South Korea Bucket List: 40 Quirky & Cultural Things To Do

Read next: 30 South Korea travel tips

SEOUL BUCKET LIST

No Korea bucket list would be complete without indulging with a face mask or two. The South Korean beauty industry is the biggest in the world, worth a staggering $13 billion. I was blown away by how groomed and glamourous the locals looked, making me feel like such a scruffy backpacker in comparison.

In the Myeongdong district of Seoul, you can browse literally hundreds of beauty stores and even get free gifts for going inside. The weirdest thing we saw was snail face masks. Apparently, they’re great for the skin but I’m not sure I want snail goo on my face, thanks.

I wasn’t blown away by the street food in the rest of South Korea but this all changed in Seoul. It’s truly a foodie capital of the world with lots of food markets including Hongdae Food Stands, Dongdaemun Night Market, Namdaemun Market, Tongin Market and more.

Read next: where to eat Seoul street food

4. Find the Netflix Street Food lady

I’m almost as much of a sucker for spotting a celeb as I am seeking out the best street food. I’m constantly following Anthony Bourdain recs, pinning food blogs and generally getting FOMO if I miss something. So when I watched Netflix’s Street Food documentary, I knew Gwangjang Market needed a spot on my Seoul bucket list.

If you haven’t seen the Netflix Street Food documentary, it follows a different legendary local in each episode. In Seoul, you meet Cho Yonsoon who set up a stall serving knife-cut noodles when her family were struggling to get by. Nowadays, her food is known around the city, especially since the Netflix doc has aired.

You may not realise that Seoul is completely surrounded by an 18.6km long ancient 6-8 meter high city wall called Hanyangdoseong which was constructed in 1396 during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). There were originally eight gates in the wall of which six remain standing. Walking Seoul City Walls is a must for your Seoul bucket list because it provides a great alternative view of the city with a real sense of history.

You can either hike along sections of the wall or walk the entire route with no costs required. Since sections of the Seoul city wall include many mountainous areas, you should check before you set off. The best map of Hanyangdoseong can be found at this link and includes details of each section and how to get there using public transport.

You can begin the easily accessible Naksan Mountain Trail from the Hyehwamun Gate, journeying 2.1km to the Heunginjimun Gate located in Dongdaemun. This will take approximately 2 hours to allow for stopping and enjoying the views and attractions along the way.

Along the route, you will enjoy walking along the wall and seeing all of the different construction techniques, as well as the view over Seoul from 124m heights of Naksan Park. 

Submitted by Anne from Pretraveller.

Namdaemun is a great place to go at any time of the year. Sure it might be snowing during the colder months, and the market is outside, but if you can brave the cold weather, then this is a fun place to pick up everything and anything you want to take home with you. 

Wander through this market to discover affordable jewellery and watch the shopowners first hand make the jewellery in front of you. Some shop owners will only sell in bulk, but a lot will sell retail also, so it pays to ask. You can also discover everything from local handicrafts to stationery and everything in between.

There’s a flower market, toy market, clothes stalls, handbag market, stationery market and toy market. Beware – on busy days you will find a lot of pushing and shoving going on.

You can easily get lost inside the buildings and down the streets, but the locals are friendly, so ask, and they will try and help! Otherwise park yourself down at one of the many stalls selling delicious street food and watch the world go by as you munch on many of the treats Seoul has to offer. 

Submitted by Paula from Truly Expat.

12. Quaint teahouses in Insa-dong

You can easily navigate your way to these museums as they are marked as important landmarks. You can take the subway, bus or walk if you’re around the neighbourhood. All the museums mentioned above are free to enter. Simply head inside and get to know South Korea!

Entry submitted by Mikaela from Low Maintenance Traveler.

Jogyesa Temple is a real haven of peace and quiet right in the heart of Seoul. Its Daeungjeon, or the Main Dharma Hall, is the largest temple building in the city, and the temple’s history dates back hundreds of years, although it was relocated to its current position in 1937.

The best time to visit is during one of the temple’s big festivals, namely the Chrysanthemum Festival and the Lotus Lantern Festival. The Chrysanthemum Festival takes place from mid-October to mid-November.

For several weeks, the grounds surrounding the temple are filled with sculptures made out of chrysanthemum flowers. It’s quite a lively atmosphere, with performances of traditional music and fun activities organised for kids. 

Another good time to visit the temple is during the Lotus Lantern Festival or the ‘Yeon Deung Hoe’ in Korean. This festival celebrates the Buddha’s birthday and takes place on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, which usually falls sometime in May. On this occasion, paper lanterns decorate the whole courtyard.

Directly across the street from the temple is Balwoo Gongyang, a Michelin-starred restaurant serving Buddhist temple cuisine. Like in Japan, the Buddhist monks at the temple are vegan, so this is a vegan restaurant that offers a unique fine-dining experience.

Entry submitted by Wendy from the Nomadic Vegan.

