South Korea

SEOUL

We had five weeks to tour across South Korea and planned our itinerary with about a week in each city.
There were a couple of cities on our list we would stay shorter or longer than the weeks time allotted, but we knew five weeks was going to be hard to see all that we wanted to see, yet this was the time we had in this particular block of travel time so we chose the highlights for us, gave ourselves a few days of rest along the way and of course laundry and catching up days and off we went.
We started our journey in Seoul. We normally use Airbnbs along the way in our travels but in this particular trip we decided to use hotels. We chose to stay across the river which was a farther distance than the main tourist area, but for us, we were right near the train station, we could hop on and off and rode the train straight into the historical areas of Seoul and it was much more affordable and the access was easy. By staying where we stayed it saved us several hundred dollars and we did’nt have to sacrifice our quality of stay.

We stayed at the Marriott in Gunpo. It included a huge breakfast buffet and also had a full-service restaurant which we used a couple of times. We were conveniently located to shopping, restaurants and like I said earlier the train station so it was a good choice for us.

We made our way on our first full day out to Myeongdong Cathedral. This cathedral serves as a community landmark and tourist attraction and is a notable symbol of the catholic church of Korea and was declared a historic site in 1977 as it was the first catholic church in Korea, built in 1898 and the first gothic style church to be constructed of brick. The church and grounds are beautiful and not the traditional style we are accustomed to. This is definitely worth a visit if your in Seoul.

We then walked over to Myeongdong Street, a vibrant shopping district in Seoul known for it’s wide variety of fashion, beauty products and street food. It features many popular Korean and International brands making it a must visit destination for shoppers. We then went onto Namsan Tower to the Namsan cable car that was built in 1962, there is also a free inclined Oreumi Elevator, but we did not take this as it was extremely crowded. We walked up to the cable car station and then rode up to the tower landing. There you will arrive at a park with where there are locks of love everywhere and you can purchase your own lock and place it there if you’d like.

The Namsan Tower is 774 feet in height and also serves as a communication Tower. This is a significant landmark and on a clear day you can’t beat the panoramic views from the top floor.

We then went over to Sungnyemun gate commonly referred to as Namdaemun, this is a historical landmark in Seoul. It serves as the southern gate of the Seoul City wall and is recognized as the country’s National treasure.

It was completed in 1398 during the reign of king Taejo, the founder of the Josean Dynasty. We were able to observe the changing of the guard ceremony while we were there. This is a huge piece of Korean history.

We then went onto Deoksugung Palace, built in the mid fifteenth century and located in the most central location of Seoul. Deoksugung also hiolds the highest significance as the only imperial palace in South Korea. Here, King Gojong of the Joshon Dynasty declared this establishment a Korea’s Daehan Empire in 1897, raising it’s status to an independant sovereign state where we can see the blends of traditional Joshon style buildings and western style marble columns of Sioquayan Hall. This is something you won’t see anywhere else in Korea.

We really enjoyed walking around the city taking in the sites, one of the areas we came upon was the Cheonggyecheon, a restored urban stream flowing 6.8 miles through the city, with walking paths along each side, it is a great example of successful industrialization in Korea. Near there is also a historic ball pavilion in the Jongno District, this bell was built in 1395 and historically signaled the opening and closing of the city’s gates. Today is rings every New Years Eve.

We then move onto Jogyesa Temple, Founded in 1395 built during the Goryeo Dynasty, this temple featured a stunning Buddha Hall, the Daeungjeon Hall, which houses three large golden Buddha statues symbolizing past, present and future. In front of the temple stands a massive white pine tree over 500 years old, designated as a National Monument. Located in the Jongno-gu district it serves as a spiritual headquarters for the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. We were there during the lantern festival, so the grounds were decorated in bright colorful lanterns and was quite a beautiful site.

We also toured the Gyeongbokgung Palace, established in 1395, it’s the first royal palace of the Joshon Dynasty and a major tourist attraction. It features beautiful architecture, to include several halls, residences, gates and pavilions. There are also several bridges, and museums withing the palace grounds. They do the royal changing of the guards twice daily and that is quite the event. We enjoyed the grounds, ponds and the ceremonies.

