Trip Report - South Korea
Our Trip & Itinerary
To wrap up our time in the Far East we spent seven days in South Korea. South Korea is famous for its beautiful temples, layered history, and the vibrant night-life its cities offer. To make sure we could absorb as much of South Korea as possible during our short visit, our itinerary included five nights in Seoul, a two night trip to Busan, and a day-trip to the Demilitarized Zone. We found South Korea to be both beautiful and, at times, stressful with some cultural differences that caught us off guard. While we thoroughly enjoyed some parts of South Korea, particularly within Seoul, there were some areas that neither of us have any need to return to in the near future. A highlight for Jackson, and a must-see if you find yourself in South Korea, was the DMZ. While the Joint Security Area is unfortunately closed to visitors right now (thanks to Travis King’s stunt in 2023), getting to see into the hermit kingdom just a few miles from the border was still a bucket list moment.
Busan // Overview
We started our trip in Busan, a popular coastal holiday town in the south. We may have missed some sunnier weather, but we were still able to take in much of what the city has to offer. Busan is not just home to Korea’s rich and famous during the peak summer season, it is also filled with unique cultural villages and hosted the 2005 APEC World Leaders meeting at Dongbaekseom Peninsula.
Busan // Our Favorites:
Haeundae Beach Sky Capsules – Anyone who knows Jackson, knows he’s a sucker for trains, so when we saw the unique Sky Capsules from Haeundae beach to Songjeong, we knew we had to take one. The ride takes about 30 minutes in your own private sky capsule, basically a miniature tram, and follows the cliffs along the coast for 2.3 kilometers. The ride is a little gimmicky, but it was an easy way to take in the ocean views.
Gamcheon Cultural Village – In the hills above Busan is the Gamcheon cultural village, a colorful arrangement of homes on little alleyway streets that overlook the Gamcheon port below. Originally built by the city to relocate the working class population in the 1920’s, it is now home to an abundance of tourist-oriented shops and cafes with every souvenir on offer. A new treat for us here was blowtorched ice cream. Imagine this: vanilla ice cream wrapped in a marshmallow that is blowtorched to crispy-gooey perfection.
Tae Tae Tae – Searching for vegetarian-friendly restaurants in South Korea can be a challenge, so finding Tae Tae Tae was a dream come true. With tons of vegetarian options alongside tasty meat and fish options, it's a great spot for a mixed dietary group. Not only are there plenty of options, but this is truly the place to taste-test any South Korean dish your heart desires. We didn’t quite understand the ordering system and ended up with waaaaay too much food, but we were more than happy to eat it for a leftovers lunch the next day.
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple - Set on the cliffs above the Japanese Sea and built in 1376, Haedong Temple is one of the prettiest temples Korea has on offer, and the most unique we’ve been to so far. Be prepared to walk a number of stairs, as the temple sprawls over the rocky ridges as far as the eye can see. Typically, you’ll be able to walk the stone bridge, toss a coin for good luck or marvel at the Buddha statues in the main shrines. Around Buddha’s birthday, the temple comes alive in a kaleidoscope of pink, green, yellow, and blue lanterns. While the temple was on our list anyway, Jackson and I decided to visit just after I heard of my grandmother’s passing. As I was unable to be there for my family and say my goodbyes in person, I wanted to go somewhere special to give myself a moment to grieve, to face the reality of her passing, and pay tribute to her in a spiritual place. While the temple was very busy, I found a quiet corner to write up a note that I later attached to one of the many lanterns that swung peacefully in the wind. It gave and still gives me comfort to know that they are lit up at night and blow in the ocean breeze, reminding me of the North Sea back home.
Seoul // Overview
As the capital of South Korea, Seoul naturally has the largest draw of any city on the Korean Peninsula, home to several vibrant neighborhoods and countless amazing bars or restaurants. It’s also the starting point for post day-trips to the DMZ or to some of South Korea’s terrific National Parks. For these reasons we budgeted most of our time in South Korea to Seoul and as we found out, we could’ve spent even more time here. It’s tough to take in many cities in just a few days but like Tokyo or New York, Seoul needs at least a week simply to take in the major unique neighborhoods and sub-cultures it has to offer.
