South Korea travel guides, city by city

Quick answer · where to go in South Korea

Base yourself in Seoul for four or five nights, then take the KTX south. Busan is under three hours away for the coast and the fish market, and Gyeongju sits between the two with the Silla tombs and temples in the open. Add Jeonju for the hanok quarter and the food, or Jeju for volcanic coastline on a one-hour flight. April to May and September to November are the months to aim for: blossom then foliage, mild air, and none of the August heat.

All regions Seoul Capital Area Gangwon Chungcheong Jeolla Gyeongsang Jeju

Jump to City guides Fun fact Stereotypes Famous Koreans Food FAQ

3 South Korea city guides

Sorted by what travelers are saving this month.

Fun fact

One number worth knowing

Around 70 percent of South Korea is mountainous, which is why Seoul has national park trails inside the city limits.

Stereotypes, sorted out

The clichés you have heard, what is actually true, and how to fit in.

"It is all Seoul"

The realitySeoul holds the palaces and the nightlife, but Busan is a beach and port city with its own accent, Gyeongju is an open-air museum of Silla tombs, and Jeju is volcanic coastline. The KTX puts most of them within a morning of the capital.

"Korean food is all barbecue and kimchi"

The realityBarbecue is the export, not the everyday. Regional cooking runs from the cold buckwheat noodles of the north to the seafood of the south coast, and Jeonju built a reputation on a single rice bowl.

"The border makes it risky"

The realityThe DMZ is a day trip from Seoul, run daily with permits and guides, and life in the country carries on without reference to it. Korea consistently ranks among the safest places to travel in Asia.

"Everyone works in K-pop or on a phone"

The realityThe country is more than its exports. It is also Confucian scholarship at Andong, a Buddhist temple-stay tradition open to visitors, and mountain hiking as a national weekend habit.

"It is expensive"

The realitySeoul hotels can be, but eating is not. A market meal, a bowl of noodles or a convenience-store dinner costs little, and the subway and intercity buses are cheap by any comparison.

Barbecue with scissorsWeekend hiking gearCafés on every floorConvenience-store dinnersPalace visits in hanbokNorebang until lateDelivery to a park bench

Cultural notes that actually help

Give and receive with two hands, or with your right hand supported at the elbow. It is the single clearest sign of respect.
Take your shoes off at the door in homes, temple stays, guesthouses and any restaurant with a raised floor.
Let the oldest person at the table start eating and pour their drink first. Turn away slightly when you drink in front of them.
Do not tip. There is no line for it, and offering one causes more confusion than goodwill.
Keep phone calls quiet on the subway. Trains are busy and almost silent, and everyone is reading.
Sort your rubbish. Recycling is separated by law, and bins in public places are labelled by category.

Famous Korean faces

The names behind Korea's music, screen, sport, politics, business, art and writing. Pick a field.

