Things To Do in South Korea

Gyeonghwa Station is a scenic spot in South Korea famous for its cherry blossom lined train station.
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  • Andrew
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I liked the tour alot, I would do it again with my friends.” 

1. Enjoy delicious Korean food

Eating bibimbap is a must thing to do in South Korea
Bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice dish. The rice is topped with freshly cooked vegetables, meat and a sunny side up egg.
Eating kimchi is another fun thing to do in South Korea
Kimchi is a spicy picked Korean food that contains cabbage, red peppers, onions, scalions, garlic and salt. 
Korea BBQ is a must thing to do is South Korea
Eating Korean BBQ is an elaborate affair and is often accompanied by many other side dishes. 

One of the best ways to experience South Korea’s culture is through the culinary delights that can be found in restaurants. Koreans love their barbeque and kimchi (fermented cabbage) is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity item. One of the main reasons for visiting Korea has to be to get an authentic taste of Korean delicacies. While in South Korea you can indulge in some of the tasty treats like bulgogi, japchae, and gomguk along with a variety of traditional banchan dishes such as flavoured kimchi, bap (rice) and gogumasun namul (sweet potato shoots).

 While in Seoul, street foods are a pleasure within themselves. The variety of street foods will blow your mind and can be found at many of the major market areas within the city. The major market areas are packed with food stalls or pojangmachas which specialize in tasty treats from around the country. While you are shopping for that perfect souvenir or exotic high-end item, you can please your taste buds with a variety of flavours.

Recommended eateries

  • When in the Hongdae neighbourhood stop for delightful crispy chicken at Kyochon Chicken Hongdae Store or try some pork knuckles at Myth Jakbol Hongdae.
  • If you are looking for a sit-down option in the Myeongdong area try Sinseon Seolleongtang Myeongdong or Myeongdong Kyoja Main.
  • The best pork bellies or samgyetang can be found a short distance away from Gyeongbokgung Palace at Tosokchon Samgyetang.
  • For mouth-watering street food in Seoul, go to Myeong-dong for hotteok (sweet potato cake), gimbap (rice roll) and beondegi (silkworm pupae); or Gwangjang Market for mayak kimbap (rice roll), bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) and soondae (Korean blood sausage). 

9. Take a trip to Busan

Visting Beomeosa temple is a must thing to do in South Korea
Beomeosa Temple
Visting Beomeosa temple is a must thing to do in South Korea
The interiors of Beomeosa Temple

Want to breathe fresh sea air during your trip in Korea? Take a short 2.5-hour bullet train ride to the bustling city of Busan. Busan offers a different experience than Seoul with a hipper attitude, beach resorts, 14th century temples and lots of superb food from sit down meals to street food. Being the second largest city of South Korea, Busan is the main port city in the south, known for its local seafood, urban nightlife, long modern bridges, infinite beaches and majestic mountains. 

Recommended places to see

  • Beach goers will be thrilled if they visit between 1 July and 31 August when the action heats up at Haeundae and Gwangalli Beaches. The beaches are known to be some of the cleanest in the world and there are plenty of onsite water sport activities.
  • To have a complete overview of the city, the main attractions to see are Jagalchi Fish market, Haeundae Beach and Gamcheon Culture Village.
  • Try a temple stay at the 1,300-year old Beomeosa Temple. Perched high on Mount Geumjeong overlooking Haeundae Beach, you can spend the night meditating while learning about Buddhism from the monks.
  • Head to the International Market or Jokbal Golmok also known as Pig Feet Alley for some tasty street food. For a memorable sit down meal try Dongnae Halmae Pajeon.

Insider’s Tips: When you visit Jagalchi fish market, you can buy fresh seafood you like and have it cooked for you in a local restaurant of the market. – by Daehee Won from One Day Korea