27 Night Itinerary for South Korea
 

Hello All! Long time no post!

I've booked flights to South Korea for October 2022, and we have 27 nights on the ground to play with.

We are most interested in culture and cuisine. We love natural beauty but mobility issues on my part means we aren't into hiking or long walks. We love to experience as many different foods as we can, and also love visiting temples and other cultural sights. And learning local crafts as well. We have a personal interest in pottery, as amateur potters ourselves. Photography is a strong interest but these days I do most of mine on my mobile phone!

We will hire a rental car for the segment from leaving Seoul to arriving in Busan, and again once we get to Jeju Island.

I've worked the itinerary out based on our personal interests, with some feedback from a couple of friends and a final review from a helpful lady at the Korean Tourist Office in London.

I'd love feedback and recommendations on any element of the itinerary, and especially your personal favourites for hotels and eats. (I'm considering a temple stay, and also a hanok stay, depending on what I can find that meets my needs for comfort).

Thanks so much for your thoughts!
Kavey

ITINERARY

Seoul 5 nights (more at end)
​Chuncheon 2 night (to enjoy Cheongpyeongsa lake, mountains, that rail park etc)
Beopjusa Temple Stay (1 night temple 1 night nearby)
Jeonju 2 nights (charming small city, great for food)
Gwangji/ Boseong-gun/ Suncheon (3 nights across these)
Gyeongju 3 nights (historic city)
Busan (3 nights, might do 1 of the nights outside but nearby)
Jeju Island 5 nights (self-drive)
Seoul 2 nights (+ all of next day as flight home is late late night)

Afraid I wasn't impressed with Jeonju: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...hating-jeonju/

Having a car on Jeju is a good idea, it's not really needed on the mainland, the trains and buses are good.

Thank you, I did think about Jeonju but I believe there are local food specialities there that are worth trying... But will definitely consider.

An re-reading various trip reports again now, including kja's epic one and yours!

Enjoy! I went back in 2016, but never did a TR for that trip, which included Busan and Jeju.

You are listing this in terms of cities, but try to think of it more in terms of regions. or even micro-regions. Aside from Busan (which I adore), here are my top three places I visited:

Maisan Provincial Park. Although I entered this park from the north and hiked to Tapsa in the south of the park, you can just visit Tapsa by driving to the south entrance. This is a place that combines natural beauty with an unusual cultural highlight, about 90 stone pagodas erected by a hermit near a small church which is at the bottom of a cliff. From Tapsa (Sa = temple), if you can manage walking up stairs, then there is more you can explore, but you don't have to go far. From the parking to Tapsa, there are food vendors so you can eat here as well.

Daehan Dawon Tea Plantation. This is part of a tea valley, so there are potentially a lot of places to explore here, but this one is the Grandaddy! I wish I could have devoted more time to visit other sites as well. You can stay nearby at the Golmangtae Pension, a collection of rooms on a tea plantation that looks like a sort of mushroom forest.

Nagan Stone Village. A traditional village, but unusual for Korea, it is a walled stone village. It is a hybrid place in that it is a kind of museum, but people actually live and farm there.

Also, Korean motels are a category of tourism unto themselves. Many have themes (we stayed at several including the Zeus Motel, the Ben Hur, and the Elysee). I would say that for most places, you don't need reservations. But if you want to commit in advance they can be booked on many of the popular websites. We stayed at the Ben Hur in Seoul, which we loved, but if you want something a bit more upscale, then I love the location of the Hotel 2 Heaven, though I didn't stay there.

Seoul has many highly trafficked boulevards just like any city. But in between those boulevards are huge swaths of the city composed of alleys with residences, and sometimes places to eat, shop, plus many other businesses. Some of these neighborhoods have been spiffed up but most bring you back decades to a densely populated Asian urban environment.