Bibimbap will be your best friend in South Korea especially if you’re travelling Korea on a budget. Reasons to eat in include:

– It’s basically the one thing vegetarians can eat in South Korea
– It’s one of the only ways to get vegetables during your trip
– Often it’s the cheapest thing on the menu
– It’s delicious!!

Eating this tasty mixed rice dish should be on every Korea bucket list but you get bonus points for trying it in its birthplace of Jeonju. You could technically visit as a day trip from Seoul but I’d suggest staying overnight so you can also add staying in a hanok house to your list (keep reading for more about this).

Visit Family House in Jeonju for the best bibimbap of your life plus a generous 12 side dishes! For just 12,000 won (£8), I couldn’t believe how cheap this was.

22. Visit Loveland, Jeju Island’s fertility theme park

Ahh, how to describe Loveland without getting my website blocked by Google?

Visit Jeju and you’ll quickly learn that the island has a mascot relating to umm… fertility. These suspiciously-shaped statues are built all around the island, apparently dating back to days when newlyweds would honeymoon on Jeju and rub their noses to wish for a baby boy.

Loveland takes it to a new level. With over 140 statues engaged in… activities, Loveland is somewhat refreshing in otherwise conservative Korea. And also somewhat creepy. There’s nowhere else quite like it. Probably for good reason.

Andong is not on many travellers’ Korea bucket lists but it should be. Rumour has it that when Queen Elizabeth came to visit South Korea in 1999, she asked to be taken to the ‘most Korean place in Korea’ and was subsequently taken to Andong.

The annual Mask Dance Festival is a great way to immerse yourself in the traditional folk culture of Korea and see a side of Andong (and South Korea) that not many people do. During 10 days in late September or early October, the usually quiet town of Andong comes alive with tons of activities, performances and festivities taking place all around the city.

The best place to visit is the Mask Dance Park. Entrance to the park is free, although there are some paying shows at night. At the park, you can see a ton of free performances, eat local fare, dance, partake in games and even make your own mask. It’s a great place to entertain kids. 

Getting to Andong is fairly easy. You can take a 3-hour bus ride from Seoul or a 2.5-hour ride from Busan. You should spend 2-3 days in Andong to take it all in and explore a few of the other sights around the city. Accommodation is limited, especially during the Mask Dance Festival so make sure to book ahead of time. 

Entry submitted by Carine and Derek from We Did It Our Way.

29. Summit Mt. Hallasan on Jeju Island

One of the best excursions in South Korea with numerous sights and things to do is the country’s fourth-largest island: Ganghwa Island. It is also known as ganghwado. The South Korean island lies at the mouth of the Han River, which separates the island from Gimpo on the mainland to the East and from Gaeseong in North Korea to the North. 

No wonder Ganghwa Island played an important role in the Incheon Korea war, among other wars of course. The immediate proximity to North Korea is noticeable on Ganghwa Island when arriving from Incheon. The strategically important location of Ganghwa Island can be felt and seen. This is exactly where Korea has defended itself against attacks from Japan, Russia, France and the United States for many decades. 

That is why many historical places are among the best sights of Ganghwa and are also recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sights you shouldn’t miss on Ganghwa Island are the Jeondeungsa Temple which is located on top of a hill, the Gwangseongbo fortress, the Ganghwa Catholic Church and definitely the Hwamunseok Cultural Centre, where you can learn how to make traditional South Korean necessities for daily life.

If you have enough time, make sure to visit the Sochang Fabric Experience Center, where true experts teach you a life lesson of South Korea’s textile history.

Submitted by Clemens and Anne of Travellers Archive.

A mountain in the southern part of South Korea, Mount Jirisan is a stunning place to hike for lovely mountains vistas and waterfalls. There are mysterious temples tucked away in the valleys of this mountain which is the second-tallest mountain in the county (after Jeju Island’s Mt Hallasan).

Mount Jirisan is the highest mountain on the South Korean mainland and is located within Jirisan National Park, which was the country’s first national park. It borders three regions: Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do and became a national park in 1967.

The mountain is considered as a sacred mountain and locals flock here to hike the trails. If you love nature, this is a stunning area of biodiversity with close to 5000 different kinds of flora and fauna to see along the way, including temperate forest and wildlife like elk and wildcats. The Nogodan Trail is a short trail most people of average fitness can handle.

Another thing to do is to visit the monks of the Cho-ge sect at Hwaeomsa Temple, who often hike the trails before dawn. Staying at the temple is a peaceful experience and a great way to learn more about Buddhism. 

There are three main entrances to the park and the Gyeongsangnam-do has two temples. If you’re planning on staying at Hwaeom-sa temple, take the train or a flight from Seoul to Gurye in Jeollanam-do. From Gurye, you can get to Jirisan National Park by bus or hire a car. 

Entry submitted by Christina of Travel2Next.

ANYWHERE SOUTH KOREA BUCKET LIST

The below items can be done in various towns and cities; it’s more about the experience! For some, I’ve included the location I did them.

32. Bathe in a jjimjilbang (naked spa)

By Western standards, these sound a little awkward. I shouldn’t have worried: jjimjilbangs have been part of Korean culture for centuries and they’re anything but creepy. These public bathhouses have split gender areas where you can strip off and simmer in hot pools of varying temperatures. There was something quite liberating about it!

The hot pools are the only area of a jjimjilbang where guests are nude. You’ll be provided with a pair of pajamas on entry which should be worn in other sections, for example the foot spa and saunas. My favourite area was the TV room with a heated floor where you could lie down, eat ice cream and watch K-Pop videos and Korean dramas. Indulgence at its peak!

While there are jjimjilbangs all over Korea, I’d highly recommend Spa Land Centrum City in Busan. Arrive by train into Centrum City station and find the spa in the connecting shopping mall.

One of my best South Korea bucket list experiences was having an adorable hanok all to myself for 2 nights. Traditionally, houses are more than just places to sleep in Korea. They’re built with symbolism in mind, traditionally facing a river with a mountain behind. Staying in one is a great alternative to the modern high-rise apartments in the cities today.

From the outside, hanok houses are gorgeous, usually made with dark wood and boasting elegant carvings. Inside, they’re very minimal. If you choose to stay in one, your bedding will be neatly folded in one corner for you to make into a floor bed. I can’t lie, it wasn’t overly comfortable to sleep on but it was a cool experience for my South Korea bucket list.

There are plenty of places to do this in South Korea although I’d recommend Jeonju. This small city has some of the best-preserved Korean houses in the country including my Happiness Full Hanok Guesthouse where I stayed. If you don’t have time to visit Jeonju, you can find some beautiful hanoks 30 minutes from Seoul in Bukchon Hanok Village.

While there are lots of lesser-known (but equally delicious) foods to try in South Korea, the most famous is a Korean barbeque.

Korean barbeques are life. Make sure to have at least during your stay but obviously it’s better if you can have 2, 3, 7, 20, 100…You get the picture.

South Korea solo travel woe – Korean barbeques are weirdly hard to have by yourself as they’re such a communal affair. If travelling solo, ask a few places if they’ll serve you solo and they’ll often just add a small surcharge to the bill. Annoying but worth it for all the meat.

The best bit about Korean barbeques is that you cook them yourself at your table. The most common meats to find at a Korean barbeque are red meats like beef and pork but you can also throw some fresh vegetables on the grill to make it a balanced meal.

36. Hire a karaoke booth with friends

On the topic of music and performance, why not step up behind the mic during your time in South Korea? Karaoke actually originated in East Asia, specifically in Japan. It’s just as popular in South Korea with plenty of places to hire a booth and sing with your friends.

Personally, I much prefer this approach to singing on stage at karaoke bars at home. Let’s face it, my tuneless wailing should be heard by as few people as possible.

A karaoke booth in South Korea usually includes your own jukebox and set of mics so you can control the music and sing as a group or solo. Karaoke venues stay open all night in Seoul so you can even put on a 6am performance after a night out. Just make sure none of your friends record the event!

To truly experience the culture of South Korea, one of the essential experiences you should add to your South Korea bucket list is a temple stay. There are many temples all around the country that offer the opportunity to stay overnight, including many programs that run in English for foreigners.

One option is Haeinsa Temple located in a remote mountainous area of southern Korea, a couple of hours on a bus from Daegu. Despite its remote location, it’s actually one of the country’s busiest Buddhist shrines due to its importance. It has been UNESCO World Heritage-listed due to it housing the Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of Buddhist scriptures carved into woodblocks from the 13th century.

One of the important components of a temple stay is learning about monastery etiquette, including the importance of staying quiet. Other highlights include drumming sessions which take plan after dinner and again at 4am, as well as morning meditation complete with tea and chats with the monks.

Despite the age of the temple, the facilities are new and modern with single bedrooms for all participants. The vegetarian fare for dinner and breakfast is purely functional so this isn’t a top spot for foodies! Luckily, a temple stay is not that expensive: the cost for two is around double that of a private room in a hostel.

Submitted by Shandos from World Heritage Journey.

Taking a cooking class in Korea is a wonderful way to learn about the most common ingredients and the history behind the country’s most important dishes. Not only will you get to learn about the country’s cuisine, but you’ll also get a delicious meal and a recipe that you can recreate for your friends and family. Some may say it’s a souvenir that keeps on giving!

While you can find cooking classes in some of the country’s major cities, Seoul offers the most variety. Choose from classes that focus on one dish, like how to make different types of kimchi or how to make tofu from scratch. Or take a course that goes over all sorts of different dishes.

Some classes include a market tour while others incorporate beer and Korean spirit tastings. Another great thing about cooking classes in Korea is they tend to be pretty affordable, with prices averaging around $50 USD per person. 

Whether you’re looking for a vegetarian-friendly class or one that walks you through the steps to making the perfect Korean fried chicken, you’ll find a cooking experience that’s suited to your taste. 

Submitted by Two Wandering Soles.

Related activity: Korean cooking class in a local home