Travel advice 4 week in South Korea with kids
 

Hi I will be traveling to South Korea for 4 weeks with my wife and two kids (at the time will be 5 and 1 years old). We do want to see as much of the country and have planned the following itinerary I would appreciate any comments or advice on it?
Inner country travel always ends up being the challenging aspect with kids. I would prefer train travel as it easier to keep children occupied but if other options are far better for specific legs let me know. I like driving so may consider this if process is straightforward and cheap enough - definitely a car when in Jeju.
Week 1: Seoul & Sokcho
- Days 1-3 (Seoul)
- Days 4-7 (Sokcho)
-Day 7 Travel back to Seoul to fly to jeju - no obvious option for direct travel to jeju
Week 2: Jeju Island
- Days 7-12: Fly to Jeju, [should I spend a couple days in different parts or stay in one base and travel around?]
Week 3: Busan & Gyeongju
-Days 12-15 (Busan)
-Days 16-18 (Gyeongju)
Week 4: Bangye-ri, Boseong & Seoul
- Days 19-20 (Bangye-ri & Boseong)
- Days 21-25 (Seoul): Return to Seoul

South Korea is fascinating, IMO! I don’t think I can answer many of your specific questions, but you might find some useful info in my old trip report — just click on my screen name and scroll to find it.

For Jeju, one location is probably sufficient. A week might be a bit much. You should have options for flights from places other than Seoul. Have you looked at Rome2Rio?

When my kids were that age, I found car travel perfect because I was in complete control of when and where we stopped and for how long.

The great thing about car travel in Korea is that distances are short, the roads in great condition, and the routes tunnel right through the mountains making it quick and efficient. If I had known how quickly we would get from one destination to the other, I might have planned my trip differently.

Some of my favorite places I visited were Maisan Provincial Park, Dahae Daewon Tea Plantation (BTW, the town of Boseong itself is thoroughly unappealing), and Nagan Stone Village. There are so many interesting rural destinations in Korea worth exploring. The city of Busan is a super highlight because it seems to have so much of Korea right there: Mountains, gorgeous coastal walks, traditional markets that go on for miles. A rare seaside temple, a rare temple built into a cliff. The mountains of Busan plunge all the way down into the sea, making it an unusually attractive Korean city.

For Korea you could split your vacation into segments: One segment of Busan and Seoul, back to back, with train in between the two, no car. Other segments are where you travel by car seeing the landscape, staying in motels. In fact, we stayed in motels even in Busan and Seoul. Korean motels are there own world unto themselves, often involving a mash-up of cute themes: space exploration, ancient architecture, European culture, and pop art all rolled into one. Oh... and also kitties.

You don't say what time of year you are traveling.... if you are going to visit the wonju bangyeri gingko tree, I guess it's in the fall....