For eating.... Korea is a paradise once you've acquired a taste for the food. Often, where you eat determines what you eat as so many places specialize. But I don't know how far you want to get into it. If you want to eat at places that have little in common with what you are used to, then you can do that. If you want to explore and are willing to get away from wherever your lodging is located, then there are places worth seeking out to have specialties that do not exist where you live. As a general rule, when in doubt... go to places that specialize in noodles. (I could say the same for all of Asia) Asian noodles are the first thing to suffer when they are served in Europe/the US/etc.

Also, there is a pottery village in Korea, and I don't think it's far from Seoul I haven't been there, and I can try and find the name for you, but maybe some Google will work quite nicely for that.

Plug this into Google Maps for Icheon Pottery Village. This is at about the center of where there are dozens of pottery workshops, studios, kilns, and stores. There is also a museum and another large center where I think hands-on activities are possible. Lots of possibilities. There are also reports about this on various travel sites.

이천도자기마을
​Saeum-dong, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea경기도 이천시 사음동

I'm going to review my itinerary with this in mind, as well as more detailed reference to Kja's epic trip report (which I've read through twice now and will no doubt read a few times more)!

The Icheon pottery village is best known one nearest to Seoul but am also interested in others. I saw mentions from another poster called MaryW on Kja's TR but she is a very experienced and skilled potter that was invited to visit other areas and work with local potters. We would be happy just to visit some more varied places so I'll look at her suggestions on those.

For the food front I worked for several years in a neighbourhood of New Malden in Surrey, England that is known colloquially as Little Korea. My colleagues tended to do packed lunches or hit the local supermarket but I went out for a hot Korean lunch at least 3 days a week (of the 4 days a week I worked). So I got to know a fair few Korean dishes well, and am very excited to try more, especially all the local / regional specialities I can find.

:-)

Thanks, yes already have this one in my notes, as a trip out of Seoul! :-)

I'm really thinking hard about this one. I love using public transport, especially trains, but from reading Kja's TR, it looks like a LOT of bus-journeys in order to get around in the areas outside of Seoul, Busan etc. kja mentions in her notes that she had many friends advise against driving in South Korea so I'm considering. But we had people warn us off driving in Thailand too and that was fine. And we've driven quite a lot in Japan, that was very very peaceful and easy!

Have started reworking my itinerary!

So, before the "final" draft I posted in the original post above, I had us going to Jeju from Mopko and coming back into Busan, but changed away from that for reasons, but I'm thinking to go back to that.

The more I read about Chuncheon and Cheongpyeongsa (which I had initially after Seoul) the less I'm tempted, and I had already cut out Sokcho... which gives me more time for the stretch from Seoul down the West side of South Korea down to Boseong etc.

So I've now potentially got-

Seoul 5 nights (with 2 more at end)
----8 unallocated nights
Jeju Island 4 nights (from Mopko, self-drive on island)
Busan (3 nights, in city + nearby)
Gyeongju 3 nights
Seoul 2 nights (+ all of next day as flight home is late late night)


Those 8 unallocated nights could include
* Daejon 2
* Jeonju 2
* Gwangju / Suncheon / Boseong 4

Any thoughts?

IF I included Andong or Yeongju, I'll need to take some out of those 8 nights....

Hi, Kavey! I'm excited for your upcoming trip to South Korea! I found it a very rewarding destination, perhaps particularly for its cuisine, and IIRC, you often travel for food (among other things).

In that light, I think your revised plan makes more sense than your original one -- the area south of Seoul is, IMO, rightfully known for its cuisine. Giving yourselves more time to make the trip down the west side of the country would allow you to sample some of the amazing foods that are unique to those areas.

Cutting your time on Jeju-Do also makes sense to me. Things could have changed since I was there, but FWIW, I thought it was very effectively marketed (and adapted) as a destination for young people (high school seniors and college students) from China and South Korea, and particularly young couples, including newlyweds, in those age ranges. My purposes for visiting Jeju-Do had to do with it's natural scenery, which I'm glad I saw, but which I would not describe as uniquely or spectacularly stunning. I have no regrets about spending some time there, but if culture and cuisine are your priorities, and if you are encountering some mobility issues, then Jeju-Do might not make most sense as a high priority. (Seeing some of its natural scenery would require longish walks with changes in elevation.) Food-wise, abalone is one of the few things that I saw that would be more-or-less specific to Jeju; otherwise the island seemed committed to catering to a wide array of tourists. I could be wrong, and things could have changed, but I would not call it easy to find a meal that was in any way comparable to the level of culinary delight that I encountered easily elsewhere in South Korea.

