Guides
Written and checked by hand, with sources. Where a fee or a closing day matters, we verify it against the operator rather than repeating what other guides say.
Right now
Busan Fireworks Festival 2026: 7 November
Korea’s biggest fireworks over Gwangalli Beach. The free viewing spots and when to claim them, whether paid seats are worth it, the hotel problem, and how to leave with a million other people.
Halloween in Seoul 2026
It falls on a Saturday this year. Where the night actually happens now — Hongdae, the theme parks, the ticketed club parties — how the city manages the crowds since 2022, and what to know before you go to Itaewon.
Korea autumn foliage 2026
Peak dates run late this year — Seoraksan 16–25 Oct, Seoul and the south into mid-November. Where to go, and why the cable-car queue decides your day.
Seoul in November 2026
The last gold ginkgo weeks, cold clear days and lower prices, the KGMA and Melon Music Awards on back-to-back weekends, kimjang season and the first lights, with the month’s concerts.
Seasons and events
Jinju Lantern Festival 2026: 3–18 October
Thousands of lanterns on the river below Jinjuseong Fortress. When to go, what is free, floating a wish lantern, the easy day trip from Busan, and what to do when Jinju’s hotels are full.
Korea’s best festivals: 20 worth planning a trip around
Cherry blossoms, mud, lanterns, fireworks and frozen rivers: the festivals worth crossing the country for, season by season, with this year’s dates or when they usually fall.
Skiing in Korea 2026–27: which resort, and how to get there
Yongpyong and High1 for a proper trip; Vivaldi, Elysian Gangchon and Gonjiam for a day from Seoul. Shuttles, the KTX, day tours with gear, what lifts and rental cost, and the week to avoid.
Christmas & New Year in Seoul 2026–27
Both holidays fall on a Friday this year. The Bosingak bell at midnight, a month of lantern and light festivals, the 1,000-won ice rink, and the east-coast sunrise trains that sell out in minutes.
Seollal 2027: 6–9 February
The lunar new year is a day later than China’s this year. What closes, what opens free, why the palace closing days flip, and why it is secretly a good week to be in Seoul.
Cherry blossom 2027: planning before the forecast
The forecast arrives in late February. Until then: how the front moves from Jeju to Seoul, what the last six years actually did, and how to book a trip to a date that does not exist yet.
Korea in winter 2026–27
Cold and dry rather than snowy — and Seollal lands on 7 February 2027, which moves the palace closing days. Ice festivals, ski timing, and the week to plan around.
Itineraries and day trips
Day trips from Seoul: 12 that work without a car
Six an hour away on the subway, six by KTX, bus or tour. Suwon, Nami, the DMZ, Namhansanseong, Incheon, Yangpyeong, and the fast trains to Gangneung and Jeonju — which to pick for your season.
A day trip to Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress and the palace
The UNESCO fortress an hour from Seoul on the subway. Which way round the 5.7 km wall, the palace martial-arts show, galbi or chicken for dinner, and the Hwaseong Festival on 4–11 October.
A day trip to Nami Island from Seoul
Easy on your own by train, but the places people pair it with are not. When a tour makes sense, the ferry or the zip wire, the gold ginkgo weeks, and dakgalbi in Chuncheon on the way back.
7 days in Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan
Three days in Seoul, a day trip out, the Silla capital and the coast, all by KTX. The order that avoids the closing days, and variations for autumn, winter and K-pop trips.
3 days in Seoul
A first-timer route built around the palace closing days and Bukchon’s 5pm curfew — the two things that break most published itineraries.
3 days in Jeju
What to sort before you fly: the driving-licence rule that catches foreigners at the rental desk, Hallasan summit permits, and Manjanggul’s 2026 reopening that most guides missed.
2 days in Busan
Split the way the city is — old town west, beaches east. With the Taejongdae train suspension, Jagalchi’s Tuesday closures, and why the Sky Capsule price is per capsule, not per person.
2 days in Jeonju
Korea’s largest hanok village, the Joseon founder’s shrine, a 1914 cathedral, bibimbap at the source and a makgeolli table that keeps filling. With the KTX from Seoul and why to stay the night.
2 days on the east coast: Gangneung and Sokcho
The KTX to the sea, Gyeongpo Beach and the Anmok coffee coast, seawater tofu, then the Sokcho fish market and the Seoraksan cable car before the queues.
Andong and Hahoe Village
The UNESCO clan village in a bend of the river, the Hahoe mask dance, Byeongsan Seowon, jjimdak and Andong soju, and why to spend the night in a village house.
2 days in Gyeongju
The Silla capital stopped charging admission in 2023 and most guides never noticed. Downtown is 2 km end to end on foot; Bulguksa is the one bus ride, and the Seokguram shuttle runs hourly.
Before you go
Korea entry requirements 2026: K-ETA, e-Arrival Card and customs
Who is exempt from the K-ETA until 31 December 2026, the online arrival card to file within three days of landing, the official sites and the look-alikes, and the customs allowances.
Where to stay in Seoul: the neighbourhoods compared
Myeongdong, Jongno, Hongdae, Gangnam, Seongsu, Itaewon, Dongdaemun, Jamsil and Seoul Station: what each is good for, what to watch out for, and how it connects to the airport.
Getting around Seoul: cards, subway, buses and taxis
T-money and the travel cards, how the subway and buses work, free transfers, last trains and night buses, and taxis with Kakao T.
eSIM, SIM or pocket Wi-Fi for Korea, and the apps to install
Which connection to choose, and why Naver Map or KakaoMap beats Google Maps here. Kakao T, Papago and the subway app, and the Korean-number problem.
Where to stay in Busan
Haeundae for the beach, Gwangalli for the bridge and the fireworks, Seomyeon for transport and food, Nampo for the old port and markets.
An Incheon Airport layover: what you can actually do
The free transit tours for 4–24 hour stopovers, whether Seoul is reachable and back, the paperwork to leave the airport, and what to do if you stay airside.
Incheon Airport to Seoul: train, bus or taxi
Which way in depends on where your hotel is, not the price. The AREX express and all-stop, limousine buses and taxis compared, the first-hour checklist, and what to do if you land after midnight.
Korea on a budget: what things cost in 2026
Real prices for transport, food, beds and sights, three daily budgets from ₩60,000, and honest verdicts on the passes — most of the best things here are free or nearly.
Things to do
How to see a baseball game in Korea
The cheering, the chicken, the ₩15,000 seats and the honest way for a foreigner to get a ticket. Ten teams, nine stadiums, plus a note on K League football.
Korean spas and jjimjilbang: how they work
The nude bathing floors and the clothed sauna hall, the order of things at the door, the body scrub, sleeping over, tattoos, and the best spas in Seoul, Incheon and Busan.
Templestay in Korea: a night in a Buddhist temple
Day programmes and overnight stays, the 4am dawn service, 108 bows and the four-bowl monastic meal. What it costs, what to bring, and which temple to choose.
Rainy day in Seoul: indoor things to do
Free national museums, the War Memorial, Starfield Library and COEX, Lotte World and its aquarium, a bathhouse afternoon and the underground malls.
Korea with kids
The free children’s museums and zoo in Seoul, theme parks, aquariums and Jeju, strollers on the subway, children’s fares, family rooms and food for fussy eaters.
Seoul’s traditional markets: what to eat at each
Gwangjang, Namdaemun, Tongin, Mangwon, Gyeongdong and Noryangjin: the dish to order at each, when to go, and how to eat at a market stall.
What to eat in Busan
Dwaeji gukbap, milmyeon, ssiat hotteok, fish cake and raw fish at Jagalchi and Gwangalli, and the food streets of Nampo, Seomyeon and Haeundae.
Hiking in Seoul
Bukhansan’s granite summit, the sunset climb up Inwangsan, easy Achasan, the Bugaksan city wall and Gwanaksan: routes, difficulty and how to get there.
Seoul café guide
Warehouse cafés in Seongsu, hanok cafés in Ikseon-dong, Yeonnam’s bakeries and Hannam’s roasters, bingsu in summer and how café culture works.
Seoul’s Han River parks
Banpo and the rainbow fountain, Yeouido, Ttukseom, Mangwon, Nodeul Island and Seonyudo: ramyeon by the water, chicken delivered to the riverbank, bikes, cruises and when to go.
Eating in Korea: what to order and how it works
Free side dishes, the call bell, the two-portion rule and paying at the counter. The dishes worth ordering, what they cost, the Seoul food markets to start with, and eating as a vegetarian.
Shopping in Seoul: where to go for what
Myeongdong, Hongdae, Seongsu, Dongdaemun, Gangnam and Insadong by what each is good for. K-beauty, K-pop albums, the instant tax refund, the airport kiosks and duty free.
Seoul’s five palaces: which to see, and when
Tuesday closes two, Monday closes three. Which palace to choose, free entry in hanbok, the guard ceremony times, the Secret Garden ticket, and the palaces you can visit after dark.
Everland or Lotte World? Choosing a Seoul theme park
An hour out to the big outdoor coasters and safari, or indoors at a subway station in Seoul. Getting there, the paid queue passes, cheaper tickets, and the weeks the school trips take over.
A DMZ tour from Seoul: what you actually see
Imjingak, the Third Tunnel and Dora Observatory explained honestly — what needs a tour and what does not, the JSA question, Cheorwon and Goseong as quieter alternatives, and the passport rule.
Hanbok rental in Seoul: where, how much, and what you get
The shops by Gyeongbokgung and Bukchon, what two to four hours costs, traditional versus modern styles, free palace entry and winter layers.
Seoul after dark: where to go by neighbourhood
Hongdae, Itaewon, Gangnam, Seongsu, Euljiro and the river — what each is for, what it costs, the 19+ passport rule, and how to get home after the last train.
K-pop and live shows
K-pop award shows 2026–27: dates and how to get in
KGMA and the Melon Music Awards on back-to-back November weekends in Seoul, the broadcasters’ December festivals, and the big ones abroad this year. How tickets work and how to plan a trip around them.
Concert venues: getting there, what to expect, where to stay
Goyang Stadium, INSPIRE Arena, Olympic Park, KINTEX, Gocheok Sky Dome, the Sejong Center, BEXCO and eight more — the nearest station, the route from Incheon Airport, and the trick for getting out afterwards.
How to buy K-pop concert tickets as a foreigner
Which platforms actually sell to overseas buyers, how the presale queue works, and why resold tickets get voided at the door.
Planning around your own dates?
Guides cover what is always there. For what is on during your trip specifically — festivals, concerts, exhibitions — use the Trip Planner. First trip? Start with Korea basics.