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🇰🇷Things to Do in South Korea
From Seoul's royal palaces to Busan's coastal markets - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Seoul carries most of a first trip to South Korea - palaces, markets, and a nightlife and food scene that rewards a slower pace than a checklist. Busan on the south coast and Jeju Island add a genuinely different rhythm once Seoul's covered, both easily reached by the KTX high-speed train or a short domestic flight. Here are 8 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul
The largest of Seoul's five grand palaces, with a royal guard changing ceremony held several times daily. Renting a hanbok (traditional dress) gets you free palace entry as a bonus.
📍 Seoul
🚉 Nearest station: Gyeongbokgung on Seoul subway line 3, whose exit 5 comes up inside the palace grounds; Gwanghwamun on line 5 puts you at the main gate for the changing of the guard.
Myeongdong & Gwangjang Market, Seoul
Myeongdong for shopping and skincare, Gwangjang Market for some of the city's best street food, including its famous bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and mayak gimbap.
📍 Seoul
🚉 Myeongdong is on subway line 4 at the station of the same name; Gwangjang Market is at Jongno 5-ga on line 1, with the food alleys directly outside exit 8.
Busan
South Korea's second city, with Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches, the colorful hillside Gamcheon Culture Village, and Jagalchi Market for the country's largest seafood market.
📍 Busan
🚉 Nearest station: Busan, the end of the KTX from Seoul in about two and a half hours - the city's own subway runs from there to Haeundae beach and Jagalchi fish market.
Jeju Island
A volcanic island often called Korea's Hawaii, centered on Hallasan, South Korea's tallest peak, with lava tube caves and waterfalls scattered around the coastline.
📍 Jeju Island
🚉 The island has no railway: flights from Seoul run every few minutes and are among the busiest routes in the world, and once there, the 200-series intercity buses circle the coast.
Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul
A neighborhood of traditional hanok houses dating back to the Joseon Dynasty, now home to cafes, guesthouses and cultural centers between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces.
📍 Seoul
🚉 Nearest station: Anguk on subway line 3, exit 2, a five-minute walk uphill - the village is residential, so signs ask visitors to keep quiet and to stay out after 5pm.
DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
The heavily fortified border between North and South Korea, visitable on organized tours from Seoul that include the Third Tunnel and the Dora Observatory looking into North Korea.
📍 Near Seoul
🚉 Independent travel is not permitted: authorised tours leave central Seoul by coach, and the closest you can get on your own is Imjingak, reached by the Gyeongui-Jungang line to Imjingang station.
Changdeokgung Palace & Secret Garden
A UNESCO World Heritage palace with a rear garden (the 'Secret Garden') only accessible on a guided, timed tour - book in advance, as English-language tours run limited times per day.
📍 Seoul
🚉 Nearest station: Anguk on line 3, exit 3, three minutes from the gate - the Secret Garden can only be seen on a timed guided tour, which sells out early in autumn.
Jjimjilbang (Korean Bathhouses)
Public bathhouses combining hot and cold pools with saunas, common throughout Korean cities and inexpensive relative to a standard spa - a genuinely local experience rather than a tourist add-on.
📍 Nationwide
🚉 The big bathhouses sit on top of subway stations: Dragon Hill Spa at Yongsan on line 1, and Spa Land at Centum City in Busan on line 2, both open around the clock.
Mark South Korea, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in South Korea?
A week covers Seoul thoroughly with a day trip to the DMZ or Busan. Ten days lets you add Jeju Island or slow down considerably in Seoul itself.
What's the best time to visit South Korea?
Spring (April-May, cherry blossoms) and autumn (September-November, fall foliage) have the most comfortable weather. Summer is hot, humid, and includes a rainy season (roughly late June-July); winter is cold but dry.
Is South Korea good for a first-time visit?
Yes - Seoul's subway system is extensive, cheap and has English signage throughout, making it one of the easier major Asian cities for an independent first visit.
Do I need a visa to visit South Korea?
Many nationalities, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU, can visit visa-free for short tourist stays (typically up to 90 days), though most travelers now need to register for a K-ETA online before arrival. Check the official visa information for your nationality: k-eta.go.kr.
What are some things to do in South Korea on a tight budget?
Street food markets like Gwangjang offer a full meal for a few dollars, most royal palaces charge a small entry fee (often waived if you're wearing a rented hanbok), and Seoul's subway is inexpensive for a whole day of city-hopping.
Can I rent a car in South Korea, and what licence do I need?
You can, though Korea's trains and subways cover almost everything on this list - a car earns its keep mainly on Jeju. An International Driving Permit is required alongside your home licence, and it must be issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention; permits from 1968-convention-only countries are not accepted, and neither is a home licence on its own. The minimum age is 21 with at least a year of driving experience. Navigation apps are a practical issue too: Google Maps has no driving directions in Korea, so download Naver Map or KakaoMap before you set off. The Korea Tourism Organization sets out what visitors need in order to drive at english.visitkorea.or.kr; cars come from Hertz and Avis.