I see that you already saw the comments in my trip report about car rentals and driving in South Korea. Again, things could have changed, but before you commit, I would encourage you to research traffic accident statistics and insurance options. And again, FWIW, I'm glad I used public transportation for my time on Jeju-Do.

If you are still considering a temple stay, I trust you know that a temple stay in South Korea is a very different experience than one on Koyasan, and in particular, different from a high-end temple stay on Koyasan. I remain very grateful for my temple stay in South Korea, which was a much more cultural / spiritual experience than my equally delightful, if extremely different, experience on Koyasan, which featured a culinary experience, welcoming comfort, and the uniqueness of Okunoin. Whether you opt for a temple stay or not, do consider experiencing what Korean temple food can be at its best at Baru in Seoul. :ok:

Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll have a wonderfully memorable experience -- and LOTS of great food. :)

Hope that helps!

Yes, we love to travel for culture and cuisine, as well as natural landscapes and wildlife. This trip will be culture and cuisine, and landscapes but less of the wildlife, though I may try to get to Suncheon wetlands near Boseong!

I am definitely more drawn to extra time in that stretch of Korea in comparison to Chuncheon, for sure. I think this feels a better choice, especially having read your trip report (twice through so far but will be reading it a few more times yet!)

Yes, I still see it's main marketing is for honeymoons and family resort holidays, neither of which interest me. And reading your comments about how many stairs etc are involved in visiting some of the sights has also opened my eyes. I may revise it further and drop the 4 nights to 3 to give us one extra day in Busan environs.


I found a great youtube from a young Canadian who has lived in Korea for several years, and had a car for the last 3. In it he talks about the issues of road safety / traffic accidents but also mentions that these are strongly focused in urban centres rather than the more rural highways between places. He also says he feels it's improving every year. And lastly, as Pete's a very very experienced and reactive driver, used to driving in Central London etc. we think he'll cope well with the lack of driver discipline (for wont of a better description) than many foreign drivers could.

My struggle is that whilst I love taking trains, I find buses for anything more than short 10 minute city hops make me feel travel sick, nor have I got much patience for the extra walking to and from bus stops etc. I guess we could do with taxis, but not sure that gains us much. I am not yet 100% decided but still leaning towards the self-driving from leaving Seoul to Mopko and on Jeju, I'll keep reading and thinking on this though.

Yes this is one of the things I've found when researching, it seems that there are few if any options for ensuite accommodation. I may manage the one night sleeping on floor (can always request extra mattresses to double up) but I'd struggle with shared bathroom facilities. Plus I'm physically not able to kneel at all. I can sit cross-legged ok but not for long periods unless I have back support. So there are definitely a few issues which may rule out temple stays for us. I'm going to contact the templestay hub and see if they can advise of any that may be better suited to my limitations. The answer may be that there aren't any!

I definitely plan to, and indeed this one is one of the few places that has already been on my wish list for a long time. I had a marvellous lunch and private interview with Chef Ji Young Kim learning about Korean Temple Food a few years ago and am very keen to experience again in Seoul and elsewhere.

Thank you so much, I know I'll have some specific questions about many of the places you visited but will pose those on your TR thread so they are in that same place for anyone else who reads it in the future!

A lunch and private interview with Chef Ji Young Kim – awesome!

I’m also envious of your plan to visit the Suncheon wetlands. IIRC, that was the last place I cut from my itinerary, harboring a hope that I might be able to fit a day-trip in before or after my time on Jeju-Do. It didn’t work for me, but if you go, I’ll be interested to learn what you think.