Just outside of this palace is Gwanghwamun Square. This area features several royal administrative buildings, a water fountain and waterway featuring the statues of Admiral Yi Sun Sin and King Sejong The Great. Near this location is also the Bukchon Hanok Village, a traditional neighborhood dating back to the Joshon Dynasty.

We also visited the National Museum of Korea, a huge museum with amazing artifacts including a forty-four-foot Pagoda called the Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda built in 1348, showcased in the main hall of the museum. This was a beautiful museum and a must visit.

We also visited the War Memorial of Korea. This museum had great tributes to all of the countries who helped free their people from communism and the complete horrors of the war. There was a huge tribute to the American people as they recognized that without the Americans, they would not be free today. They still appreciate the sacrifices that were made and the tributes at this museum recognized that.

DMZ (De-Militarized Zone)

Our final visit was to the DMZ. We made reservations with a tour group, which you must use a guide to visit the DMZ.

The tour includes several stops, including the third infiltration tunnel, Dora Observatory, meeting a North Korean Defector, Mount Gamaksan Red Suspension Bridge and the Freedom Bridge.

The Dora Observatory offered a fascinating view toward North Korea. The third tunnel involves walking downhill for .6 miles followed by another .6 miles through the tunnel itself. They require you to wear a hard hat and it is necessary; some areas of the tunnel are so low that I hit my head a few times. Thank goodness for the hard hat. The walk down was very steep, and they require you to leave everything in a locker, so we had nothing with us as we made our way. Photos are not allowed and it is very steep. The walk back up does have occasional benches to sit on but it was over half a mile up a very steep hill so if you have mobility issues, it could be a problem.

The swinging bridge was also up a very steep hill, a trail that was uneven and steep in several places, the bridge was beautiful and worth the climb, but again, those with mobility issues may have problems reaching this bridge.

At the observatory they had binocular type viewing into North Korea. This was as close as we will ever get to North Korea. Some of the pictures we are sharing were given to us by our guide as photos were not allowed. And she did tell us we could share these photos. This was a great experience and one we won’t forget.

Gyeongju/Daegu

So when we arrived to Daegu in the late afternoon we got to our hotel and decided to go out to find dinner and check out our neighborhood. There was some kind of festivities going on as there were street vendors, a parade, performances, and numerous activities.

We walked around for a bit, found food, ate dinner and then headed back to our hotel for the evening. By the next morning I woke up and was full on sick.                

Our hotel said we got breakfast included, our choices were two different kinds of cereals or three different kinds of Ramen and orange juice and coffee. So for the next several days Gene was running down and getting Darlene this kind of spicy Ramen because the only other choices were shrimp or a seaweed. No chicken Ramen so spicy it was, and except to leave to get food or medicine for or going to do laundry we never left the room.

On the day before we were supposed to leave Daegu I told Gene I wanted to see a little of this area so we decided to go visit the arboretum. It was on our list and because it was outdoors and I could get fresh air.                

But we didn’t get there until late in the afternoon so we only had about an hour there, it’s free to enter so we just walked around and enjoyed all the beautiful plants and flowers and fresh air. It really felt good to get out.

Yeah, so unfortunately we completely missed Daegu, except the arboretum and we had a lot of plans of things we wanted to see and do there but sadly we didn’t get to see or do anything we wanted to.                

So the next day we headed to Gyeongju. A Unesco world heritage town.                

A coastal city in southeastern South Korea, historically known as the capital of the Silla kingdom from 57 BC to 935 AD. It’s famous for its rich cultural heritage. Just being there walking among things that were over 2000 years old was pretty amazing.                

We only had one full day to spend in Gyeongju so we started at Daereungwon Tomb Complex, Silla era tombs. We first visited the Beopjangsa Temple, located in the city center, across the street from the tomb complex. The temple’s unique entrance structure originally belonged to a traditional Joseon Dynasty government located elsewhere in the city. It was dismantled and reconstructed at this current site in 1938 to preserve it as the temple’s gateway. It operates as a teaching hub and a quiet place of prayer for local residents.                

