Korea top 10 places to visit during your holiday

The 2 types of posts that I always write about, after exploring a city or country of unfamiliar, is first, the top local foods to try; and secondly, the top places to go. These are the momentous stories from me since they portray my overall impression towards a city or country and are also to summarize my vacation travels experience in any destination. After my recent hot story on the top places to visit in Taiwan, here is the same for my Korea trip, the Korea top 10 places to visit. If you missed my exciting story on top Korean foods to try, you may first read it here.

A bit of a disclaimer here. There are literally more than 10 places where travellers can explore in Korea. My pick of these Korea top 10 places to visit is for people who wish to plan their first ever trip to Korea, and have limited budget and time. So I have considered both the cost and time to travel from one destination to another, before penning my recommendation here. Being a travel photography hobbyist for myself, these are also destinations with great photo taking opportunities.

Here are my pick of the thrilling Korea top 10 places to visit, with the least cost and reasonable period, in no particular order.

1) Myeongdong, Seoul

If you are visiting Korea for the first time, Myeongdong is one single place that you can’t miss to go for, people watching, sightseeing, shopping, eating and even staying overnight. Located in downtown Jung-gu area of Seoul, Myeongdong is Seoul’s main shopping districts featuring mid-to-high priced retail stores and international brand outlets, including Polo Ralph Lauren, Forever 21, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton, Zara and Uniqlo. Dozens of Korean top cosmetics brands such as Laneige, Nature Republic, Missha, The Face Shop and Skin Food can also be found here. Not to overlook also the large shopping centers and department stores in the district including Lotte Department Store and Shinsegae Department Store.

2) Insadong, Bukchon and Gwangbokgong Palace, Seoul

Located in the same region of Jungno-gu, to the North of Myeongdong, Insadong, Bukchon, Gwangbokgung and other palaces are the next ‘must-visit’ destination for tourists. They are historically significant where visitors can learn the Korean ancient empires with palaces of Gwangbokgung and Changdeokgung, folk history in Buchon village, and cultural foods and arts in Insadong. Insadong is especially good for souvenirs, galleries, traditional restaurants, traditional teahouses, and cafes.

3) N Seoul Tower, Seoul

Located on top of the 243m high Namson mountain and just within walking distance from Myeongdong, N-Seoul Tower is the highest tower and a major tourist attraction in Seoul. For shutterbugs looking for best spot, N-Seoul Tower offers magnificent panoramic views of Seoul and the surrounding areas. The view is so stunning that many consider Seoul Tower the best tower in Asia. After the major renovation works in 2005, it now features a lower deck that is famous for its Love Locks balustrade.

4) Nami Island

Namiseom or Nami Island is 63 km or an hour away by train from Seoul in the direction of Chuncheon, and is famous for its beautiful tree lined roads which being featured in one of the popular K-drama called ‘Winter Sonata’. Since it is not far from Seoul, many couples and families come to visit this man-made little island. For K-pop fans, paying a pilgrimage to the scene especially during Winter is surely a must.

5) Heaundae, Busan

Haeundae Beach is arguably the most famous beach in the country. “Haeundae” was so named when an ancient scholar of the Silla Kingdom (BC 57-AD 935) walking past and was fascinated by it and left the carved words “Hae Un Dae” on a stone wall there. Haeundae is 1.5 km long, 30~50m wide, and spans an area of 58,400 m². Not merely the beach, Haeundae is also the spot for various cultural events and the local popular getaway spot for couples as the area is scattered with drinking holes and love hotels.

6) Gwangali Beach

Located literally next to Haeundae, Gwangalli Beach is 1.4 km long and 64m wide. It is famous for its fine sand and a popular gathering place for young local people in their 20′s and 30′s. Located at Gwangan 2(i)-dong, Suyeong-gu, west of Haeundae Beach,  Gwangalli Beach Busan sits inside a cove spanned by the gigantic Gwangan Bridge that lit up at night with changing colors. You can enjoy water-skiing, jet skiing, windsurfing, and other exciting water sports. On the beach there is an outer concert stage where the Busan Ocean Festival and other various events are held. The area has a cultural center, a museum, theaters for plays and movies, an art gallery, TV station, and famous Korean and non-Korean fashion brand name shops.

7) Busan Tower and Jagalchi Market

Jagalchi Fish Market, Jagalchi (Line 1-Jagalchi station) is a huge fish market, and there is lots of great fish and other seafood there, and you’ll have to opportunity to eat squid that is still wriggling when you eat it! Try and come very early to see the activity around the fish being landed. It is walking distance from the Nampo Lotte Department store or Jagalchi station on the Busan Metro Line 1. Besides the market, Busan Tower further up North on a hill offers another great panoramic view to the city.

8) Busan Cinema Center, Shinsegae Department Store and Centum city

Busan Cinema Center is an official venue of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) –one of the most popular film festivals in Asia—and has become a symbol of the festival itself. From an architectural perspective, the center is a historic work that embodies the theories of deconstructivism while exhibiting a sense of formative beauty. The center’s ‘Big Roof’ is the largest roof in the world (2.6 times larger than a soccer field) and comes complete with 42,600 LED lights, which help create an unforgettable scene along with Suyeong River and Naru Park. Within the precinct of Centum city, you can explore the world’s largest shopping mall, the Shinsegae Department Store.

9) Seongsan Ilchubong, Jeju Island

An UNESCO World Heritage site, Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak rose from under the sea in a volcanic eruption over 100,000 years ago. Located on the eastern end of Jejudo Island, there is a huge crater at the top of Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak. The crater is about 600m in diameter and 90m high. With the 99 sharp rocks surrounding the crater, it looks like a gigantic crown. While the southeast and north sides are cliffs, the northwest side is a verdant grassy hill that is connected to the Seongsan Village. The ridge provides an ideal spot for walks and for horse riding as well. Not too far away, albeit not walkable, is another famous filming spot of ‘All In’ K-drama, the Seopjikoji cape, which is also great to wander about.

10) Manjanggul Lava-tube, Jeju Island

Another UNESCO World Heritage site in Jeju, Manjanggul Cave is one of the finest lava tunnels in the world, and is a designated natural monument. A lava tunnel is formed when the lava that was deep in the ground spouts from the peak and flows to the surface. Manjanggul Cave has a variety of interesting structures inside including 70cm lava stalagmites and the lava tube tunnels. Only 1km of the 13,422m Manjanggul Cave is open to the tourists. The inside of the tunnel sustains at a temperature of 11~21℃, creating a comfortable atmosphere. The Stone Turtle is especially eye-catching because it is shaped like Jeju-do Island.

All of the above photos can be viewed in full resolution on my Flickr’s Korea Album. You can also get more information on each of the above destination on the official Korea Tourism Organization website.

These are the top 10 exhilarating places to visit in 3 main touristic cities of Korea. I hope any holiday maker who loves to experience Korea with the least cost and time would find this enlightening. If you wish to know more on each of these destination, watch this travel photo blog or subscribe the feed as I will keep posting new travel photos and information in the short future. I hope I could clear all my backlog before my next exciting journey to Xi’an, China! 🙂 – Travel Feeder, your travel photo blog

About The Author

Cecil Lee

The author is an avid traveler and photography hobbyist who loves to share with others his travel and photo-taking experience in many popular tourist destinations around Europe, Asia and Australasia. Read the exciting stories with many photos captured on his journeys.