More than sightseeing, an authentic Korean temple stay lets you embrace monastic living, gaining profound yet accessible insights into the Buddhist philosophy permeating this ancient culture. Abandon modern anxieties as you awake to drummed morning prayers, meditate amid stunning nature, craft lotus lanterns by hand, and savour the monk’s contemplative cuisine.

In this article, you’ll discover the best places to do a temple stay in Seoul or in other parts of Korea, as well as my recommendations for the best temples to try a Korean templestay experience in. I’ll introduce you to the most common cultural activities that you might encounter at a temple stay and offer insights into what a temple stay is like by sharing my own experience of a temple stay.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

Why You Should Do A Temple Stay In Korea

More than mere accommodation, an authentic Korean temple stay offers visitors the rare opportunity to briefly yet meaningfully embrace the lifestyle of the Buddhist monks living in accordance with ancient traditions amidst the nation’s rapid modernisation. It’s a serene change of pace from bustling city streets, a chance to reset both body and mind through simple mindfulness practices.

On an overnight temple stay experience, you get to stay in a traditional hanok room inside the temple’s main grounds and join in ceremonies and practices not normally seen by outsiders. Awaken before dawn to attend morning prayer ceremony, join in meditation sessions surrounded by stunning natural beauty, craft lotus lanterns, and sample the monks’ flavourful vegetarian fare.

While creature comforts are few, the rewards prove plentiful – visitors often depart with refreshed perspective, having gained insight into the spiritual fulfilment framing many Korean lives. So take a pause from sightseeing to unwind the Korean Buddhist way – through cultural and personal enrichment centred on serenity, compassion and contemplation direct from a temple stay.

Some of the main reasons I think you’ll love doing a temple stay in Korea are that you can…

But most of all, it’s a truly unique Korean experience that you can only have in Korea, usually in a stunning setting like a national park or area of natural beauty. While a temple stay experience in Korea might not be for everyone, if you’re open to trying new things, I think you’ll really enjoy it.

What Is The Korean Temple Stay Program?

The temple stay program was set up by the Culture Corps of Korean Buddhism with the aim to promote Korean Buddhism to the world. This scheme lets you experience a temple stay in one of Korea’s beautiful Buddhist temples in Seoul and across the country. It’s a unique experience you won’t find anywhere else. In the words of the Korean temple stay program:

“A temple stay is a unique cultural program which lets you experience the life of Buddhist practitioners at traditional temples which preserve the 1700 year old history of Korean Buddhism.”.

– Korean Templestay Program

I’ve joined a temple stay in Korea several times now and for me the best part is the chance to learn more about Buddhist philosophy. I’ve written more about my experience doing a temple stay later in this article. Even if you have no interest in Buddhism, you shouldn’t miss the chance to check out the historic temple buildings, witness centuries of Korean culture, and consider a new perspective on life.

Different Temple Stay Experiences In Korea

There are 3 types of temple stay experiences that are available to try in Korea, ranging from a 1-day program where you can engage in various cultural activities with the monks to longer overnight stays with a range of unique and interesting programs. These overnight programs are where I think you’ll find the most value from your temple stay as you get to see the inner workings of the temple.

1-Day Temple Stays

The one-day temple stay option is best for those with a limited time in Korea. Lasting a few hours, you can experience a temple tour, learn about mediation, or join in a traditional tea ceremony. Perfect for those on a tight schedule or who want a quick introduction to Korean Buddhism.

Experience-Oriented Temple Stays

This is definitely the best option for a temple stay in Korea, this option allows you to stay overnight at the temple and join in activities not open to regular visitors. Be part of Korean Buddhist ceremonies, join morning chanting with the monks, try the 108 prostrations, eat Buddhist meals, and practice Buddhist meditation. Other activities can include lotus lantern walks and prayer bead making.

Rest-Oriented Temple Stay

For those who want the tranquility and peace that comes from a temple stay in Korea, this is for you! The temple offers you a place to escape the busy modern world and learn to recharge through meditation and Buddhist ceremonies. In addition, you can reduce your stress, recharge, and unwind.

Where To Do A Temple Stay In Seoul

From serene mountain monasteries to urban temples tucked amid the bustling city streets, Seoul offers numerous easily accessible yet wholly immersive temple stays for foreigners. Experience an afternoon learning about Korean Buddhism at a heritage temple like Jogyesa or Bongeunsa, or escape the crowds completely for an overnight mountain retreat at Hwagyesa’s peaceful forest grounds.

There are many Buddhist temples scattered across Korea’s capital, with seven locations offering temple experience services in English, as you can see in the picture below. Jogyesa and Bongeunsa are the most touristy temples in Seoul, so if you want an experience that’s away from the main crowds, try one of the other temples such as Hwagyesa or Geumsunsa.

You can search for temple stays in Seoul on the Templestay website and filtering by temples in Seoul. Here’s a list of the temple stays in Seoul and what they currently offer:

• Bongeunsa Temple – one-day temple stay experiences
• Myogaksa Temple – one-day temple stay experiences
• Hwagyesa Temple – overnight temple stay experiences
• Geumsunsa Temple – one-day & overnight temple stay experiences
• Jogyesa Temple – no current temple stay programs
• Jinkwansa Temple – no current temple stay programs
• International Seon Center – no current temple stay programs

Please note: The temple stay schedule is usually set for the upcoming year or just the next season. If there are no temple stays when you check, they might be available later on. The programs available above are based on what was listed at the most recent time I checked.

Where To Try Korean Temple Food In Seoul

More than just sustenance, Korean temple cuisine thoughtfully encapsulates the contemplative Buddhist philosophy of compassion and interdependence. Each dish spotlights organically grown soybean products, wild mountain greens, vegetables and medicinal herbs, providing flavourful plant-based nourishment for both body and soul through simplicity, balance and care.

If you want to try Korean temple food in Seoul, then you can join a temple stay in Seoul, visit the Korean Temple Food Culture Experience Centre near Anguk Station, or visit the Balwoo Gongyang temple food restaurant on the 5th floor of the Templestay Information Centre near Jogyesa Temple. The Korean Temple Food Culture Experience Centre let’s you make your own temple food dishes.

Dining at a temple is a moving experience, allowing guests to approach their plates with newfound mindfulness and insight into the Korean maxim – “We eat to live.” So be sure to sample this meaningful cuisine during an overnight temple stay, allowing Korean Buddhist philosophy to touch your lips and permeate your perspective. The serenely healthy dishes will provide food for thought.

Where To Do A Temple Stay In Korea

There are many different temples across Korea that you can stay in. They are usually located in national parks or similar beautiful surroundings. You can find temples in every major region of Korea, including on Jeju Island. Venturing beyond the capital into Korea’s serene rural pockets unveils ancient monasteries and hermitages perfect for deeply immersive temple stays.

Each of these Korean temple stays offers something special; whether it’s unique Korean culture like Tripitaka Koreana or the Korean Buddhist martial art, Sunmudo; awe-inspiring views of mountains, coastlines, and waterfalls; or simply a new outlook on life through the meditative programmes on offer. Whichever one of these temple stay experiences you choose, you’ll discover something amazing.

Here are 7 of the best places to do a temple stay in Korea outside of the capital. These temples are currently all offering temple stay experiences, but availability changes each season.

1: Lotus Lantern International Meditation Centre (Incheon): The Lotus Lantern Centre welcomes overseas visitors to experience a blend of modern relaxation and ancient Buddhist traditions in Incheon, near Seoul. The temple stays include a free-style program where you can choose what to do, as well as regular overnight temple stays with chanting ceremony, temple cuisine, and accommodation.

2: Bulguksa Temple (Gyeongju): This is arguably one of the most impressive places to do a temple stay in Korea as this historic temple has UNESCO World Heritage status. Bulguksa Temple offers overnight stays which include morning meditation as the sun rises over the grand courtyard, joining the monks in daily rituals, and a chance to explore the ornate 15th century Buddhist sanctuaries.

3: Haeinsa Temple (Gayasan National Park): Remote yet easily accessible Haeinsa Temple, nestled within Hapcheon County’s verdant mountain valleys, unveils Korea’s Tripitaka Koreana wooden block anthology alongside meditation sessions, monastic cuisine, lotus lantern making, and sunrise ceremonial drumming through their memorable one-night temple stay.

4: Golgulsa Temple (Near Gyeongju): Golgulsa Temple has a large selection of temple stay experiences and provides the unique opportunity to witness and try ‘Sunmudo‘ – a Korean Buddhist martial art. There’s also the chance to try meditation on the beach, archery, horseback riding, and many of the other interesting activities that you’d expect during a temple stay in Korea.

5: Beopjusa Temple (Songnisan National Park): Home to Korea’s tallest wooden pagoda and a mammoth bronze bell, majestic Beopjusa Temple treats overnight visitors to personally crafted experiences like lotus lantern making, chanting ceremonies, temple cuisine, and taekwondo alongside scenic mountain trekking through Songnisan National Park’s lush foliage.

6: Naksansa Temple (Near Sokcho): Naksansa Temple treats overnight visitors to personally tailored stays combined morning prayer ceremonies amid stunning East Sea sunrises, a guided trek to a cliffside hermitage overlooking the sea, meditation, and deliciously simple monastic vegetarian fare. This is a great temple to stay in if you’re planning to visit Korea’s east coast.

7: Hwaeomsa Temple (Jirisan National Park): Nestled within Jirisan National Park’s trees, ancient Hwaeomsa Temple invites visitors into the daily life of their monks through immersive overnight stays – rising with the sun for morning prayer chanting, joining meditation sessions and Buddhist lectures, crafting lotus lanterns, dining on traditional temple cuisine, and resting amid mountain-framed serenity.

These next 3 temples currently don’t have any temple stay experiences available, but I’ve included them because they’re really beautiful temples that are definitely worth visiting just to explore. They might have temple stay programs again later in the future.

Yakchunsa Temple (Jeju Island): This is a very unique temple in Korea that looks like it would be more at home in South East Asia than in Korea. The entrance to the temple is lined with palm trees and it looks out over the rugged coast and sea. There are tangerines growing in the temple grounds and many unique and interesting sights to see. One of my favourite temples I’ve visited in Korea.

Magoksa Temple (South Chungcheon Province): Enveloped within the lush peaks of Mount Taehwasan, Magoksa Temple invites visitors to immerse in temple life through their overnight stay – greeting the mountain sunrise with Buddhist chanting, meditating stream-side in the pine-scented forest, crafting paper lanterns, dining on homemade temple cuisine, and retiring to their tranquil, natural haven.

Woljeongsa Temple (Odaesan National Park): With grounds enveloped by Odaeasan’s panoramic national park, historic Woljeongsa Temple treats visitors to personally tailored temple stays. It combines morning prayer ceremonies, meditation under waterfalls, monastic vegetarian meals made with organically grown ingredients, and Korean culture classes like lotus lantern crafting.

The Temple Stay Experience: What To Expect

Now that you know where you can do a temple stay in Seoul or Korea, let’s see what will happen during your temple stay experience. There are many different activities you can take part in during a temple stay in Korea. Most temples will offer these wonderful experiences. In addition, some temples offer more, including walks, treks, traditional crafts, and even music performances.

Guided Temple Tour: Ever explored a Buddhist temple and wondered what all the interesting statues, patterns, and symbols meant? Now you can find out with an English guided tour around the temple. The temple staff will kindly explain the history, culture, and meaning behind all you see at the temple. Great for increasing your knowledge about Korean Buddhism.

108 Prostrations: A mainstay of Korean temple stays is performing the bowing ritual ‘108 prostrations’, involving fully lowering one’s body to the floor 108 times as a symbolic shedding of greed and ego. While challenging physically, finishing evokes a profound sense of humility and purification amongst temple stay participants. This may involve threading 108 prayer beads at the same time.

Yebool (Buddhist Chanting): Yebool is the opening chant to start the day and offers the chance for self-reflection and purification for the day ahead. During a temple stay in Korea you’ll be able to join the monks inside the temple, somewhere most tourists will only see from the outside. Yebool chanting starts before sunrise, so make sure you get an early night the night before.

Da-Seon (Tea Ceremony): The Korean Buddhist tea ceremony is a form of meditation in itself. Firstly, practice mental discipline and concentration through the processes involved in creating the perfect cup of tea. Secondly, harness all your senses whilst you prepare and drink the tea in quiet contemplation. During the tea ceremony you have the chance to ask a monk questions.

Balwoogongyang (Monastic Meal): Balwoogongyang is the traditional method of eating a meal at Buddhist temples. Containing a mixture of rice, vegetables, and side dishes, certainly this healthy vegan-friendly meal will help you appreciate the simplicity and honesty of food. Eat together in silence, waste nothing, and give thanks for all of the hard work involved in your humble meal.

Walking Meditation (Pohaeng): A core element of Korean Buddhist practice is ‘pohaeng’ walking meditation – slowly circumnavigating temple grounds in silent contemplation, focusing on the sensation of each step to calm the mind. Most temple stays offer this meditative activity, allowing you to mindfully traverse flower-lined courtyards and soak up the tranquil beauty in these sacred refuges.

Cham-Seon (Seon Meditation): Seon meditation focuses on clearing your mind of thoughts, allowing you to learn mindfulness and concentration. This is one of the main practices of Korean Buddhists. By practising Seon meditation you will be able to learn your true nature and discover inner peace. If you just want to focus on meditation, I recommend visiting the The International Seon Center in Seoul.

Korean Traditional Culture Experience: This includes a range of cultural experiences offered by each individual temple. For example, you might make lotus flower lanterns or wood block prints, prepare temple food, or even see musical performances. Each temple stay offers their own unique cultural experiences, which you can see on their Templestay website page.

What To Bring To A Temple Stay

As most temple stays involve basic accommodation and an early morning start, be sure to come prepared with an open mind plus:

As temple stays allow only small bags within sleeping quarters, best leave luggage locked at temples and pack light necessities in a daypack instead. With humble lodging and vegetarian monk’s fare the norm, indulge in life’s luxuries beforehand or after. This program’s rewards lie not in lavish comforts but in the rare chance to personally immerse in the temple culture still thriving in modern Korea.

Do You Need To Know Korean To Do A Temple Stay?

You shouldn’t need to speak any Korean to join a temple stay experience as the program is designed to welcome foreigners and therefore there are guides who can speak English, as well as translate anything the monks might say. During the temple stay experiences I have been on, there are often people from around the world, with a variety of different backgrounds and native languages.

How To Book A Temple Stay In Korea

There are two main ways you can book a temple stay in Korea and both are really easy to do in English. You won’t need to know any Korean to book these, don’t worry.

Book online: Firstly, you can book a temple from the Templestay website. This website is helpful and shows you where you can do various temple stay experiences across Korea. It’s all in English and provides lots of essential information. You can book a temple stay before you arrive in Korea, which is recommended to help you plan your schedule and guarantee your place.

Book in Seoul: You can also book a temple stay by visiting the Templestay Information Centre in Insadong, Seoul. This is close to Jogyesa Temple, which is an excellent Buddhist temple that’s certainly worth visiting while you’re in Seoul, even if you don’t end up doing a temple stay. The information centre staff should be able to speak English and can answer your questions about the experience.

How Much Is A Korean Temple Stay?

I checked the prices of various Korean temple stay programs in Seoul and across Korea and the prices in 2024 range from ₩30,000 – ₩50,000 for a one-day program and from ₩60,000 to ₩100,000 for an overnight stay at a temple. The cost of a temple stay is different for each temple, depending on what they offer, the length of the stay, and other factors like that.

Considering that hotel rooms in Korea can be around ₩60,000 to ₩100,000 for a night, you’re essentially getting a night in a hanok house with lots of extra free cultural experiences, as well as a healthy dinner and breakfast. It’s certainly great value for money. If you’re just visiting the temple and not doing a temple stay, it’s free to visit, but donations to the temple are of course appreciated.

Etiquette Rules For Korean Temple Stays

It’s good to be respectful and follow the rules of any place you visit. Taking part in a temple stay in Korea is no exception, and the temples will ask you to follow a few basic rules. If you’re worried about being rude in Korea, then be sure to read my guide to Korean etiquette.

Dress code: Try to dress conservatively during your temple stay. Dark colours and long sleeves are best. Try to avoid bright and over the top clothing, heavy makeup, or strong perfume. If in doubt, cover up and keep it simple. Furthermore, you should keep your feet covered in the temple. Bring socks as you’ll need to take your shoes off inside, which is normal in Korea.

What not to do: Remember, this is a sacred place for the monks and nuns, therefore, try to avoid loud noises, smoking, or drinking alcohol in the temple grounds. There are many sacred religious objects and locations in the temple grounds, certainly avoid damaging or disrespecting them. In addition, sitting or writing on any sculptures is strongly prohibited.

In the Buddha’s Hall: When entering the Buddha’s Hall (the main temple), make sure to enter using the doors on the left and right. This is because the main door is reserved for the monks and nuns. If you enter the hall, first, do a half-bow with palms together toward the Buddha and then greet the statue with three prostrations. Temple staff will teach you how to do this.

Using your phone: In my experience, it’s been perfectly fine to bring a mobile phone with you when you take part in the temple activities, but please make sure it’s turned to silent mode so it doesn’t interrupt the monks or others. Also, try to avoid taking pictures when asked not to (in the Buddha’s Hall) and go away from others to talk on the phone. Otherwise, you’re fine to take pics of your stay.

Do You Have To Be Religious?

You don’t have to be religious to take part in a Korean temple stay experience. People of any faith can participate in a temple stay and you can certainly learn a lot and broaden your mind by joining in this program. Furthermore, the Buddhist monks and staff understand people have different views on the world and, in my personal experience, welcome discussion and alternative views.

Do You Have To Follow The Schedule?

You are free to choose whether or not you want to join the various temple stay programs. If you feel uncomfortable joining in any part, or you don’t think you can wake up before the sun rises, you can choose to miss that activity. The monks and staff at the temple stay were accommodating in my temple stay experiences. You won’t feel uncomfortable during this wonderful experience.

However, I would recommend trying to take part in everything if you can. When are you likely to be able to experience something like a temple stay again? Take note that meals are served during certain hours and won’t be available outside of those hours.

My Korean Temple Stay Experience

I’ve done a temple stay in Korea several times and absolutely loved every one. I’ve always gone for the weekend experience as there’s something special about staying overnight in the temple and getting up in the early hours to join in the morning worshipping and chanting ceremonies.

My most recent temple stay experience was at Beopjusa Temple in the beautiful Songnisan National Park in central Korea, a place I often visit for hiking. I arrived in the early afternoon and went through a VR welcome tour of the temple. Yes, even Buddhist temples have embraced new technologies in Korea! It was fun being able to see the temple from above through drone footage.

After an introduction to the program by the English guide, I got changed into the required clothing – a very simple outfit of loose trousers and top that you can wear over your normal clothes. It was still cold at that time of year, so I was happy for extra layers. There was a welcome ceremony that explained what we could expect, the rules we had to follow, and a chance to ask some questions.

I was with about 20 other people from Korea and around the world who all joined this temple stay program. We were given a guided tour of the temple grounds and told more about the traditions and meanings behind the various paintings, statues, and buildings. It was really interesting to learn about the rich history of this temple and how Buddhism has evolved in Korea.

In the evening, we ate dinner with the monks (yummy vegan home-cooked food), took a night time walk with lanterns through the temple after dark, then got an early night. The accommodation at the temple was basic, but that’s part of life in a Korean Buddhist temple. It’s also comfortable and I had no complaints. I went to sleep straight away because there was an early start the next day.

Our schedule started at 4 a.m. with a music performance by the monks. You rarely get to see this ceremony, so it was a real treat. After that was another exclusive – the morning yebool, or chanting ceremony. I didn’t understand what was being said, but I could still join in, practice bowing, learn about the importance of the ceremony and see the dedication and spirituality in the monks.

Breakfast was served around 6 a.m. and then it was time for an early morning sunrise hike to a nearby peak (only 30 minutes away) to watch the sun rise. It was a beautiful scene, watching the sun crawl over the horizon and light up the mountain peaks and forests in the national park. Fortunately, we were allowed a short nap after this before the next main activity, which was one of the toughest!

A popular activity during a temple stay in Korea is the 108 prostrations. This is also one of the hardest! There are 108 ideals that Korean Buddhists are thankful for. In order to show their appreciation, they will bow 108 times. Participants at this temple stay experience got to do this whilst also threading 108 beads to make a prayer bead bracelet. This is really hard, but I guess it’s a good test of devotion.

It was tough, yes, but also worth it. I’d recommend giving it a try. If you’re not comfortable doing it, you can grab a mat and watch from the side instead. By this time we were all hungry and went for lunch with the monks again. More delicious vegan food and my body was feeling really good by this point with all the food, sleep, and lack of technological distractions.

The final activity of the program was also one of the best – a tea ceremony and question and answer session with one of the monks. I found this was the most interesting part of the temple stay and I learned a lot from the monk. I feel sorry in a way as I asked a lot of difficult questions, but he answered them honestly and, sometimes, with shocking answers. It turns out monks can have iPhones!

Overall, I had a fascinating, relaxing, insightful time during my temple stay experience and I would highly recommend it to others. There are different temple stay experiences across the country and I want to try visiting other temples to see what they have to offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about doing a temple stay in Korea. These answers are based on my own experience and from research conducted to write this article.

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Nestled in the remote Chilgapsan Mountain a couple of hours outside of Seoul, the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival transforms this rural valley retreat into a glittering icy world that looks straight out of a fairy tale. This frozen festival of winter delights includes a giant wall of bubbling ice, snowy sculptures, igloos, ice caves, snow statues, ice carvings, and all round winter fun for the whole family.

In this article you can find out what there is to see and do at the Chilgapsan Festival, including the various ice-based activities and attractions, how to get there by tour or public transport, and information about whether this festival is worth visiting or not. If you’re thinking of visiting this Korean ice fountain festival, and want to know why I think it’s definitely worth it, then keep on reading.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

Why Visit The Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival 2024?

The Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival (칠갑산 얼음분수축제) offers visitors the chance to see a truly unique sight – massive structures crafted entirely from long icicles that appear to sprout up from the ground and have earned this winter festival the nickname of ‘Ice Castle’. The icicles, sparkling to create the illusion of frozen ice fountains, are man-made but that makes them no less magical.

With its stunning mix of dramatic natural scenery and dream-like illuminations, the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival promises a fairy tale experience found nowhere else in Korea. This festival runs from December 23rd, 2023 to February 28th, 2024, which makes it one of Korea’s longest winter festivals and gives you plenty of opportunities to see it if you visit Korea during winter.

By day, you can explore illuminated ice caves and sculptures that get more fantastical each year. But it’s at night when the full effect comes alive, with rainbow-hued lights reflecting off the icy landscape synchronized to festive music. Visitors wander through this winter wonderland with hot chocolate in hand, snapping selfies and admiring over 50,000 tons of magical ice art crafted just for the festival.

Who Will Enjoy This Korean Winter Festival?

I think the Chilgapsan festival will appeal to couples and families, as well as anyone who enjoys playing in the snow. There are many rides and activities aimed at children, so this is a great way to keep them entertained during winter and gives them a fun, snowy playground to play in. Couples will enjoy strolling around the snow-covered landscape, posing for pictures in the many photo zones.

Warning about Korea’s winter weather: Winter in Korea can be very cold, especially during January and February, with temperatures dropping below zero degrees Celsius even during the day. If you are travelling with children, make sure they’re wrapped up well so they don’t suffer from the cold. There are lots of markets in Seoul that sell winter clothes and you can get heat packs and hand warmers, too.

What To Do At The Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival

The Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival provides a whole day of fun for people of all ages with lots of activities available for everyone, especially children. The main draw during the day is the ice fountain, sculptures and ice caves, with winter illuminations bringing the festival site to life once the sun sets. There’s also Korean festival food to try, snow and ice-based sports, and children’s rides.

Here are some of the best things you can see and do at this festival:

Ice Fountain, Ice Wall And Ice Sculptures

The towering ice fountains, which give this festival its name, and giant ice wall really have to be seen to be believed. Created by shooting jets of water which then freeze in place, they look truly unique. They look impressive during the day, but look even more extraordinary once the sun goes down and the lights are turned on, illuminating them in an ever changing rainbow of colours.

As well as the ice fountains, there are carefully created sculptures (inspired by Korean cartoons, Disney, and Pokemon), cute animals, and lots more. There are also ice sculptures shaped like the famous Korean turtle boat, a frozen Gwanghwamun Gate, wild animals, and a life-sized train made from ice.

Ice Caves, Igloos And Illuminations

Head into the ice caves and igloos to escape the cold and see gleaming blocks of ice lit up with vivid lights bouncing from frozen surfaces. There are several icy buildings to wander around and, as with the ice fountains, these look best when it’s dark so you can appreciate the illuminations at their fullest. Speaking of illuminations, there are lots of displays with pretty lights to see at night.

Snow And Ice Sports

There are plenty of winter sports to keep you busy and this festival is a great place to see snow in Korea as there are many snow machines working just in case it doesn’t snow. Slide down the snow sledding slope on a rubber ring or the ice sledding slope on a small sleigh. If you prefer flat surfaces, try the traditional Korean wooden sleighs and push yourself along the ice with short sticks.

Besides sledding, you can also try your hand at other winter sports and activities such as ice fishing, bare hand fishing in frozen tanks of water, a zip line past the frozen fountains, and a cow-drawn sleigh ride through the snow. If you want to try ice fishing, the experience here isn’t as impressive as dedicated ice fishing festivals like the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, but it’s still fun.

Children’s Activities At The Chilgapsan Winter Festival

I saw lots of families at the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival and there were plenty of activities for kids to enjoy, including a tractor-pulled ‘can sled’. These ‘cans’ looked like big cut out barrels with chairs inside, but were quite safe and let the kids feel like they were in their own personal car. The activities aren’t exactly on par with Disneyland, but they’re a good way to play in the snow.

As well as the sled and skis, children can try horse riding while being led around a course by a handler. There are also cultural activities and arts and crafts in small tents, but you might need to know a bit of Korean to understand what’s going on there. Activities will probably vary each year and may only be open during the busier weekend day, but I’m not sure so they could be available.

Food At The Chilgapsan Festival

Fans of Korean food won’t be disappointed with the range of Korean winter snacks at the Chilgapsan winter festival. Inside the festival grounds you can try various winter street foods on skewers, including chicken, rice cakes, and fish cakes, as well as deep fried fish. There’s also a cafe to get coffee, but don’t expect a chain store cafe, this is a temporary hut with a coffee machine inside.

