusual among Korean temples for its perch directly on the rocky coast, where waves break beneath its pavilions.

Where to take photos

• Gamcheon Culture Village — pastel houses terraced up a hillside above the port, with viewpoints over the rooftops
• Haedong Yonggungsa — a Buddhist temple set on coastal rocks with the sea breaking beneath it
• Gwangalli Beach — a city beach facing the illuminated Gwangan Bridge, lively after dark
• Jagalchi Market — the country's largest fish market, busiest in the morning with stalls of fresh seafood

Jeju City

Jeju City is the main city and gateway of Jeju Island, a volcanic island off South Korea's south coast and a UNESCO-listed natural area. It serves as the arrival point for an island defined by its volcano, lava tubes, waterfalls and dramatic coastline.

Jeju Island was formed by volcanic activity centered on Hallasan, a 1,947-meter shield volcano that is South Korea's highest mountain, with a crater lake at its summit. The island's volcanic origins are recognized by UNESCO, which lists Hallasan, the Geomunoreum lava-tube system and the Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone among its natural World Heritage features. Jeju City, on the north coast, is where most visitors arrive by air or sea.

Around the coast, Seongsan Ilchulbong, the Sunrise Peak, is a grass-topped volcanic crater rising from the sea where crowds gather to watch the sun come up. The island is dotted with waterfalls, basalt-column sea cliffs at Jusangjeolli, and the living tradition of the haenyeo, the female free-divers who harvest seafood without breathing equipment. Black volcanic rock, dol hareubang stone statues and stone walls run through the landscape.

Where to take photos

• Seongsan Ilchulbong — a grass-topped volcanic crater rising from the sea, renowned for sunrise
• Hallasan — the island's central shield volcano and Korea's highest peak, with summit hiking trails
• Jusangjeolli cliffs — columnar basalt formations where the sea breaks against hexagonal rock
• Manjanggul — one of the world's longest lava tube systems, part of the UNESCO-listed volcanic features

Jeonju

Jeonju, in the southwest, is regarded as a guardian of traditional Korean culture and the birthplace of the national dish bibimbap. Its centerpiece is a large, preserved hanok village of hundreds of traditional tile-roofed houses.

The Jeonju Hanok Village contains more than 700 traditional hanok houses, the largest such concentration in any Korean city, with sweeping tiled roofs, courtyards and lanes where visitors try traditional crafts, sip tea and hire hanbok. The village is overlooked from the Omokdae pavilion, which opens up an elevated view across a sea of curved rooftops, especially fine in soft, low light.

Jeonju is also a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, celebrated above all for Jeonju bibimbap, the rice-and-vegetable dish in its most refined form. Within and beside the village stand the Gyeonggijeon shrine, holding a royal portrait of the founder of the Joseon dynasty, and the Jeondong Catholic Church, an early 20th-century brick landmark that contrasts with the surrounding hanok architecture.

Where to take photos

• Jeonju Hanok Village — over 700 traditional tiled houses, the rooftops best seen from the Omokdae pavilion
• Gyeonggijeon Shrine — a Joseon-era shrine housing the royal portrait of the dynasty's founder, set among trees
• Jeondong Catholic Church — an early 20th-century Romanesque brick church beside the hanok quarter
• Jaman Mural Village — a hillside lane of painted murals overlooking the hanok rooftops

Sokcho

Sokcho is a coastal city on South Korea's northeastern shore, set between the East Sea and the rugged peaks of Seoraksan National Park. It combines beaches and a working fishing harbor with one of the country's most celebrated mountain parks.

Sokcho's main draw is its position at the gateway to Seoraksan, widely considered the most beautiful mountain park in South Korea. Granite peaks, ravines, waterfalls and temples make it a prime destination for autumn foliage, when the slopes turn red and gold and a cable car carries visitors toward the rocky ridgeline at Gwongeumseong. The park holds the Sinheungsa temple and a large bronze Buddha statue near its entrance.

The city itself faces the East Sea with broad beaches and a busy harbor known for fresh seafood. The Abai Village, a settlement founded by refugees from the north, is reached by a hand-pulled raft ferry across a channel and is associated with distinctive local dishes. Between the open sea on one side and the peaks of Seoraksan on the other, Sokcho gives travelers two very different worlds within minutes of each other.

Where to take photos

• Seoraksan National Park — granite peaks and ravines famed for autumn foliage, reached by cable car to Gwongeumseong
• Sinheungsa Temple — a historic temple with a large bronze Buddha at the foot of Seoraksan
• Abai Village — a refugee-founded waterfront district reached by a hand-pulled raft ferry
• Sokcho Beach — a broad East Sea strand beside the harbor and lighthouse

More guides to explore

Seogwipo, Jeju Island, South Korea

Seogwipo Travel Guide: Jeju Island's Waterfall Coast, South Korea

East Asia

East Asia: Japan & South Korea

Busan, South Korea

4 Days in Busan: Coast, Markets & Hillside Neighborhoods