Whether to give Jeju-Do 3 or 4 nights really depends, I think, on what you want to do there (and elsewhere) and what you decide about renting a car or relying on public transportation. I had 3 nights on the island, and saw what I wanted to see, but only because I spent my two full days there in almost constant motion. And yes, there were a lot of stairs. Seongsan Ilchulbong, for example, can’t be reached except by walking uphill and then climbing stairs.

Unfortunately, stairs are not uncommon in this mountainous country. You probably already know that you are particularly likely to need to climb stairs if you want to see temples outside of urban areas, as Buddhists were generally forced out of cities and into the hills during the periods of Chinese rule – or at least, that’s what I remember reading. Fortifications, too, can often be accessed only by stairs. But maybe things have changed, and there are certainly places worthy of visiting that don’t require extensive climbs.

As for buses, I readily admit that the ones I took in South Korea were often uncomfortable – the seats were a bit too small for me (I’m a tad taller / heavier than the average American woman), and the required seat belts made it worse. That said, if motion sickness is an issue for you, you might try anti-nausea wrist bands – I’ve had great success with them.

I appreciate that there are many issues to consider when deciding between driving a rental and taking public transportation. Because the issue has come up on my trip report, I’m going to post a more extensive reply there. For now, let me just say that you’re obviously doing the research you need to do to make an informed decision for you and Pete. :ok:

Given your situation, contacting Templestay about your options for spending a night at a temple is a great idea! I hope they are able to offer some reasonable options.

Again, I hope these responses prove helpful to you!

I am probably the Fodorite that kja referenced who rented a car for a week in Korea. I found the other drivers polite ( I was only passed once) and since the roads are engineered through the mountains with lots of tunnels, distances are covered easily. The GPS you can get with a rental car (I rented at the Busan airport through Hertz) was very sophisticated and super helpful. But even when we took taxis in cities, I experienced nothing alarming about the driving and didn't see a single accident.

Anyone who might consider driving in Italy will find Korean roads rather tame. I find that when I rent cars abroad, I rarely need to drive late at night, so maybe that's when drivers get into trouble....

It was a really wonderful opportunity indeed!

It's on my shortlist but need to really work out feasibility of fitting it all in without creating days that are too full on!

Having read up more, our key interests are as follows:
-- markets in both Jeju and Seogwipo
-- Manjanggul Caves
-- * might see if we can squeeze in short walk on the Bijarim nutmeg forest path
-- The beach, divers and seafood restaurants around Gwangchigi, though you are quite right, we won't try and climb Seongsan
-- Waterfalls, bird island / harbour boat trip in Seogwipo
-- Yakcheonsa, Jusangjeollidae (if I can access), Cheonjeyeon Falls
-- * might try and squeeze in the Botanical gardens

Other:
-- there's a tea museum and tea fields in Osulloc but not sure these would be worthwhile after a visit to Boseong
-- Love island park in Jeju city looks like the kind of amusing cultural silliness that I'd appreciate

The other aspect is a bunch of Jeju food specialities but I reckon with 2 lunches 3 dinners, we can get to try most of those.

Transport:
-- It looks like (according to current schedules, there may be more outside of winter) there's only one ferry a day from mokpo to jeju that leaves at 9 am and lands at 1pm.
-- I looked at yeosu too but that's only one got one ferry a day as well, and it's at 1 am!
-- Looks like we could also fly from Gwangju to Jeju but I love the idea of a ferry so not sure!

This is one of the things I'm considering, I'm currently trying to lose weight and up my exercise but even then, I need to be realistic about which sites won't be feasible for me.

I'm definitely PLUS size and did note the issue you had with the bus seats and seat belts, and I bruise very easily too so I think that puts me off even more. So it comes down to trains plus a LOT of taxis or self-drive...

Extremely helpful, as always Kja. Thank you so much!

This is super helpful and reassuring, thank you so much.

Agreed, we rarely drive in the dark when self-driving on holidays, and I suspect you are right that that's a more dangerous time on the roads.

And yes, we'd ensure we have a good GPS and know how to use it.

