5 Ways You Can Choose Your Own Adventure in South Korea

Imagine your ideal vacation. If you’re a foodie, it might include hitting up trendy restaurants to savour cutting-edge dishes or tucking into comfort food in low-key street food stalls. If you’re a pop culture junkie, it might be hitting up karaoke bars, music venues, and pop-up shops where you can secure swag from your favourite band. If you’re a history buff, it might be visiting castles and temples, seeing the historic landmarks that have been preserved through time and serve as a gateway to the past. If you’re looking to recharge, it might be a wellness escape at a detox spa or a quiet time in the mountains learning to meditate and focus on your own spiritual journey. Lucky for you, you can find all these things and more on a trip to South Korea. Korea is a country where you can choose your own adventure.

Follow your stomach on a culinary odyssey through the cities.

In recent years, few cuisines have captured the international imagination like Korean. If you want to feast on this worldwide favourite, there’s no better place to explore than Korea itself. In Korea, it all starts with kimchi, the wondrous fermented cabbage dish that is the foundation of every meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, if you’re eating Korean, kimchi will be available. Expand your palate to other favourites, including Korean barbeque, renowned for everything from succulent garlic marinade of bulgogi to spicy galbi (short rib). Bibimbap is a perennial favourite with visitors, too. But when you’re travelling through Korea, these dishes only scratch the surface of all that you can enjoy. From crispy vegetable pancakes at food stalls to cutting-edge vegetarian cuisine in emerging restaurants, Korea is a place to follow your stomach to find endless flavour.

Dive into K-Pop and Korean pop culture.

BTS might be on hiatus as its members complete their military service requirements, but the BTS Army continues to be one of the world’s most passionate fanbases. Whether you’re a diehard BTS fan or are simply fascinated by the pop-culture scene that gave rise to BLACKPINK, Squid Game, and Parasite, head to the capital Seoul and dive deep into the local scene. You’ll find themed cafes that cater to fans of K-Pop bands and pop-up shops selling exclusive swag. You can also take part in curated tours that highlight the history of these supergroups and showcase key locations from their journeys. The ever presence of K-pop karaoke bars and dance classes makes it even easier to get in touch with the pop hits that fuel this international obsession. It’s also easy to find stores catering to popular TV shows and movies, as well as filming locations, such as the famous staircase from Parasite. Also, don’t forget about Korean fashion, as the shopping in the major cities, including Seoul, is exceptional. The quality of the clothing is better than you’re likely to find back home and the competitive price point means that you’ll likely want to stock your luggage with clothes before making your homeward journey.

Venture into the past.

Korea has a long, fascinating history and many historic landmarks dotted across the nation in which to explore it. Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul is likely stop number one for history buffs, as the palace is the largest of the nation’s Five Grand Palaces and showcases the heights of Korean imperial splendour. It also houses the National Palace Museum and National Folk Museum, offering travellers a convenient primer on Korean history and culture. Travellers who head to Gyeongju can explore a city often called a museum without walls. The capital of the Silla Dynasty, which ruled the country for almost 900 years during the beginning of the Common Era, Gyeongju abounds with temples, tombs, shrines, and castles. You’ll find lots to explore in Gyeongju between the royal tombs of Royal Tumuli Park and the stone terraces of Bulguksa. The nearby Gyeongju Gyochon Traditional Village also offers a vision into the past with its recreations of a working village from the Middle Ages. It’s also a place to try on hanok (traditional Korean dress), which offers a tactile way to engage with Korea’s history and traditional culture.

Get in touch with nature.

Koreans love to get outside and enjoy nature. Luckily, thanks to the nation’s exceptional rail system, it’s easy to hop on a train and head into the countryside at any time of year. Outside of the major cities, you’ll discover picturesque villages, well-preserved temples, and lots and lots of mountains and parks. There are 22 national parks across South Korea where you can enjoy all four seasons in the nation’s distinct, coastal climate. Jeju Island is perhaps the most famous place to enjoy the great outdoors in Korea. Often called Korea’s own tropical paradise, Jeju lies off the coast to the south and provides a warm, volcanic environment that is made for long days hiking or lazy days at the beach in the height of summer. You can hike to majestic Seongsan Sunrise Peak, which acts as a natural crown to the island, explore Sangumburi Crater, or venture around the base of Mt. Halla, which rises 6,530 ft (1,950 m) above sea level. Jeju is also home to the iconic Haenyeo female divers who, for generations, have caught seafood by free diving into the ocean.

Discover wellness made for you.

More than ever, people travel to improve their wellbeing and there are few places that cater to all types of wellness than Korea. From the country’s impeccable skincare to its pioneering of Zen meditation and forest bathing, Korea leads the way when it comes to wellness travel. You can arrange for a temple stay in a Buddhist temple where you’ll learn from working Zen Buddhist monks or nuns, mirroring their contemplative lifestyle by practicing meditation and enjoy vegetarian temple food. You can book a stay in many of the nation’s gorgeous spas. Even if you don’t want to book a structured wellness experience, simply a walk in one of the city’s well-appointed parks or a night in the countryside can provide the kind of peaceful reflection that will leave you feeling refreshed and more in touch with yourself and the world around you.