Seoul // Our Favorites:
DMZ Day Trip – For many people, including us, a trip to South Korea would not be complete without visiting the DMZ. Luckily, the DMZ is only about an hour north of Seoul and there are dozens of tour operators who will happily whisk you as close to North Korea as you can get without making it a one-way trip. We went with PLK Travel and had a terrific guide named Cindy, who was happy to share all of her feelings, sympathy not among them, about North Korea. Despite the dark past, present, and future of the South vs. North Korea saga, Cindy’s perspective brought a bit of humor to the tour. While we’re not the type of travelers to typically enjoy going on a tour, she made it fun and engaging, with enough free time at a couple of stops for us to get away from the larger crowds and explore on our own.
Thanks, Oat – This little spot has become my favorite breakfast spot in months, maybe on our whole trip. The granola yogurt is simply amazing, the perfect fix of thick greek yogurt, crunchy granola, and rich honey comb. To accompany any of their delicious breakfast treats, you can order a coffee downstairs at OOF Coffee Seoul and they’ll deliver it straight to your table. These two cohabitating restaurants were so good, we had to go back on our last morning for one last granola bowl.
Changdeokgung Palace – Chengdeokgung is the most historic palace in South Korea, with many of its original buildings still standing. It is a large compound made up of an arrangement of smaller areas, like those reserved for matters of state, the King’s living area, the Queen’s living area, and a large building dedicated to the King’s favorite concubines. We lucked out, as they had a special palace cultural performance on the day of our visit, featuring folk dances like salpurichum (spiritual purification dance), gutchum (shamanic ritual dance), taepyeongmu (dance of peace), hallyangchum (idler's dance), and buchaechum (fan dance).
Gyeongbokgung Palace – Gyeongbokgung is the largest palace in South Korea, though many of its buildings have been restored since the government started a rebuilding project in the 1990’s.
Uchan – This was easily our favorite restaurant in South Korea, both for the food and for the incredible service. While Jackson had to miss out on our first dinner with a minor case of dehydration (stay hydrated, kids), we made sure to return on our last night in Seoul so he could see what all the fuss was about. And lemme tell ya, you’ll need a wheelbarrow home after countless delicious steak dishes, incredible rice, and delicious sides.
Dongdaemun Design Center – We were so happy that we stayed near this amazing piece of architecture, otherwise we may have written it off as not worth visiting. Designed in 2009 by Zaha Hadid, its curved exterior includes exhibition spaces, an art museum, remnants of the Seoul Fortress, and a rooftop garden park. While we were there, Cartier was putting on an exhibit around the Crystallization of Time.
Ikseon-dong Hanok Village – Nestled right in the middle of the city, near the two palaces mentioned above, is this picturesque Hanok Village. Within its winding alleyways you’ll find endless amazing coffee shops and restaurants, enough to make us wish we had a week just to sample each separate spot. You’ll also find some cute boutiques and fun airsoft shooting ranges, a common sight in Seoul.
Myeongdong – Lying in the center of Seoul, we somehow found ourselves in Myeongdong after each day’s adventures. With easy access to Seoul Tower, the palaces, and with endless shopping and dining options, Myeongdong really is the heart of downtown Seoul. Check out Kyoja and Wangbijib for true Korean dining experiences.
Bongeunsa Temple – Originally founded in 794, the temple has undergone many restorations in the following centuries, most recently at the conclusion of the Korean War. While only one piece of the 1855 reconstruction now remains, the temple is still washed in bright colors, an excellent example of Korean Buddhism.
Starfield Library – A new addition to the unique architecture you’ll find in Seoul is the Starfield Library. Opened in 2017, its 13 meter (43 feet) tall, curved bookshelves command your attention when reading, relaxing, or just observing its cavernous space.
Where We Stayed
Some of Our Other Favorite Restaurants: