Asia
South Korea
"The country that eats harder than anywhere else on earth."
South Korea is a country in a permanent state of creative overdrive. Seoul alone generates enough cultural energy to power a continent — neighborhoods reinvent themselves seasonally, restaurants open and close with the urgency of fashion seasons, and the intersection of tradition and modernity is not a tension here but a style. A 600-year-old palace sits across the street from a building designed by Zaha Hadid. A Buddhist monk runs a temple-food restaurant that holds Michelin stars. K-pop and kimchi jjigae are both national exports treated with equal seriousness.
But the food is the real argument for South Korea. This is a country where barbecue is a communal ritual, where a simple meal arrives with a constellation of banchan — pickled, fermented, seasoned, arranged — that would constitute the main event anywhere else. The fried chicken is arguably the world’s best. The street food at Gwangjang Market in Seoul is worth rearranging an itinerary around. And outside Seoul, the port city of Busan delivers seafood markets so vivid and sprawling they feel like entering a living organism.
Beyond the cities, Korea reveals a quieter dimension. The temple-stay programs at Buddhist monasteries like Haeinsa and Bulguksa offer a stillness that feels almost medicinal after the sensory overload of Seoul. The countryside of Gyeongju — sometimes called the museum without walls — holds more UNESCO sites per square kilometer than almost anywhere in Asia.
When to go: September to November is ideal — crisp air, autumn foliage, and perfect hiking conditions. Spring (April to May) brings cherry blossoms. Summer is hot and humid with monsoon rains in July. Winter is bitterly cold but beautiful, especially in the mountains.
What most guides get wrong: They treat South Korea as Seoul plus a DMZ tour. Busan deserves three days minimum. Jeju Island is a world unto itself. And the temple-stay experience is not a novelty — it is one of the most distinctive things you can do in Asia. Book one.
Explore
Places in South Korea
Andong
The heartland of Korean Confucian culture, where masked dance traditions and a centuries-old folk village preserve a way of life.
Busan
A port city of colourful hillside villages, fish markets, and beaches that give Seoul a run for the title of best city in Korea.
DMZ
The most heavily fortified border on earth, where Cold War tension has accidentally created a wildlife sanctuary and an unforgettable day trip.
Gangneung
An east coast city where traditional coffee culture, pristine beaches, and the scent of the sea blend into something unexpectedly perfect.
Gyeonggi Province
UNESCO-listed Hwaseong fortress and royal tombs on day trips from Seoul through autumn foliage.
Gyeongju
The ancient Silla capital where royal burial mounds dot the landscape and thousand-year-old temples hide in forested mountains.
Incheon
A port city of Chinatown charm, island escapes, and waterfront reinvention just a subway ride from Seoul.
Jeju Coastal Trail
The Olle coastal walking trails circle Jeju's basalt coastline past haenyeo divers and tangerine orchards.
Jeju Island
A volcanic island off the southern coast where lava tubes, tangerine orchards, and haenyeo diving women create a world apart from the mainland.
Jeonju
The culinary capital of Korea where a hanok village preserves traditional life and bibimbap reaches its highest form.
Namhae Island
A bridge island in the southern sea with garlic terrace farms, a German expat village, and no crowds.
Seoraksan
Korea's most dramatic national park, where granite peaks pierce the clouds and autumn foliage sets the mountainsides on fire.
Seoul
A megacity of neon-lit streets and ancient palaces where K-culture pulses through every neighbourhood and the food never stops.
Sokcho
Coastal gateway to Seoraksan with famous live seafood markets and sunrise over the East Sea.
Suwon
A city just south of Seoul wrapped in a near-perfect 18th-century fortress wall, built by a grieving king as both a military marvel and a love letter to his executed father.
Tongyeong
The Naples of Korea — a blue harbour ringed by 150 islands and a legendary composer's legacy.
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