The best part about the food at this festival has to be the roasted chestnuts, sweetcorn, and sweet potatoes. You can roast your own chestnuts on a log fire and cook the sweetcorn over hot coals. The sweet potatoes are roasted inside big metal drum ovens and served piping hot and steaming. These provide not only hot and delicious snacks, but also a fun experience to try at the festival.

For proper meals, there are some restaurants serving traditional Korean dishes such as tteok-guk (rice cake soup), haemul pajeon (Korean seafood pancakes), guk-bap (soupy stew with rice inside), and my favourite, donkasu (pork cutlet). There are simple meals like Korean curry and soybean sauce rice, too.

Sights Near Cheongyang Alps Village

Chilgapsan is the name of the mountain that the Cheongyang Alps Village, home to the ice fountain festival, is located by, which is why this festival is sometimes called the Cheongyang Ice Fountain Festival. If you want to explore more of this area during winter, there’s a really nice suspension bridge, the Chilgapsan Suspension Bridge (천장호 출렁다리), and reservoir near the entrance to the festival.

The reservoir looks really pretty when it’s frozen over and covered in snow, as you can see in the picture above. You can walk around the reservoir by following the wooden pathways, which are decorated with cute Korean messages along the way. You might be wondering why the suspension bridge has two giant chili peppers at each end. That’s because this area is famous for growing chilies.

Ticket Prices And Essential Festival Information

The entry fee for the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival is ₩8,000 per person (children under 36 months are free). This gives you access to the festival grounds and access to the sculptures, ice fountains, ice caves, igloos, and other sights and facilities at the festival.

The sledding pass, which includes access to the sledding hill for ice sledding, snow sledding, and bob sledding, costs about ₩20,000 per person. There are also additional costs for the zip line, ice fishing and children’s activities, such as horse riding and the can sled. The prices for these activities aren’t available on the festival’s official website yet, but I’ll update prices here when they are.

For more information about this festival (in Korean), you can visit the official Alps Village website.

Tours To Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival 2024

Despite the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival becoming more popular each year, there aren’t many tours. If you don’t have a car, taking a tour to the festival is the best option and gives you the benefit of a guaranteed direct journey there and back, as well as a guide who can tell you more about the festival.

Here are two tours that I recommend for the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival:

Cheongyang (Chilgapsan) Ice Festival & Other Winter Sights from Seoul: This all day guided tour from various locations in Seoul will take you to some of the hottest winter destinations in Korea, including the Chilgapsan festival. There are various options to add on extra destinations, such as Nami Island, the Garden of Morning Calm, Eobi Ice Valley, and a strawberry picking farm

Price: From ₩62,200 (about $47 USD)

Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival at Cheongyang Alps Village from Seoul: This all day tour from Seoul will take you to the Cheongyang Alps Village to see the Chilgapsan winter festival. You can add on extras, such as ice sledding, snow sledding, and bobsleigh, as well as extra destinations, to give you a full winter experience in Korea. You get over 4 hours to enjoy at the festival.

Price: From ₩69,100 (about $53 USD)

I always recommend booking tours in advance when visiting Korea for these reasons:

Learn more: Paying in your home currency is usually easier and cheaper than converting money into Korean won. Booking ahead is one of the tips included in my guide to paying in Korea, which covers ways to save on travel money in Korea and alternatives to relying on exchanging cash to travel.

How To Get To The Chilgapsan Winter Festival

Cheongyang Alps Village is a resort located in North Chungcheong Province, which is south of Seoul and about an hour west of Daejeon. It’s about 3.5 hours away from Seoul by car and can be reached by car or guided tour. Here are details about how to get to this Korean ice fountain festival by each of those means. There are instructions in Korean on the festival website, too.

From Seoul To Chilgapsan Festival By Car: If you plan to rent a car in Korea, or you live in Korea and have your own car, then you can drive to the festival in just over three hours from Seoul. You can find the main festival location by searching for “칠갑산얼음분수축제” or “알프스마을영농조합법인” in Naver or Kakao map apps. Use the address shown below to get directions with a sat-nav.

Address in Korean: 충남 청양군 정산면 천장호길 223-35 없음

From Seoul To Chilgapsan Festival By Tour: There are various tours to the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival from Seoul, as detailed in the previous section. Taking a tour is a convenient way to see the festival and to save time vs. organising your own way there on public transportation.

Please note: You can get to the Chilgapsan festival by taking a train from Seoul to Gongju and then transferring to a local bus, but the options for buses are very limited and don’t run late. I strongly recommend either renting a car or taking a tour rather than trying to get there by public transport. If you do want to try, there are directions (in Korean) on the festival website.

Best time to visit the Chilgapsan Festival: The best time to visit this festival is in the afternoon so you can enjoy snowy sights during the day, but don’t have to wait so long for the sun to set and to see the night lights and illuminations. Avoid visiting during the weekends if you can as it will be very busy.

Is The Chilgapsan Festival Worth Visiting?

Should you visit the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival? In the words of my friend Tim, who kindly contributed a lot of the pictures for this article, this festival is, “Totally worth it!“. This festival has plenty to see and do and will keep people amused in the afternoon and evening. If you take a tour that also visits another winter destination, such as a strawberry farm, then it’s a great day trip from Seoul.

Families will find plenty to do with lots of the activities aimed at children, such as the sledding slope, horse rides, and the can sleigh. Even if you’re not travelling with children, the beautiful winter displays at the Chilgapsan festival offer couples and solo travellers the chance to take unique pictures with snowy backgrounds and icy buildings, sample traditional Korean snacks, and experience a Korean festival.

This festival is worth visiting, but please consider the weather during winter in Korea. It’s cold and dry, which can be tough for people not used to such conditions. Be sure to wrap up warm and bring skin cream to protect against the dryness. Gloves are a must and heat packs that go in your pockets can save your fingers. Be aware of the cold weather and you should be fine here.

A Special Thanks To Photos Of Korea

I want to give a big shout out and thanks to Tim from Photos of Korea for letting me use his incredible photos from this festival and for sharing his thoughts about the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, which he visited in 2023. You can see loads of incredible pictures of Korea’s lesser-known locations and festivals from his Facebook page, Instagram page, and his uploads on Unsplash.

2024 Winter Festivals In Korea To See Snowy Sights

Besides this Korean ice fountain festival, there are many other winter festivals that you should check out for exciting activities, incredible views, and cultural immersion. These festivals introduce you to traditional Korean culture in beautiful surroundings and with lots of delicious Korean festival food. Here are some of the other major winter festivals you can see in Korea:

Garden of Morning Calm Winter Illuminations: Exploring sculpted gardens and electric forests when the sun has set is like entering into a magical world, a true winter fantasia with lots of photo opportunities. Every year the garden has a range of themed areas that focus on animals, plants, and even love for the sweethearts.

Seoul Lantern Festival: This dazzling festival is held in Gwanghwamun Square outside Gyeongbokgung Palace, which gives over it’s large pedestrianised areas to massive themed lantern installations. These installations feature different concepts each year like aquarium scenes, starry nights, nature landscapes, and Korean folktales.

Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Fishing Festival: This is one of Korea’s best winter festivals and made it into CNN’s top 7 ‘Wonder’s of Winter’ for a good reason. The Hwacheon Sancneoneo Ice Festival attracts over a million people each year to try ice fishing (with a rod or bare handed). There are winter activities, ice sculptures, and a Korean Winter Village with cultural games and Korean festival food.

Learn more: Discover all the best festivals to visit in Korea this winter with this guide to Korea’s winter festivals, which includes ice fishing festivals, illumination festivals, New Year festivals, and lots more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival. These answers are based on my own experience and from research conducted to write this article.

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I was invited to participate in this day of kimchi making and kimchi eating with a family in Daejeon in late November as they were getting ready to fill their kimchi fridge with fresh kimchi for the year ahead. Yes, Koreans have a whole refrigerator dedicated to storing just one dish! That’s how much is made during kimjang day.

In this article I want to share my experience of making kimchi in Korea, as well as pass on some cultural insights and information about this arduous day of cabbage cutting and stuffing. If you’re interested in trying kimjang yourself, I’ll also tell you about where you can try it in Seoul and other places in Korea.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

What Is Kimjang And Why Did I Do It?

What is kimjang? kimjang is a Korean cultural tradition where families gather in late autumn or early winter to make large batches of kimchi together. During kimjang, ingredients like napa cabbage are chopped, salted, and seasoned before being stored to ferment and eat during the colder months.

Koreans don’t just use napa cabbages, however, there are over 200 hundred types of kimchi that can be made, including mul kimchi (water kimchi), baek kimchi (white kimchi), pa kimchi (spring onion kimchi) and more. All are great Korean banchan. When I joined kimjang, we made 3 different types of kimchi in one day.

When is kimjang? There is no set date for kimchi making day in Korea, but it’s traditionally around late November or early December when the temperature drops below zero degrees. This is apparently the ideal condition to make kimchi and weather reports in Korea will alert people when to start kimjang.

November 22nd is designated as Kimchi Day in Korea, but this isn’t a set date for making kimchi, more a day where the cultural importance of kimchi is celebrated. Some US states have even started to adopt Kimchi Day on the same day in recognition of Korean communities in the US.

Why did I join kimjang? kimjang is a traditional cultural event that centres around the family working together to prepare food for the winter ahead. I was able to do kimjang like a local as I joined my girlfriend’s family on this special day for the first time this November. I’d never done it before.

This experience was interesting, but also physically and culturally intense. Joining Korean family events as an insider opens up a different view of what is essentially a day of food prep and one of the benefits of dating in Korea. I hope to share some of these insights with you in this article

Joining these experiences is hard for foreigners in Korea, even those who live here as expats or students, unless you have some nice Korean friends. However, if you want to get your hands covered in red paste, you can experience making kimchi at the Seoul Kimchi Academy in Seoul. More details on that later.

The Kimjang Experience: How To Make Kimchi

I’ve got a confession to make. I didn’t do everything needed to make kimchi this kimchi making day. Some steps were done by other people both before I arrived and on another day. That’s because modern kimjang can involve a few shortcuts to make things easier. After all, modern life is busy and time is precious!

There are a few things to prepare before you start making kimchi onkimjang, such as buying the ingredients, making the sauce, and cutting up the cabbages. As well as this, you’ll need a big area to prepare the kimchi with lots of newspapers down to stop the bright red sauce staining everything.

Traditionally, Koreans prepare the ingredients for kimjang throughout the year, collecting seafood in spring, sea salt and chili peppers in summer, and the cabbages, spring onions, radishes and other ingredients in autumn. These ingredients are fermented (seafood) and dried out (chili peppers) throughout the year.

Honestly though, I don’t think Koreans really collect all those things in each season, and most people purchase them closer to the time. That’s why the price of ingredients for kimchi making tend to shoot up in late November. I was told the price of oysters (for geotjeori) was three times higher than normal right now!

Step 1: Prepare The Cabbage

This step is best done the night before kimjang as the baechu cabbages need time to soak and dry out so they’re ready to be covered in the spicy sauce that turns them into delicious kimchi. Each cabbage should be cut into quarters and soaked in salty water. This helps make them soft and easy to pull apart and also removes impurities and excess water.

In the morning, take the cabbages out of the water, wash them thoroughly, and put them somewhere sunny to dry. My girlfriend’s mum got up at 6am to do this. I was busy sleeping at this time, saving energy for the rest of the kimchi making process.

Step 2: Make The Marinade

This is probably the most important step for a successful kimjang. If you don’t have the perfect marinade to coat the cabbages with, your kimchi won’t bring a bite of joy to every meal throughout the year. Fortunately, I wasn’t involved in making the marinade, so it was perfect!

The marinade is made of a range of ingredients (more details later) that typically include red chili pepper powder, garlic, spring onions, pear, fermented fish, rice paste, and ginger. my girlfriend’s mum was in charge of mixing a giant metal bowl of marinade, adding in generous helpings of the various ingredients to get it sweet yet spicy. It’s a family recipe that’s been perfected through dozens of kimchi making days.

Step 3: Marinade The Cabbages

This is the heart of kimjang and the toughest part where you really earn the big meal that’s waiting for you at the end. To marinade the cabbages, you’ll need a big metal bowl that is big enough to hold the cabbage spread out. Start with a large dollop of kimchi marinade in the bottom of the bowl and then slap your cabbage on top of it so that you coat the outside.

So far, so easy, but next up is the tricky part and one that takes a long time. Lift the cabbage up and separate each leaf, laying the first leaf down on the bottom of the bowl. Massage a generous helping of the sauce onto the leaf, then place the next leaf down and do the same. Keep doing this until the whole cabbage has a layer of marinade between each leaf and around the outside.

Tip: Make sure you get all the ingredients (spring onions, radish, etc.) between each leaf, not just the sauce.

Step 4: Store The Kimchi

After a couple of hours of back-breaking marinading, with the occasional thumbs up from my girlfriend’s mum for encouragement, all of the kimchi was safely placed in boxes, ready to start fermenting in the kimchi fridge. Historically, kimchi was stored in stone pots and buried outside, but the neighbours might steal it if we did.

Before I put each one into the box, I had to wrap the kimchi in a special way, which I never knew about until I joined this kimchi making day. Using the outer leaf of the cabbage, you need to gently wrap it around the bottom of the cabbage and then tuck it around the front.

The cabbages are stored facing up, as in the outside of the cabbage is facing the bottom of the box, except for the last ones, which go face down. We packed in some radish kimchi with the cabbage kimchi as they can ferment together and it fits in nicely at the side.

Step 5: Make Other Kimchi

The main star of the kimjang show is baechu kimchi, but there are many other types of kimchi you can make at the same time. We made 3 different types of kimchi on this day, including one that we ate for dinner.

The first type was baechu kimchi, which is the kimchi you most commonly see in Korean restaurants and the one you use for a kimchi slap. The second type was radish kimchi, which is also very common in Korean restaurants and cut into bite-sized chunks that are more like sliced apples. The third type was baechu geotjeori kimchi, which is a non-fermented kimchi that you can eat fresh. This fresh kimchi is the one we ate for dinner after a long afternoon making kimchi.

Step 6: Share Dinner Together

After a hard day’s work making kimchi, we were all tired and ready for a big meal. Korean’s typically eat boiled pork slices, called suyuk (수육) in Korean, after kimjang with a big helping of fresh geotjeori kimchi. This is one of my favourite traditional Korean dishes and I definitely recommend it wrapped in lettuce leaves (bossam).

While my girlfriend and I were marinading an endless supply of cabbages (36 wrapped pieces in total, but it felt like 100), her mum was preparing dinner for everyone. This dinner was certainly the best part of kimjang and a welcome reward for everyone’s hard work. There’s nothing like tucking into freshly prepared kimchi. And of course we had to wash it down with some makgeolli.

My Thoughts On Kimjang

Overall, it was a really interesting experience making kimchi with my girlfriend’s family. We all worked hard to make several boxes of kimchi that will be eaten throughout the year. I got to take a box home for myself (although my girlfriend will probably steal it all) and I look forward to that fresh kimchi smell in the fridge!

Kimchi making day certainly is a time when everyone comes together and the camaraderie and teamwork that I found through kimjang was a welcome reward for all the hard work. My back was quite stiff for a couple of days after sitting on the floor filling dozens of cabbages with the family’s secret sauce. but it was worth it.

I’ll never forget my girlfriend’s mum using her limited English to direct me to put more sauce on the leaves while commenting how much of a natural I am at making kimchi throughout the day. Her regular thumbs ups while my gloved hands were wrist-deep in kimchi seasoning gave me the motivation to keep on going.

It’s little things like being fed boiled pork slices as I wrapped the cabbages, preparing the table and cleaning up together, and everyone being involved that made it a very memorable day of my life in Korea. It’s not something that I’d want to do often as it’s hard work, but I’d definitely do it again next year.

To help sum up my thoughts on the cultural aspects of kimchi making day, I asked DALL-E 3 to create an image of kimjang that shows everyone working together. What do you think? Does it look right? Check out the next section of this article to learn more about the cultural and historic aspects of kimjang.

History & Origins Of Kimjang

Since 2013, kimjang has been recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, demonstrating the importance of kimchi making day for Korean culture. It’s not just a practical day of food production, it’s a shared experience that reflects Korea’s traditional values.

The origins of kimchi making date back centuries as a way to preserve vegetables without refrigeration during Korea’s harsh winters. Neighbours would make large amounts of kimchi collectively to share. Over time, kimjang became a family tradition, with recipes and techniques passed down through generations.

While modern refrigeration allows year-round kimchi today, some Korean families still honour their heritage by coming together each winter for kimjang. It’s an opportunity to bond across generations while ensuring a supply of homemade kimchi is stocked in kimchi refrigerators. And homemade kimchi is the best kind of kimchi!

The tradition highlights values of community, cooperation, and shared work while celebrating Korean food traditions. I would say that these values are still strong in Korea today, even if kimjang’s popularity is waning. Community and cooperation are key facets of Korean culture and etiquette and can be seen in many places.

Unfortunately, the practice of kimjang isn’t as common as it was in previous decades as Koreans have moved away from their hometowns and spend less time with their family except during big holidays. I think this is reflective of how many societies spend less time as a family and not just a Korean issue.

See how kimchi is made in this interesting video that explores the cultural and historic roots of kimjang.

What Ingredients Are Used For Kimjang?

Korean families may have their own recipe for kimjang, but most of them will use a standard set of ingredients as a base for the marinade and then add in extra ingredients or use different quantities of the standard ingredients. I don’t want to spoil the family secret, so here are the typical kimchi marinade ingredients for kimjang.

Gochugaru (고추가루) – dried chili pepper flakes: This is the heart of the kimchi marinade and the ingredient that gives it a deep red colour. Add as much as you can handle.

Maneul (마늘) – garlic: Koreans love garlic and Korea is one of the countries that eats it the most. Loads of garlic cloves are crushed and added into the kimchi marinade.

Saeng-gang (생강) – ginger: Another popular ingredient in Korean cooking, ginger is both healthy and delicious and gives the kimchi it’s basic taste.

Pa (파) – spring onions: Finely chopped spring onions are added into the sauce and placed between the leaves. This gives the kimchi a crunchy texture and added flavour.

Mu (무) radish: As with the spring onions, these are chopped into small parts and added between the cabbage leaves. We used grounded radish instead of chopped radish.

Bae (배) – pear: Korean pears are gigantic, crunchy, and quite different from pears I’m used to from England. When they’re grounded and added to the sauce, they bring a good amount of sweetness.

Seol-tang (설탕) – sugar: An easier way to add sweetness to the kimchi marinade is through spoonfuls of sugar. The mixture of sweet and spicy is quite common in Korean cooking and is called yangnyeom (양념).

Chap-ssal-pul (찹쌀풀) glutinous rice paste: this white sauce is an essential ingredient to help with the fermentation process along with the fermented seafood ingredients. It helps the growth of bacteria in kimchi.

Saeu-jeot (새우젓) – fermented shrimp: These minuscule shrimp are commonly used as a seasoning for dishes and are really salty. They’re used to help the kimchi ferment and give it a strong, rich and sour taste.

Gganari-aeg-jeot (까나리액젓) – fermented anchovy sauce: As with the fermented shrimp, this fish sauce adds a rich taste to the marinade and contributes to the high level of health benefits of kimchi.

So-geum (소금) – salt: Used to bring out the flavour of kimchi. You don’t need too much if you’re using lots of fermented shrimp or anchovy sauce.

The quantities of these ingredients will vary depending on how much kimchi you’re making, which can range from a few cabbages to dozens. Here’s a simple kimchi recipe you can use to make a batch of kimchi at home.

How To Make Vegetarian Kimchi

If you want to make kimchi that’s vegetarian or vegan-friendly, you can use all of the above ingredients, but leave out the fermented shrimp and anchovy sauce. Unfortunately, this takes away the strong savoury taste that kimchi is known for, so you’ll need to replace them with alternative ingredients, such as vegetable stock or soy sauce.

For those who prefer to make kimchi without seafood, here’s a recipe for vegan kimchi that you can use when you try kimjang at home. It’s worth being aware of kimchi’s seafood ingredients if you’re travelling in Korea and want to eat only vegan-friendly food. Most restaurants will serve non vegan-friendly kimchi.

How To Experience Kimjang In Korea

I’ll be honest, it’s not going to be easy to persuade a typical Korean family to let you join them for kimjang, but you might be lucky if they think the offer of free help is better than having a stranger in their house. Fortunately, there are other options to try kimchi making when you’re in Korea. Here are few ways you can try making kimchi:

Visit the Museum Kimchikan in Seoul: If you’re visiting Seoul, there’s an excellent museum dedicated to the world of kimchi in Insadong called Museum Kimchikan. Groups that want to experience kimchi making can contact the museum one day in advance to try kimjang. I recommend calling 1330 (tourist support) in Korea to do this.

Join a kimchi making class in Seoul: There are regular classes in Seoul that will introduce you to the world of kimjang, such as those run by the Seoul Kimchi Academy. Here you can try making kimchi with pre-prepared cabbages and learn about the history and culture of Korean kimchi at the same time.

Here are a couple of classes to learn how to make kimchi in Seoul:

• Seoul Kimchi & Culture Experience
• Kimchi Making, Hanbok Wearing and Tea Ceremony in Seoul

If you’re from Singapore, there’s an authentic kimchi making class in Singapore that you can join.

Experience a kimchi making event at Songtan Market (Pyeongtaek): For expats in Korea or tourists who are visiting in early December, there’s an authentic kimchi making experience happening at a traditional market in Pyeongtaek. This 2-day event will take you through the whole kimjang process and includes meals and snacks.

You can find out more about this event from this South of Seoul blog post. It’s just $25 and designed to introduce people to local Korean culture and customs.

Kimchi Making Day FAQs

Finally, here are a few FAQs about winter in Korea, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you. If you have any other questions you’d like to ask, feel free to leave a comment.

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Skate on frozen lakes, fish through holes in the ice, slide down snowy slopes, and marvel at illuminated landscapes glowing against the night – there are so many ways to embrace the magic of Korea’s winter! From frosty ice fishing festivals that turn into carnivals on ice to beaches that brighten the shore with artistic light sculptures, Korea puts on an incredible festival spread all winter long.

In this article I’ll introduce you to snowy adventures, eye-popping light displays, fishy festivals, and exciting New Year’s festivities. Bundle up, grab your mittens, and get ready to join in the frozen fun as we explore these fantastic winter festivals across Korea that you won’t want to miss!

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Why Visit Korean Winter Festivals In 2024?

Winter in Korea might be cold with early sunsets, but it’s also filled with blue skies, little rain, and lots of beautiful winter festivals that will cheer you up and wash away the winter blues. These frosty festivities provide the chance to see and join in unique Korean cultural celebrations that go back centuries.

Catching trout bare-handed in freezing waters, strolling hand-in-hand through magical illuminations, sledding down snowy slopes, or contemplating all the New Year has to offer you. There are so many incredible winter festivals in Korea that will make your trip to Korea an unforgettable adventure.

Perhaps the main reasons you should visit a Korean winter festival (or two) is that they’re a lot of fun, provide lots of unique opportunities to experience Korean culture, and look great in your travel photos. And if you’re from a country that doesn’t get much snow, it might be your best chance to enjoy it.

There are many awesome winter festivals to check out if you’re in Korea during winter that I’m sure you’ll love. Click the links below to jump to those festivals, or read on to discover all the festivals in this article. There are delicious Korean winter food festivals to check out at the end, too.

My Favourite Winter Festivals In Korea

There are so many astounding winter festivals in Korea, it’s hard to choose just 3. I love fun festivals where you can get your hands dirty and try something unique. I also enjoy learning about culture and witnessing something I can’t see back home, which is why I chose these Korean winter festivals.

1: Hwacheon Sancheono Ice Fishing Festival – this was one of my first festivals in Korea and I can still remember the taste of my freshly caught trout, sliding around on the ice, the beautiful night lights, and all the fun I had there. It really is a completely Korean experience.

2: Garden of Morning Calm Lighting Festival – the sights and colours at this winter festival are amazing, and really helped brighten up a dull wintry day. These gardens are a great place to check out any time of year, but even more so during the dark nights of a Korean winter.

3: Bosingak Bell Ringing New Year’s Eve Festival – I love to join in any kind of traditional festival when possible, and seeing in the New Year with something a bit different makes it a lot more memorable. Don’t miss the chance to see something unique as the New Year approaches.

2024 Korean Winter Festival Summary

There are so many winter festivals in Korea to check out from December to February. To help you see what festivals are on when you’re visiting, here’s a summary of the festivals by month. These festivals are included in the article and you can find more information about each in the following sections.

Please note, some festivals last for several months and therefore are included more than once.

Recommended Tours To Korean Winter Festivals

Why not take a day trip to a fun festival this winter? Travelling to Korea’s winter festivals by public transport can sometimes take longer and be more difficult than a guided tour. Here’s a collection of the best winter festival tours leaving from Seoul and Busan that you can add to your Korean itinerary.

Winter Festival Tours Leaving From Seoul:

• Cheongyang Alps Village Ice Fountain Festival Day Tour
• Eobi Ice Valley | Nami Island | Morning Calm | Railbike | Petite France
• Frozen Journey at Hantan Ice Canyon Day Tour
• Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Fishing | Morning Calm Lighting Festival
• Nami Island | Elysian Gangchon Ski | Garden of Morning Calm Tour
• New Year Sunrise Tour: Sokcho Beach 1 Day Tour
• Pocheon Apple | Strawberry Farm Day Tour
• Pyeongchang Trout Festival Ice Fishing Tour
• Snowyland | Alpaca World | Strawberry Picking | Ice Fishing | Morning Calm

Winter Festival Tours Leaving From Busan:

• New Year Sunrise Tour: Ulsan Ganjeolgot & Gyeongju

Ice Fishing Festivals In Korea 2024

The very first winter festival I visited in Korea was an ice fishing festival in Hwacheon and it was an absolute blast. Ice fishing has long been a traditional winter activity in Korea that is now celebrated at various festivals across the country and open for travellers to Korea to enjoy.

These festivals, held in January and February, contain a lot more than what the name suggests. Combining ice fishing with other winter activities, such as ice sledding, bare-hand fishing, ice sports, ice sculptures, and snowy displays, ice fishing festivals in Korea provide a whole day of fun.

