South Korea holidays

South Korea has gone from one of Asia's lesser-visited destinations to a headline tourism player in the last decade — driven by the K-pop and K-drama global cultural wave, the country's extraordinary food scene (Korean cuisine is now the world's fastest-growing cuisine), and a tourism infrastructure that has matured rapidly. The headline experiences: Seoul (the world's most-wired megacity — Gyeongbokgung Palace and the changing-of-the-guard ceremony, Bukchon Hanok Village's traditional houses, the Myeongdong shopping district, the Hongdae cafe-and-club youth culture quarter, the Itaewon international district, the Cheonggyecheon urban stream, the N Seoul Tower); the DMZ (the world's most-heavily-militarised border with North Korea, accessible only via guided tour from Seoul); Busan (the dynamic port city with the Gamcheon Culture Village, Haeundae Beach, the Jagalchi fish market, the Beomeosa Temple, the Busan International Film Festival each October); the historic UNESCO city of Gyeongju (the Silla Dynasty capital, 7th-10th centuries, with the Bulguksa Temple, the Seokguram Grotto, the Anapji Pond); Jeju Island (the volcanic-island honeymoon destination with the Hallasan mountain hike, the Manjanggul lava-tube cave UNESCO, the Seongsan Ilchulbong sunrise peak UNESCO); and the autumn-foliage hiking circuit through Seoraksan National Park.

A 10-14 day South Korea trip: Seoul (4-5 nights — Gyeongbokgung Palace and the daily changing-of-the-guard, Bukchon Hanok Village, the National Folk Museum, the Korean War Memorial, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza for the night market, the Han River bike ride at sunset, the Insadong traditional-arts quarter, a Korean barbecue dinner in Hongdae, optional DMZ day-tour or Suwon Hwaseong fortress UNESCO day-trip) → KTX high-speed train to Gyeongju (1-2 nights — Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, the Royal Tomb Complex, the Anapji Pond night-walk) → KTX or local train to Busan (2-3 nights — Gamcheon Culture Village, Haeundae Beach, the Jagalchi Market for Korean seafood, the Beomeosa Temple, the Taejongdae Resort Park) → fly to Jeju Island (3 nights — Hallasan summit hike weather-permitting, the Manjanggul lava-tube cave, Seongsan Ilchulbong sunrise hike, the Hyeopjae and Geumneung beaches, the Jeju Folk Village).