We then went on to the Daereungwon complex, here there are 23 tomb mounds of kings, Queens and nobility. This is a designated historic site and a UNESCO world heritage site. They’re open Dailey 9 AM to 10 PM, last ticket is 9:30pm. Ticket includes the interior tour of Cheonmachong Tomb, also known as the Heavenly Horse Tomb. Cost is about 2 US dollars. One of the few tombs open to the public. Theres a museum complex with a large scale tomb interior and the museum has artifacts and insights into koreas royal past.
We also walked to the Cheomseongdae Observatory built in the 7th century during the Silla period, its the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia.
And right there was also the Central Flower Gardens, beautiful flowers of all kinds spread across the open fields. This was so beautiful.

There we also could visit Donggung Palace, which is an archeological site, and Wolji Pond. There are 3 beautiful structures that overlook the pond that still stand there, however the palace is no longer standing and they are excavating the area now for relics. There’s also a walking trail that goes around the pond, and we really enjoyed that.

The main gate to the Tomb of King Michu of the Silla Kingdom is still standing, this is a beautiful gate with the wall still intact. There’s also the royal tomb of King Michu there, the shrine holds the memorial tablets for three kings from the Silla period and they are permanently enshrined here.

We also visited the Gyeongju National Museum and our first stop outside was the Emille Bell, which is a Buddhist bell which is rang every New Years. There are numerous statues, artifacts, artwork, and even a large pagoda built in 1348. There was a second museum there that house numerous types of Buddhas. This was a great time to see and learn the history of this area.

We also visited the Sunghyejeon shrine complex courtyard dedicated to the Kim clan who once ruled the Silla kingdom. Dating back centuries and still intact. Another wonderful place to visit, we learned so much about the history of this area and seen so many amazing cultural sites.

Our final stop was the Woljeonggyo Bridge built in 760 AD and reconstructed in 2018, a beautiful piece of architecture from the unified silla period. This was the most beautiful bridge I think we have ever seen. It has been restored and is genuinely a piece of art in my humble opinion. After a long day of walking miles, we found a great place to eat and had Dinner at Maison De Moon. This was a cute little Italian restaurant in the heart of all of the Korean historical buildings in the Hanok village. Both food and atmosphere were great.

Busan

What a wonderful city this is. There is so much to see and do here I could write a book. I will keep this to the point.

We spent twelve days here and filled most days. We stayed at hotel Adela which overlooked the bay. The location is excellent and we highly recommend this hotel. We had beautiful views of the city and looked staright across the water at Busan X The Sky Observatory. We were within walking distance to shopping, restaurants, sightseeing opportunities, beaches and major tourist attractions as well as transportation options.
We started off by attending the lantern festival at Samgwangsa Temple. With over 40,000 lotus lanterns this was a sight to see for sure. These beautiful bright colored lanterns lit up the night. The Samgwangsa temple sits high upon the slopes of Baegyangsan Mountain still near the city.
Samgwangsa houses numerous halls, attractions and relics. There’s also a nine-tier Pagoda built from granite. This is a beautiful temple site, and the lantern festival was worth the very large crowds.

Right across the bridge from our hotel was Jagalchi Market. The largest fish market in South Korea, this market had every type of sea life you could imagine. It also had other foods, arts and crafts and was an amazing sight with numerous live tanks and displays. this is definitely worth a visit.

We then took a ride across the water on the Busan Air Cable car. This took you to the Amnam Park. We walked along a two mile trail that ran high above the water with beautiful views, we spent time on the rooftop deck where there were many photo opportunities and there is also dining options and activities there for families including a few dinosaurs scattered in the park. After we finished there we returned to the main boarding station and walked to their very rocky beach, there was a long paved bridge over the water and rocks that we went on as well as walking out on the rocks, there were statues and views on Songdong beach. Which we went to next. This is a white sandy beach with more statues and they even had one that looked like a whale in the water. This in itself could be a half a day at the beach.

We also went to the theatre district, this was a lively active area of town, besides there being several theatres, it had wonderful shopping and dining choices as well as live performances on the street. It was a hopping place and we went over there a couple of times. The atmosphere was fun.

We also went to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple which was a spectacular site, sitting on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the sea, this temple was probably one of the most beautiful temples we’ve seen, primarily due to its location.

Built in 1376 during the Goryeo dynasty, this temple really stood out. It was later destroyed in the Imjin war and then rebuilt in the 1930s. The location is spectacular and even though we ourselves are not involved in Buddhism, the beauty of some of these temples are an amazing sight to see.