The main reason to visit one of these winter festivals is to try your hand at ice fishing. When you go ice fishing, you’ll be given a small fishing rod and bag for your catch. Slide over the icy river or lake to an available hole and begin fishing for your lunch. Once you’ve caught a fish or two (and taken a few pictures for social media), take it back to get grilled and savour the taste of your hard-earned catch.

Here are 3 of the best ice fishing festivals in Korea in 2024 for you to enjoy:

Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Fishing Festival 2024

The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival is one of Korea’s most popular winter festivals held every January along a frozen river in Hwacheon County. Drawing over a million visitors each year, this iconic festival celebrates the mountain trout fish (sancheoneo) that live in the clean waters of the river.

Ice fishing sites, which come with all necessary equipment, are set up along the 1.5km stretch of frozen river where visitors can try ice fishing. Other activities include ice sledding, ice sports, and riding down the river on tube rafts, which is a lot of fun and what I spent a lot of time doing at this festival.

I recommend staying until it gets dark as at night the ice glows with colourful lights and sculptures and there are winter lights on display. Festival highlights are the ice fishing competition and the grand prize draw for all who catch a fish with their bare hands in the freezing pools!

You can join this festival with a tour from Klook.

Pyeongchang Trout Ice Fishing Festival 2024

Home to the 2018 Winter Olympics, you can understand why Pyeongchang would be the perfect place to host another of the best winter festivals in Korea. As with the Hwacheon Ice Fishing Festival, the main draw at this festival is the chance to catch your lunch in the frozen waters.

Head over to the large icy river and get ready to fish. There are also many fun events held throughout the festival, such as bare-handed fish catching (only for the very brave), sledding, snow rafting, and sleigh trains. You can even rent an ATV and go zooming about through the snowy landscape.

You can join this festival with a tour from Klook.

Inje Ice Fishing Festival 2024

This winter festival has a lot more to offer than just ice fishing. Running for more than 20 years now, the Inje Ice Fishing Festival has developed a range of other activities to enjoy. You can find family-friendly areas such as the Ice Playground and Snow Playground.

There are loads of ice and snow-based activities and sports for all ages. Learn to sled and ski, or just play around with the various slides and build a snowman. If you want to learn more about how Koreans survive the cold weather, visit the mountain village and join the cultural exhibitions and activities there.

There are currently no tours available, but there may be closer to the start of the festival.

Yangpyeong Ice Fish Festival

The Yangpyeong Ice Fish Festival is held in the Soomy Village resort, which is a couple of hours away from Seoul. This winter ice fishing festival runs from December to February and hosts a range of activities for families and other visitors to enjoy. Besides ice fishing, you can experience kite-flying, top spinning, sledding, and making traditional Korean snacks (jin-bang).

There are currently no tours available, but there may be closer to the start of the festival.

Other ice fishing festivals that might be on but I can’t confirm:

• Hongcheon Ggong Ggong River Ginseng Trout Festival 2024

Winter Light Festivals Across Korea

With the advent of winter in Korea, cities across the country light up with magical illumination and light festivals. These dazzling winter events feature artistic light installations, massive LED displays, neon sculptures, and seas of sparkling bulbs that transform cities into winter wonderlands.

Korea’s winter light festivals are a feast for the eyes and spirit, spreading joy during the long, cold nights. Families, couples, or anyone who wants to see magical wintry wonderlands as the sun sets will certainly enjoy these festivals. I go every year and never fail to be impressed with the displays.

The winter days are short and the sun sets early in Korea, making it the perfect time of year for bright and colourful lights. You’ll find many brilliant light displays in places that are usually areas of natural beauty throughout the rest of the year, as well as in popular city-centre areas and attractions.

Here are 5 of the best winter illumination festivals in Korea in 2024 for you to enjoy:

Garden of Morning Calm Winter Illuminations 2024

Another of my favourite Korean winter festivals, the Garden of Morning Calm Lighting Festival is one of the top spots to visit during the dark, wintry days. What makes this so special is the effort they put into making everything so colourful and alive with lights, even when the plants aren’t so alive.

Walking with your loved ones through these gardens and electric forests when the sun has set is like entering into a magical world, a true winter fantasia with lots of photo opportunities. Every year the garden has a range of themed areas that focus on animals, plants, and even love for the sweethearts.

If you take a guided tour from Seoul during winter, it’s almost guaranteed the final stop will be at the Garden of Morning Calm on the way back to the city. You only need a couple of hours to take everything in, and it’s only an hour from Seoul so you can be back in time for a late dinner in town.

You can join this festival with a tour from Klook.

Herb Island Light Festival 2024

The Herb Island Lighting Festival in winter and allows travellers to see Herb Garden, which is a popular destination year-round, transformed into a glittering winter wonderland with thousands of twinkling bulbs and light installations. The entire garden is electrified with millions of little lights.

This winter festival is a place for lovers to share a romantic stroll along the Magic Road, adorned with shimmering lights shaped like herbs, flowers, butterflies and other pretty designs. Friends can make lasting memories of their adventures together crossing the glowing arch of the Rainbow Bridge.

Sparkling tunnels of light and fluorescent mushroom sculptures make for whimsical photo ops that the whole family will enjoy. In the evenings, the lights sync with music for delightful performances. I recommend warming up with a hot herbal tea, fresh from the surrounding gardens.

You can join this festival with a tour from Klook.

Seoul Lantern Festival 2024

I love travelling to Seoul during winter, especially in the build up to Christmas as you can see lots of Christmassy scenes that remind me of home. One of my favourite festivals in Seoul during winter is therefore the Seoul Lantern Festival, which puts on a festive display of lights and lanterns.

This dazzling festival is held in the newly converted Gwanghwamun Square outside Gyeongbokgung Palace, which gives over it’s large pedestrianised areas to massive themed lantern installations. These installations are definitely the main draw, featuring different concepts each year like aquarium scenes, starry nights, nature landscapes, and Korean folktales. Last year there was a giant rabbit.

The Seoul Lantern Festival’s illuminated sculptures and immersive atmosphere attract over 2 million visitors every year, including me, making it one of Korea’s brightest and most popular winter lights events. If you want to experience a blend of Korean culture and winter lights in Seoul, visit here.

Seoul Winter Festa 2024

The Seoul Lantern Festival is part of the wider Seoul Winter Festa, which includes light displays at the newly opened Gwanghwamun Square (Seoul Light Gwanghwamun) and Songhyeon Green Plaza (Light Festa in Songhyeon). There’s also the impressive Seoul Light DDP where you can see digital light displays on the side of the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza. That runs from December 21st until 31st.

Haeundae Beach Lighting Festival 2024

The Haeundae Lighting Festival covers Busan’s Haeundae beach in glittering lights and illuminations during the dark winter when it’s too cold to go swimming in the sea. As one of Korea’s largest winter light festivals, Haeundae features a dazzling array of over 800,000 LED lights and installations.

Gunam-ro Street becomes a neon forest with towering light tree sculptures. Along Haeundae Beach, light structures create aquatic scenes like waves, jellyfish, and glowing reefs in the sand. Meanwhile, Dalmaji Hill is covered in romantic illuminations for couples to stroll through.

I highly recommend spending an evening visiting this winter festival and grabbing a hot drink to watch the light shows choreographed to music. There’s also a show on Haeundae Beach with lasers and fireworks over the sea. This is certainly a very impressive and photo-worthy winter festival.

Busan Christmas Tree Cultural Festival 2024

Located in Busan’s bustling downtown Nampo area, close to Jagalchi Market and popular Busan attractions, is the Busan Christmas Tree Culture Festival. If you’re in Busan and want Christmassy sights, this is absolutely a winter festival you shouldn’t miss and probably can’t miss as a tourist.

Wandering around the streets of Busan during this festival is like walking the streets of London or New York, with rows of Christmas lights, a giant Christmas tree, musical performances, and lots of other Christmassy events going on in the area. There are even reindeer and snowman lanterns to see.

Jeju Light Garden Winter Illuminations

Opened in 2017, the Jeju Light Garden is a large garden that spans more than 11,900 square meters of Jeju’s beautiful lowlands and immerses visitors in a fantasy world of vibrant lighting displays synchronised to music. This is not technically a winter festival, but it’s a great place to see winter lights.

The garden is comprised of themed sections like the Rainbow Bridge, Water Light Cave, Moonlight Garden, and Jeju Forest, utilising thousands of LED lights to create stunning visual effects. Intricate animal light sculptures, neon portraits, and dynamic light tunnels reflect off the surfaces at night.

Visitors can take a romantic stroll along the illuminated walking paths and bridges to admire the bright splendour. With shows choreographed nightly to Korean pop songs and classical music, the Jeju Light Garden provides a whimsical ambience unlike anywhere else on the island.

Other winter illumination light festivals that might be on but I can’t confirm:

• Boseong Green Tea Plantation Winter Light Festival 2024
• DDP Light & Winter Festa Festival 2024

Korean Snow & Ice Festivals 2024

For winter lovers like me, Korea has no shortage of frosty festivals focused on snow and ice activities. Head to Korea’s snowy countryside regions, which are mostly in the north, to discover opportunities for skating on frozen lakes, sledding down mountains, building snowmen, and more snowy fun.

From elaborate snow and ice sculptures to professional ice carving contests, these festivals showcase stunning frozen creations while giving you a chance to see Korea’s rural charm. Put on your warmest winter gear and get ready to have fun in the Korean snow at these terrific winter festivals.

It doesn’t always snow in Korea, but when it does, the sights are breathtaking, with snow-capped peaks, blanketed trees, and shimmering frost-covered waters. I highly recommend getting out of the big cities if you want to see snow in Korea as it’s colder and the snow stays around longer.

Here are 4 of the best snow and ice festivals in Korea in 2024 for you to enjoy:

Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival 2024

The Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival is a lesser-known gem among Korea’s winter festivals, but is fast becoming a must-see destination as a day trip from Seoul due to the unique ice fountains. There’s also a lot of delicious Korean winter foods to try, such as roasted chestnuts you cook yourself.

The centrepiece of the festival is its majestic ice fountains, where water sprays from the ground and freezes, creating towering, shimmering structures that resemble frozen waterfalls. These ice fountains, like an enchanting ice kingdom, look best during the night when they are set aglow with colour.

Apart from the ice fountains, this Korean winter festival offers a variety of other snowy activities for you to enjoy. You can try ice sledding, ice climbing, and traditional Korean games. Children and those young at heart can play around the many snowmen and ice sculptures, perfect for photo opportunities.

You can join this festival with a tour from Klook. Please note, this is called the Cheongyang Ice Fountain Festival, but it is the same location. Cheongyang is the area, Chilgapsan is the mountain.

Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival 2024

Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival, located in picturesque Taebaeksan National Park, is a great place for snow lovers to enjoy winter festivities in rural Korea. Walk among gigantic snow and ice sculptures, join in the various fun activities on offer in this mountainous area, and try hiking, too.

There’s more to do here than just see the snow and natural beauty of Taebaeksan. For example, you can enjoy snow sliding, snow hiking, pop into an ice igloo, and see the various performances. Come on the weekend during the daytime for the performances, or any time for snowy beauty.

There are currently no tours available, but there may be closer to the start of the festival.

Daegwallyeong Snowflake Festival 2024

A family-friendly fun festival for lovers of snow, the Daegwallyeong Snow Festival is a good day out from Seoul or Busan. Located in the ‘Alps of Korea’, this festival is packed full of fun activities in the snow. Try snow sledding and enjoy sliding down the snowy slopes and into the soft snow below.

Furthermore, you can walk around huge ice sculptures representing building-sized structures, such as castles, people, characters, and more. There’s also performances during the day, parades, and a fireworks show to light up the skies at night, as well as obligatory night illuminations all around.

There are currently no tours available, but there may be closer to the start of the festival.

Sanjeong Lake Sledding Festival 2024

This is not really a festival, but it’s a cute destination outside of Seoul that’s lots of fun, especially if you’re travelling with children. The Sanjeong Lake Sledding Festival is held on Sanjeong Lake when it’s frozen over with thick layers of ice and you can safely enjoy sledding and riding and falling over.

Children will love a ride on the bright yellow duck sled train, which looks like something out of a fairy tale, or riding on a penguin pedal bike. When it snows, this area is gorgeous, with soft snow covering everything. Relax and stay warm at the food stalls, amusement park, and other attractions.

You can join this festival with a tour from Klook.

Other snow and ice winter festivals that might be on but I can’t confirm:

• Jaraseom Singsing Winter Festival
• Go-Go Ski Festival at High1 Ski Resort
• Gangwon Snow Festa

2024 New Year Festivals In Korea

As the winter chill sets in, Korea comes alive with festivals and events to welcome the start of a fresh year according to both the solar and lunar calendars. Yes, there are two new years in Korea, one on January 1st, and one that changes based on the lunar calendar, which is called Seollal.

Major New Year’s Eve festivals include the spectacular Bosingak Bell Ringing in Seoul and firework celebrations across the country to welcome the start of the new year. There are also traditional New Year’s Day events where Koreans watch the first sunrise of the new year by heading to the East Coast.

These lively festivals feature bell ringing ceremonies, fireworks shows, cultural performances, delicious holiday food, traditional games, and so much more. In Seoul, countdown festivities centre around Bosingak Bell and Seoul Plaza Ice Skating Rink and are free to enter, but might be rather crowded.

Seollal brings Koreans together to hold ancestral memorial rituals, dress in colourful hanbok, play folk games, and honour Korean heritage. There aren’t really any winter festivals in Korea that celebrate Seollal, but it’s a great time to be in Seoul as some attractions are free and certainly less crowded.

Here are 5 of the best New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day festivals in Korea in 2024:

Bosingak Bell Ringing New Year’s Eve Festival 2024

If you’re in Seoul for the New Year and want to join the locals in welcoming in the year ahead, head to Jongno for the Bosingak Bell Ringing ceremony. At the stroke of midnight, people will crowd around the gigantic bell in the Buddhist shrine and watch together as the bell rings out for the New Year.

Join in as people cheer and watch hundreds of balloons fly into the sky, celebrating the start of a new year and new opportunity for fortune and happiness in the year ahead. Bell ringing ceremonies take place at midnight across the country and you can find them in other major cities across Korea.

Lotte World Tower New Year’s Eve Fireworks

Winter festivals in Korea are often breathtaking, but few can compare to the sight of the world’s 6th tallest building alight with fire and colours on all 123 levels. With fireworks shooting off in all directions, reflected in the gorgeous Seokchon Lake below, this will be a sight not to miss.

If the celebrations for 2024 are the same as 2023, Lotte will put on a grand spectacle to welcome in the new year with 555 seconds of fireworks. This represents the 555 metres of the skyscraper. The festival starts at 8:30 pm with performances and attractions going on before the main event at midnight.

If you want to see what the fireworks at the Lotte World Tower look like, here’s a video of them from last year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Homigot New Year Sunrise Festival 2024

Join thousands of Koreans celebrating the New Year by watching the very first sunrise of the year at Homgiot Sunrise Square. Wake up early, or stay out late, and see the sun hitting the crisp waves on the horizon. This is one of those winter festivals in Korea that is perfect if you’re alone or with others.

This particular New Year sunrise festival is the best place to see the first sunrise in Korea as Homigot Village near Pohang is the eastern-most point on the Korean peninsula. Therefore, it sees the sun before anyone else in the country. Be the first to welcome the New Year with this fun festival

There are currently no tours available, but there may be closer to the start of the festival.

Jeju Seongsan New Year Sunrise Festival 2024

Situated at a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is certainly a unique place to watch the sun rise in the New Year. The Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak is a volcanic cone rising out of the sea and connecting to Jeju Island. It offers fantastic views of the sea and the glowing light of the first sunrise of the year.

This is a very special location for Koreans due to it’s unique geography. It has been a famous spot for watching the sunrise since at least the 13th Century. The festival provides a chance to learn more about Korea’s rich history and to join in cultural activities and games before exploring Jeju in winter.

There are currently no tours available, but there may be closer to the start of the festival.

Gyeongpo & Jeongdongjin Sunrise Festivals 2024

If you’re staying in Seoul but want to watch the first sunrise of the year on the beach, then the easiest way is to head over to Gangneung and visit Gyeongpo Beach. This is one of my favourite summer beach destinations and easily accessible from Seoul thanks to the KTX high-speed train.

Not only is there the New Year sunrise to watch, there are also celebrations the night before right on the beach. Head to the beach for New Year’s Eve and watch fireworks shoot off over the rocking sea. Then stay warm in the bars and cafes along the coast. Once you’re done celebrating, check out Gangneung’s great cafes and keep staring out into the distance with a hot coffee.

There are currently no tours available, but there may be closer to the start of the festival.

Ganjeolgot Sunrise Festival 2024

If you’re near Ulsan at the start of the year, head to Ganjeolgot Cape and watch the New Year sunrise from the viewing spot above the rocky slopes. You can see some impressive views of the sunrise and join in with hundreds of other revellers in this popular sunrise point close to Ulsan. Stand in silence, clasp your hands together, and make a wish for the year ahead.

You can join this festival with a tour from Klook.

If you’re interested in seeing the sunrise on January 1st on Korea’s East Coast, here’s a tour that will take you to a lovely beach in Sokcho.

• New Year Sunrise Tour: Sokcho Beach 1 Day Tour – from Seoul

Other New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day festivals that might be on but I can’t confirm:

• Sampo Beach New Year’s Eve Fireworks Festival 2024
• Jeongdongjin New Year Sunrise Festival 2024
• Seogwipo Winter Sea International Penguin Swimming Festival 2024

About Seollal – New Year’s Day In Korea

There’s not just one New Year in Korea, but two. The Korean New Year, known as Seollal, is based on the lunar calendar and occurs sometime in January or February. Seollal spreads over several days and is one of two long public holidays in Korea – the other being Chuseok in autumn.

The dates for Seollal for the next three years are as follows:

*When major Korean holidays such as Seollal or Chuseok fall on a Sunday, there is often an extra day off granted so people get more time off work / school. It’s likely that the February 12th will be an extra holiday to account for the Sunday Seollal date in 2024.

Whilst there aren’t many big festivals occurring during Seollal, as Koreans spend time with their families, this is a great time to visit Korea. Seoul’s royal palaces, including Gyeongbokgung, are free to enter and there are cultural events put on to celebrate Korea’s rich cultural heritage.

Korean Winter Food Festivals 2024

If you’re a fan of Korean winter food, these tasty festivals will have your mouth watering. Although winter isn’t normally associated with food festivals, which are abundant in autumn harvest time, there’s still a few winter fruits and foods for you to enjoy eating, including winter strawberries and snow crabs.

For those visiting Jeju Island during winter, be sure to check out the tangerines and hallabong (big oranges). Winter is when they’re in season and you can find them in traditional markets for low prices. They’re sweet and juicy and absolutely irresistible – my favourite winter snack for sure.

Here are 2 Korean winter food festivals for you to visit in Korea in 2024:

Winter Strawberry Picking Festival

Winter welcomes the start of strawberry season in Korea, one of the juiciest times of year. There are several places to go strawberry picking, including in the major strawberry producing regions, Nonsan (Nonsan Strawberry Festival) and Yangpyeong (Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival). You’ll find big, juicy strawberries as you wander through the fields, picking them to eat later, or right then.

There are usually a feast of other activities at these festivals, such as strawberry cake making, strawberry jam making, and lots of other strawberry-based activities. Get your gardening gloves on and go out into the strawberry fields to gather some of the abundant red gems to fill your belly.

The easiest way to experience strawberry picking is with a tour from Klook. These tours typically stop at these festivals as part of a day trip that also visits other popular destinations in the area.

Uljin Snow Crab Festival

The Uljin Snow Crab Festival is dedicated to Uljin’s local delight, the snow crab. Whilst this might lack the glamour and excitement of other big winter festivals, it’s a chance to see how small town Korea celebrates. Witness the crab fancy-dress parade, crab fishing, and music performances. And, of course, try some delicious local crabs for dinner – perfect during a cold winter’s day.

Guide To Visiting Korean Winter Festivals

Here’s a brief guide to surviving and enjoying winter in Korea. There are a few things you’ll need to consider when you travel at this time, including the weather, getting around, and where to stay.

Weather In Korea During Winter:

There is no guarantee about how the weather will be during winter in Korea, except that it’s going to be cold and dry. Be sure to pack lots of skin cream as the dry air can be tough on your skin. Snow falls mostly in January and February, although you can also see some in December and March if you’re lucky. The snow is not constant, but can fall for up to a week at a time when it does arrive.

From late November the temperature quickly drops below 0 degrees Celsius at night and the days will be below 0 most of the time during January and February. The coldest I’ve seen the temperature drop was -18 Celsius at night. Make sure you bring lots of cold-weather clothes, such as a padded jacket and gloves, etc. Most indoor places and public transport will be well heated, no worries.

Getting To Winter Festivals In Korea:

Travelling around Korea is actually really easy, even if you don’t speak much Korean. There are great public transport options available in English, especially in big cities such as Seoul and Busan. To get around on all public transport, and taxis, too, you should definitely get a Korean transportation card such as the T-Money Card. You can buy one at Incheon Airport when you arrive in Korea.

Use apps and websites to help you navigate public transport in Korea. The best ones that I use regularly are Naver Map for planning where to go and Papago to translate any Korean into English. To book trains, use the Korea Rail website for train tickets between cities. You can book a taxi really easily using the Kakao Taxi app to call a taxi directly to your location.

Travelling outside of the big cities, however, can be a bit more difficult as there are not so many buses or trains and fewer English translations. Seeing as a lot of these festivals are in the countryside, you might want to consider booking a tour to travel to remote winter festivals. That’s why I’ve included tour links to festivals when I think it’ll save you time and hassle vs. trying to get there on public transport.

If you want to book a tour in Korea, I recommend using one of these tour companies:

• Klook
• Get Your Guide
• Viator
• Trazy

Seasonal Guides For Korea:

I think you’ll love these winter festivals and chances are you’ll want to come to Korea again later. No worries, I’ve got you covered for the other seasons in Korea, too. Check out my season-specific guides to Korea that will help you plan more amazing journeys in the Land of the Morning Calm.

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Dive into the rich tapestry of Korean literature with novels that transcends borders and touches hearts. From poignant tales of personal struggle to gripping mysteries and surreal fantasies, these 10 Korean novels translated into English give a curated journey through stories showcasing the soul of Korea.

Let the vivid imagination of Korean authors enrich your reading list and open a window to a culture that’s both fascinating and deeply introspective. I hope this introduction to the world of Korean novels entices you to delve further into the enchanting world of Korean literature. Happy reading!

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

Why Should You Read Korean Novels In English?

Reading novels from Korea is akin to embarking on a cultural expedition without leaving the comfort of your armchair. Literature, in its essence, is a reflection of a nation’s soul, capturing the nuances, beliefs, and stories that have shaped its people over generations.

Experience the angst and rebellion in “Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982”, delve into the haunting surrealism of “The Vegetarian”, or get enchanted by the allegorical beauty of “The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly”. With every page you turn, you’re not just reading a story, you’re immersing yourself in a world where tradition meets modernity, and personal tales intertwine with the larger narratives of society.

Korean novels, for instance, offer readers a mosaic of experiences, from the nation’s ancient folklore and Confucian values to the rapid modernisation and the struggles it brought along. Through the eyes of the characters, one can traverse the bustling streets of Seoul, wander through serene Hanok villages, or even experience the weight of historical events like the Korean War.

When you read a book from Korea…You’re stepping into their world, feeling their history, and connecting with the pulse of their culture.

Whether you’re a seasoned literature lover or someone venturing into the vast expanse of global narratives, these books promise a roller-coaster ride of emotions. Each novel, while uniquely Korean in its setting & sensibility, tackles universal themes and emotions that resonate with readers worldwide.

I chose these stories because they really get to the heart of what it means for the authors to be Korean. They talk about family ties, the importance of honour, and the search for identity. I love it when you dive into a book from another country, like Korea, because you’re not just getting a good story, you’re stepping into their world, feeling their history, and connecting with the pulse of their culture.

Now, without further ado, here are 10 amazing Korean novels translated into English that I’m sure will help you learn and love more about Korean culture. Grab a cosy chair, put up your feet, and find your next literary inspiration from the world of Korean books.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
Cho Nam-Joo

Translated By: Jamie Chang | Publication Date: October 2016 | Number of Pages: 192

Since its publication in 2016, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 has become one of the most popular and well-known pieces of Korean fiction. Kim Jiyoung quickly became associated with the #metoo movement. Because of its feminist agenda, it has also received a lot of criticism here in Korea, and has become quite a controversial talking point.

The novel follows the life of a Korean everywoman, Kim Jiyoung, from early childhood through to marriage and motherhood in modern day Seoul. The story is not action-packed or plot-heavy. Instead, it is quieter and slower paced. Jiyoung herself is somewhat of a blank slate, an image on which to reflect yourself as the reader, as you imagine yourself in her shoes.

The novel highlights the sexism and misogyny in Korean society. Jiyoung experiences everyday sexism and microaggressions from a young age, and Nam-joo makes it clear that these experiences are not specific to Kim Jiyoung, but are felt by many Korean women nowadays.

Who is this book aimed at: This book is aimed at young adults and above, especially those navigating the challenges of adulthood and societal expectations. It appeals to both male and female readers interested in gaining a deeper understanding of gender dynamics in Korea.

Who will enjoy this book: If you appreciate contemporary fiction with strong feminist themes, you’ll certainly enjoy this book, as well as those interested in understanding the societal pressures faced by modern Korean women. I think it’s suitable for anyone looking for a compelling character-driven narrative that offers deep insights into everyday life.

Why you should read this book: It offers a raw and unfiltered look into the life of an ordinary Korean woman, making it a significant cultural commentary. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 has sparked crucial conversations about gender equality in Korea and beyond, making it an essential read for you if you’re keen on understanding contemporary societal shifts.

The Vegetarian
Han Kang

Translated By: Deborah Smith | Publication Date: October 2007 | Number of Pages: 160

The Vegetarian, arguably the most well-known Korean novel in translation and perhaps my favourite Korean novel, famously won the International Booker Prize in 2016. The story follows an ordinary woman, Yeong-hye, and her husband. One night, Yeong-hye has a horrifying nightmare, after which she categorically announces her status as a vegetarian.

Her husband, the narrator of the first section of the book, finds it shocking and often belittles her efforts to remove meat products from the house. We really get the sense that her decision is not being taken seriously. This is just the start of Yeong-hye’s declining mental state.

It’s really a social commentary on what it means to be human, and Yeong-hye’s growing animosity towards humanity. Though Yeong-hye is the protagonist of the book, each chapter is from someone else’s perspective, so as readers we’re also observing her as outsiders, becoming increasing confused by her actions and the reasons behind them.

Who is this book aimed at: If you’re the kind of reader who’s drawn to stories that make you think and question the world around you, The Vegetarian may be your next favourite book. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book to young readers due to its adult themes.

Who will enjoy this book: While this book might resonate more with mature readers due to its deep themes and somewhat dark undertones, anyone curious about the intricacies of mental health, relationships, and personal boundaries, as well as Korean society, will find it engrossing.

Why you should read this book: Because it’s not just a novel; it’s an experience. Han Kang isn’t just telling us a story about a woman who has become a vegetarian; she’s challenging us to question our beliefs. It’s no wonder the book clinched the esteemed Man Booker International Prize in 2016. If you’re a fan of Haruki Murakami, I expect that you’ll love this book.

Almond
Sohn Won-Pyung

Translated By: Joosun Lee | Publication Date: March 2017 | Number of Pages: 272

Almond tells the story of Yunjae, a young boy with a brain condition that limits his ability to feel emotions due to the almond-shaped neurons in his brain. We follow Yunjae through childhood and into his teenage years when his life suddenly changes.

Yunjae retreats into himself, and lives a solitary life, until the arrival of a new bully at his school, Gon. Gon is seemingly totally different to Yunjae. He is driven by emotions, he is loud, and he is antagonistic. Over time, the two discover that they have more in common than they first realised, and they begin to form an unlikely and unusual friendship.

The story unfolds as the two learn more and more about each other and themselves. Yunjae’s is a unique and fascinating perspective to read from. He is direct and emotionless, leaving the reader with the unique opportunity to see other people emotion’s through Yunjae’s eyes.

Though there are some uncomfortable scenes of violence, the novel’s moral is an important one. It tells us to put aside our judgement of others. Let’s not judge books by their covers, as it were.

Who is this book aimed at: Those who find solace in stories that delve deep into the human mind and emotions will enjoy this Korean novel’s gripping narrative that’s both touching and enlightening.

Who will enjoy this book: This Korean novel is primarily crafted for a mature audiences, drawing in readers who appreciate tales of personal growth, resilience, and the intricate dance between trauma and healing. It’s definitely a compelling read and will those who are interested in human psychology.

Why you should read this book: Sohn Won-pyung brilliantly brings to light the struggles and triumphs of living with a condition that affects emotional recognition, offering you a fresh perspective on empathy, humanity, and connection.

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly
Sun-Mi Hwang

Translated By: Chi-Young Kim | Publication Date: January 2000 | Number of Pages: 134

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly is a wonderfully charming and heartwarming tale about identity, belonging and found family. It follows an array of animal characters, including a weasel, a rooster and a duck. Our main character is a brave and loving hen named Sprout, whose journey to motherhood is an unorthodox one. Sprout grows tired of a life where she lays eggs for farmers day in and day out, and dreams of a life of freedom.

One day, she is able to escape the confines of the barn, but makes an enemy in the determined weasel. Sprout discovers an egg, and finally has the chance to become a mother herself. This book has been compared to Charlotte’s Web and Watership Down and for good reason. It is heartwarming and delightful. Much like these beloved animal stories, Sprout’s tale is timeless, one to be enjoyed by all ages.

Who is this book aimed at: This enchanting fable, with its vibrant characters and captivating narrative, is perfect for those who enjoy stories that speak to the soul and evoke childlike wonder.

Who will enjoy this book: Readers of all ages will love this book and it’s just as suitable for younger audiences as it is for older ones, holding a particular charm that’s easily accessible. If you’re ever dared to dream big, then this tale will resonate with its gentle, dreamlike quality.

Why you should read this book: At its heart, it is a story about love and loss. It’s about freedom and choice. But above all, it is a tale about family. Sun-Mi Hwang brilliantly weaves a tale about love, sacrifice, and the courage to follow one’s heart. It’s a poignant reminder that sometimes the most unlikely heroes have the most incredible journeys.

Please Look After Mom
Shin Kyung-Sook

Translated By: Chi-Young Kim | Publication Date: January 2008 | Number of Pages: 272

The international best-seller Please Look After Mom begins with the disappearance of 69 year-old So-Nyo amongst crowds at a bustling Seoul subway station. Her husband and adult children are saddened by her disappearance and try their best to find her. Shin uses 1st-person, 2nd-person, and 3rd-person narration to tell the story from these different perspectives.

As they try to discern where she might have gone, they start to realise that they maybe didn’t know her as well as they thought. Who was this woman they called Mom? Throughout the novel, we also see the rapid modernisation of Korea. So-Nyo and her peers struggle to keep up with a society that is leaving them behind.

Born into a world that’s hugely different to the modern Seoul she disappears in, we see So-Nyo struggle to come to terms with her home country becoming more unrecognisable to her as years go by. This is ultimately a story about motherhood, family, love, and loss. It asks the question: how well do we really know the people in our lives?

Who is this book aimed at: This book is aimed at those who understand the bonds between parent and child. If you’ve ever felt the complexities of family ties, the deep-rooted love, and the inevitable misunderstandings that come with it, Please Look After Mom will resonate deeply with you.

Who will enjoy this book: Adult readers who enjoy dissecting the intricacies of relationships, particularly between children and their parents, will find this Korean tale especially poignant. The narrative, though rooted in Korean culture, has a universal appeal that transcends borders and anyone who has sacrificed themselves for their children will certainly make a connection with this book.

Why you should read this book: I really enjoyed the way the narration of each chapter is told from a different perspective, with different family members detailing their search for So-Nyo and reminiscing about their lives together. It makes this Korean novel both unique and fascinating.

The Disaster Tourist
Yun Ko-Eun

Translated By: Lizzie Buehler | Publication Date: October 2013 | Number of Pages: 200

This lesser-known eco-thriller, The Disaster Tourist, is a short but exciting novel with feminist leanings. It follows Yona who works for a travel agency in Seoul that specialises in organising trips to environmental disaster zones, areas that had been devastated by the likes of volcanoes, tsunamis, etc.

Following an incident with a predatory and exploitative male boss, Ko-Eun agrees to take a business trip to a desert sinkhole on the island of Mui, Vietnam to determine why its success as a tourist destination has been waning in recent years. Upon arriving in Mui, she finds the sinkhole underwhelming, recognising this as the reason why the destination is losing popularity.

She soon becomes embroiled in a plot to create a new, more exciting, more catastrophic manmade sinkhole. This is a novel of two halves: a story of a working woman and the sexism she encounters in modern-day Seoul, that soon becomes a fast-paced, action-packed eco-thriller unlike anything you’ve read before.

Who is this book aimed at: Travel enthusiasts and those with a penchant for dark humour, satire, and suspense will find The Disaster Tourist an intriguing read. This Korean novel is definitely suitable for readers who crave a fresh perspective on the world of tourism and its grim underbelly.

Who will enjoy this book: For modern-day globetrotters and readers who enjoy thought-provoking narratives, this book offers a critical look at the ethics of disaster tourism. I like that it’s not just another travel tale but an exploration of the moral dilemmas that arise when tragedy becomes a spectacle.

Why you should read this book: You should read this Korean novel because it brings to light many questions about the exploitation of other cultures, the value of life, and even the concept of reality itself. Ultimately, it brings to light the link between global tourism and capitalism, and the impact of this on our natural environments and local communities.

Love in the Big City
Sang Young Park

Translated By: Anton Hur | Publication Date: October 2021 | Number of Pages: 218

Longlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022, Love in the Big City is Park’s first novel to be translated into English. Rather than one coherent narrative, this book is actually four short stories not chronologically told, each about someone the main character loves, be it romantically or not.

The protagonist of this Korean novel is a young gay man, exploring and coming to terms with his sexuality and identity, whilst caring for his ailing mother and maintaining a friendship with his roommate, Jaehee. Over time Jaehee becomes less and less recognisable to our protagonist, and his mother is ashamed of his sexuality.

He has two romantic interests at different times in the story. One is cold and distant, and one might be the love of his life. All his relationships, whether they be romantic or not, are overshadowed by his queerness and his positive-HIV diagnosis.

Who is this book aimed at: This story primarily speaks to those navigating the complexities of adulthood, friendship, and romance in a bustling metropolis. Written with humour and heart, it resonates with city-dwellers, young adults, and those who’ve felt the dizzying highs and lows of love.

Who will enjoy this book: This novel is a treat for readers drawn to vibrant urban tales, bursting with life, love, and the challenges of modern relationships. If you’re enchanted by the allure of city lights or find yourself lost in the maze of urban life, you might see yourself reflected in these pages.

Why you should read this book: Love in the Big City is a story of LGBTQ+ lives in modern Seoul, a romp through Itaewon nightclubs, a plethora of Tinder matches, and the loneliness and shame that comes with it. It’s a reminder that amidst the city’s cacophony, finding oneself and true love can be the most challenging yet rewarding adventure.

Untold Night And Day
Bae Suah

Translated By: Deborah Smith | Publication Date: April 2013 | Number of Pages: 160

Untold Night and Day is a short, disorienting fever dream of a novel. Its loose plot follows Ayami over one sweltering day and night in Seoul as she searches for her German-language teacher. It begins with her completing her shift at Seoul’s only audio-theatre shortly before it is due to close for good. Characters pop in and out of the story with little explanation.

The vivid descriptions of the summer heat are claustrophobic and suffocating. Bae’s use of repetition leaves the reader with a strange sense of déjà vu, whilst time and location seem to jump about in unexplained ways. Anyone who has experienced the summer weather in Korea can sympathise with her struggles. The writing itself is dreamlike and ambiguous, often leaving the reader with an unsettling feeling and questioning what is and isn’t real.

Who is this book aimed at: This novel is aimed at those readers who appreciate avant-garde literature and unconventional storytelling, allowing themselves to be taken away to another world through well-crafted narrative structure and poetic prose.

Who will enjoy this book: If books that venture beyond the conventional, twisting day and night, fact and fiction, are your cup of tea, then you’re sure to enjoy this mesmerising tale. This book is perfect for those who appreciate the abstract, surreal writing that digs into the meaning of our existence.

Why you should read this book: With her unique voice, Bae Suah beautifully crafts a Korean novel that challenges our perceptions of the world around us. As the story unfolds, you find yourself pondering the nature of identity, boundaries of consciousness, and complexities of the human psyche.

Concerning My Daughter
Kim Hye-Jin

Translated By: Jamie Chang | Publication Date: September 2017 | Number of Pages: 176

Concerning My Daughter, the first Korean novel by Kim Hye-Jin to be translated into English, is a slice of life narrative about a struggling and ageing mother. When her daughter approaches her and asks to move back in with her due to financial struggles, our main character is disappointed.

Why has her daughter not got married and had children yet? Why is she still working? Surely a husband would bring financial security. But when her daughter brings home Lane, her long-term girlfriend, the disappointment of our protagonist deepens and she begins to feel an almost palpable hatred towards Lane that can only be explained by the fact that she’s not a man.

When not at home, our protagonist works at a nursing home, caring for an elderly dementia patient, Jen, who used to be a very important and prominent diplomat who travelled the world. She is then faced with the realities of living a non-traditional life. Jen has nobody in her life to care for or look after her in her old age. Who will look after our protagonist when she reaches the end of her life?

Who is this book aimed at: If, like me, you enjoy novels that have a penchant for deep emotional tales, brimming with introspection and insight, you’ll really enjoy this Korean novel. It’s as relevant for a younger adult dealing with difficult parents as it is for those parents facing their own mortality.

Who will enjoy this book: Whether you’ve experienced struggles in your family relationships or not, this book appeals to a wide audience and I think anyone can relate to the challenges and realisations produced in this book. The nuanced portrayals of love, sacrifice, and time make it a captivating book that’s not just about Koreans, but also about humans the world over.

Why you should read this book: This Korean novel inspires you to reflect on your own relationships, the sacrifices you make for those you hold dear, and our inescapable end. It’s a story about complex family dynamics, a changing society, women’s roles and LGBTQ+ communities in Korea, something that’s often not discussed enough in Korea’s conservative society.

Cursed Bunny
Bora Chung

Translated By: Anton Hur | Publication Date: March 2017 | Number of Pages: 251

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung is a collection of 10 short stories of varying genres, though they all contain some unsettling horror elements. The first story is a shocking and disturbing tale of body horror. The second, a worrying medical issue that leads to discussions on a woman’s place in a patriarchal society.

No two stories are alike, and each has its own unique twist of an ending, leaving you trying to figure out what could happen next. Bora Chung’s language is shocking and grotesque at times. Now and then I found myself wanting to look away but a morbid curiosity had me returning to page after page until I’d finished every story. I’d never read anything like it before and found it utterly original, though not for the faint hearted.

Who is this book aimed at: Fans of horror will be sure to love these chilling tales set with a Korean twist, as will those who want to dig under the skin of Korea’s traditional culture. Definitely not for the faint-hearted, but if you like your humour dark and disturbing, this book is for you.

Who will enjoy this book: Those who are brave enough to read Cursed Bunny will be rewarded with entertaining, often unsettling tales from Korea that are laced with suspense and surprise. If you like stories that challenge the norm, this book feels like a treasure found in a hidden alleyway in Seoul.

Why you should read this book: Why pick up this book on your next Korean novel spree? Because Cursed Bunny gave me chills like no other. The blend of Korean folklore and contemporary unease kept me hooked. Reading it felt like exploring a haunted palace at midnight – eerie, mesmerising, and utterly captivating. If you want a novel that leaves an imprint, this is a must-buy for you.

More Korean Novels You Might Enjoy

As someone who has lived in Korea for a long time, I’ve learnt that this country has an incredible depth of storytelling that intertwines Korea’s traditional past with an emerging modern culture that’s coming to terms with its place in a global society. This conflict has resulted in some fascinating Korean novels.

From the strong feminist themes in Kim Jiyoung to the horrifying descriptions in Cursed Bunny, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in these Korean books in English. Korean translated fiction has taken remarkable strides in recent years, and I’ve no doubt that the future is bright.

If these English language Korean novels have whetted your appetite for more Korean literature, then you don’t need to worry about running out of things to read. I’ve still got a lot to read, with these books by Korean authors on my to-read list. I’ll share them here as I think you might enjoy them as well.

• Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
• Crying In H Mart by Michelle Zauner
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
• The Mermaid from Jeju by Sumi Hahn
• Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim
• Seven Years of Darkness by You-Jeong Jeong

So, whether you’re a seasoned traveler or just someone with a deep love for profound tales, keep venturing into the world of Korean literature. It’s a journey that I promise you won’t forget.

Safe travels and happy reading!

Incidentally, if you’re interested in learning about Korean culture, why not check out these fascinating facts about Korea or what unique Korean experiences you can have when you travel to Korea. If you’re totally in love with Korea, then check out my Korean dating advice for a quick chuckle.

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Food is a great way to understand a culture and a meal is more than just a way to refuel your body. Being able to discuss the meal, offer praise, ask simple requests, and being able to ask for another glass of soju will help you make friends and show you want to learn more about Korea and its people.

This guide covers everything about Korean food phrases; from entering a restaurant and getting a table, to understanding Korean menu words, asking about food, and finally settling the bill. You’ll also learn how to ask for takeout food in Korean, give compliments, and explain dietary restrictions.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

Why Learn How To Order Food In Korean?

Travelling to Korea has never been easier thanks to Korean translation apps like Papago, which can turn foreign phrases into Korean and vice versa. However, these apps can be time consuming to use and feel less personal than being able to communicate directly with the person you’re talking to.

That’s why I’ve made a guide about how to order food in Korean; so you can learn a few phrases to use when eating in or taking out food when visiting Korea. Learning these phrases, as well as some Korean travel phrases, will help you understand more, make a good impression, and travel in Korea more easily and authentically.

This is more than just a guide to ordering food in Korean, however. I’ve packed in extra tips and insights about Korean food culture, how to get takeout in Korean, how to avoid embarrassing dining mistakes, etiquette tips for eating out in Korea, and the best ways travellers to Korea can enjoy all the amazing foods Korea has to offer.

To help make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for, I’ve broken this article into the following sections. Click the quick links below to jump straight there or keep reading through all parts.

How To Get A Table

How To Read Korean Menus

Explaining Dietary Restrictions

How To Order Food In A Restaurant

Getting Takeout Food In Korea

How To Pay For Your Meal

How To Discuss Food & Meals

Korean Food & Dining Culture

A Note About The Korean Used In This Guide

Korean is a complex language and there can be multiple ways to say the same thing. In English, you might say ‘give me a pizza‘ or ‘I think I’d like a pizza, please‘ or just ‘pizza, please‘. They all mean the same thing, but can be easier or more difficult to understand for non-native English speakers. The same principle applies with Korean, which has various ways of saying the same thing.

I’ve tried to use the simplest Korean phrases to order food so that travellers can learn them more easily, and also so that Koreans will be able to understand you more easily. Comprehension is the key. Therefore, these Korean phrases for ordering food are designed for travellers who don’t speak Korean and have been simplified in places. Particles have been dropped where meaning is still obvious, and the grammar used is the polite form, which is the best form for talking to strangers.

If you’re interested in learning Korean and want to make more articulate sentences, then I recommend signing up to a dedicated Korean study website like Korean Class 101 or 90 Day Korean, which offer free learning materials and premium courses with personalised feedback and support. They can help you master Korean phrases to order food, how to make friends, and lots more.

How To Get A Table In A Korean Restaurant

The first step to eating out in Korea is finding a table. You usually don’t have to wait to be seated at a restaurant in Korea. Instead, you should go into the restaurant, find a table, sit down, check the menu, and order when ready. However, popular restaurants may have reserved tables (예약된 테이블).

Fast food restaurants in Korea, including franchise gimbap restaurants and other Korean quick foods, have kiosks to order at before you get a table. You might need a table number before placing your order, in which case you’ll need to get a table before you can order food at the kiosk.

If the restaurant looks busy, or you’re not sure whether you can get a table, these Korean phrases will help you know what to say and understand common responses you’re likely to hear. You can order food in Korean and get a table with a few of these simple phrases.

Getting A Table Phrases Explained

명 (myong) means ‘person / people‘. When you want to ask for a table you can say the number of people in Korean followed by ‘myong’. Alternatively, you can just indicate the number of people with your fingers and the server will understand. Pointing and gestures are a great way to get by if you don’t know Korean numbers. For fast food places, you usually get your own table.

How To Read Korean Menus

If you’re travelling in Seoul or other touristy areas, you’ll find many menus have English translations on them, such as the one pictured above from a bindaetteok restaurant at Gwangjang Market. If they don’t have English translations, then they’ll probably have pictures that you can point to instead of having to order food in Korean.

These days it’s common for restaurants in Korea to use menu tablets fixed to the tables to order food, or automatic kiosks. The tablets sometimes have English translations, but not always. The menu on a tablet usually has headings along the side (e.g. starters, desserts, etc) to display what’s available.

For those brave enough to venture away from the touristy areas, or those who end up trying to read a menu that doesn’t have English translations or pictures, then the list of Korean menu items will help you work out your starters from your sweets. You can also learn how to ask for a menu.

Even though you might struggle with ordering food in Korean at one of these places, they’re usually the places with the best Korean dishes. Definitely try to find the non-touristy looking restaurants for authentic Korean food that will have you saying 정말 맛있다! (jong-mal ma-sshit-da!) – really delicious!.

Korean Menu Phrases Explained

You’ll notice that a lot of these words sound similar to their English meaning, such as menu (men-yu), starter (seu-ta-tuh), and dessert (di-juh-teu). You’ll see many ‘loan words‘ from English (or other languages) where there may not have been a Korean word when the thing was introduced.

This is common in many languages and makes it a lot easier for travellers who can speak English. When ordering food, you’ll find many non-Korean dishes have a similar sound to their English name, such as pi-zza, pa-seu-ta, ai-su-keu-reem, seo-si-ji. etc. If you want to order non-Korean food and don’t know the word, try just saying it in English.

반찬 (ban-chan) are one of the best things about eating out in Korea. These are Korean side dishes that come with Korean meals, which can range from a bowl of kimchi to a dozen small dishes packed with eggs, fish, meat, seafood, vegetables, crabs, pickles, pancakes, and so many other delicious nibbles. When you eat out in Korea, try to sample as many as you can. You won’t normally see them listed on a Korean menu, however.

How To Explain Dietary Restrictions In Korean

Korea has a wide range of foods that cater to people from around the world. Whether you like seafood, steak, salad, or a combination of all of these, there’s a Korean dish for you. There’s also a wide range or foreign foods to enjoy, some of them mixed with Korean dishes to create modern fusion food.

However, not everyone can or wants to eat the same thing. Some people choose to follow certain diets due to lifestyle or religion, whilst others may have an allergic reaction or intolerance to some ingredients. This section will introduce Korean phrases relating to allergies and dietary restrictions.

Halal Food In Korea

Muslim travellers to Korea who need to know how to ask about halal food in Korea, or want to know if halal food is served, can use the Korean phrase 할랄인가요? (hal-lal-in-ga-yo?) – ‘is this halal?‘. There are halal certified restaurants in Seoul, and places with halal goods are often well marked, as the picture shows. You can find halal restaurants in popular tourist areas such as Myeongdong and Itaewon. However, outside these tourist areas, it may be harder to find halal food. For halal restaurant recommendations, check out these halal restaurants In Seoul.

Vegan Food In Korea

There is a growing trend for vegan food in parts of Seoul and in areas such as Hongdae, Itaewon, and Gangnam you’ll be able to find several vegan restaurants. Some Korean food is naturally vegan, including Korean temple food and other vegan Korean dishes. However, vegan travellers to Korea outside these popular international areas might struggle.

If you want to say you’re a vegan in Korean, use this phrase – 나는 비건 채식을 해요 (na-neun bi-gan chae-shig-eul hae-yo). This means ‘I’m a vegan vegetarian‘. The word often used to refer to vegan is ‘비건‘ (bi-gan). This is an English loan word and not the actual Korean word.

To ask if something is suitable for vegans, you can say 비건 채식주의자가 먹을 수 있어요? (bi-gan chae-shik-ju-wee-ja-ga mog-ool su iss-oh-yo?) – literally: can this be eaten by vegans?

Warning: Be careful when you translate ‘vegan’ using translation apps as some might translate it to ‘vegetarian‘ (채식주의자 – chae-shik-ju-wee-ja), which is not the same as vegan. The Korean term for vegan, according to Papago, is 완전 채식주의자 (wan-jon chae-shik-ju-wee-ja) – ‘total vegetarian’.

The concept of veganism might not be understood by some Korean restaurants, so it may be safer to ask to exclude certain items with the phrase ‘___는 빼 주세요‘ (___neun bbae ju-seh-yo), which means ‘no ___, please‘. You can ask to exclude meat (고기 – gogi) or dairy products (유제품 – yu-je-poom).

As well as halal and vegan foods, these Korean food phrases will help you talk about other dietary restrictions and check what is inside certain foods, including the level of spice.

Dietary Restriction Phrases Explained

매워요? (mae-wo-yo?) means ‘is this spicy?‘. Another key Korean phrase for travellers to Korea who can’t handle spicy food that well (like me). If you’re concerned, point to a dish and say ‘mae-wo-yo?‘ to find out if it’s spicy. In my experience, many Koreans will say something isn’t really spicy as it’s not super-hot. That doesn’t mean it’s not still spicy though, so be careful. Korean levels of spice may not be the same as other places. If the dish is red, it’ll probably be spicy.

고기 (go-gi) is the word for ‘meat‘ and Koreans add this word to the animal’s name to make the type of meat. For example, pig (dwe-ji) and pork (dwe-ji-gogi), cow (so) and beef (so-go-gi), or chicken (dak) and chicken meat (dak-go-gi). However, fried chicken is usually just called ‘chi-kin‘. Fish meat is mul-go-gi, which translates to ‘water-meat’. Bul-go-gi, a Korean meat dish, translates to ‘fire-meat’, indicating the way it was cooked. Although bulgogi is typically beef, other meat can be served as bulgogi. Be careful when you order it if you want to avoid certain meats.

How To Order Food In Korean

Now that you’ve worked out what’s on the menu, it’s time to use these Korean food phrases to order your meal. This might seem the most daunting part of ordering food in Korean, but is actually quite simple. Remember, you can always point to the thing you want to eat if you get tongue-tied.

You can order food in Korea in several ways, depending on where you’re dining. Table service is common in Korea, where someone will come to your table to take your order. Servers often won’t come to take your order until you shout out ‘저기요!’ (joh-gi-yo) – ‘over here’ or press a call buzzer.

When you’ve called the server to take your order, or pressed a buzzer to get their attention, they’ll want to know what your ‘order‘, 주문 (ju-moon), is. In case a server comes to your table but you’re not ready to order, you can tell them 잠시만 (jam-shi-man), which means ‘just a moment‘ or ‘hold on’.

These Korean phrases to order food will help you say what you want and ask questions of the server, including checking the price, how spicy something is, and asking for recommendations.

Ordering Food Phrases Explained

주세요 (ju-seh-yo) means ‘please give‘ but can also be used to mean ‘please‘ when you order food in Korean. This is a really useful Korean phrase to learn and you’ll notice it appears many times at the end of these Korean phrases for ordering food. Whatever you want to order in a restaurant, you can simply point at it on the menu or directly and say ‘ju-seh-yo’.

이거 뭐예요? (ee-goh mwo-yeh-yo?) means ‘what is this?’ and is probably my most loved and used Korean phrase for ordering food, shopping, or exploring Korea. If you ever want to know what something is called, just point at it and say this phrase.

마세요 (ma-seh-yo) means ‘please don’t‘ and is often used in warning signs or when asking not to include things. If you have special dietary requirements, then this is a great phrase to learn. If you want to ask someone to stop or not do something, you should use the phrase 하지마 (ha-ji-ma), which literally translates to ‘don’t do‘. However, try to avoid using this unless you really have to or you’re with friends as this expression is informal and might seem rude.

셀프 (sel-peu) – In Korean restaurants it’s common to see a sign that says ‘셀프’ (sel-peu), which means ‘self‘. This is a self-serve area where you can top up on side dishes, water, etc., for free. In Korean BBQ restaurants this is where you’d get extra lettuce, kimchi, garlic, etc.