Thank you again!

Glad to hear it, glad to help!

Sounds like you're making good progress with identifying your highest priorities, even if that means coming to harder and harder choices. :unsure:

The itinerary as it stands now, after some reworking:-

• Seoul (5 nights with 2 more at end)
• XX (2 nights - could be Cheongpyeong/ Chuncheon/ Suwon/ Icheon)
  • -- Magogsa Temple + Tasa/ Maison Stone Pagodas on way to Jeonju
• Jeonju (2 nights)
  • -- Jeonju stuff
  • -- Gochang Funeral monuments + Juknokwon Bamboo forest + Soswaewon Gardens on way to Gwangju
• Gwangju (3 nights)
  • -- Songgwansa Temple + Nagan Stone Village
  • -- Gwangju Stuff
• Boseong or Suncheon (2 nights)
  • -- Boseong Tea
  • -- Suncheon Wetlands + Yeosu Port
• Jeju Island 4 nights (from Mopko)
• Busan (3 nights)
  • -- Haedong Yonggungsa Temple + Beomeosa on way to Gyeongji
• Gyeongju 3 nights
  • -- Including Tongdosa
• XXX 1 night (could do Jikjisa temple stay or shorter visit on way to Seoul)
• Seoul 2 nights (+ all of next day as flight home is late late night)

I reviewed all the things I want to hit in Jeju and could have squeezed to 3 nights but decided to leave it as 4 anyway to make it a little more relaxing.

I'm not sure about where to spend the first two nights out of Seoul -- they could potentially be two one-nighters with the first one in Chuncheon or Sokcho and the other in Suwon (which seems to have more sights of interest than Daejeon?). I ruled out Icheon for the overnight location.

For that last night before returning to Seoul, I've pencilled in Jikjisa temple but still researching. It may be possible to visit Incheon on the way back into Seoul rather than on the way out.

Thoughts welcome, thank you all!

see next post....

Re: Busan: I trust you simply neglected to mention Jigalchi Market – well worth a stop!

Re: a possible temple stay at Jikjisa: If your needs can be met during a temple stay at Jikjisa, it could be well worth considering – I thought it a lovely temple.

Re: your time on Jeju-Do: Given what you’ve said of your interests, a four-night stay in Jeju makes sense to me – trying to include all your priorities with just three nights would, I think, not likely be particularly relaxing.

RE: Suwon vs. Daejeon: Depends on your interests! I saw everything I wanted to see in Suwon in a single day-trip from Seoul. I spent two nights in Daejeon, but used it as a base for Buyeo, which I’m very glad I saw.

Re: Incheon: Wouldn’t Incheon an easy day trip, by train, from Seoul?

Yes, not bothered to list any of the sites within Busan but the Jigalchi fish market and other markets are high on the list, and have a long list of other things I'd like to see so will need to narrow down. Drawn to the cable car as one activity!

Thanks, I'm hopeful the tourist office can help me with getting this kind of information about accommodation options and accessibility for templestays.

Thanks, the more I looked the more I knew I could squeeze it in but would be more enjoyable with the extra night.

I'm struggling more on this one. I'm not sure Buyeo calls to me as strongly as other sites, whereas Suwon is a must see. I didn't find as much drawing me to Daejeon so thought perhaps a single night in Suwon might make sense. Still thinking on this bit, it hasn't clarified in my head yet at all!

I am looking at Icheon (pottery village) rather than Incheon where the airport is...
I have a lot down to explore in Seoul, so figured might be easier to do it as part of the post-Seoul self-drive segment, though I'm not wedded to that.
Another option is to visit it on the way back from Gyeongju to Seoul.
Another option is to extend Seoul to 6 nights in that original block and include Icheon as a day trip, as you say.

Thanks again for helping me bounce ideas and options! So helpful, really appreciate it!

I haven't been to Suwon, but I hear there is a museum there devoted to Nam June Paik, if you are interested in modern art.....

Oooh I'd not come across this artist but just had a google and his work looks really intriguing, thank you!
Looks like it's closest to the Korean Folk Village!

