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Travel guide · Seoul

Travelling to South Korea

Palaces and skyscrapers in Seoul, temples in the mountains, street-food markets and the volcanic island of Jeju. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: June and from September to April
  • Where to eat: a restaurant with banchan
Photo: Unsplash

South Korea in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to South Korea are June and from September to April.
  • T-money card.
  • To eat like a local: a restaurant with banchan. Don’t leave without trying: Korean barbecue, Bibimbap, Kimchi.

South Korea in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to South Korea. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

More destinations for November

When to travel to South Korea

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to South Korea are June and from September to April.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May with warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in January · where to travel in February · where to travel in March · where to travel in April

  • May

    Golden Week

    From 29 April to 5 May half of Japan is on the move: bullet trains packed, hotels expensive and queues everywhere.

    What to do: Book reserved shinkansen seats and your hotels as early as possible.

  • July, August

    Monsoon rains (jangma) and the odd typhoon

    In July and August it rains a lot and it’s hot and humid; a typhoon may pass through in late August.

    What to do: Keep an indoor plan for every day (museums, covered markets, palaces with covered areas).

    Best time: April to June and September to November

What to see in South Korea

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Seoul
    Seoul

    Seoul

    Joseon palaces, night markets, trendy neighbourhoods and the border with the North on a day trip.

    • Gyeongbokgung Palace
    • Changdeokgung Palace
    • Bukchon Hanok Village
    • N Seoul Tower
    Seoul guide
  • Busan
    Busan

    Busan

    City beaches, a colourful hillside village and a temple by the sea.

    • Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
    • Gamcheon Culture Village
    • Haeundae Beach
    • Jagalchi Market
    Busan guide
  • Jeju

    Jeju

    A volcanic island of craters, waterfalls and haenyeo divers.

    • Seongsan Ilchulbong
    • Hallasan
    • Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
    • Manjanggul Cave
    Jeju guide
  • Gyeongju

    Gyeongju

    The ancient capital of Silla, an open-air museum of tombs and temples.

    • Bulguksa Temple
    • Seokguram Grotto
    • Royal tombs
    • Cheomseongdae
    Gyeongju guide
  • Incheon

    Incheon

    More than just the airport: Korea’s Chinatown and its port.

    • Chinatown
    • Fairy Tale Village
    • Songdo
    • Wolmido
    Incheon guide
  • Jeonju

    Jeonju

    The birthplace of bibimbap, with a village of traditional hanok houses.

    • Hanok Village
    • Gyeonggijeon
    • Jeondong Cathedral
    • Night market
    Jeonju guide
  • Sokcho

    Sokcho

    A seaside town on the east coast, gateway to Seoraksan National Park.

    • Seoraksan National Park
    • Gwongeumseong cable car
    • Fish market
    • Sokcho Beach
    Sokcho guide
  • Daegu

    Daegu

    An inland city with traditional medicine markets and temples in the mountains.

    • Seomun Market
    • Herbal medicine street
    • Donghwasa Temple
    • 83 Tower
    Daegu guide
  • Andong

    Andong

    The capital of traditional culture, with a clan village that is a World Heritage Site.

    • Hahoe Village
    • Hahoe masks
    • Dosan Seowon Academy
    • Woryeonggyo Bridge
    Andong guide
  • Suwon

    Suwon

    An 18th-century walled fortress just a metro ride from Seoul.

    • Hwaseong Fortress
    • Haenggung Palace
    • Korean Folk Village
    • Suwon galbi
    Suwon guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Seoul

From Busan

From Jeju

From Gyeongju

From Incheon

From Jeonju

From Sokcho

From Daegu

From Andong

From Suwon

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in South Korea

To eat like a local: a restaurant with banchan, and order Korean barbecue or the banchan they bring without you asking. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Korean barbecue

    Meat grilled at the table, wrapped in lettuce with sauce.

  • Bibimbap

    Rice with vegetables, meat, egg and spicy sauce, all mixed together.

  • Kimchi

    Spicy fermented cabbage that goes with everything.

  • Tteokbokki

    Rice cakes in a spicy sauce, the star of the street food.