How To Ask For Takeout Food In Korean

Getting takeout at a Korean restaurant or cafe is a popular option, especially for light meals such as gimbap, toast, and coffee that you can enjoy outside. There is no extra charge for takeout and you might get discounts when you do. Restaurants have packaging and cutlery ready for takeout orders.

To ask for takeout food or drinks in Korean is really simple, just say 포장해 주세요 (po-jang-hae ju-seh-yo.) after you place your order at the counter, which means ‘takeout, please’. After you place an order in a restaurant or cafe, the staff will ask whether you want to eat in or take out if it’s not obvious.

You can state that you want to ‘dine in’ by saying 여기서 (yoh-gi-soh), or you can ask for ‘takeout’ by saying 포장 (po-jang). If you want to take uneaten food home, you can use the same phrase – ‘po-jang‘ – to get it boxed up to take out. Remember to add 주세요 (ju-seh-yo) to the request to make it politer.

When you go to a Korean restaurant or cafe that has an automatic ordering machine, the first option you’ll see is whether or not you want to dine in (여기서) or get takeout (포장). You should be able to figure out which is which by the pictures that accompany them (a table vs. a takeout bag or house).

Using Korean Food Delivery Apps

Getting food delivery is easy in Korea with Korean delivery apps, such as Coupang Eats and Yogiyo, allowing you to place a food order to be delivered direct to your location for a small fee (~4,000 KRW). I use Coupang Eats as the system is mainly in English and, with a bit of help from Papago, it’s easy to order food delivery. However, you need a Korean phone number and a Korean bank account to use these delivery apps, so going to the restaurant and asking for takeout food is usually the only option for visitors to Korea.

How To Pay For A Meal In A Korean Restaurant

Paying for your meal in a Korean restaurant comes at the start of your meal if you order via a tablet or automatic ordering machine, or at the end of the meal if you ordered at a counter or with a server. You will receive a bill on a small clipboard that you should take to the cashier when you finish eating.

If you haven’t received a bill, or you want to ask for clarification about prices, the Korean phrases in this section will help you discuss settling up, splitting the bill, and getting a receipt. Before covering these phrases, there are a few Korean cultural issues related to dining that’ll help when eating out.

Paying the bill: In Korean culture, where age and hierarchy decide social standing and respect, footing the bill may go to the oldest person. If the eldest (Korean) guest offers to pay the bill, it is best to accept their offer and find some way to pay them back in kind later on, rather than fighting about it.

Splitting the bill: If you’re eating out with friends and want to split the bill, there’s an easy Korean phrase for that. You can say 따로 따로 (dda-ro dda-ro) to the cashier to indicate that you want to split the bill. The cashier will either split the bill by the number of customers or you can pay for what you ate.

Best Ways To Pay For Food In Korea

Visitors to Korea that don’t have a Korean bank account might find it difficult or expensive to pay for goods & services with an overseas credit or debit card. Furthermore, fewer places in Korea are accepting cash payments as Korean society move towards becoming cash-free. This includes public transportation, cafes, and restaurants. Almost all places in Korea should accept card payments.

As paying by card is becoming the default way to pay in Korea, I recommend getting a travel money card, such as that offered by Wise, which is a prepaid travel card that allows you to pay in Korean won when you’re travelling in Korea. Alternatively, pick up a WOWPASS when you arrive in Korea. This is a Korean debit card that you can top up in foreign currency, also with great exchange rates.

However you decide to pay when you eat out in Korea, these Korean phrases for paying for your food will make sure you don’t make a meal of the situation.

Food Payment Phrases Explained

얼마예요 (ol-ma-yeh-yo) means ‘how much‘ and is another one of those essential Korean words you can use for ordering food, shopping, and so much more. Want to haggle for a new bag in the market? Just ask ol-ma-yeh-yo? Want to know the cost of a train to Busan – ol-ma-yeh-yo? It’s short and an easy Korean word to remember.

카드 (ka-deu) and 현금 (hyun-geum) mean ‘card‘ and ‘cash‘ in Korean. Korea is a card-friendly country and you can pay by credit card in many places. However, some places might only accept hyun-geum (cash). These include food stalls in traditional markets and on street corners.

영수증 (yong-su-jeung) is a ‘receipt‘. You’ll hear this word every time you buy something in a shop or eat in a restaurant. If you want a receipt, then nod your head and they’ll give you one. If you don’t want a receipt, you can practice another easy Korean word – 괜찮아요 (gwen-chan-ah-yo), which means ‘it’s ok‘ or ‘no thanks’ in this situation.

How To Discuss Meals And Food In Korean

Food is a form of ritual and in all societies there are certain words and expressions that we use when we’re about to eat something or we’ve finished enjoying a stomach-filling meal. Korea is certainly no different and there are plenty of Korean phrases discussing food that you’ll hear in any restaurant.

Korea is a culture based around harmony and sharing, which you can see in the meals with communal dishes shared by all, such as Korean BBQ. Pouring drinks for each other is common, as is an endless procession of toasts at a Korean dinner party in the local restaurant after work.

If you want to wish the others at your table a pleasant and happy meal, tell them 맛있게 드세요 (ma-shi-geh deu-seh-yo), which means ‘enjoy your meal‘ or ‘bon appetit‘. After the meal, show how satisfied you are by saying 잘 먹었습니다 (jal moh-goh-sseum-ni-da), which means ‘I really enjoyed the meal’.

Feeling hungry in Korea? Then say 배고파요 (bae-go-pa-yo) to say ‘I’m hungry’. It’s easy to eat too much at Korean meals, especially meals like Korean BBQ. If you’ve had enough and want to stop eating, then say 배불러요! (bae-bul-loh-yo!) to show you’re full. It literally means ‘my stomach is full’.

Here are some more Korean phrases to help you discuss your meal and to help you ask for things while you’re eating out in Korea.

Korean Phrases Discussing Food Explained

더 (doh) means ‘more‘ in Korean and if you’re ordering food or want to get more of something, this simple word is all you need. Of course, be sure to add ju-seh-yo to the end to be polite.

너무 (noh-moo) means something is ‘too -‘, as in ‘too spicy’ or ‘too hot’. Once you learn some more adjectives, this is a great way to indicate how you feel about something. 너무 춥다 (noh-moo choop-da) – it’s too cold! If you’re travelling to Korea in winter, you’ll certainly say that a lot.

음식 (eum-shik) – you can’t talk about Korean phrases for ordering food without this word, which means ‘food’ in Korean. You can add this word to a country to ask for food from that place. For example, food from China (중국) is 중국 음식 (jung-guk eum-shik) and food from Mexico (멕시코) is 멕시코 음식 (mek-shi-ko eum-shik).

Cultural Tips When Eating In A Korean Restaurant

Here are a few quick tips about eating out in Korea and how to avoid cultural faux pas, taken from my guide to Korean etiquette and culture. These tips cover the whole dining experience, from entering the restaurant to eating politely and tipping. Learning these simple cultural differences will go a long way.

1: Remember to take off your shoes. If there is a raised entrance when you go into a restaurant, take off your shoes before entering. You’ll see shoe lockers to store your shoes in or leave them on the floor with the others. This usually only happens with traditional Korean restaurants.

2: Wait for elders to sit before you do. If you’re eating with a Korean family or co-workers, be sure to respect the age-based hierarchy and wait for elders to sit first. This also applies to your boss if you’re at a work social event.

3: Tipping isn’t necessary. I’ve lived in Korea since 2015 and never had to (or been able to) leave a tip. Except for a few restaurants in Seoul that might add a service charge, you won’t be asked or expected to tip staff in Korean restaurants.

4: Don’t pour drinks for yourself. This applies to social situations, not when dining alone or with your family. It’s said to be bad luck to pour your own drinks at a party. Be remembered for your generosity and offer to pour for others.

5: Help others before you help yourself. As with pouring drinks, Korean dining experiences are a communal event and you should consider others before yourself. This usually involves handing out chopsticks and spoons to others before eating, or offering dishes to people to try.

6: Use two hands when pouring drinks. This is a common etiquette rule that applies in several situations, including shaking hands and giving gifts or money. Keep two hands on the bottle when you pour drinks, or keep one hand on your arm as you pour.

7: Don’t lick your fingers while you eat. Even with the messiest food, you’re expected to use chopsticks to eat your meal (or a spoon). Licking your fingers is seen as unhygienic at best, but can also be considered rude to some Korean people.

8: Don’t stick your chopsticks upwards in rice. This is very bad etiquette as this looks like incense sticks used at Buddhist funeral ceremonies and brings bad luck. Avoid at all costs.

Pronunciation Tips For Ordering Food In Korean

Korean is a relatively straightforward language to pronounce, which is great news for people trying to order food in Korean as you won’t get your tongue tied up in knots saying what you want. Korean is a syllabic language, which means that if you pronounce each syllable clearly, you should be understood.

Most Korean words and syllables are pronounced as they are in English, but the vowel sounds can be a bit tricky. Here’s how to pronounce some of the vowel sounds used in this guide, as well as making soft vowel sounds using the letter ‘h’ at the end and double consonant sounds:

Be patient and do your best when trying to speak Korean. I really hope you’ll have great success when using these phrases while you’re eating out in Korea. If you have trouble understanding what someone is saying to you, you can ask them to speak more slowly with the following phrase:

Want to learn how to pronounce Korean words? Check out this video teaching you how to learn Korean pronunciation from the Learn Korean Free YouTube channel.

Useful Tips To Order Food In Korean

I’ve eaten out in Korea way too much, it’s hard not to. The food is cheap, delicious, and there is so much variety, a lot more than people realise before visiting Korea. I’ve put together a few tips to help you get even more out of your trip and the delicious Korean meals you’re going to enjoy.

1: Korean food is cheap. Don’t be surprised by how much you get. However, food can get expensive, especially if you want to eat foreign foods. You’re in Korea and so I’d really recommend trying the local foods before looking for something more familiar.

2: Meals are often for two. Some meals will be for two or more people and will be indicated on the menu with – 2인 (2 people in Korean). If you see this, then the price is for the whole meal, not per person. This is a big sharing meal and are often much better than individual meals – check them out!

3: Understanding Chinese characters. Sharing meals (like those found in tip 2) usually come in 3 different sizes, which are represented by traditional Chinese characters. These are as follows:

• 小 (so) – small portion
• 中 (jung) – medium portion
• 大 (dae) – large portion

A small portion is enough for 2-3 people. Remember, the meal will usually come with side dishes, too.

4: Eat at traditional markets. Korea’s traditional markets and Korean street food stalls offer the most amazing Korean food and are often cheaper and fresher than in a restaurant. Be sure not to miss them when you visit Seoul and other cities.

5: Indulge in side dishes. Traditional Korean meals typically come with side dishes, called banchan (반찬). These are included with the meal and if you ask for more, you can often get free refills. Don’t be surprised if you order a simple meal and end up with 10 or even 20 side dishes!

6: Wrap it up. If your meal comes with a bowl of lettuce leaves (or cabbage), you’re probably meant to use it to wrap the other parts of the meal. Eating a Korean BBQ is a really fun experience and one of the times it’s ok to get your fingers dirty. Pick up some meat, garlic, kimchi, and whatever else you fancy, and wrap it inside the lettuce leaf and pop it into your mouth.

7: Stay Hydrated. Restaurants in Korea always give you free water (sometimes iced tea). This is a great way to get free liquids during the day. Make the most of it as Korea can be hot, especially in summertime. Also, Korean dishes tend to be quite salty, so staying hydrated is important.

Korean Cookbooks To Make Korean Dishes At Home

If you’re not in Korea yet, why not try making delicious Korean foods at home instead? Here are some Korean cookbooks to learn how to make a range of tasty Korean treats. Start with the basics, such as tteokbokki and mandu, or jump straight into filling meals like kimchi jjigae and jjamppong.

Maangchi’s Big Book Of Korean Cooking

The book contains the favourite dishes by famous Korean chef and YouTuber, Maangchi. She has perfected many Korean meals over the years, from Korean barbecue and fried chicken to bulgogi and bibimbap. Discover Maangchi’s professional approach to Korean cooking today.

Available on Amazon

The Korean Vegan: Joanne Lee Molinaro

Joanne Lee Molinaro has captivated millions of fans with her powerfully moving personal tales of love, family, and food. In her debut cookbook, she shares a collection of her favorite Korean dishes, some traditional and some reimagined, as well as poignant narrative snapshots that have shaped her family history.

Available on Amazon

Wookwan’s Korean Temple Food

As the first volume of temple cuisine published in English, Wookwan herself has written an elegant volume that introduces the reader to Korean temple food, including what it means to care for the ingredients at each step of preparation, following the three key principles of cooking temple food, interspersed with her own accounts and tips among the recipes.

Available on Amazon

Korean Stone Bowl Cooking Pot

An essential part of many Korean winter dishes is the stone bowl (dolsot) cooking pot. This can be used to make dishes such as dolsot bibimbap, kimchi jjigae, and many other hot soups and stews.

Available on Amazon

Cookbooks not your thing? Check out the Baek Jong Won YouTube channel. He’s one of Korea’s most famous chefs and you can find his restaurants all over the place. He can teach you to make tteokbokki and many other tasty Korean winter foods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about how to order food in Korean. These answers are based on my own experience and from research conducted to write this article. If you have any more questions about this topic, please feel free to post a comment at the end of this article.

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This list of things to do in Busan when it’s raining is packed full of great activities that you can also use as a guide for when it’s not raining. If you haven’t already planned to visit these places, I’d definitely recommend checking them out not only during rainy season in Korea, but in any other season, too.

Read on to find out how to spend a rainy day in Busan without getting soaked and have an incredible day out whatever the weather. Whether you’re travelling alone, as a family, or with friends, there’s always something fun to do in Busan. I hope you find the perfect indoor activities for you.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

Having A Rainy Day In Busan?

I know how you feel, there’s nothing worse than planning a day out, only to find that your plans to visit leafy parks, walk the streets, and enjoy the great outdoors have been ruined by rainy weather. Fortunately, Busan is a fun, vibrant city with many indoor attractions for you to enjoy when it’s raining.

What Are You Looking For?

To help make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for, I’ve broken this article into the following sections. Click the quick links below to jump straight there or keep reading through all parts.

Family Friendly

These family friendly activities are perfect for young ones and teenagers.

Indoor Activities

Fun indoor activities for all ages, a rainy day in Busan doesn’t have to be boring.

Sightseeing

Here are some famous sights to see in Busan that you can enjoy even in the rain.

Spas & Saunas

Relax and unwind in one of Busan’s top spas and saunas at any time of day.

Cafes & Shopping

These cafes and shopping destinations will be a welcome break when it’s raining.

History & Culture

Learn more about Korea’s past and present with these cultural hotspots.

Night-Time Fun

Even when it’s raining at night, there are still lots of ways to have fun in Busan.

Experiences

Learn how to cook Korean food, take memorable pictures, and more.

Visit Busan Pass Activities

Some of these activities are free or discounted with the Visit Busan Pass, a city-pass for foreigners visiting Busan. The Visit Busan Pass can save you money on entrance fees across Busan and is a great investment if you plan to visit attractions like Busan X The Sky, Songdo Cable Car, and more.

When activities in Busan are covered by the Visit Busan Pass, I will add details about the discount. If you want to know more about what’s covered by the pass and get some itinerary ideas about how to use the pass and save money, check out the Visit Busan Pass website for more information.

Booking Activities Online

Some of these rainy day indoor activities in Busan can be booked online on the day or in advance. It is often cheaper to use tour companies like Klook, Viator, or Get Your Guide to book tickets (even last minute) vs. paying full entrance price. When online tickets are available, I’ll include a link for them.

Please note: When researching indoor activities in Busan, I found that several popular places have closed down in recent years. These are still listed on other guides that were written pre-covid. I recommend checking destinations on Naver Map for opening times and whether they’re still running.

Family Friendly Indoor Activities In Busan

Want to find somewhere to take the kids while it’s raining in Busan? Busan has many family friendly things to do with kids, and many of them can be enjoyed whatever the weather. Here are 6 really fun indoor activities in Busan that kids will love.

Poo Poo Land Busan

Poo Poo Land in Busan is a kid-friendly poop-themed adventure maze and photo zone. After taking lots of funny photos in the photo zone, learn about the path from plate to poop by travelling through a giant’s body. Navigating your way down his throat, through intestines, and finally get squeezed out into the ball pit play area. This might sound disgusting, but it’s a great play area that kids will enjoy and in the same building as other attractions, such as Running Man.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 부산진구 중앙대로 672 삼정타워 10층

Neighbourhood: Seomyeon

Visit Busan Pass: 20% Discount

Tickets: Available online

Brick Campus Busan

Brick Campus Busan is a ‘Brick Art Theme Park’ that displays works of brick art from Korean and international designers of famous scenes in miniature. Not only can you explore various themed rooms and galleries at Brick Campus, you can make your own brick creations in the design area. There’s even a restaurant with brick-themed food to complete the experience. Brick Campus is located close to Busan Lotte World and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple in Busan.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 기장군 기장읍 동부산관광로 8 롯데몰 메종동부산 1층

Neighbourhood: Gijang

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Tickets: Available online

Busan Children’s Museum

The Busan Children’s Museum is a great place to bring children when it’s raining in Busan. They can spend hours exploring the many fun areas in this experience-focused education and entertainment museum. Designed for younger children, the Busan Children’s Museum focuses on encouraging children’s’ creativity, curiosity, and imagination through STEM and sports-focused learning and play areas. Let your child learn and play indoors when it’s too wet to be outdoors.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 기장군 기장읍 기장해안로 172 2층

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Laser Arena

There are two laser arenas in Busan, one in Seomyeon and one in Samjeong Tower and both offer active indoor activities for children in Busan. Laser Arena is a laser-based survival arena where kids and adults can fight to be the last person standing or raid the other team’s base. Get some exercise and have fun in this futuristic laser battle arena. Please note: this is only for children aged 12 and above, so not suitable for young children.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 부산진구 서전로10번길 61 쥬디스태화 신관 6층 레이저아레나

Neighbourhood: Seomyeon

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

KidZania Busan

Kidzania Busan is a unique kid-friendly area near Centum City Mall that’s designed to allow children the chance to become grown ups and try working in a variety of different jobs. They can learn to fly a plane, perform surgery, or create delicious dishes as a chef, all in specialist areas that are replicas of those working environments. Children also develop skills like handling money, leadership training, and teamwork.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 센텀4로 15 센텀시티몰 4층

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Busan National Science Museum

The Busan National Science Museum is a unique building that houses a range of science-based attractions, activities, and displays that will please all. The science museum building itself is an attraction and shaped like a blocky space base of the future. Children will love the Dynamic Slide that runs from the second floor, as well as programs like Walk on the Surface of the Moon where you can experience walking in zero G.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 기장군 기장읍 동부산관광6로 59 국립부산과학관

Neighbourhood: Gijang

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Please note: Some activities may be language-dependent. It’s best to check if there are English speaking guides available before booking.

Fun Indoor Activities In Busan For All

Whether you’re travelling with children, or want somewhere fun to stay dry while it’s wet outside, these indoor activities will keep everyone amused.

Breakout Escape Busan

The Breakout Escape Room, which is available in English, offers an exciting way to escape the rain in Busan and use your thinking skills to solve this immersive puzzle. This is more than your average escape room, however. There are many themed rooms that you can try out and each one involves members receiving a role and special powers to help them escape the locked room, including a ‘scholar’, ‘assassin’, and ‘oracle’. Hopefully you can escape just as the rainy weather stops.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 해운대해변로 291 크리스탈비치오피스텔 609호

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Tickets: Available online

Sealife Busan Aquarium

Located at the main entrance to Haeundae Beach, the Sealife Busan Aquarium is the perfect place to have fun and escape the rain in Busan, especially at short notice. There are lots of fun fishy sights to see from around the world. Top sights in the aquarium include The Mermaid Show, the ocean floor glass tunnel, shark zone, and animal feedings (sharks, penguins, and otters). You can also try riding a glass-bottomed boat within the aquarium for close up fish views.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 해운대해변로 266

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Tickets: Available online

Running Man

If you’re a fan of Korean TV, you might know about Running Man, the long-running TV show where celebrity contestants have to complete wacky physical and mental challenges each week. Even if you’ve never heard of it, you can experience it for yourself at the Running Man Thematic Experience in Busan. This is a crazy indoor activity in Busan that will see you go through six different experience zones, including Running Ball, Maze Battle, and City Pursuit Battle. Beat the high score and win a certificate.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 부산진구 중앙대로 672 삼정타워 10층

Neighbourhood: Seomyeon

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Tickets: Available online

Trick Eye Museum Busan

Take dozens of amusing photos at the Trick Eye Museum Busan, located in the Museum of Movies, which is another attraction you can visit at the same time. The Trick Eye Museum offers a wide variety of mind-bending photo zones, from lava-filled streets to gaping dinosaur mouths waiting to snap closed. Use the app to create live-motion pictures to make your friends laugh. It’s easy to spend several hours walking around these indoor attractions and you’ll end up with lots of hilarious photos and memories afterwards.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 중구 대청로126번길 12 부산영화체험박물관 2F 트릭아이뮤지엄 부산

Neighbourhood: Nampo

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Tickets: Available online

Busan Museum 1 Exhibition

Museum 1, also known as Museum Dah, is an exhibition space in Busan with mind-bending digital art on all surfaces. The current exhibition is called ‘Signs of Loss’ and features artworks from 18 contemporary artists from Korea displayed across the floor, walls, and ceilings. The central area, which is looked over by the 2nd floor balcony (which has seats), has floor to ceiling moving art displays on a 6,000 inch ultra-large LED panel. A great indoor location to immerse yourself in art, take pictures, and relax.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 센텀서로 20 뮤지엄 원

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Tickets: Available online

Cabinet de Poissons At Ananti

Modern art lovers in Busan have many places to visit when it’s raining, including the sumptious looking Cabinet De Poissons at Ananti Hilton. Experience Ananti’s unique story in which the values of nature, humans, past, present, and future coexist through immersive digital art displays that cover all surfaces. Explore 6 themed areas, including the ‘Time Elevator’, Alive Nature’, Timeless Cocoon’, and ‘Paradise Hills’. There’s also a luxury cafe and bakery with views over the coast where you can watch the rain falling.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 기장군 기장읍 기장해안로 268-32

Neighbourhood: Gijang

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Tickets: Check Ananti website

Indoor Rock Climbing

Get some exercise when it’s raining in Busan by visiting an indoor climbing gym and scaling the heights on colourful climbing walls. Indoor rock climbing has become popular in Korea recently and you can find several places to try it in Busan, including Wave Rock, which has 3 locations in the city. Indoor climbing gyms typically provide or rent the necessary gear to climb and you’ll find a range of challenging walls to test yourself on.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 부산진구 서전로9번길 20 혜도인파크에비뉴 오피스텔 상가 3층

Neighbourhood: Seomyeon

Visit Busan Pass: No

Gaming Arcades

If you’re in a central area in Busan when it’s raining, like Seomyeon or Haeundae, you’ll probably be close to a gaming arcade. Look for the flashing lights, loud electronic sounds, and queues of young Koreans waiting to show their skills at the hottest arcade machines. Modern Korean arcades have a range of fun games, from racing to dancing, shooting, and horror games. If you don’t want to play, just watch the pros.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 중동 1383-10

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Popular Activities In Busan

Busan X The Sky

See the sights of Busan, including Haeundae, from 100 floors up at the highest building in Busan.

₩ 18,000

Visit Busan Pass

Get free access to a selection of 30 of the hottest tourism attractions in Busan for 24 / 48 hours

₩ 49,000

Busan Air Cruise

Hop on a Busan Air Cruise cable car and enjoy a thrilling ride across stunning Songdo Beach

₩ 16,000

Busan Spa Land

Relax and unwind at Spa Land Centum City, one of the best sauna and hot springs in Korea!

₩ 20,000

View More activities

Rainy Day Sightseeing Spots In Busan

A rainy day in Busan doesn’t have to mean the end to your sightseeing plans. Sure, it’s much better to visit popular outdoor sights when there are blue skies above, but these sights are still worth seeing even when the weather isn’t going your way.

Busan X The Sky

While a rainy day in Busan might not be the best time to visit an observatory, as clouds can diminish the view, there’s never a bad time to visit Busan X The Sky. The Busan X The Sky observatory, located 100 floors above Haeundae Beach, not only offers incredible views across the sea and city, there’s also the Sky 99 restaurant to dine in and the world’s highest Starbucks. Both offer you a place to relax and enjoy the views from inside the clouds.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 달맞이길 30

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Tickets: Available online

BIFF Square

The BIFF Square near Jagalchi Market is a cultural area in central Busan that celebrates the city’s film heritage, along with the annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Not only can you see memorials to Korea’s cinema history, the area is packed with wide streets full of market stalls and narrow alleys with cosy cafes and boutique shops. Grab your umbrella and explore this popular tourist area in the rain, or escape the rain inside a cafe or restaurant.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 중구 구덕로 80

Neighbourhood: Nampo

Visit Busan Pass: N/A

The Bay 101 Yacht Club

The Bay 101 Yacht Club near Haeundae Beach is where to go for peaceful yacht tours around Busan on a sunny day. When it’s raining, the Bay 101 becomes a good place to relax and watch the clouds float over the harbour. There are several restaurants and bars in the main building where you can look out the window and stay dry. The food and drinks are a bit overpriced due to the premium location, but special offers are available.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 동백로 52 더베이101

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: N/A

Haeundae Beach Train

The Haeundae Beach Train runs from Haeundae Beach to Songjeong Beach, passing along the coast for 30 minutes and stopping at other destinations along the way. Even on a cloudy day, the views from the train can be lovely and it’s a fun way to get from beach to beach without having to use a bus. The Sky Capsule runs above the train for part of the journey, but that’s best saved for a sunny day as it’s more expensive.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 달맞이길62번길 13

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Tickets: Available online

Indoor Saunas And Spas In Busan

Whatever the weather outside, visiting a spa or sauna is a great indoor activity that you can enjoy in Busan. There are lots of spas and water parks to see in Busan, from family friendly to luxury.

