Guide to UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Look around any mock itinerary in Korea and what do you see? Travel in Korea: Four days in Seoul, two days in Busan. Some may get crafty and add Jeju. Boring! Seoul definitely has a TON to offer, so I wouldn’t really fault any traveler for being so capital-centric. Alas, the Busan bit will forever baffle me, but I’ll spare you my anti-Busan rant. Instead, I’d like to introduce five towns to get off the beaten path in Korea. It will definitely get you off the Seoul-> (train to) Busan bandwagon.
Ever since I read the historical fiction, A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, I’ve been fascinated by Goryo era celadon. The book is about a poor orphan boy who dreams of becoming a potter and gets apprenticed by a local master. It is connected to the mystery of the 1000 crane vase, which is a Korean national treasure, but I won’t spoil it in case you want to read it. Read more
So you’ve visited Seoul and love it with all of its palaces, shopping districts, and nightlife, but now… you’re looking for something new. You grow weary of this Seoul-centric Korea and want to see what else is out there. Well, I’m here to tell you that the rest of the country does not disappoint. Here is your countdown to the 40 best things to do OUTSIDE of Seoul (2017 Edition).
Note – A couple of places overlap with the list of Top 80 Things to do in Seoul. This was done on purpose for two reasons. First, many of these lie in the greater Seoul metro network, making a separation impractical for a guide. Secondly, it is a good benchmark for you to compare how these places stack up to places in Seoul!