  • Korean fried chicken

    Crispy, with a sweet and spicy sauce, and a beer.

  • Hotteok

    A pancake filled with brown sugar and nuts, in winter.

The typical dish of South Korea, at home

Kimchi
Photo: 국립국어원 · CC BY-SA 2.0 kr

Kimchi

Cabbage fermented with chilli, garlic and ginger that comes with every Korean meal. Making it as a family, each autumn’s kimjang, is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

  • Serves 10
  • 1 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 1 Chinese (napa) cabbage of about 2 kg
  • 150 g coarse salt
  • 1 small daikon radish
  • 4 spring onions
  • 6 garlic cloves and 1 piece of ginger
  • 5 tablespoons of Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
  • 3 tablespoons of fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of rice flour cooked in 200 ml of water (or cornflour)

How to make it at home

  1. Cut the cabbage lengthways into quarters, salt each leaf with the coarse salt and leave it for 2 hours, turning it halfway. Rinse well and drain.
  2. Cook the rice flour with the water into a porridge and let it cool.
  3. Mix the porridge with the chilli, the crushed garlic and ginger, the fish sauce and the sugar. Add the daikon in strips and the spring onion.
  4. Spread the paste over each cabbage leaf (wearing gloves) and fold the quarters over.
  5. Pack them tightly into a jar, leave to ferment at room temperature for a couple of days and then keep it in the fridge.

The trick: Over time it gets more sour: old kimchi is perfect for stews.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about South Korea

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • The Korean alphabet, hangul, was created in the 15th century so that everyone could read.
  • In the traditional way of counting age, everyone turns a year older on 1 January, although the international system is now the official one.
  • Convenience stores are open 24 hours and have food you can sit down and eat.
  • When someone older pours you a drink, you receive the glass with both hands.
  • The Seoul metro is one of the best in the world, with wifi and announcements in English.
  • Kimchi, and making it as a family (kimjang), is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Traditions of South Korea

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • September or October Chuseok

    The harvest festival: family visits and trips to the ancestors’ graves.

  • January or February Seollal

    The lunar New Year, with bows to the elders and rice-cake soup.

  • Hanbok

    The traditional dress, which many people rent to visit the palaces (and get in free).

  • Jjimjilbang

    Public bathhouses open day and night, where you can even sleep.

What not to do in South Korea

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t write someone’s name in red: it’s associated with the dead.
  • Don’t stick your chopsticks upright in the rice.
  • Don’t sit in the reserved seats on the metro, even if they’re free.
  • Don’t talk loudly on public transport.
  • Don’t wear shoes inside homes, temples or floor-seating restaurants.
  • Don’t leave a tip: it isn’t customary.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Closing days

  • National Museum of Korea · Seoul

    Open daily, except for a few Mondays a year when the galleries close.

Frequently asked questions about South Korea

What people search for most before travelling to South Korea.

What’s the best time to travel to South Korea?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to South Korea are June and from September to April.

What to see in South Korea in a week?

The essentials of South Korea: Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Gyeongju and Incheon. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in South Korea?

Korean barbecue, Bibimbap, Kimchi, Tteokbokki, Korean fried chicken, Hotteok. To eat like a local: a restaurant with banchan.

What is the typical dish of South Korea?

Kimchi. Cabbage fermented with chilli, garlic and ginger that comes with every Korean meal. Making it as a family, each autumn’s kimjang, is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

What should you not do in South Korea?

Don’t write someone’s name in red: it’s associated with the dead. Don’t stick your chopsticks upright in the rice. Don’t sit in the reserved seats on the metro, even if they’re free.

Is it worth travelling to South Korea in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to South Korea. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

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More guides

Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Unsplash. Seoul, Eunmi Park (CC BY-SA 4.0). Busan, Busan Tourism Organization (CC BY 4.0). Jeju, Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0). Gyeongju, Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0). Incheon, Jaehyuk Lee (CC BY-SA 2.0). Jeonju, Bernard Gagnon (CC0). Sokcho, kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0). Daegu, by martinroell (CC BY-SA 2.0). Andong, Bernard Gagnon (CC0). Suwon, Bernard Gagnon (CC0).