Tourism

Korea is well-known for its wonderful sights and sounds, delicious food, and exciting entertainment. The country has four distinct seasons and provides many opportunities to appreciate exceptional natural sceneries in the mountains, seas, and plains, as well as unique historical and cultural heritage.

Korea is also a great place to enjoy outdoor activities, like water sports or mountaineering. Visitors can get a taste of various Korean foods, touted as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.

Its cities never sleep. Instead, the dazzling nightscape and exhilarating nightlife make the stay even more unforgettable. If such hustle and bustle is not your cup of tea, you can join a temple stay program to enjoy solitude and meditation.

Historical and cultural relics

• Palaces : Old palaces are mostly located in Seoul.
• Historical relics
A number of Korea's historical and cultural properties have been registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The list of internationally recognized relics include the historical sites in Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient Silla Kingdom, Changdeok Palace and Jongmyo, the royal ancestral shrine in Seoul, Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, and the dolmen sites in Ganghwa.


• Cultural relics
Buddhist temples with long, illustrious history can be found all over the country. Also, old Confucian schoolhouses and administrative buildings bear testament to the beauty of ancient Korean architecture and art.

Nature

• Seas
Korea is surrounded by sea on three sides with each coast showing off its own charming sceneries. Beautiful Jeju Island in the southern sea is known for its volcanic landscape and picturesque subtropical scenery, and Hallyeosudo, a cluster of islands in the southern sea, is noted for its amazing coastline and sparkling water. The east coast boasts the clean and blue sea, while the west coast comes alive with wildlife inhabiting the vast tidal flats.


• Mountains
The mountains in the eastern province of Gangwon are not too high, yet display all the magnificence of nature. Korea's four distinct seasons each add unique, vivid colors to create beautiful mountain scenes.

Activities

• Outdoor activities
Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of leisure and recreational activities in Korea. Enthusiasm is all you need to try out water sports, winter activities, mountain climbing, or other thrilling adventures.


• Festivals
There are festivals for just about everything in Korea - the butterfly festival in Hampyeong County, the mud festival in Boryeong, and the Oriental herb festival in Yeongcheon are just a few. These assorted festivals invite you to experience the, food, nature, culture, and lifestyle of Korea.


• Cultural experience
A wide range of cultural programs await visitors. The most well-known are temple stay programs in which visitors live temporarily in temples to meditate in serenity. Other programs provide opportunities to experience the traditional Korean culture or ordinary lives of Korean people. Visitors can also see the reality of the world's only divided nation when they tour Panmunjeom in the Joint Security Area bordering North Korea.

Food and nightlife

• Food
Korea boasts a rich selection of healthy foods. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy a Korean dish of your choice, even without a reservation or in the middle of the night. Visitors can also find a number of restaurants offering international cuisine.


• Nightlife
Korean cities are thumping with energy around the clock. The Korea people have long enjoyed music and dance. Living up to that honored tradition, Korea offers ample opportunities to experience exciting nightlife. Imagine yourself as a famous singer or a dancer at one of many noraebangs (meaning sing-along rooms, or better known as karaoke bars) and night clubs. Visitors can also sample just about every kind of alcoholic beverage created by humankind.