Spa Land Centum City

Spa Land in Centum City is probably one of the best spas in the whole of Korea and is a great way to spend the day if it’s raining or too hot. Inside Spa Land you’ll find 18 different hot springs and 13 theme spas, filled with hot spring water with sodium bicarbonate that’s brought from thousands of feet below ground. Enjoy traditional Korean food at the restaurant, massage chairs, beauty treatments, and lots more.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 센텀남대로 35

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Tickets: Available online

Hurshimchung Spa

Hurshimchung Hot Springs is one of the largest hot spring spas in East Asia and can cater to over 3,000 people. Soak yourself in one of the 40 baths, such as the Longevity Bath, Cave Bath, or Outdoor Bath, where you can stay warm in the rain. Some hot springs contain oriental medicinal elements and local herbs to provide additional health benefits, making this the healthiest way to spend a rainy day in Busan.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 동래구 온천장로107번길 32 허심청

Neighbourhood: Dongnae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Songdo Haesupia Sauna

The Songdae Haesupia Sauna is a traditional Korean sauna (known in Korea as a jjimjilbang) that offers a cheap indoor place to rest and relax. This is a lovely unique Korean experience where you can get naked and visit gender-segregated hot spring baths or come together in communal rest areas in the baggy pyjamas provided when you enter. There are hot rooms, TV lounges, food & drinks, and places to nap in the shared areas.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 서구 충무대로 134

Neighbourhood: Songdo

Visit Busan Pass: No

Ananti Cove Water House Hilton

The Ananti Cove Water House is a luxury hot spring spa inside the large cliffside Hilton Hotel in Busan. It offers an opulent spa experience with pure and mineral-rich waters drawn from underground wells. There are indoor and outdoor spas in this gigantic spa and you can freely move between infinity pools, saunas, hot springs, and other areas. Prices start at 32,000 KRW for a night pass. Don’t forget your swimwear.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 기장군 기장읍 기장해안로 268-31

Neighbourhood: Gijang

Visit Busan Pass: 20% Discount

Cafe And Shopping Spots In Busan

If it’s raining, or even if it’s not, these awesome cafe and shopping destinations in Busan are a great place to take a break, plan your next destination, and buy some cool souvenirs.

Haeridangil Cafe Area

Tucked away north of Haeundae Station is a cool cafe district called Haeridangil that’s hot with the locals but often overlooked by tourists. If the rain starts falling in Busan, run from the beach to these unique cafes that serve up delicious desserts and beautiful brews. I recommend Deep Flow, Duplit, and Hwangsil Classic, but most cafes are worth visiting. There are also lots of great restaurants in this area, too.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 우동 510-7

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: N/A

Tea N Books Gwangalli

One of my favourite places for indoor views of Busan, which is perfect when it’s raining, is Tea N Books near Gwangalli Beach. This little-known cafe is located on the 8th floor of a building close to Gwangalli Beach and is a book and cafe-lover’s dream. The large windows are split over two levels and allow you to sit or lie down on mats and cushions, reading, enjoying coffee and dessert, and taking in the views.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 수영구 민락수변로 29 8층 티앤북스 광안점

Neighbourhood: Gwangalli

Visit Busan Pass: N/A

Centum City Department Store

The Shinsegae Centum City is a fantastic place to escape bad weather when you’re in Busan. This giant indoor mall is packed with shops of all kinds, from high-end designer goods to global fashion, leisure brands, toys, and more. Not only can you shop, there is also an ice rink, cinema, golf range and the aforementioned Spa Land. You’ll find lots of cafe and dining options, catering to a range of tastes with excellent service and quality.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 센텀남대로 35

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: N/A

Bujeon market

For travellers to Busan who want a more traditional shopping experience and somewhere to hide when it’s raining, check out Bujeon Market in Seomyeon. This ever-busy market is loved by locals thanks to the low prices and wide range of traditional Korean goods and foods on offer. The central market area is roofed, which means you’ll stay dry as you explore the old-school restaurants and curious goods on offer.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 부산진구 중앙대로 786 10

Neighbourhood: Seomyeong

Visit Busan Pass: N/A

Jagalchi Fish market

Jagalchi Market in Busan is Korea’s largest seafood market and a eye-opening place to explore for those who want to see fish and learn more about Busan’s local history. Most market vendors are women, known as ‘Jagalchi Ajumma’ (Korean term for middle-aged women). As you explore this large market, sample freshly caught fish dishes and gaze in wonder at all the weird and wonderful sea life on display. This indoor activity in Busan is perfect when it’s raining.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 중구 자갈치해안로 52 자갈치시장

Neighbourhood: Nampo

Visit Busan Pass: N/A

Underground Shopping Centres

There are two large underground shopping centres in Busan where you can spend hours exploring hundreds of unique shops selling bargain goods, souvenirs, and cheap eats. The Seomyeon Underground Shopping Centre is the largest one, located under Seomyeon Station. Nampo Underground Shopping Centre, which runs between Jagalchi and Nampo subway stations, is a great place for cut-price fashion. Both offer rest areas to sit and cool off, too.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 부산진구 중앙대로 717 대현프리몰부산

Neighbourhood: Seomyeon

Address: 부산 중구 구덕로 44 남포지하쇼핑센터

Neighbourhood: Nampo

Visit Busan Pass: N/A

Indoor History And Culture Sights In Busan

Museums and galleries are one of the best places to visit when it’s raining in Busan and should be on your travel list regardless of the weather. Please note: some museums close on Mondays.

Korean National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum of Korea, the 3rd largest museum in Korea, is a family friendly indoor spot in Busan that will educate and entertain. The museum features eight permanent exhibition halls, explaining all about maritime culture, ocean life, maritime science, and more. There’s also a children’s hall, aquarium, grand auditorium, and a 4D theatre to enjoy.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 영도구 해양로301번길 45

Neighbourhood: Yeongdo

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry To 4D Theatre

Busan Modern History Museum

The Busan Modern History Museum, which is now part of the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, is a window into Busan’s growth and importance in Korea’s modern history. Built in 1929, during Japanese colonisation, this museum was transformed in 2023 into a place for people to learn about modern history. You can also take your shoes off and rest in the reading areas.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 중구 대청로 104 부산근현대역사관

Neighbourhood: Nampo

Visit Busan Pass: No

Busan Museum of Art

The Busan Museum of Art hosts a range of changing art collections from around the world, with new exhibitions appearing each year. Works range from modern art installations to classical art by international and Korean artists. The design of the museum itself is interesting and worth looking at as you wander around the spacious rooms and the outdoor sculpture park (with an umbrella).

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 APEC로 58

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Busan Coffee Museum

The Busan Coffee Museum is a quirky little museum in Seomyeon that you could be forgiven for missing. Located near to Jeonpo Coffee Street, this small museum is tucked away on the second floor and is a passion project all about the history, culture, and spread of coffee and coffee culture around the world. There are coffee-based exhibits to see before heading out for a coffee.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 부산진구 동천로 70 2층 207호

Neighbourhood: Seomyeon

Visit Busan Pass: No

Bokcheon Museum

If you’re interested in archaeology or learning more about Korea’s ancient past, then visit the Bokcheon Museum and learn about the history of Busan from the Three Kingdoms Era and before. There are displays showcasing ancient burial tombs and relics from the Bokcheon area, an important historic area in Busan and part of the ancient Gaya Kingdom.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 동래구 복천로 63 복천박물관

Neighbourhood: Dongrae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Seomyeon Museum Of Art

The Seomyeon Museum of Art is an indoor attraction in Busan where you can take photos and enjoy the various intriguing digital and physical art displays. These displays change regularly and focus on art and nature, usually involving digital designs to create unique spaces for you to explore and snap. A romantic place for couples to visit.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 부산진구 동천로 58 2층 서면미술관

Neighbourhood: Seomyeon

Visit Busan Pass: Free Entry

Night-Time And Adult Activities In Busan

Adults who want to go out and explore Busan’s nightlife might be surprised at the wide range of fun and relaxing activities there are on offer. From bars to spas, massages and movies.

Noraebang (Karaoke)

There are two good reasons to visit a noraebang (노래방) – a Korean karaoke room. First, this is a great place to visit when it’s raining and other places are closed. Second, you’ll be spending the evening as a large number of Koreans do. Singing and dancing in a noraebang is one of the most popular pastimes in Korea. There are dozens of noraebang across Busan and you’ll find a mix of Korean & international songs.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 구남로 29

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Watch A Movie

Busan is known as Korea’s film capital thanks to its history hosting the Busan International Film Festival and its role in major movies, including Black Panther and Old Boy. There are many cinemas in Busan from major cinema chains, such as CGV, Megabox, and Lotte Cinemas. The best place to watch a movie has to be in the Busan Cinema Centre, which shows all kinds of movies from around the world.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 수영강변대로 120 영화의전당

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Play At A PC Gaming Room

Visiting a PC gaming room is what a lot of Korean teenagers (and adults) choose to do regardless of the weather. Online gaming is a massive business in Korea and some of the best players in the world come from Korea. Where do they train? At a PC Room, also known as a PC-bang (PC방). You’ll see these all over Busan, usually near to noraebang and pool halls. If you’re travelling alone, then this could be one of the best things to do in Busan at night when it’s raining.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 해운대해변로265번길 13 3층 피플PC방

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Try Local Busan Beers

Sitting in one of Busan’s beachside bars, sampling some of the local craft beers from Busan breweries, such as Galmegi Brewery or Gorilla Brewery, is a great way to spend a rainy night in Busan. Gwangalli Beach and Haeundae Beach both have beachside bars. I recommend Gwangalli Beach as the bars are closer to the sand and offer better views. These breweries have their own bars in Gwangalli and there are other bars that sell their brews, too.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 수영구 광남로 58 2층

Neighbourhood: Gwangalli

Visit Busan Pass: No

Visit A Busan Casino

There are a couple of large casinos in Busan where you can spend a rainy evening playing casino games or watching others test their luck. Casino Paradise Busan inside the Paradise Hotel on Haeundae Beach comes with modern games, including blackjack, roulette, poker, slot machines, baccarat, and more. Don’t forget to bring your passport with you to enter the casino.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 해운대해변로 296

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: 10,000 KRW Game Coupon

Get A Massage

In case a day soaking your body in a hot spring spa wasn’t enough to help you relax, there are plenty of places to get a Thai or aroma massage in Busan, especially in popular areas such as Haeundae Beach and in Seomyeon. One of the biggest massage providers in Korea is Chung Dam Thai Massage, which has 5 branches in Busan, including inside Centum City.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 해운대해변로221번길 13 수암빌딩 B동 3층

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: 10% Discount

Cultural Experiences And Classes In Busan

If you plan to travel during rainy season, why not make sure you have some interesting and culturally broadening indoor activities to do. These creative classes in Busan offer just that.

Haeundae Korean Cooking Class

Master the art of Korean cooking that’s fit for royalty in this Korean cooking class in Haeundae. You’ll learn to prepare meals like a palace chef, serving foods that would have been dished out at royal banquets in Joseon era Korea. Create classic dishes like bibimbap, seaweed soup, and Korean pancakes and then savour your hard work by sitting down to enjoy them and a free dessert.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 마린시티3로 37

Neighbourhood: Heaundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Tickets: Available online

Pottery And Market Culture Tour

This pottery and market tour in Busan will take you around a village dedicated to making fine Korean pottery before discovering authentic Korean tastes at a local market. This tour shows you a different side of Busan and gets you away from the big city and into a world of traditional Korean culture. Not only can you witness these sights, you can make your own pottery.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산광역시 부산진구 부전로 181

Neighbourhood: Seomyeon

Visit Busan Pass: No

Tickets: Available online

Tea Ceremony In Busan

Busan is close to Japan and in this coastal city you can try a traditional tea ceremony based on the 500 year old Japanese method of serving matcha tea. Use authentic tea preparation equipment, including beautifully crafted pottery made by Korean pottery artisans. As well as experiencing the ceremony and learning about tea culture, which has been prevalent in Korea for centuries, you can also enjoy green tea and traditional sweet snacks.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 해운대구 달맞이길117번길 53 리버스빌 201호

Neighbourhood: Haeundae

Visit Busan Pass: No

Tickets: Available online

Cooking Class & Market Tour

There are so many wonderful traditional Korean dishes to sample when visiting Busan, but wouldn’t it be even better if you could learn to make some to share with your friends. Take time out of the rain to discover fresh Busan cuisine and practice making delicious dishes at this Korean cooking class, hosted by a local chef. The day starts with a trip to a local market to buy local ingredients and fresh seafood which you’ll use to prepare your delightful meals.

Location & Tickets

Address: 부산 서구 구덕로186번길 15 2층

Neighbourhood: Nampo

Visit Busan Pass: No

Tickets: Available online

Grab An Umbrella And Walk In The Rain In Busan

This final rainy day in Busan activity is one of the best. Busan is an action packed city and there is no excuse to waste a minute of it by staying inside the whole time. Even when it’s raining, you can still explore with a pair of good boots and a cheap umbrella from a convenience store.

Make no excuses, get out there, get a bit wet, but see some of the best city views you’ll ever see. Wandering around at night in the rain is a pleasure in itself. If you run out of things to do in Busan when it’s raining, this is always an option.

Location: Everywhere in Busan

Visiting Busan During Rainy Season

If you plan to visit Busan between June and August, you might find yourself looking for more indoor activities than usual. That’s because summer in Korea starts off with rainy season, which typically runs from late-June until late-July. August is also one of the wettest months of the year in Korea.

Fortunately, there are plenty of summer activities in Korea, both indoors and outdoors. When it’s not raining, the summer temperature is often over 30 degrees during the day and stays above 20 degrees even at night. It’s hard to stay cool in summer, so you might actually welcome so cool, rainy relief.

Here are a few tips to help you out during rainy season:

Umbrella: You can grab umbrellas at any convenience store, stationery shop, Daiso, or department store. A cheap umbrella shouldn’t cost more than 7,000 – 10,000 KRW depending on size.

Rain gear: If you plan to go outside a lot, bring some rain gear such as a waterproof jacket and rain boots. You can always buy these in Busan. Head to a department store or hiking shop.

Taxis: Taxis in Korea are relatively cheap and taking a taxi can be more convenient than public transport. Check out my guide to Kakao taxi to help you call taxis to you at any time.

Rainy Day In Busan FAQs

Finally, here are a few FAQs about rainy day activities in Busan, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you. If you have any other questions you’d like to ask, feel free to leave a comment.

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This article introduces the best street food in Seoul and where to try it. Discover why travellers flock to Myeongdong Street Food Alley, Hongdae’s food scene, Gwangjang Market, and other hot spots for street food in Seoul. There are some useful Korean phrases to help you order street food, too.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

The 30 Best Korean Street Food In Seoul

Not sure what street food snack to try first when you arrive in Seoul? Well, take a look at this list of the 30 best Korean street foods you’ll find in Seoul and take a note. The best thing – most of these street foods are really cheap, easy to find, and you can try snack on them as you explore Seoul’s streets.

Here are the 30 best Korean street foods in Seoul:

Tteokbokki (떡볶이)
Spicy Stir Fried Rice Cakes

The most famous of all Korean street food, tteokbokki is a must-try when you visit Seoul. Tteokbokki is a simple dish, but full of flavour and textures that are so rewarding together, especially on a cold day. It’s basically a big pot of sweet and spicy sauce with chewy rice cakes and a few slices of fish cake. Each tteokbokki stall has their own recipe, making their dish spicier or sweeter as their customers like it. Definitely grab a bowlful of tteokbokki and sample this classic Korean street food.

Gyeran-Ppang (계란빵)
Egg Bread

Gyeran-ppang is an iconic Korean street food that you’ll find in Myeongdong Street Food Alley and many other places. These eggy-delights are very straightforward – it’s an oval-shaped piece of bread with an egg dropped on top that’s baked on a hot plate. Gyeran-ppang are cheap and make a good breakfast or late-night snack when you’re out in Seoul. Just be careful when you eat them as the yellowy egg yolk is often runny.

Bungeo-Ppang (붕어빵)
Red Bean Goldfish Pastry

Bungeo-ppang are red bean filled pastries cooked in a special fish-shaped pan to give them an adorable look. This cute street food can be found all over Seoul’s street corners during the winter months when people need a sweet treat to heat them up. These are literally called ‘carp bread’ in Korean as it’s shaped like a carp. These street food snacks are cheap and can be snapped up for 2,000 won or less.

Gamja Hot Dogs (감자핫도그)
Korean-style Hot Dogs

A Korean street food classic that’s made waves around the world, gamja hot dogs (potato hot dogs) are a guilty pleasure for many in Seoul. Gamja hot dogs are based on corn dogs, but have taken them to a new level. Korean hot dogs have sausage and cheese inside and are coated in crispy breadcrumbs (panko). The hot dogs are deep fried until they’re crispy, then coated in sugar and tomato ketchup to give a sweet and savoury taste that’s irresistible.

Bindaetteok (빈대떡)
Mung Bean Pancakes

Bindaetteok are a Korean street food that are usually found in Seoul’s traditional markets, especially Gwangjang Market. These deceptively delicious pancakes are made with crushed mung beans that have added vegetables and sometimes meat. Bindaetteok are best when eaten fresh from the hot plate, dipped in a bowl of soy sauce, and accompanied with a bowl of plain makgeolli rice wine. It’s a real Korean experience you have to try.

Dakgangjeong (닭강정)
Sweet-Crispy Fried Chicken

Korean fried chicken (the other KFC), is a popular indulgence on the weekend with a few cold beers and you’ll see many places serving chi-maek (chicken with beer) in Seoul. If you want to sample Korean fried chicken when you explore Myeongdong or Hongdae, try out a bowl (or bucket) of dakgangjeong. Discover amazing deep-fried chicken that’s covered in a uniquely Korean sweet-spicy-sticky sauce that’s finger-licking good!

Gilgeori Toast (길거리토스트)
Korean Street Toast

Gilgeori toast, which literally means ‘street vendor toast’ certainly doesn’t seem to be a traditional Korean snack, but it’s been around since the 1960s and remains incredibly popular as it’s cheap and filling. This street food snack is made with two slices of buttered bread that’s toasted until golden brown and then stuffed full with a variety of fillings, such as slices of ham, cheese, egg (scrambled), sliced veg, and even sweetcorn, all dressed in an unhealthy amount of sauce.

Dak-Kkochi (닭꼬치)
Skewered Chicken

There are several popular Korean street food snacks in Seoul that come on a skewer (kkochi), with the best of these being dak-kkochi. Dak-kkochi are typically made of alternating slices of chicken meat (dak) and spring onions (scallions). The dak-kkochi vendors put on the best performances among Seoul’s street food sellers, dancing with their handheld flame throwers while torching the chicken meat in front of you so it’s crispy and smoky.

So-Tteok So-Tteok (소떡소떡)
Sausage & Rice Cake Skewers

A plain yet delicious street food that’s popular with all ages in Korea is so-tteok so-tteok, which is a skewered snack made of chewy rice cakes (tteok) and mini Vienna sausages that are grilled and covered in various sauces. The rice cakes are the same as you get in tteokbokki, but they’re crispier as they’re grilled and not in a sauce, which is one of the best ways to eat them. So-tteok so-tteok make for a great snack in the morning or evening.

Eomuk / Odeng (어묵)
Fish Cakes Slices

An old-school Korean street food favourite that’s still popular all over Seoul with locals and tourists, eomuk is simply a thick-cut fish cake stuck on a long metal or wooden skewer. Eomuk are boiled in a salty broth that keeps them fresh and juicy and you usually get a cup of the broth to drink with the fish cake. These are also called ‘odeng’, based on the Japanese food ‘oden’, but Koreans are moving away from that name now.

Ramyeon (라면)
Instant Noodles

Ramyeon noodles are the go-to meal for students and budget travellers who want to try Korean street food in Seoul without breaking the bank. Street food vendors in Seoul often serve ramyeon in golden metal bowls and give you a portion of kimchi or cheese to add to it. You’ll find these places in traditional markets. A bowl of instant ramyeon can be added to many different traditional Korean meals, including tteokbokki, but is just as good by itself.

Grilled Cheese Lobster Tails
(치즈폭탄 랍스터 구이)

This is the most expensive street food in Seoul, but one that’s certainly worth trying if you’re hungry and visiting Myeongdong Street Food Alley. The soft, buttery lobster meat is cooked in the red lobster tail and stuffed with cheese. It’s flame-grilled by the street food vendors with a fiery torch that leaves the cheese crispy and the insides gooey and ready to eat. Scoop out the insides after posing for a photo with the most insta-worth street food in Seoul.

Sundae (순대)
Korean Sausage

Not to be confused with an ice cream sundae, Korean sundae (pronounced soon-dae) is a blood sausage that’s usually served in slices with a dipping salt. Sundae is a filling, meaty street food that’s perfect as a late night snack with a beer or a budget lunch. The main ingredients usually include pork, cellophane noodles, and rice, but regional variations might also include barley, kimchi, bean sprouts and perilla leaves. This is a salty dish, so make sure you have something to drink with it.

Hweori Gamja (회오리 감자)
Tornado Fries

Hweori Gamja, also called twisted potatoes or tornado fries, are a popular Korean street food that you’ll find in areas where young Koreans hang out like Myeongdong and Hongdae. Tornado fries were invented in Korea by Jeong Eun Suk and include a whole potato cut in a spiral and cooked on a skewer. You can add seasonings to the tornado fries, such as cheese, onion, or honey. They’re fun to eat as you walk around Seoul.

Twigim (튀김)
Korean Deep Fried Snacks

Twigim is the Korean word for ‘deep frying’ and this term relates to a collection of deep-fried foods coated in batter that are similar to Japanese tempura. In Korea, twigim street foods can include deep fried shrimp, pumpkin slices, peppers, perilla leaves, sweet potatoes, rice, and variety of other vegetables, fish and meat. When you get twigim as street food, you can pick your favourite deep-fried foods or order a mixed set called ‘modeum twigim’.

Gimbap (김밥)
Seaweed-wrapped Rice Roll

A classic Korean street food that provides millions of people in Korea with a cheap and filling street food snack or meal, gimbap is a dish made of filled rice wrapped in seaweed. There are dozens of varieties of gimbap, including tuna-mayo, battered shrimp, pork cutlet, beef, vegetables, scrambled eggs, fish cakes, and lots more. Gimbap, also called kimbap, are served in long rolls cut into slices or as small rolls that you eat individually (these are ggoma gimbap – little gimbap).

Guwun Garaetteok (구운 가래떡)
Korean Baked Rice Cake Bar

Rice cakes are found in many Korean street foods in Seoul, including tteokbokki and so-tteok so-tteok, but they are just as delicious when eaten by themselves, which is what you can do when you try guwun garaetteok. Garaetteok are long, cylindrical rice cakes that are soft and squidgy until they’re baked (guwun). Once baked, the garaetteok become crispy on the outside and chewy inside, making them a tasty treat that’s also healthy.

Mandu (만두)
Korean Dumplings

Mandu are Korean-style dumplings that are served steamed or fried and come with a range of fillings, including meat, kimchi, and shrimp. You can find mandu in Korean street food stalls in Myeongdong and Hongdae, as well as in traditional markets and you get around 5 mandu per portion. Steamed mandu shops are easily spotted due to the large clouds of steam billowing out from the front of the shop as mandu are being steamed and served.

Tanghuru (탕후루)
Sugar-Coated Fruits

A favourite of children in Seoul, tanghuru is a sweet Korean street food of fruits coated in rock sugar that give a crunchy bite of goodness. Various fruits can be used for tanghuru, but you’ll usually find bright red strawberries as they are the perfect size for skewering and snacking. The sugary coating is crunchy, not soft and sticky, which can be surprising when you first bite it. You’ll often find tanghuru stalls near the entrance to popular family-friendly attractions in Seoul.

Hotteok (호떡)
Korean Sweet Pancakes

Hotteok are crispy pancakes that are packed with ingredients that can include honey, seeds, nuts, and cinnamon. They’re the perfect winter Korean street food snack as the warm, gooey honey and other fillings heat you up instantly. The hotteok vendors stuff a ball of dough with the sweet filling, then fry it an on oily hot plate until it’s flat and crispy before folding it up and squeezing it into a paper cup to serve. Make sure to ask for a fresh hotteok so the insides are runny and hot.

Gun-Bam (군밤)
Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts, a popular street food snack in autumn and winter, are cooked in a large metal pan or spun in a metal oven until their shells crack, allowing you to eat the soft, smoky chestnuts inside. Roasted foods like this are common in Korea when it’s cold and provide a cheap snack for people who want a nutritious bite to eat, which you might need if you’ve only been eating tteokbokki for the rest of the time.

Gun-Goguma (군고구마)
Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Another roasted Korean street food that’s healthy, cheap, and filling is gun-goguma, or roasted sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are more common in Korea than regular potatoes and you’ll find vendors and convenience stores roasting these fresh. You can find them by following your nose to the smoky rocks that these sweet potatoes are roasted on. Peel away the skin and enjoy the soft insides.

Hodu-Gwaja (호두과자)
Walnut Cakes

Hodu-gwaja are bite-sized baked goodies that are made with crushed walnuts in the flour to give them a lovely, nutty texture. These walnut cakes are filled with the ever-popular red bean paste that’s at the centre of so many delicious Korean sweet treats. You’ll find these in Seoul in street corner carts where you can buy a bag with a dozen or more hodu-gwaja inside. Hodu-gwaja are perfect for snacking at any time.

Dalgona (달고나)
Korean Sugar Candy

Dalgona is a Korean sugar candy that was made famous internationally by the first season of Squid Game, but has been beloved in Korea for generations. You can buy this sugary snack from street food vendors who make it fresh and then print cute designs as it’s cooling. Dalgona used to be very cheap (1,000 KRW), but after the success of Squid Game, prices jumped and can be quite expensive (3,000 KRW+), especially in touristy areas.

Jjinppang (찐빵)
Korean Steamed Buns

Jjinppang, also known as hoppang, is a steamed bun that’s filled with sweet red bean paste and bits of broken up beans and best eaten fresh from the steamer where they’re kept warm. These white buns can also be filled with chocolate, cheese, meats, and more, but are most commonly filled with red beans. Jjinppang is a traditional Korean street food that’s similar to Chinese bao buns and these days are most commonly found inside convenience stores than on the street.

Kkwabaegi (꽈배기)
Twisted Korean Doughnuts

An old-school Korean street food that has long provided Korean children with a sweet, filling snack during their tough days of studying, kkwabaegi are similar to fried doughnuts but are long and twisted instead of round. Kkwabaegi are made from wheat or rice flour dough with melted butter, deep-fried in oil, and then dipped into trays of powdered sugar and cinnamon to give them a sweet coating. They’re one of the cheapest street foods in Seoul and go really well with a cup of coffee for breakfast.

