Guides - Insight Guides: South Korea

How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book

This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to South Korea, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editors Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in South Korea. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in South Korea are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

Youll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of South Korea. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.

About Insight Guides

Insight Guides have more than 40 years experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.

Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

2016 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

South Koreas Top 10 Attractions

Our guide to the best of South Koreas many sights, from the megalopolis of Seoul to the forested mountains of Seoraksan, the Ten Thousand Islands off the southwest coast, atmospheric temples, folk villages, and more.

Top Attraction 1

Changdeokgung Palace (Seoul) . Splendid Korean palace buildings and serene, Zen-inspired grounds highlight the grandeur of Korean royalty. Be sure to see the Secret Garden (Biwon), the gem within a gem. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa publications

Top Attraction 2

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) . The worlds most heavily fortified border almost seems part of an absurdist play, but theres no denying the barbed wire or the grim skirmishes that have occurred here. The Third Tunnel of Aggression is a must-see. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa publications

Top Attraction 3

Gyeongju . The giant tumuli mounds are just one of the captivating sights in and around Koreas magnificent Silla-era capital, the museum without walls. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 4

Seoraksan National Park (Gangwon) . South Koreas most popular national park, Seoraksans natural beauty consists of towering rock pinnacles, dense alpine forests, wildflowers at every turn, and wonderfully remote temples. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa publications

Top Attraction 5

N Seoul Tower (Seoul) . Whether you walk up Namsan, take a taxi, or ride the cable car, this tower offers an eagles eye view of the vast metropolis that is Seoul. Best at night, but spectacular anytime. For more information, .

Shutterstock

Top Attraction 6

Insadong Shopping Street (Seoul) . A maze of streets and alleys harbors a copious quantity of galleries, antique stores, souvenir stands, and tea houses. Hawkers, street performers, and throngs of tourists all add to the fun. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa publications

Top Attraction 7

Hahoe Folk Village (Gyeongsangbuk) . The best place to come to gain an understanding of traditional Korean life. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa publications

Top Attraction 8

Haein-sa Temple (Gyeongsangnam) . Perhaps South Koreas most venerated temple, this Unesco World Heritage Site houses one of the worlds oldest copies of Buddhist scripture, carved into wooden plates that have been preserved for centuries. For more information, .

Getty Images

Top Attraction 9

Dadohae Haesang Maritime National Park (Jeollanam) . Looking like a thousand scattered jigsaw pieces, the ten thousand islands off the southwest coast offer a wealth of unmatched maritime vistas. For more information, .

Korea National Tourism Corporation

Top Attraction 10

Manjang Cavern (Jeju) . One of the worlds largest lava tubes and part of an even larger cave system, Manjanggul offers unique glimpses of geologic wonders. Highlights include the tube itself and various features, such as a massive lava column. For more information, .