Top Things to Do and See in South Korea

South Korea rewards both the box-ticker and the wanderer. These are the sights and experiences that earn a place in most itineraries, grouped by area so your days flow without zigzagging across the country.

Seoul: palaces, hanok lanes and skyline views

• Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon. The grandest of Seoul's Joseon-dynasty palaces, with a colourful changing of the guard at the main gate. Afterwards, wander uphill into Bukchon's lanes of tiled-roof hanok houses. Bukchon is residential and parts of it now limit tourist visits to the daytime, so keep your voice down and follow the signs.
• Changdeokgung and the Secret Garden. A UNESCO-listed palace whose wooded rear garden can only be seen on a guided tour. Places go quickly in spring and autumn.
• Namsan and N Seoul Tower. Walk up through the park or ride the cable car for the classic view over the city, best around sunset when the lights come on.

Visitors wearing hanbok have traditionally been admitted to the main palaces free, so a rental can double as your ticket; check the current rules before you go.

Day trips from Seoul: the DMZ and Suwon

• The DMZ. The demilitarised zone dividing the peninsula makes a sobering half or full day out, with observation points looking across the border and tunnels dug beneath it. Most sites inside the restricted area can only be visited on organised tours, which need your passport details and advance booking, and itineraries can change at short notice.
• Hwaseong Fortress. Suwon's late-18th-century fortress wall loops around the old town, with gates, watchtowers and a reconstructed royal residence. It's reachable by subway and makes an easy half-day.

Busan: coast, temples and colour

Busan's beaches, Haeundae by day and Gwangalli under its lit-up bridge at night, are reason enough to come, but two sights stand out.

• Haedong Yonggungsa. A rare seaside temple built on rocks above the waves, when most Korean temples hide in the mountains. Arrive early to beat the tour groups.
• Gamcheon Culture Village. A hillside maze of pastel houses, murals and small galleries, best explored slowly on foot.

Gyeongju: the Silla capital

• Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto. A UNESCO-listed pair: a temple of stone terraces and painted wooden halls, and a serene granite Buddha in a grotto on the mountain above.
• Daereungwon and Wolji Pond. Walk among grass-covered royal tombs in the town centre, then see the pavilions of Donggung Palace reflected in Wolji Pond after dark.

Jeju and the mountains

• Seongsan Ilchulbong. A volcanic crater rising straight out of the sea on Jeju's east coast. Climb it at dawn for the sunrise that earned it the nickname Sunrise Peak. If you have an extra day, Hallasan, the country's highest mountain, rises at the island's centre; its summit trails need advance reservation.
• Seoraksan National Park. Back on the mainland near Sokcho, granite ridges, a cable car and mountain temples make this Korea's most dramatic park, especially when the foliage turns in October.

Booking tips

• Palaces and many museums close one day a week, and the day differs between sites, so check before planning your Seoul days.
• Reserve ahead for DMZ tours, the Secret Garden and Hallasan's summit trails.
• Blossom and foliage weekends get very busy; go on weekdays and arrive early.
• Some Korean booking sites don't accept foreign cards, so official English-language pages or buying on the day are often simpler.
• A rough split for a first trip: three or four days in Seoul, two in Busan, one or two in Gyeongju and two or three on Jeju.

Stay connected in South Korea

Sightseeing days in Korea move quickly: checking which palace is closed today, finding the bus up to Bulguksa or locating the meeting point for a DMZ pickup all need live data, often far from café Wi-Fi. HelloSIM's eSIM installs before you leave home and connects once you arrive; it's data-only, so your own number stays in your phone for calls. Adding Japan or another neighbour to the trip? The Asia Pacific regional plan keeps you on one eSIM across borders.