South Korea · best-of list
14 Top Things to Do in South Korea
All 14 things to do our route editors picked in South Korea, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
14 things to do in South Korea, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Gyeongju 7 picks
Bulguksa Temple
Gyeongju · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
UNESCO-listed 8th-century temple with stone stairways and two famous pagodas.
Tip: Pair with Seokguram Grotto by bus or the steep forest trail.
Photo: Jonathan Az · Google
Cheomseongdae Observatory
Gyeongju · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
7th-century stone tower, among the oldest surviving observatories in Asia.
Photo: Laurent · Google
Daereungwon Tomb Complex
Gyeongju · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Grassy burial mounds of Silla royalty; enter Cheonmachong to see a tomb's interior.
Tip: Stay until dusk when the mounds are lit.
Photo: 코코넨네 · Google
Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond
Gyeongju · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Rebuilt Silla palace pavilions reflected in a lotus pond, best lit up at night.
Tip: Arrive just before sunset to see it in both light and dark.
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gyeongju National Museum
Gyeongju · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Silla gold crowns, the giant Emille Bell and relics from the surrounding tombs.
Tip: Free entry; closes some holidays.
Photo: by martinroell · CC BY-SA 2.0
Gyochon Hanok Village
Gyeongju · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Restored hanok village by Woljeonggyo Bridge, home of the Choi clan's historic house.
Tip: Walk to the covered Woljeonggyo Bridge at night.
Photo: trip camper78 (Riu J) · Google
Seokguram Grotto
Gyeongju · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Granite Buddha in a man-made cave grotto on Tohamsan, viewed behind glass.
Tip: Climb early for sunrise views toward the East Sea.
Photo: aj · Google
Seoul 4 picks
Bukchon Hanok Village
Seoul · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Hillside lanes of traditional tiled-roof homes between two palaces.
Tip: Residents live here; visiting hours are restricted to daytime, so keep voices down.
Photo: Bgag · CC0
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Seoul · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
The largest of Seoul's Joseon palaces, with a guard-changing ceremony at the main gate.
Tip: Entry is free if you wear hanbok; rental shops line the nearby streets.
Photo: 아삭 · Google
N Seoul Tower
Seoul · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Tower atop Namsan with a cable car and city views stretching to the mountains.
Tip: Walk up the Namsan trails instead of queuing for the cable car.
Photo: Tony Lin · Google
National Museum of Korea
Seoul · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Free national collection spanning gold Silla crowns to Joseon ceramics.
Tip: Do not miss the quiet Room for Contemplation with two pensive Buddhas.
Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · CC BY 2.0
Busan 3 picks
Gamcheon Culture Village
Busan · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Pastel houses stacked on a hillside, with murals and small art spaces.
Tip: Buy the stamp map at the info center for a walking loop.
Photo: Bl00dnFl4mes · CC BY-SA 4.0
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Busan · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
Buddhist temple perched on sea rocks on Busan's east coast.
Tip: Go at opening to beat tour buses.
Photo: Javier Robles · Google
Huinnyeoul Culture Village
Busan · On our Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan route
White-walled cliffside village and coastal walk on Yeongdo island.
Tip: Combine with Taejongdae the same day.
Photo: shinya watanabe · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in South Korea?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 14 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of South Korea has the most things to do on this list?
Gyeongju has the most (7 of 14), followed by Seoul (4) and Busan (3).
Are any of these free?
8 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Bukchon Hanok Village, Gamcheon Culture Village, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Huinnyeoul Culture Village, Gyeongju National Museum, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for South Korea
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Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.