BTS

The group that took Korean pop to the top of the Billboard 200

Blackpink

First K-pop girl group to headline Coachella

Bong Joon-ho

Director of Parasite, the first non-English Best Picture winner

Han Kang

Novelist and Nobel laureate in literature in 2024

Son Heung-min

Forward who shared the Premier League Golden Boot in 2022

Kim Yuna

Olympic figure skating champion in Vancouver in 2010

Ban Ki-moon

Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2007 to 2016

Psy

Gangnam Style, the first video to pass a billion YouTube views

IU

Singer-songwriter and actor, one of the country's biggest solo acts

G-Dragon

Big Bang leader and producer who shaped modern K-pop

Seo Taiji

Seo Taiji and Boys remade Korean pop music in 1992

BoA

First Korean singer to top the Oricon albums chart in Japan

Rain

Singer and actor who opened the Korean wave across Asia

Song Kang-ho

Actor who won Best Actor at Cannes in 2022 for Broker

Park Chan-wook

Director of Oldboy and Decision to Leave

Youn Yuh-jung

Won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2021 for Minari

Lee Jung-jae

First Korean actor to win a lead drama Emmy, for Squid Game

Hwang Dong-hyuk

Created and directed Squid Game

Bae Doona

Actor across Korean cinema and international television

Park Ji-sung

Midfielder who won four Premier League titles at Manchester United

Park Se-ri

Golfer whose 1998 US Women's Open win started a Korean era

An San

Archer who won three golds at the Tokyo Olympics

Ryu Hyun-jin

Pitcher who moved from the KBO to a decade in Major League Baseball

Kim Dae-jung

President and Nobel Peace laureate in 2000

Yu Gwan-sun

Student who became the face of the March First Movement in 1919

Lee Byung-chul

Founded Samsung in 1938

Chung Ju-yung

Founded Hyundai and built much of the postwar economy

Koo In-hwoi

Founded the chemical company that became LG

Nam June Paik

Artist who invented video art

Lee Ufan

Painter and sculptor central to the Mono-ha movement

Do Ho Suh

Installation artist known for full-scale fabric houses

Hwang Sok-yong

Novelist of The Guest and At Dusk

Kim Young-ha

Novelist of I Have the Right to Destroy Myself

Yi Mun-yol

Novelist of Our Twisted Hero

Must-try Korean food

The classics, then the grill, the noodle bowls and the street stalls. Pick a category.

Bibimbap

Rice under vegetables, egg and chilli paste, mixed at the table.

Kimchi jjigae

Sour aged kimchi stewed with pork and tofu.

Samgyetang

Whole young chicken stuffed with rice and ginseng, eaten in high summer.

Sundubu jjigae

Silken tofu stew that arrives still boiling.

Bulgogi

Thin beef marinated in soy, pear and sesame.

Budae jjigae

Army stew, a postwar mix of ham, noodles and gochujang.

Samgyeopsal

Pork belly grilled at the table and wrapped in lettuce.

Galbi

Marinated short ribs, cut at the table with scissors.

Dakgalbi

Chicken stir-fried with cabbage and rice cake on a hot plate, a Chuncheon dish.

Makchang

Grilled pork intestine, a Daegu speciality.

Naengmyeon

Cold buckwheat noodles in iced broth, sharpened with vinegar and mustard.

Jjajangmyeon

Wheat noodles under black bean sauce, the standard delivery order.

Kalguksu

Knife-cut noodles in a clear anchovy or chicken broth.

Janchi guksu

Thin wheat noodles in warm broth, the banquet noodle.

Jjamppong

Seafood noodles in a red chilli broth.

Tteokbokki

Rice cakes in a sweet-hot gochujang sauce, the stall standard.

Gimbap

Rice and fillings rolled in seaweed, sliced for the road.

Hotteok

Griddled dough filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.

Eomuk

Fish cake on a skewer, sold with a cup of its own broth.

Twigim

Battered vegetables, squid and dumplings, fried to order.

Kimchi

Fermented cabbage with chilli and salted shrimp, on every table.

Japchae

Sweet potato noodles tossed with vegetables and sesame oil.

Pajeon

Spring onion pancake, ordered whenever it rains.

Gyeranmari

Rolled omelette, sliced into rounds.

Bingsu

Shaved milk ice under red bean, fruit or condensed milk.

Bungeoppang

Fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean, sold in winter.

Yakgwa

Honey and sesame-oil cookie, pressed into a flower shape.

Soju

Clear grain spirit, poured for the table rather than yourself.

Makgeolli

Cloudy unfiltered rice wine, shaken before pouring.

Sikhye

Sweet malted rice drink, served cold after a meal.

South Korea travel FAQ

How many days do you need in South Korea?+

Eight to twelve days covers a first trip comfortably. Give Seoul four or five nights, then take the KTX south for Busan and Gyeongju. With under a week, stay in Seoul and take day trips.

When is the best time to visit South Korea?+

April to May and September to November. Spring brings blossom and mild air, autumn brings clear skies and foliage. June and July are the monsoon, and August is hot, humid and the domestic holiday peak.

Do you need a K-ETA to visit South Korea?+

Most visa-free travellers do, but the Ministry of Justice has temporarily exempted nationals of a set of countries until the end of 2026. Check your own passport on k-eta.go.kr, which is the only official place to apply.

Is it easy to get around South Korea without Korean?+

Yes. Subway stations, KTX platforms and intercity buses are signed in English, ticket machines have an English mode, and translation apps handle the rest. Hangul is phonetic, so learning to sound out signs takes an afternoon.

Do you need cash in South Korea?+

Rarely. Cards work in taxis, convenience stores and almost every restaurant, and a T-money card covers transit nationwide. Keep a small amount of won for traditional markets and street stalls.

Top 10s across South Korea