We also took a tour through Trip Advisor. This was a fantastic tour. I’m including a link as it was that good.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g297884-d26261405-Busan_Top_Coastal_Highlights_with_Gamcheon_Village_Sky_Capsule-Busan.html

We started our tour in the Yeongdo Huinnyeoul Culture Village. These are beautifully painted houses, some tubular shaped, with large murals that sit high upon the cliffs overlooking the bay. It’s a spectacular sight. We also walked through the graffiti walk which consisted of small winding paths with stairs and the walls are painted in bright colored art. This was a fun walk, Then Gene and I walked approximately 270ish stairs down to the shoreline, which was nice walking on the rocks below, however that meant we had to walk back up. That was exhausting.

We also toured the Gamcheon Village, this is called the Santorini of South Korea and we could see why. These bright colored houses built in the 1920s and 1930s for labor workers, sit stacked upon the side of the hills overlooking the sea, this village is full of personality. Small businesses, shops, artisans, and delicious foods of the local area. We enjoyed walking through the narrow streets winding through this neighborhood full of delight. What a treat this was to see.

The Sky capsule runs on a track sitting high up on the banks overlooking the sea, going about one and a quarter miles, the views are scenic and a great way to spend an afternoon. After arriving at the small station we went on to the Oryukdo sky walk, a glass floored overlook where you walk out over the ocean looking down through the glass to the rocky shores below. This was also a fun experience and another great part of this tour. This was a great tour and a wonderful way to see some of the major highlights of Busa

Jeju Island

Our final stop is Jeju Island, we to a short flight on Korean Air to Jeju where we stayed at the Marriott Shinwah Resort. This was a fabulous hotel resort, fully self contained with numerous restaurants, a shopping mall, game room , billiards and a bowling alley and its attached to an amusement park and a water park. This place was great, they had two pools, one indoor and one larger outdoor, jacuzzi, saunas and a full service spa.

Our first full day we spent half the day at the amusement park, we rode the rides and just walked around and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the park. We then went and got some cue ball action and played pool, where Gene won all the games we played. He grew up with a pool table and was once quite good at it, he hasn’t played in a very long time but still had some skills.

We signed up with a tour through Trip Advisor and really enjoyed this tour.
It started at the Micheon Lava Caves, these caves are over 2000 years old. They are 1700 meters long but only 365 meters are open. This was a very cool experience and I mean that literally. The temperature outside was around 87 degrees but it dropped to a cool 67 degrees on the inside. We had a light jacket with us as the guide said to bring one along and I’m sure glad we did.
After going through the caves we walked around the grounds and they were beautiful with waterfalls, ponds, statues and a lot of tropical foliage.
we then went into visit the Seongeup Folk Village, this is a 600 year old village where the current residents still live just as traditionally as their ancestors. We learned a lot of history there. After our tour of the folk village we got to experience a traditional Korean meal. There were a couple of things we didn’t try but what we had was very good. After lunch we headed to the Haenyeo Diving Performance. This is a tradition that has been going on since 434 AD and is a very big deal. The women who are older generally in their 50s up, dive down up to 66 feet, without diving gear or breathing equipment and get food such as sea urchins, mollusks, Seaweed and more. They do performances and the women are treated like rock stars. This is on the UNESCO World Heritage List of historic Events and also the Jeju Island list of Historic Preservation.
after the show they offered an optional hike up the the crater of the volcano, it was not something Gene or myself were up to se instead we hiked our way to the ice cream shop and got ourselves a cone.
We hit two beaches that day Gwangchigi Beach and Hamdeok Beach. The first was a very rocky beach with a lot of tide pools, the second was a white sand beach with clear blue water. It would have been great for swimming had time allowed.

We spent our last day at the pool which was very restful and relaxing, and that was a nice day. We really enjoyed our time in South Korea and in reality we could have used another couple of weeks. But we got to see most of the main attractions and had a great journey through this country, it may be small in size but large in personality and we really enjoyed our time here.

Trip Advisor Tour Link:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g297885-d12329939-Jeju_East_Essentials_Seongsan_Ilchulbong_UNESCO_Haenyeo-Jeju_Jeju_Island.html