Always a pleasure to help someone plan a trip to special places!

A few notes about food. You should seek out sujebi (hand torn noodles), kalguksu (knife cut noodles) and kongguksu (noodles in a cold soy milk broth). I don't have specific recommendations for you. You might find many versions of kalguksu, but the default is often with chopped manila clams. Sometimes this will not be mentioned on a menu, they just come in the bowl anyway. Subtle flavor. When done right can be astounding.

The first four links here are from an old Visit Seoul program called Food Tours with Haechi, a photo journey for the internet. There are total of 20 tours, but I can only find 5 of them anymore. Interesting reading.

I highly recommend going to the next place in Busan for their pot of giant mandu.

And finally, in Seoul I recommend having the Maneul Garlic Fried Chicken. We also ordered the "chrysalis" on the menu (yes, there is English on this menu), so if you are open to the idea of ordering larvae, then this is the place to do that. The chicken comes with a crazy amount of garlic sauce. Adding it to the chrysalis makes it wonderful.

Jokbal Alley

Photo Walk In Korea: FOOD TRIP TIPS FROM HAECHI EPISODE 3: Jangchung-dong's Jokbal Alley

Gwangjang Market

https://seoulladies.wordpress.com/tag/haechi/

Namdaemun Market

Namdaemun Market's Galchi Jorim Alley & Kalguksu Alley | Korea in World

Ganjang Gejang Alley

Sinsa-dong's Ganjang Gejang Alley | Korea in World

TTeokbokki Town

https://english.visitseoul.net/other...ki-Town_/32633

Giant Mandu in Busan:

지심정
Ji Sim Jeong
부산광역시 수영구 광안2동 남천바다로 35
35 Namcheonbada-ro, Gwangan 2(i)-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...36031c6d02.jpg

Maneul Garlic Chicken in Seoul:

Daelim Wonjo Maneul Tongdak
73-10 Guro 4(sa)-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, South Korea

대림원조마늘통닭
서울특별시 구로구 구로4동 73-10

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7d215ec6b3.jpg

Lastly....

Here is my Trip Report in case you haven't stumbled across it yet.

https://www.fodors.com/community/asi...korea-1026725/

Thanks to the contributors to this thread. I've spent quite a lot of time in Asia but never to South Korea. I'm finding the information very intriguing.

Just found out about Mr Toilet House (now a toilet museum) in Suwon and yeah I'm going to HAVE to go to that!!!!

The public toilets in Suwon are quite spectacular! Whether you visit the museum or not, I would encourage you to visit one or more of the public toilets if you do, indeed, go to Suwon.

This definitely tickles my amusement bone!😁

Just booked my internal flight from Jeju to Busan, leaving Jeju 8.45 am and getting into Busan 9.45 am.
I went for Korea Air as the booking can be cancelled/ refunded (minus a charge of I think 5000 per person, which is nothing). Plus this airline also allows 20 kg cargo baggage, plus hand luggage, whereas the budget airlines don't.

On car rental, I'm trying to work out the various bookings.
I'll need either one rental from Seoul to Jeju City (so drop off in different location, and not on the mainland to boot), or split that to Seoul to Mopko and Jeju City to Jeju City
And I'll need another then from Busan to wherever we decide to drop, either back in Seoul or in Gyeongju... or elsewhere.

I did look at getting one single car rental and taking the ferry from Jeju to Busan but that's such a slow option, comparatively, I am not sure I want to lose a half day extra.

Sounds complicated, but it looks like you have your options. I'd be interested to hear how you wind up solving this question. You could treat the Jeju portion of the trip as a separate entity, flying RT from Seoul, leaving intact your mainland car trip. I didn't have as much time as you do, so I chose a different island for the coastal scenery. BTW, Busan has a dramatic coastal walk at Yeongdo Lighthouse....

Thanks, I did look at that but the itinerary didn't click for me that way...
I have the lighthouse walk in my notes, good to know it's worth visiting, thank you!