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With Japan inundated by tourists, it's no surprise Australian travellers are busy searching for an alternative destination that offers a similar mix of rich cultural immersion, incredible food experiences, and family-friendly travel. For many people, South Korea is that place.
Words: Alexis Buxton-Collins
South Korea is a fascinating land where ancient traditions and youthful energy coexist easily, offering a wealth of memorable experiences for the curious traveller. Just don't wait too long to book your trip. A record 267,000 Australians visited in 2025, and that number is sure to increase this year.
New and old
Tradition and modernity collide on every corner in South Korea's relentlessly buzzing capital. This is a city where glittering skyscrapers tower over ancient palaces, and it takes just two minutes to walk from a 1200-year-old temple to a sculpture immortalising Psy's viral 2012 hit 'Gangnam Style'.
Visitors can get a taste of Korea's rich history at Gyeongbokgung (Palace of Shining Happiness), where the imposing Gwanghwamun Gate hosts a ceremonial changing of the guard. Beyond the gates lies a harmoniously designed compound where elegant pavilions gaze out over picturesque ornamental gardens and artificial lakes.
Alternatively, dive into the future in neon-lit Hongdae – a student hotspot where buskers compete with bars blasting out the latest K-pop hits, and achingly cool hipsters browse indie fashion boutiques in search of the latest trends and styles.
Wander the streets checking out the ever-changing landscape of street art, then copy the locals and sing your heart out in one of the many noraebangs (private karaoke rooms).
If you want to see an alternative vision of Korea, you can even take a day trip to the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone) that separates North and South Korea. Just 50km north of Seoul, it can only be accessed on a guided tour that includes several poignant memorials, a walk through a secret tunnel dug by North Korea, and the chance to look over the heavily fortified border.
Bongeudsa Temple, Seoul.
A full table
Food in Korea is more than a means of physical sustenance; it's a way of life that provides a sense of connection and community. Meals are best enjoyed in company, and joining a group of friends around a glowing charcoal grill covered with sizzling skewers of marinated beef and pork for a classic Korean BBQ is a highlight of any trip.
You don't need to be a kimchi fan to fall in love with South Korea's vibrant cuisine (though it certainly doesn't hurt), but you can expect bold flavours in every meal. Delicacies like gimbap (rice and fillings wrapped in seaweed) and hwae (thinly sliced raw fish) resemble popular Japanese dishes, but bibimbap (a rice bowl topped with sautéed vegetables, meat and an egg) is so iconically Korean that its birthplace of Jeonju has been declared a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
And no matter whether you're sitting down to a meal of japchae (sweet and savoury glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and sesame oil), perfectly crispy Korean fried chicken, or tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes simmered in a spicy sauce), you can expect the table to be laden with banchan. These side dishes are essential to any true Korean meal, and might include spicy cucumber salad, blanched greens with garlic and sesame oil, crunchy potato pancakes, fried tofu or shredded squid.
A family enjoying Korean cuisine.
Busan bound
South Korea's second-biggest city of Busan is a bustling port that has preserved its raffish energy even as skyscrapers have sprung up and transformed the skyline. Today it's a place where bustling street markets and flashy seaside hotels coexist between densely forested mountain ranges and a coastline of surprisingly inviting beaches.
Start your day the same way generations of locals have in the sprawling Jagalchi Fish Market, where hundreds of stalls sell every imaginable form of seafood… and several you never knew existed. Then enjoy an overview of the cityscape from the glass-bottom Songdo Cable Car, which provides spectacular views as it floats almost 90 metres above a sparkling turquoise bay.
Busan's coast is sprinkled with white-sand beaches and even a rare coastal temple where multi-tiered pagodas stare out over the waves. But the city's most intriguing destination lies further up the hill. Once populated by refugees fleeing the Korean War, Gamcheon Culture Village has, in recent years, transformed into a creative hotspot. The neighbourhood's candy-coloured houses are connected by alleyways filled with quirky cafes and strikingly contemporary street art.
Sky Capsule, Busan
Into the wild
Seongsan Ilchulbong Crater.
Four out of five South Koreans are city dwellers, which leaves plenty of space for wilderness across the peninsula. The mountainous landscape is home to more than 20 national parks, and when it launches later this year, the 750km Dongseo Trail will allow hikers to walk from coast to coast.
But the country's most beautiful landscapes lie further south, where the subtropical island of Jeju rises out of the Korea Strait in a harmonious blend of mountain, sea and forest. At the centre of the island sits an extinct volcano known as Hallasan Mountain. At 1947 metres, it's the tallest peak in the country.
The Olle Trail network encircles the entire island and is split into 27 sections that connect a host of natural wonders, including Jeongbangpokpo – a 23-metre-high waterfall that thunders directly into the ocean.
Seongsan Ilchulbong – a symmetrical volcanic crater that makes a perfect viewpoint to watch the sun rise over the sea – and countless rock formations that shoot up dramatically from the turquoise waters offshore are also visible from the route.
Even if the weather isn't conducive to hiking, an extensive system of lava tubes stretch for more than 7km below the surface and can be explored year-round.
Great Northern Lodge, with its bright lofts and apartments, offers modern lodgings for the whole family.
Immerse yourself in nature with a stay at Pichi Richi Park. Choose from self-contained private cabins, large group quarters and campsites, all nestled among the rugged bushland.
Dongdaemun Gate, Seoul.
A living museum
Korea's rich cultural heritage is on full display in the city of Gyeongju. Once the capital of the Silla Kingdom – one of the three kingdoms that laid the foundations of modern Korean culture – today it's known as 'the museum without walls'.
Take a stroll around the city and you'll discover serene parks filled with ancient burial mounds, eye-catching pagodas and one of the world's oldest astronomical observatories. See the story of the Silla Kingdom unfold through displays of intricate golden jewellery and religious carvings at the Gyeongju National Museum. Marvel at the harmonious Buddhist architecture of Bulguksa temple before climbing to an eighth-century grotto where a famous granite Buddha stares out over the sea and protects the country.
Back in the city, take a trip to the Hwangnidan-gil neighbourhood where you can eat, shop and even spend the night in a traditional timber and stone hanok building with a peaceful inner courtyard. Sleep on a foldable Korean yo mattress that's placed directly on the floor beneath the distinctive curved tiled roof. A night in a hanok makes it easy to connect to the strong sense of tradition that permeates Korean culture. But the modern world is never far away in this endlessly connected nation. When you're ready, the KTX high-speed train will whisk you back to central Seoul in just two hours.
Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon.
IMAGES: Getty.