Gukhwa-Ppang (국화빵)
Chrysanthemum Bread

Sweet red bean paste is found in many traditional Korean street food snacks, especially in baked goods. Gukhwa-ppang, or chrysanthemum bread due to their flowery design, is a flower-shaped bread that’s bursting with red bean paste and is a great winter warmer. Like a waffle, this snack is baked in a flower-shaped mould, trapping in and heating the red bean paste in the centre, waiting for you to discover it when you bite into it.

Kkul-Tarae (꿀타래)
Dragon’s Beard Candy

Dragon’s beard candy, known as kkul-tarae in Korea (honey-stein) or Korean court cake, is one of the most unique looking street foods in Seoul. The silky, hair-thin strands of honey-based candy that wrap the chewy insides are said to resemble a dragon’s beard when they get caught on your chin while eating these sweet snacks. These desserts aren’t that common in Seoul, but you can still find some vendors in the artistic Insadong area.

Ppeongtwigi (뻥튀기)
Korean Puffed Rice

Ppeongtwigi is a puffed grain snack that’s usually made from rice and corn and formed into round disks for snacking. Originally from the USA, the method of making puffed grains eventually ended up in Korea and became very popular in the early 20th Century. Puffed rice cakes are healthy snacks and you can buy big packets of them for a low price and in some places you can see them being shot out of the machine into a basket, ready to eat.

Beondegi (번데기)
Silkworm Pupae

Beondegi is a weird Korean food that will probably make tourists in Seoul curious or even squeamish. This smelly street food is simply boiled or steamed silkworm pupae scooped up into a paper cup and eaten with a toothpick. Koreans don’t eat many insects, but thanks to the health benefits from the high-quality, low-fat protein found in beondegi, these have remained popular. Be warned, the smell of these boiling bugs is quite strong and not that easy to digest.

Best Places To Try Korean Street Food In Seoul

There are many places to try Korean street food in Seoul, such as at traditional markets, food stalls, food markets, riverside parks, and outside popular attractions. You can find street food in every corner of Seoul, but the most convenient places are usually in touristy areas or in older parts of Seoul.

Street food vendors in Seoul work almost every day in traditional markets and street food stalls, but there are also weekend-only spots where food trucks descend in busy areas to feed hungry Seoulites. During festivals, such as spring cherry blossom festivals, you’ll also find temporary street food stalls.

Here are some of the best places to find street food in Seoul:

Myeongdong Street Food Alley & Night Markets

The most popular place to try Korean street food in Seoul has to be Myeongdong Street Food Alley. This wide street in central Seoul is lined with food stalls selling all kinds of traditional and modern street foods, including cheesy lobster tails, tornado fries, gyeran-ppang, and tteokbokki. The entrance to Myeongdong Street Food Alley is opposite the Lotte Department Store. Myeongdong’s markets spread across many streets and include street foods, souvenirs, cosmetics, and more.

Hongdae Shopping Street

Hongdae Shopping Street, which runs from Hongik University through the heart of Hongdae, is a great place to try modern Korean street food and enjoy the cool culture that this area is famous for. Munch on some fried chicken or hotteok while watching street performances in the evening, or get some tanghuru to go with your morning coffee. There are plenty of sweet treats to try in this area and it’s a great area to stay in Seoul.

Gwangjang Traditional Market

Gwangjang Traditional Market is Seoul’s most famous market for street food and was the star of the Netflix show Street Food. In the Seoul episode it showed bindaetteok from Gwangjang Market, which is definitely the best place in Seoul to try this satisfying street food. There’s a load of other delectable traditional street foods in Gwangjang Market, including sundae, mandu, ramyeon, and more. Don’t miss it.

Bukhansan National Park

If you plan to hike Seoul’s Bukhansan National Park, make sure you top up on some delicious street food snacks before you go to give you energy, including hotteok and garaetteok. You’ll find vendors selling freshly made gimbap at the park’s entrance, too, which is perfect to put in your backpack and bring with you and eat as you reach Baegundae Peak. There’s also tteokbokki and other traditional Korean street foods to try at the main park entrance.

Namdaemun Market

Another traditional market in Seoul with street food is Namdaemun Market, which opens from late morning until late at night. Namdaemun Market is often mistaken as Myeongdong Market as it’s very close and can be accessed from Hoehyeon Station, which is one stop before Myeongdong Station. This market is a bit more traditional than Myeongdong, so expect to find classic street foods such as hotteok, beondegi, kkwabaegi, and tteokbokki.

Insadong Art Street

Insadong Art Street is a fun area in central Seoul that’s close to several royal palaces, Jogyesa Temple, and other historic sights. The side streets in this area are full of traditional Korean restaurants and old wooden tea houses. However, the main street is a unique blend of Korean and international, with street food vendors selling dragon’s beard candy, Turkish ice creams, tteokbokki, and rice cakes.

Euljiro Neighbourhood

Euljiro, an area north of Myeongdong and around Cheonggyecheon Stream in central Seoul, is packed with street food stalls, bars, and restaurants that are popular with locals and tourists alike. Head to Jonggak Avenue of Youth near Jonggak Station for a lively bar scene with street food vendors in the main street, or wander outside Euljiro 3-ga Station to see Euljiro Pojangmacha Street, full of street food stalls where you can sit and eat under covers.

Mangwon Market

Mangwon Market, close to Mangwon Station, is less touristy than Hongdae, Namdemun, and Myeongdong markets and you will find more traditional Korean street foods and restaurants here. This market near Hongdae is perfect for stocking up before visiting the nearby Han River parks or snacking as you explore the side streets and back alleys of Mangwon. There are lots of nice cafes and bakeries in this area for lunch, as well as famous Korean fried chicken restaurants where you can experience a night-time food tour.

Seoul’s Night Markets

If you’re visiting Seoul from late spring to autumn, you’ll find lots of yummy Korean street food stalls at Seoul’s summer night markets, including the Goblin Night Markets that run at various times and in various locations in popular night-time spots, including Yeouido Hangang River Park, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and Dongdaemun Design Plaza. You’ll find the best street food trucks selling traditional, modern, and fusion food at these markets.

Street Food Trucks In Seoul

Seoul’s street food trucks offer an impressive array of dining options, from traditional tteokbokki to flame-grilled chop-steak, foreign foods with a Korean twist, and lots more. You can find street food trucks in many locations in Seoul, including the Han River Parks (especially Yeouido), near Seoul Forest, Olympic Park, night markets, Seokchon Lake, weekend markets, festivals, and parades. You can usually find them on weekends and holidays, as well as in spring and autumn.

Fun Korean Food Tours In Seoul

Want to try traditional Korean food in Seoul but not sure where to go and which one of the many options you should try? Why not book a street food tour or Seoul food tour and discover the best bites, make friends, and have fun exploring Seoul’s day or night dining scene.

Here are some of the best food tours available in Seoul:

Seoul Night Food Tour

Discover Seoul’s lively night scene in Euljiro in this evening tour of Seoul. Meet your local guide and walk, talk, and eat your way around the bustling streets and traditional markets while experiencing ‘hansik’ – Korean traditional meals and snacks. See where BTS visited and took a photoshoot, pass by Cheonggyecheon Stream, and even try some Korean cocktails.

Tour Details

The 10 Tastings of Seoul

Eat your way through Seoul’s most popular traditional markets on this 3-hour private Korean food tour that’s perfect for travellers looking to skip the tourist trap restaurants and eat like a local. Experience 10 Korean street food dishes and local cuisine that’s been hand-picked by a local guide who’s passionate about Korean food. Eat and learn about local culture at the same time.

Tour Details

Chicken & Beer Experience

Explore the authentic chicken restaurants of downtown Mangwon, home to some of Seoul’s best establishments and loved by locals. This chicken and beer experience will take you to 3 different chicken restaurants, introducing you to 90s style Korean fried chicken, country-style barbecue chicken, and sizzling boneless fried chicken in a unique WWII setting. The tour includes all drinks and food and will show you areas of Seoul you might not normally visit as a tourist.

Tour Details

Noryangjin Fish Market Tour

If you want to try fresh fishy street food, then this tour of the Noryangjin Fish Market could be right up your alley. This is the best place to eat fresh seafood in Seoul and offers some of the best prices, too – better than you’ll find in restaurants. This tour of Noryangjin Fish Market will allow you to try various seasonal fish and seafood dishes while your guide tells you what each unusual sea creature is.

Tour Details

Korean Phrases To Buy Street Food In Seoul

Korean is a unique language and hard to learn, especially for travellers from English-speaking countries. Fortunately, there are a few simple Korean phrases you can use to help you order food in Korea, ask for prices, and give compliments. Using these will impress Seoul’s street food vendors.

Besides speaking Korean, which will definitely impress the locals, there are a few Korean etiquette rules that you might want to be aware of. Did you know you shouldn’t tip when you buy food or drinks? Also, remember to take off your shoes inside traditional restaurants and don’t cross your legs.

Here are 12 useful phrases to use when ordering street food in Seoul. If you’d like to learn more phrases, check out my guide to phrases for eating out in Korea, which covers dietary requirements, ordering out, eating in a restaurant, and lots of useful Korean cultural and language insights.

If this article has whetted your appetite, be sure to check out my other Korean food-based articles, including the best Korean side dishes and the best traditional Korean dishes. There are lots of delightful and unique foods to try when you travel to Korea. Be brave, try them all.

Korean Street Food FAQs

Finally, here are a few FAQs about Korean street food in Seoul, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you. If you have any other questions you’d like to ask, feel free to leave a comment.

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Korea’s restrooms are a mixed bunch and include everything from high-tech heated toilet seats to traditional squat toilets that might make some people uncomfortable. This article covers all there is to know about going to the toilet in Korea, what to watch out for in public restrooms, and lots more.

If you want some interesting cultural insights about Korean toilet culture, then check out the ‘insights‘ section or use the links in the table of contents below. Otherwise, I hope this article will provide lots of useful information about Korean public toilets, including how to find them and what they’re like.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

What Are Public Toilets In Korea Like?

What are public toilets in Korea like? Are they clean and luxurious or dirty and disgusting? Are Korean toilets the same as in other countries such as the USA or Singapore, or modern marvels like you’ll find in high-tech Japan? Well, they’re all of the above and generally not too bad. Mostly.

This article introduces you to the different types of toilets you’ll encounter in Korea, show where to find public toilets in Korea, prepare you for likely toilet surprises, offer some toilet etiquette tips, and give you insights into using public restrooms while travelling in Korea. Essential reading for sure.

Travelling to another country, especially one that might be in a different continent, can be exciting and daunting in equal measures. You’re about to discover a world of new experiences, places, tastes, sights, sounds, and faces, but also a world of surprises that come with a unique culture.

You’ve planned out what to see and do in Seoul and beyond, but one thing you might not have considered is what to do when you need the loo. Or perhaps you have, which is why you’re reading this guide to Korean public toilets. Either way, going to the toilet in Korea is going to be an experience.

Different Types Of Korean Toilets

Toilets in Korea fall into one of three different categories, ranging from heated seats that you won’t want to leave (especially during winter), to knee-aching holes in the floor that will test your yoga poses. Here are the different types of toilets in Korea, all of which can be found in Korean restrooms.

Luxury Electric Toilets: The king of toilets. This is a wonderful modern toilet that originated in Japan in the 1980s. This toilet features an electronic bidet that has a range of functions, including various sprays for cleaning certain areas, a fan for drying those areas, automatic flushing, and heated seats.

Standard Flush Toilets: The most common type of toilet in Korea’s public restrooms is the standard flush toilet that is used around the world. This is what many people have in their homes if they haven’t splashed out on an electronic bidet. Almost all public restrooms in Korea will have one of these.

Basic Squat Toilets: These are the traditional squat toilets that are basically a ceramic hole in the ground that you do your business into. These toilets don’t have a seat, hence the name. You can find squat toilets across Korea and they’re still used in many countries in Asia and other places.

Which Toilets Are Common In Korean Public Restrooms?

Korean public restrooms mostly have flush toilets with a seat and flush (handle or button) in a stall. For male restrooms, urinals are the same as you’ll find in other countries. Some public toilets may have electronic bidets, but these are usually reserved for disabled toilets and some wealthier areas.

Squat toilets are also still common in public bathrooms in Korea, although they aren’t as common as flush toilets. Public toilets in Korea will usually have one squat toilet for every two or three flush toilets. Electronic bidets aren’t common in public restrooms, but you might find them in department stores.

Public toilet stalls in Korea usually have a sign outside to show you which type of toilet is inside. The picture above shows the sign for a squat toilet (sometimes called an oriental water closet) at a subway station in Daejeon. Standard toilets and electronic bidets will have a picture of a flush toilet.

I’ll provide more information about what Korean toilets are like inside later on in this article. I’ll explain more about Korea’s toilet hygiene, safety, convenience, and comfort so you know what to expect. The first challenge, however, is being able to find a public toilet in Korea, which is covered next.

Where To Find Public Toilets In Korea

If you need to find a public toilet in Korea, the best option is to head to a train or subway station and use the facilities there. These public toilets are cleaned regularly, are free to use, and have a large enough capacity to handle many people at once. They are open as long as the station is open.

Public restrooms in Korean train or subway stations will have a mixture of squat and flush toilets, as well as disabled toilets. The stations in large cities, such as Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daejeon, and Gwangju, will have perfectly acceptable toilets that are fine to use. Toilet rating 4/5.

If you’re not near a train or subway station, here are some other places you can find a public toilet in Korea. Some of these aren’t open to the general public, but you can get away with using them anyway and people in Korea will do so if they need to. Some toilets will have a pass-code.

Shopping Malls: High-end shopping malls in Korea have the best toilets and if you’re near one, this is the best place to go to the toilet. Department stores such as Shinsegae, Galleria, Lotte, or Hyundai usually have toilets with electronic bidets, regular cleaning, and great facilities. Toilet rating: 5/5.

Tourist Attractions: Travellers in Seoul can breathe a sigh of relief when planning a busy day out sightseeing. Tourist attractions, including Seoul’s palaces, museums, and galleries, generally include clean and modern toilets. If you pay an entry fee, there’s usually a toilet. Toilet rating 4/5.

Bus Terminals: Like train and subway stations, bus terminals are equipped with restrooms that can handle a large number of people. However, in my experience travelling in Korea, bus terminal toilets aren’t as nice as train and subway station restrooms and are typically older. Toilet rating 3/5.

Cafes: Cafes in Korea will either have toilets inside the cafe (if it’s a standalone building) or there will be toilet access in the building (more common). These toilets are locked and you need a code to enter them, which is usually on the door, on the counter, or printed on your receipt. Toilet rating 3/5.

Restaurants: As with cafes, restaurants usually have shared toilets with the rest of the businesses in the building. This is common in Korea and they require a passcode (4 digits) found inside the restaurant. Beware, you might need to ask for toilet paper for these toilets. Toilet rating 3/5.

Public Parks: In case of an emergency, head to a public park in Korea and you should be able to find a toilet (pictured above). However, public restrooms in parks are a gamble and can range from clean and modern to… not so clean. They’re generally safe and have all you need. Toilet rating 3/5.

Car Parks: Another last resort, car parks in Korea might (not always) have a public toilet available for people using the car park (or passing through). The cleanliness and comfort of these toilets depends on the location and countryside car parks can be rather basic. Toilet rating 2/5.

Travellers to Japan may be aware that Japanese convenience stores have toilets that customers can use when they visit the store. While Korea has many thousands of convenience stores, none of these offer toilets. They offer almost everything else, but you can’t rely on them when you need to go.

How To Use Naver Map To Find Korean Public Toilets

The most reliable way to find a public toilet in Korea is to use Naver Map. Use the search function at the top of Naver Map to search for 화장실 (hwa-jang-shil), the Korean word for restroom. You can also search for ‘toilet’ in English. Both searches return the same results (see pictures below).

However, it’s important to note that these toilets aren’t all public toilets and you may not be able to use them. As mentioned, some Korean toilets are available for everyone, but some may have door codes or be inside cafes. The toilet in ‘A Twosome Place’ (below) is likely to be closed to non-customers.

Can you use Google Maps to search for toilets in Korea? Unfortunately, Google Maps isn’t very effective in Korea and often returns unreliable data. It doesn’t show subway lines and the display is not as user friendly as Naver Map, which is why I recommend Naver Map for directions in Korea.

The screenshot below is a search in Korean for toilets in the same area (Myeongdong) as the Naver Map searches above. As you can see, not only does the map look more basic and less useful, there are also far fewer search results available. It doesn’t even show the Myeongdong Station toilet.

To be able to use Naver Map and other Korean applications as you travel in Korea, you’ll need to have access to the Internet. There is lots of free public WiFi in Seoul and other cities, which is really useful, but if it’s an emergency, you might not want to wait to find a good signal.

I recommend getting a Korean sim card for your phone and installing it when you arrive at Incheon Airport. This will allow you to use Korean apps, make reservations (phone numbers are required for these in Korea), get food delivered, book and pay for taxis with Kakao Taxi, and more.

Where To Find Public Toilets In Seoul

The best place to find public toilets in Seoul are at major train stations or subways stations. These are spread out across the city, so you should be able to find one nearby. If you plan to use the subway to travel in Seoul, I recommend using the toilets during your journey while you have a chance.

Tourist attractions such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, N Seoul Tower, Lotte World Tower, and Jogyesa Temple will also have restrooms which are open to visitors or people passing by. It’s not easy to find public restrooms in areas such as Bukchon Hanok Village, so you may need to go to a cafe.

If you’re exploring popular districts in Seoul, such as Hongdae, Gangnam, or Myeongdong, head to a shopping mall, department store, or subway station to use the public bathrooms there. When you stop for a coffee or meal, use the facilities there as you won’t be able to find them on the street as easily.

Public Toilets Outside Of Seoul

In Korean cities outside of Seoul, the same rules apply for locating a public toilet. Head to a train or subway station for the most accessible public restrooms. Daejeon, Busan, Incheon, and Gwangju all have a subway system in the city and a train station in or near the centre.

Less touristy cities, such as Daejeon and Gwangju, may not have as many public toilets as they’re not used to catering to large numbers of tourists. In areas such as Haeundae Beach in Busan, there will be more public restrooms as there are more visitors, both Korean and foreign tourists.

The quality of restrooms in Korean cities will vary depending on the overall level of development in that city. For example, in central Daejeon, there are typically well maintained public toilets, but on the outskirts of the city, particularly in less wealthy neighbourhoods, the facilities aren’t as modern.

As for the Korean countryside, you may have a hard time finding public toilets. The best options are bus terminals, cafes, and restaurants, as well as any shopping or outlet malls that might be around. Be sure to use facilities when you can, especially if you’re walking or trekking in rural areas.

Public Toilets In Korean National Parks

Korea’s national parks are a great place to enjoy hiking and to see some of the amazing scenery that Korea has to offer. When you enter a Korean national park, there are usually well maintained public toilets that you should definitely use. However, as you hike higher, toilets are more limited.

Some Korean national parks will only have toilet facilities near the entrance and along trekking courses before the main hiking routes begin. For example, at Gyeryongsan National Park near Daejeon, the last toilets are found just after Donghaksa Temple before the main ascent begins.

Toilets are not usually indicated on hiking route maps inside national parks, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. If you pass a Korean temple or a restaurant area on the way, they might have toilets available for you to use. However, if you’re getting into rocky hiking areas, expect no toilets.

For more useful hiking advice, check out my guide to hiking in Korea. It’s packed full of other practical hiking tips such as how to plan your hike, where to go, when to travel, how to deal with the weather, what to pack, and lots more. It even has more information about toilets.

What Is The Korean Word For Toilet?

The Korean word for toilet is 화장실 (hwa-jang-shil) and is used to describe a toilet, restroom, bathroom, or similar place to do your business. The actual toilet itself is called a 화장 (hwa-jang) and 실 (shil) is a Korean word that means ‘room’. A shower room in Korean is called a 샤워실 (sha-wa-sil).

When you travel in Korea, you will notice that a lot of signs have at least English translations and sometimes also Japanese or Chinese, too. Toilet signs usually include an English translation so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding them. Sometimes signs are only in English (as pictured below).

How To Ask Directions To A Toilet In Korean

If you need to ask directions for a toilet in Korean, you can say the following (please note that I’ve removed a particle to make it easier to pronounce, but the meaning won’t be lost):

화장실 어디세요? (Hwa-jang-shil o-di-se-yo?)

This translates to ‘bathroom, where is?’. If you use this phrase, you should be understood in Korean. If you just say ‘hwa-jang-shil‘, I’m sure any Korean would understand that you need to find a bathroom. Learn how to ask where things are and more in my list of essential Korean travel phrases.

Insights Into Korean Public Toilet Culture

This section of this guide to Korean public toilets covers some of the biggest questions people have about using toilets in Korea. This includes questions about the safety and hygiene of public toilets, whether toilet paper is provided, if there are disabled toilets, and how much they cost.

It also provides insights into cultural differences between Korean toilets and those found in other countries. Do you know why there are metal bins in toilets, or why the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics changed toilet culture in Korea? Find out all the answer to all these questions right here.

Are Korean Public Toilets Clean And Safe?

Korean public toilets are safe to use, are mostly cleaned often, and won’t pose any health or hygiene problems for travellers to Korea. Korea in general is a very safe country to travel to. In fact, Seoul ranked as the 5th safest city in the world to travel to according to a 2023 BHTP survey.

I’ve used public toilets in Korea with no problems beside a lack of toilet paper or an unflushed toilet or two since I moved to Korea in 2015. My experience with Korean public toilets ranges from relieving times on a cosy heated seat to stinky festival-like temporary toilets at beaches and concerts.

However, bad smells aside, I’ve never felt like Korean toilets are dangerous or disgusting. The biggest danger is using a toilet during summer when mosquitoes make their home in the bathroom. That makes going to the toilet more of an active sport. An unheated toilet seat in January is also not fun.

Korean toilets are cleaned regularly, especially in busy tourist areas such as Seoul Station and Gyeongbokgung Palace. If you’re using a Korean public toilet in a popular area of Seoul or another large city, you shouldn’t have issues with cleanliness besides any mess the last person made.

One recent introduction to Korean public restrooms are displays to show available toilet stalls before you enter. The picture below shows a smart toilet sign with the availability of toilet facilities at a subway station in Daejeon. There are also occupied (red) or unoccupied (green) lights outside stalls.

Is There Soap In Korean Public Restrooms?

A culture shock you might have in a Korean public restroom is the type of soap there. Korean soap is either liquid hand soap from a dispenser or a blue ‘rotating’ soap that sticks out from the wall on a metal pole (pictured above). The rotating blue soap is the one that people might have an issue with.

Is the blue rotating soap found in Korean toilets hygienic and should you use it? Generally speaking, it is not recommended to share soap with other people to prevent skin infections and the risk of such infections is much higher when dozens or hundreds of people share one single bar of soap.

However, the alternative is to wash your hands with only water if there is no liquid soap available. This is not recommended and the benefits of washing your hands with soap vs. not using soap are higher. Of course, the safest option is to bring some compact travel soap with you and use that instead.

A physical bar of soap is cheaper than liquid soap so you usually see these in areas that are not as frequently visited or in less well-off areas. You’ll likely find rotating soap in the same areas that have toilet paper outside the stall. However, this isn’t a general rule and many public toilets have this soap.

The Dark Side Of Korean Public Toilets: Spy Cameras

Unfortunately, although Korean toilets are generally safe and hygienic, there is a serious issue with spy cameras being placed in toilets to record people. A survey in 2019 showed that 69% of Seoulites were concerned about being filmed in secret while using public restrooms. This includes in hotels.

The Korean government promised to crack down on people installing spy cameras in toilets in hotel bathrooms and public bathrooms. However, as recently as May 2023, an Australian living in Korea who shared her stories of spy cameras in Korea on TikTok gained international media attention.

She told the media that the issue of hidden spy cameras in Korean toilets in hotels, public restrooms and even workplaces, is still a very serious issue. I recommend being careful when using a public or private bathroom in Korea and to check for any suspicious looking holes or gaps in the wall.

If you want to know more about the Korean spy camera situation and about the topic of unauthorised filming in Korea in general, this article by Time explains the issue well.

What Are The Metal Bins In Korean Toilets For?

In Korean public toilets you will probably notice a small metal or plastic bin sitting beside the toilet with an open top. The purpose of these small bins in Korean toilets are to dispose of toilet paper instead of flushing it down the toilet, a practice that started in the 1980s to stop people flushing unwanted items.

During the 1980s, people would, apparently, flush all kinds of things down the toilet, resulting in blockages. To avoid embarrassment during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Korea decided people should instead dispose of their toilet paper and any other unwanted items in a small bin next to the toilet.

The logic of this move was that it was less embarrassing to have a bin full of soiled toilet paper than it was to have toilets that kept getting blocked. Officials also blamed low water pressure in toilets for the problem, saying that toilets didn’t have enough force to flush the paper away, but this was an excuse.

Ironically, the practice of putting small bins for toilet paper in Korean toilets was reversed by another Olympic event, this time the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The Korean government said all toilet paper bins would be removed from public toilets in Korea, which started in January 2018.

The reason for this change was to stop Korea feeling shamed by the smelly, dirty toilet paper bins in toilets. Miraculously, Korean toilets were now able to flush toilet paper, which they apparently couldn’t do before. Waste bins for sanitary products and barriers between urinals were also added in 2018.

Unfortunately, despite the Korean government’s claim that these toilet paper waste bins would be removed from public toilets, many toilets in Korea still have them. It isn’t easy to enact societal change overnight and considering people spent 30+ years using the metal bins, it’s not surprising.

So, the metal bins in some Korean toilets are to dispose of toilet paper. Do you have to use the metal bins to dump your dirty bog roll? Find out in the next section.

Can You Flush Toilet Paper In Korea?

You can flush toilet paper in Korean toilets and it has been a mandatory requirement to flush toilet paper since toilet paper bins were removed in 2018. As shown in the sign above, helpfully in several languages, you are expected to deposit your dirty toilet paper in the toilet.

Travellers from countries with reliable sewage systems, particularly Europe and the USA, should be careful when flushing toilet paper in Korea. Korean toilets do get blocked easily and they can’t accommodate as much paper as other toilets might be able to. Basically, flush more often.

The sign above tells you to use the bin and not the toilet, contrary to the normal rules. This was a beachside cafe and I assume they had pipe problems. This sign is a classic example of English not being used correctly in Korea, which you can see more of in my article about funny Korean signs.

While discussing Korean toilet signs, a topic that deserves an article itself, here are a few other signs that I’ve spotted while doing my business in Korea. The first one helpfully shows you how to use a toilet in Korea, while the second has an interesting description, telling you to rush the toilet paper!

Do Korean Public Toilets Have Toilet Paper Inside?

Korean public toilets usually have toilet paper in the stall, but now always. The toilet paper in some restrooms in Korea may be placed outside of the stall in the main area in a large dispenser. You are expected to take as much toilet paper as you think you’ll need and bring it into the stall with you.

This is not common in Korean public toilets, but is most noticeable in areas that are less affluent or a bit more run down. Older bus terminals are an example of toilets that have toilet paper outside the toilet. The city I live in, Daejeon, is a large city, but the main bus terminal has toilet paper outside.

Other areas where the toilet paper is outside the stall include small towns and rural areas, some train and subway stations, some toilets in national parks, and public park toilets. I highly recommend checking to see if there is toilet paper in the stall before you commit to your time in the toilet.

The practice of selling toilet paper outside of restrooms doesn’t happen in Korea. Either there will be toilet paper inside the stall or outside of it. You shouldn’t have to bring or buy your own toilet paper in Korea. It may be useful to keep some in your bag in case the toilet is out of stock, however.

Does Korea Have Disabled Public Toilets?

Korea has disabled toilet facilities in most major train and subway stations, as well as in large tourist attractions and some indoor venues. These disabled toilets are usually located before the main toilets in an easy to access location. Disabled toilets should cater to most needs, but be sure to check.

To find out more about disabled-friendly toilets and other services, check out the Accessibility page of the Visit Seoul website. Here you can find out about accessible features in Seoul, including specially designed taxis and rental equipment. Please note that older stations may not have disabled toilets.

Are Korean Public Toilets Unisex?

The majority of Korean public toilets aren’t unisex and are split into male and female sections. In some instances, such as toilets inside a cafe or restaurant, there will be only one toilet available for all customers, which means both men and women may enter. Be sure to knock in this situation.

Are Korean Public Restrooms Free To Use?

Korean public restrooms are completely free to use as long as they are in a place where the public has access, such as a train or subway station, bus terminal, or park. Toilets in private locations, such as cafes and restaurants, will be free. Generally, you never have to pay to use the toilet in Korea.

The only time you really have to pay to use a toilet in Korea is if you want to use the toilet facilities provided by a cafe or restaurant. You might buy a coffee or some food as an excuse to use their facilities, which is sort of a fee. Or you could try asking if it’s OK to use their toilet, that might work.

Etiquette Tips For Using A Korean Toilet

There are several Korean etiquette rules for using a public toilet, including disposing of toilet paper in the toilet, putting other wastes in a bin, and not smoking. These are general etiquette rules that you’ll find in public toilets around the world. If you wouldn’t do it at home, don’t do it in Korea.

As discussed, the practice of putting toilet paper in a metal bin next to the toilet is one that has been criticised and changed in Korea since 2018. Please don’t put your toilet paper in the metal bins, but also be careful not to flush too much toilet paper at once as it may block the toilet.

Smoking is not allowed inside public buildings in Korea, including inside restaurants and cafes and their toilets. Therefore, it is not only bad etiquette, but also prohibited, to smoke in a public restroom in Korea. However, you may find some Koreans do it regardless, even when they shouldn’t.

When using a toilet inside someone’s house or sometimes in restaurant toilets, you may see a pair of plastic slippers at the entrance. These are toilet slippers and should be worn inside the restroom to keep your feet clean and dry. Just remember to take them off when you leave the bathroom!

Korea’s Unusual Toilet Culture

Having lived in Korea since 2015, I’ve come to notice a lot of toilet-related cultural oddities, including many things related to the act of pooping and poop itself. Did you know Korea has a whole museum dedicated to toilets, a cafe that sells poop bread, and you can get a latte in a toilet bowl cup?

If you want to know more about Korea’s unusual toilet culture, then Mr. Toilet House is the best place to start. Known as Haewoojae in Korean, which translates to ‘a house to relieve your concerns’ – something you definitely do in a restroom – the actual museum is shaped like a giant toilet bowl.

The creator of Mr. Toilet House built the unique building in Suwon to celebrate the foundation of the World Toilet Association. It opened in 2007 and has become an unusual attraction for Koreans and foreign tourists alike. Check it out to see statues, exhibitions, and to learn about the world of toilets.

For gents, a worrying trend with Korean toilets is to have the door open right into the urinals, offering passers by a side view of guys shaking their snake. This happens in both public toilets (usually at bus terminals) and private toilets in offices and schools. Be sure to check the door is closed.

Another toilet-related oddity I’ve noticed in Korea is the habit of putting toilets next to windows. Fortunately they’re normally on higher levels of buildings, but still it can feel a bit uncomfortable (or free) sometimes. The best places to experience a toilet with a view is at Busan X The Sky in Busan (pictured is the toilet on the 98th floor), the Lotte World Tower, or the N Seoul Tower.

One of my favourite poop-related and uniquely Korean places to visit in Seoul is the Ddong Cafe (Poop Cafe) in the Ssamzigil Mall in Insadong. Here you can try a chocolate poop bread with a foamy latte in a toilet-shaped cup. There’s also curry served in a porcelain squat toilet bowl. Yummy.

Working with school children during my time teaching on EPIK, I learned that Korean children have a strange obsession with sticking their fingers in people’s bums. This is called ddongchim (literally ‘poop needle’) and involves poking someone in the poop hole when they aren’t expecting it.

Korean children learn about the world of poop from an early age, thanks to a popular children’s book from Germany, which is translated into Korean as ‘Who Pooped On My Head?’. If you teach at a Korean elementary school, you’re sure to see this book available for the students to read.

Toilets In Korea FAQs

Finally, here are a few FAQs about Korean public toilets and how to find them, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you. If you have any other questions you’d like to ask, feel free to leave a comment.

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You’ll find all the best Korean travel tips and advice in this article. Whether you’re a first-time traveller to Korea, or you’ve visited before, this South Korea travel guide will show what to see, when to travel, and which places to visit, as well as help you avoid any difficult situations or surprising culture shocks.

This guide is designed to walk you through everything you need to know to prepare for your trip to Korea. You can use it to plan your itinerary, to pre-book travel essentials, to learn about what festivals and seasonal events are on, and to find more reasons to want to travel to Korea right now.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

What’s In This South Korea Travel Guide

This South Korea travel guide covers all the essential information you need to plan a trip to Korea. This is useful for first-time travellers to Korea who might not be aware of uniquely Korean cultural and travel issues. Even if you’ve visited Korea before, I’m sure you can learn a lot from this travel guide.

This article contains lots of insights and knowledge about travelling to Korea and is quite long. I’ve added links in each section to articles that provide more information about each topic. Therefore, I suggest viewing this South Korea travel guide on a desktop computer as it will be easier to read.

What Are You Looking For?

To help make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for, I’ve broken this article into the following sections. Click the quick links below to jump straight there or keep reading through all parts.

Latest Travel News

Entry Requirements

Why Visit Korea

When To Visit

Flights To Korea

Where To Stay

Korea Travel Costs

Travel Money

Phones & Internet

Public Transport

Where To Visit

Seoul Day Tours

Sightseeing Spots

Korean Activities

Korean Festivals

1-Week Itinerary

Culture Issues

Language Issues

Health & Safety

Korean Travel Tips

Korean Travel News And Travel Restrictions 2024

This section of the South Korea travel guide will show you the latest travel news and restriction updates, including any temporary or permanent changes to the entry process, visa changes, and other things that might affect travel to Korea. COVID-related updates will also be posted here.

Latest Korean Travel News In 2024

This section will detail any interesting or important travel news that could affect travellers to Korea, such as price increases in public transport, travel changes, new services, or closures.

What Are the Current COVID Restrictions In Korea In 2024?

Korea has been removing COVID-related restrictions in the country throughout 2022 and 2023. It is no longer necessary to show a QR code to enter a building and restrictions involving masks and health checks have mostly gone. The latest COVID-related rules for Korea are as follows.

Masks: From Monday, March 20th, Korea has removed the mandatory mask rule for public transport, one of the final places that masks were required for the general public. The only places that require a face mask (from June 1st) are in medical facilities (hospitals). Masks are not mandatory elsewhere, including in schools, shops, restaurants or anywhere outside. Source: Korea Herald

Self-Quarantine: From June 1st, Korea will no longer impose a mandatory self-isolation period on infected people. The government instead ‘recommends’ a period of self-isolation for 5 days to reduce the chance of transmission to other people. Source: Korea Herald

For further details about the latest COVID requirements for entering or travelling in Korea, check out the second section of this South Korea travel guide, which has a list of all the updated entry requirements, including visas, tests, and other considerations.

Current Requirements To Travel To Korea In 2024

This part of the South Korea travel guide is for tourists. If you plan to travel for business, employment, or other reasons, check your nearest Korean embassy for the latest travel requirements.

Most of the restrictions and requirements for travelling to Korea have now been scrapped. You can see what entry and travel rules are in place for Korea in the table below:

The following section provides more information and exceptions about these requirements:

COVID-positive travellers should avoid travelling to Korea: To avoid infecting others on the way to Korea, as well as in Korea, the Korean government recommends that you shouldn’t travel to Korea if you exhibit COVID-symptoms or have tested positive. Self-quarantine is mandatory in Korea.

There are no PCR or other testing requirements: It is not necessary to take a PCR or other test before travelling to Korea. However, you will be asked to take a test if you show symptoms of COVID or similar illnesses when travelling to or arriving in Korea.

There is no quarantine on arrival: Travellers to Korea no longer need to quarantine when entering Korea. From June 1st, there is only a ‘recommended’ 5 day self-isolation period for infected travellers, but this is not enforced.

Complete the self-health check before or on arrival: From July 15th, 2023, travellers to Korea no longer need to complete a Q-Code self-health check or declare their health status on arrival.

Apply for a K-ETA or tourist visa before travelling: You need to apply for either a K-ETA or tourist visa for South Korea before flying to the country. Entry will be prohibited without the correct one. From April 1st, 2023 until December 31st, 2024, 22 countries are excluded from the K-ETA.

If you’re not sure which of these you need to apply for, more information is provided in the next section of this South Korea travel guide about the K-ETA and tourist visa for Korea.

K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorisation)

The K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorisation) is an online travel authorisation that visa-free foreign visitors aged 18 to 65 must obtain before entering the Korea for tourism, visiting relatives, participating in events or meetings, and for business purposes other than profitable activities.

Tourists from 112 eligible countries need to apply for a K-ETA before travelling to Korea and won’t be allowed to board a flight to Korea without it. The approval process isn’t difficult, but requires accommodation details, travel dates, and personal details such as passport number, etc.

The K-ETA is based on your nationality, not the country you’re travelling from. That means, if you require a tourist visa from your home country (e.g. the Philippines), but are travelling from a country that requires a K-ETA (e.g. the USA), you can’t use the K-ETA to travel to Korea.

Tourists should apply as far in advance as possible at the official K-ETA website. If you would like to know more about the K-ETA, check out my article explaining what is the K-ETA. The K-ETA costs 10,000 KRW (about $9.00 USD). If you are charged more than this, you’re on the wrong site.

Official K-ETA website

Not sure if you need a K-ETA? Check out this infographic to find out.

Will The K-ETA End In The Future?

The K-ETA will continue for the indefinite future. It is not a pandemic-related travel restriction but a permanent feature that just happened to start in 2021. The Korean government have stated that the K-ETA will be ongoing and other countries and areas, such as the EU, are planning similar ETAs.

Update: In July 2023, the Korean government stopped requiring children 17 years and younger and adults 65 years and older to apply for a K-ETA. The validity period was also increased to 3 years.

Update: In April 2023, the Korean government suspended the K-ETA for travellers from 22 countries (listed previously). This is in an effort to reduce the burden on travellers visiting Korea during the ‘Visit Korea Years’ of 2023 and 2024. This lasts until December 2024, but could possibly go on longer.

Tourist Visas For South Korea

Tourists that aren’t from one of the 112 countries that require a K-ETA to travel to Korea will need to apply for a tourist visa. This includes nationals from countries such India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Tourist visas are based on nationality (passport), not country of residence.

The process to apply for a tourist visa differs depending on the country and may be as simple as submitting an application at the Korean embassy in the country you live in. For other countries, it may be necessary to submit extra information like bank statements and a full itinerary.

If you need a tourist visa for South Korea, contact your nearest Korean embassy as soon as you can to start the process. Tourist visas may be rejected, delayed, or take longer than expected. For some countries, such as the Philippines, it is necessary to apply through a specialist visa agency.

Transit Tour Visas For South Korea

Visa-free entry for foreign transit passengers at Incheon Airport will resume from May 2023 after being suspended for 3 years during the pandemic. There are two types of visa-free transit entry methods for travellers to Korea, they differ in length, requirements, and eligibility.

The first type of visa-free entry for transit passengers is open to all travellers to Korea and allows entry for 3 days, as long as they take a transit tour from Incheon Airport. The second type of visa-free entry for transit passengers is available for 30 days, but only from travellers from 36 select countries.

Visa-Free Entry For Transit Passengers (3 Days)

From May 15, 2023, travellers from any country can travel from Incheon Airport to the Seoul Metropolitan area for up to 3 days, as long as they book at least 1 transit tour from Incheon Airport. If Korea is not their final destination, they’re free to explore more of Seoul after the tour.

There are a wide range of transit tours available from Incheon Airport, including cultural, historic, food, shopping, and entertainment tours. See the sights of Seoul’s most popular places in a few hours, or stay for longer and see more. You can find out more about transit tours from the Visit Korea website.

Requirements: To be eligible for a transit tour visa, travellers must:

• Have an onward flight to their home country or a 3rd country after Korea.
• Participate in a transit tour program by a designated travel agency.
• Stay within the Seoul Metropolitan area only.
• Have more than 2 hours between connecting flights.

Eligible countries: Visa-free entry with a transit tour is open to passengers of all countries, as long as they meet the above requirements.

Tip: If you have a transit tour in Korea, I recommend staying in Hongdae, as there is a direct train from Incheon Airport to Hongdae called the All-Stop Airport Line. Hongdae is also a really fun place where you can see lots of culture, try Korean dishes, and pack your suitcase with Korean souvenirs.

Visa-Free Entry For Transit Passengers (30 Days)

This will allow travellers from 36 countries to enter and stay in Korea for up to 30 days without a Korean visa. Travellers must be travelling to or from one of these 36 countries to be eligible to stay in Korea without a visa. This includes passengers who are not citizens of those countries.

Requirements: To be eligible for a visa-free entry as a transit passenger, travellers must:

• Hold an onward flight to any of the 36 countries mentioned below.
• Have no illegal stay records of any kind, nor have been denied entry to Korea.
• Not have exceeded a maximum of 3 days stay in any other transit airport.

Eligible countries: Travellers from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and 32 EU countries (see picture below) can stay for up to 30 days, as long as the above-mentioned requirements are met.

Why You Should Travel To Korea In 2024

There’s not enough space in this South Korea travel guide to write down all of the reasons why you should travel to South Korea. Korea is an under-appreciated gem that has so much to discover and experience that’s completely different from what you’ll find in other countries.

Much the way that Japan has a very distinct culture and history, Korea has lots of unique, appealing places to see, people to meet, history to learn about, and natural sights to appreciate. Many people only see a small slice of Korean culture and beauty through modern media, but there’s a lot more.

Here are some of the reasons you should travel to Korea:

• Delicious foods and tasty seasonal dishes.
• Four distinct seasons that offer a variety of views.
• Fascinating history to learn about and explore.
• Stunning mountains and beaches for outdoor lovers.
• Unique and unusual festivals throughout the year.
• Friendly locals and a safe country to travel around.
• Modern, high-tech cities that are clean and efficient.
• Welcoming Buddhist temples and temple stays.
• Cheaper than most other developed countries.
• A shopper’s paradise with many markets and malls.
• Korea really wants you to come and visit.

Korea wants you to visit so much that they declared 2023-2024 the Visit Korea Year. This two-year period, confusingly referred to as a single year, is set to feature loads of events and activities to draw tourists to Korea, and includes promotions for discounted flights, accommodation, and food.

Some of the events you can expect to see during the Visit Korea Year(s) include K-Pop concerts, e-sports competitions, food festivals, and cultural celebrations. There’ll be K-Cultural stars involved, too, including your favourite K-Pop and K-Drama stars. Get ready to travel to Korea soon!

Want to know what you can do in Korea that you can’t do in other countries? Check out these amazing unique Korean experiences that should definitely be on your Korean bucket list.

The Best Time To Visit Korea

The best time to visit Korea is in spring (late-March to May) or autumn (mid-September until mid-November). These seasons have the most comfortable weather, ranging from 10 to 30 degrees Celsius, an average amount of rain, and also have the most festivals and events.

My favourite months to travel in Korea are April and October. Early-April is when cherry blossoms come out and the weather warms up enough to stop wearing a jacket. October in Korea is a beautiful month when autumn foliage sweeps across the country and the weather is warm and calm.

When you travel to Korea, the season you travel in can have a big impact on what you can see, eat, and do. This section of the South Korea travel guide is one of the most important and if you want to travel to Korea in the future, I recommend learning about Korea’s seasons before making plans.

What Can You See In Korea Each Season?

Although spring and autumn are undoubtedly the best time to visit Korea, there are plenty of reasons to visit in other seasons, too. Visitors to Korea who are restricted to travelling during certain times, such as during school or work holidays, needn’t be put off by travelling in summer or winter.

Here’s a summary of what you can see and do in each season in Korea:

Spring: Cherry Blossoms, Blooming Nature, Culture Festivals

Spring is an amazing season to travel in Korea as you can see colourful plum blossoms (Mar), cherry blossoms (Mar-Apr), and many other bright sights. The warm weather allows people go out more to enjoy cultural activities and spring festivals, such as the Lotus Lantern Festival and Jindo Sea-Parting Festival, and also trekking, hiking, and cycling. Spring is one of the most popular times to travel in Korea for locals, so expect places to be busy, especially around cherry blossom season.

Check out my cherry blossom guide for the best places to see cherry blossoms in Korea.

Summer: Beaches, Korean Desserts, Water Sports, Camping

Summer is a difficult season for travellers due to the high humidity and heat. June and July are rainy season in Korea and it may rain for days on end, causing people to change travel plans to indoor activities. In late July and August it gets very hot, which is good for going to the beach and enjoying water sports or water parks, which Korea has many of. Evening activities like hiking, drinking in rooftop bars, and visiting night markets are great ways to get out in summer when it’s not as hot.

Check out my guide to Korean summer activities for the best places to have fun during summer and rainy day activities in Busan in case the weather isn’t so good.

Autumn: Foliage, Festivals, Fresh Foods, Harvest Festivals

Autumn is another incredibly popular time to travel in Korea, especially in October when the autumn foliage is at its best. The foliage really brings everything to life, adding shades of colour to plain palace walls, mountains, and parks. The calm weather is warm with clear skies, making it perfect for going into nature to see the fresh fruits and other harvest goods, as well as join in harvest and cultural festivals. Enjoy local Korean dishes, fresh from the farm to your table.

Check out my guide to autumn foliage in Korea for the best places to see the leaves.

Winter: Snow, Winter Sports, Ice Fishing, Light Festivals

Winter in Korea is often neglected due to the cold weather, but is actually a very nice time to travel with delicious winter foods to try. It’s the driest time of year with blue skies making everything bright and beautiful. When it snows, sights look even more incredible. Jeju Island is a great place to visit during winter as it has fresh citrus and colourful camellia flowers to see. You can enjoy winter sports, festivals and activities, such as ice fishing, ice skating, sledding, and more.

Check out my guide to Korean winter activities for the best places to have fun during winter.

What Is The Weather Like In Korea?

The weather in Korea follows a similar pattern each year, spread over five distinct seasons. As well as spring, summer, autumn, and winter, Korea also has a rainy season, which starts around mid-June and finishes mid-July. It doesn’t constantly rain during rainy season, but may do for several days.

There’s always something to do in Korea, no matter what the season. Even rainy season in Korea is fine for travelling, as long as you plan lots of indoor activities and can be flexible with your schedule. Don’t let the weather in Korea put you off visiting, you’ll find plenty to do in each season.

Here’s a summary of the weather in Korea each season:

The graph below shows you the average temperature each month in Seoul. This is an average temperature, so some days will be much hotter and others much colder. I’ve experienced summer temperatures of over 35 degrees and winter nights of -20, so be prepared for both.

The table below shows the average rainfall for each month in Korea, based on records from climate-data.org. The summer months have the most, while winter in Korea is very dry. The rainfall in the winter months can turn to snow when it’s cold enough, too.

There will be more information about the sights, festivals, and events you can enjoy in Korea in later parts of this South Korea travel guide. Check them out for travel ideas for your trip to Korea.

How To Book Flights To Korea

Flying to Korea in 2024 is getting easier with more airlines offering direct or connecting flights to Korea and budget airlines adding more routes to Korea from other parts of Asia and as far away as the USA. There aren’t as many routes as there were in 2019, but they are returning month by month.

Booking a flight to Korea is one of the first things most people do and finding the right flight can really affect your travels. Choosing the right flight not only affects how much money you need to spend, but also when you’ll arrive, how you’ll get to your hotel, and where you’ll arrive in Korea.

Check out my guide to booking flights to Korea to discover the best ways to book a flight to Korea, including the best time to book (21 to 127 days before travel), where to get cheap flights, the various airlines that offer flights to Korea, and lots more.

Arriving At Incheon Airport

Most flights to Korea arrive at Incheon Airport, which is near Seoul. It takes about an hour to get to the centre of Seoul from Incheon Airport and there are various transportation options including a high-speed train, subway, limo buses, taxis, and private transfers.

The best option for transferring from Incheon Airport to your hotel is usually a limo bus as these run to popular areas of Seoul, such as Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gangnam, and Insadong. There’s also a direct train to Seoul Station and a subway that goes to Seoul Station via Hongdae.

Arriving during the daytime gives you the best options for getting from Incheon Airport into Seoul, while nighttime flights will leave you fewer options. There are a few night buses that run, but late arrivals will either need to stay at the airport or book a private transfer or taxi instead. More details about taking a taxi from Incheon Airport can be found in my guide to taxis in Korea.

If you want to book a private transfer direct to your hotel from Incheon Airport, contact Jerry Heng, a freelance driver. I want to recommend Jerry as he has years of experience organising airport pick-ups and drop-offs, as well as personalised tours around Korea. He’s also a friendly guy.

Recommended Flight Comparison Sites

I suggest checking at least one flight comparison website before booking any flights. You can alter the arrival and departure times, flight duration, choose direct or indirect flights, and sort by price to find the perfect flight for you. Skyscanner is my preferred comparison site, but they’re all useful.

Take time to change the dates and flight times to find the most suitable flights for you. Cheaper flights often have inconvenient arrival times, so you should decide whether it’s worth the hassle to save a bit of money. Sometimes spending more for the right flight is worth it, especially when time is limited.

I try to go for a balance of convenience and savings and avoid flights that arrive late at night or leave too early in the morning. These flights require you to book an extra night at the airport or make you lose time when you could be travelling and doing more interesting things.

Here are 4 of the best flight comparison sites for booking flights to Korea:

Skyscanner is one of the most popular flight aggregators and offers flights, hotels, and other travel bookings for all major destinations. Skyscanner shows airline environmental ratings and which flights are practical or difficult.

Skyscanner Flights

Expedia is a large US travel company that offers tours, flights, hotels, and other services around the world. You can book hotel and flights together, to save you time and effort when travelling. A good place to start your flight search.

Expedia Flights

Kayak is great for people looking for cheap flights to Korea. You can see price trends for your flight to Korea to see when the best prices are available. There are also lots of budget travel options on the site that can save you more.

Kayak Flights

WayAway is a flight comparison site for the modern generation, with Instagram tips & travel advice as well as a good selection of cheap flights. You can get cashback on bookings with their premium service.

Wayaway Flights

Where To Stay In Seoul

Incheon Airport is the main arrival destination for most travellers visiting Korea, with more than 71 million travellers passing through the airport in 2019, making it the world’s 14th busiest airport. It’s close to Seoul and has lots of transportation options to get into Korea’s capital.

Seoul is the first place people visit, not only because it’s close to Incheon Airport, but because it’s undeniably the heart and soul of Korea. The greater Seoul area includes about 50% of Korea’s population (25 million people) and is by far the biggest, most vibrant, and fun city in Korea.

To travel to Korea you need either a K-ETA or tourist visa. One of the requirements to apply for these is the address of the first place you’ll be staying in Korea. Therefore, you should book at least your first hotel in Korea so you can begin those applications. Seoul is an ideal first place to stay.

Best Neighbourhoods To Stay In Seoul

Deciding where to stay in Seoul can be difficult because there are so many unique neighbourhoods, each offering something interesting for travellers to experience. Knowing which has the best sights, entertainment, culture, shopping, transport, markets, restaurants, cafes, etc., is useful.

Seoul’s neighbourhoods typically contain a mixture of several of these elements and will appeal to different types of travellers. Below is a very rough guide for which neighbourhood each type of traveller might enjoy. Of course, there are plenty of other things to do in each area.

As you can see from the list above, both Hongdae and Myeongdong have a lot to offer and I would definitely recommend either of these neighbourhoods for first time travellers to Seoul. Even people who have travelled to Korea before will find lots of reasons to stay there. They’re where I usually stay.

I have detailed guides to hotels in the two best districts for staying in Seoul – Hongdae and Myeongdong. My guide to hotels in Hongdae includes a range of hotels for all types of travellers, while my guide to hotels in Myeongdong highlights Myeongdong’s best budget to mid-range hotels.

Each neighbourhood feels unique and offers something to discover, from traditional markets and eateries, modern Insta-worthy cafe districts, peaceful parks and lakes, world-class skyscrapers, and many fun activities. Wherever you choose to stay, you’re sure to find something you enjoy.

I’ve included the 8 best neighbourhoods in Seoul in this South Korea travel guide, along with a small summary about what you can expect in each area. These are the most popular areas for tourists to stay in, but certainly not the only places to stay. There are also links to hotels in these areas.

Here are the 8 best neighbourhoods in Seoul: