Often dubbed the “Hawaii of Korea”, Jeju Island (Jeju-do for the locals) deserves a top spot on your South Korea itinerary. After nearly a week spent in Seoul, I was looking forward to a nature escape away from the crowds which I got and so much more in Jeju. Korea’s largest island has long been a favorite holiday destination for South Koreans with its lush countryside, beautiful beaches, and slow pace all a quick 1h15m flight from the capital. With budget airlines flying to Jeju from Seoul multiple times a day, adding a side trip to this gorgeous place when visiting South Korea truly is a no-brainer.

Between stunning trails, hidden waterfalls, impressive museums and local delicacies, the island packs a lot in and you’ll have no trouble filling at least a few days with wonders. For this reason I’d recommend you rent a car for maximum flexibility. While Jeju has a pretty efficient bus system going around the island, driving is super easy-going. Rental cars come with English-speaking GPS and I think the max speed I saw was 50mph and not for long! Once you have your transport secured at the airport in the capital Jeju-si, it’s time to hit the road and head east.

Volcano views

A 45-minute drive from the airport brings you straight to Jeju’s most impressive sight: Seongsan Ilchulbong. The extinct tuff volcano (a Unesco World Heritage site) looks like an ancient castle rising from the ocean. It’s a popular hike, especially at sunrise, and it’s worth staying overnight in the sleepy village of Seongsan-ri right at its base just for the privilege.

I’ve done plenty of sunrise hikes and this was one of the easiest and most rewarding. The way up is a bit steep but easy with wide stairs leading you all the way up to the crater rim in about 20 minutes. You certainly won’t be alone as this is a pilgrimage of sort for Koreans coming to admire the spectacle and what a beautiful view it is.

The village starts waking up just around then and walking down you get beautiful aerial views of the peninsula and its black sand beaches.

Coastal walk & spectacular architecture

Start your day’s road trip with a fuel stop at Fritz Coffee Company, the popular Seoul-based coffee shop’s Jeju outpost.

With flaky pastries, solid espresso drinks, volcano views and plenty of space, this was by far my favorite coffee shop on the entire island.

A few minutes away, the Seopjikoji peninsula jut out to sea with a scenic trail bringing you to some stunning buildings and vistas.

Japanese master architect Ando Tadao built two impressive structures on the peninsula which are destinations in themselves. The first one you’ll see is the Yumin Art Nouveau Collection, Korea’s first art nouveau gallery which opened in 2017.

As soon as you cross the concrete façade, you’re immersed into the architect’s renowned engagement with nature. Paths leading to gardens and water features invite you to feel the light, wind, water, and sound of Seopjikoji.

Every step you take is meant to aid meditation which isn’t hard in such a quiet and beautiful place. The simplicity of the design lets you experience mother nature in expanded ways, like walking between two concrete walls of gentle waterfalls rippling over straight carved lines…you feel so at peace.

An opening in a wall made of volcanic rocks perfectly frames Seongsan Ilchulbong in yet another mastery of nature as art…

At the end of the walk, an indoor gallery exhibits the glass works of leading French Art Nouveau artists who used nature as the primary source of inspiration. The dark ‘Room of Masterpiece’ features the mushroom lamp by Emile Gallé from 1902, considered the collection’s most representative and best preserved work.

The stunning sights continue as you exit the gallery only to be staring at the architect’s other contribution to the peninsula – the Glass House.

The arresting glass and concrete building has a neat little cafe on the ground floor and a fine dining restaurant with observation deck on the second floor. As it was built to face the volcano, again here you get panoramic views framed by modern design and nature.

Follow the trail which continues gently along the craggy coastline past a small lighthouse and eventually loops back towards the parking lot.

Village life

Head southwest along the coast to reach Jeju Folk Village, a re-enacted 19th-century village. The restaurant at the entrance is a famous Jeju buckwheat restaurant and a wonderful place to stop for lunch as there’s quite a bit to see in the village. The traditional dish of chewy cold buckwheat noodles topped with various vegetables, grains, seaweed and seeds was absolutely delightful.

The expansive educational village gathers over 100 meticulously recreated and some original traditional buildings from across the island in an attractively designed park.

I felt it was easier to step back in time here compared with Seoul’s Namsangol Hanok Village where the city’s skyscrapers were a constant reminder of the modern city all around. Here, nestled quietly in the island’s native flora with very few visitors, the traditional lifestyle of Jeju was truly coming to life.

Cultural exhibits and recreated scenes with models shed light on a way of life so foreign to our own.

Houses are grouped into various villages to show the differences between mountain, hill-country, and fishing life.

You can even get a glimpse at Jeju’s famous black-skinned pigs who feature on menus all over the island and various local crops in the houses’ backyards and gardens.

Hallabong tangerines are plentiful as they were also a popular crop to cultivate back then as they are today.

Bridging convenience and authenticity, even the 7-Eleven got remodeled to blend in so you can grab your snack while staying in character…

And of course you’ll find specially designated areas for selfies and group photos – not original to 1890s…

The amazing haenyeo

End the day by driving back east and up the coast to experience the real fishing life which most tourists overlook and learn about the island’s most famous women – the haenyeo. Leave the main road to slowly drive along the seashore for splendid ocean views until you reach the Hanenyeo Museum.

Whether you know nothing about Jeju’s incredible women free divers or have done some research (I read The Island of Sea Women before the trip which I highly recommend!), the museum is a wonderful and quick introduction to their history and culture. For centuries they have been diving under the sea for shellfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and anything else edible without the help of oxygen masks. While it’s a dying way of life, many local women are still diving today well into their 80s and if you’re lucky you might be able to watch them on the beach with their gear going in or coming back with their catch.

Walk the museum grounds to find related artwork and the foundation of a traditional bulteok where they would warm their bodies between dives and change their clothes.

End the day fittingly with a locally caught meal of abalone and porridge from one of the seafront eateries near the museum such as Myeongjin Abalone.

One of the most popular day trips from Seoul is to join a tour to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea. Anyone with a bit of historical curiosity and penchant for the weird should sign up for this unusual experience which you won’t find anywhere else on earth. Bonus is, most tours will make a stop at one of the beautiful natural sights on the way. I imagine it is to put us in a calm and serene mood before reaching our peculiar destination?

Scenic lakeside stroll

Our tour’s first stop introduced us to beautiful Majang Lake.

Its main attraction is the scenic red suspension bridge that spans the lake.

Walk across the 220 meters until the other side for gorgeous vistas, looking down at your feet occasionally for a thrilling view below.

You’ll be surprised to hear this bridge and tranquil scene was once a fierce battlefield during the Korean War as a defense line against the Chinese allied army…

A lakeside trail hugs the lush greenery all around and gives you more time to enjoy this enchanting landscape.

Reflections in the water hide large groups of fish hanging by the shore.

Imjingak – An offbeat memorial park

Leaving the calming Majang Lake behind, the second stop on the DMZ tour is at the sprawling Imjingak, a park with various monuments dedicated to the 10 million South Koreans separated from their families when the peninsula was divided.

It is no ordinary park when one suddenly notices the heavily mined and guarded 4km-wide buffer known as the Demilitarized Zone that slashes the peninsula across 240km, separating North and South Korea. The electric fences, armies in full battle readiness, and No Photos signs only add to the unease you feel when staring at this strange and divided piece of land. Adding to the weird factor, you can ride the “Peace Gondola” over and back for a bird’s eye view…

A steam train bombed and derailed during the war called “The Last Train Out” has been preserved as evidence of the painful history. The 1,020 bullet holes and bent wheels are a testament to the brutality at the time.

The nearby Freedom Bridge connecting the North and South is where some 13,000 POWs were exchanged in 1953 (and remains off limit, obviously).

There is a visitor center with facilities and a few restaurants where your tour will stop for lunch. You might be tempted to drown your sorrows in a burger at this point (!) but I opted for a local cold bean soup with noodles and cucumbers, a dish as unfamiliar as my surroundings. Never had cold soy milk broth before… Surely this would have been more welcome on a hot summer day, but the kimchi was delish.

With a bit of free time post-lunch, you can explore more of the grounds which contain other memorials…

…and a sculpture park? Yes, giant, brightly colored works of art are spread across a hilly section of the park, displaying cheerful and hopeful messages.

Unification Bridge

Back on the tour, you need to get your passport ready for ID verification as you cross the Unification Bridge to enter the Civilian Control Line. Interesting fact: you’ll see a life-sized plastic cow at the beginning of the bridge which is also called the “cow bridge”. Hyundai’s founder was originally from North Korea and succeeded in escaping by selling one of his father’s cows that he stole. He later returned in 1988, crossing on this bridge, with a convoy of 1,001 cows to repay his debt to his father…

3rd infiltration tunnel

Four tunnels dug by North Korea for infiltration purposes have been found as of today running under the DMZ.

You can visit the 3rd one if you can handle a very claustrophobic and long walk down this 73m deep and 265m long tunnel. You’ll be given a hard hat and even with that I bumped my head a few times, so low was the ceiling. No cameras (or any belongings beside water) were allowed so you’ll have to try and picture what it was like…an interesting and physical walk!

Looking over North Korea

The final stop is the Dora Observatory.

The rooftop terrace is lined with binoculars, giving you a voyeuristic glimpse into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (aka North Korea). Within eyesight is the Propaganda Village, technically in the DMZ but on the North Korea side. It’s called this way by South Korea because virtually all the buildings are believed to be empty or just facades with the primary feature the North Korean flag perched on a 160m high-tower.

On a clear day you may also discern the city of Kaesong and distant little moving dots, people working the farms and walking in the villages.

Then it’s back to Seoul. After visiting such a sinister and surreal place you’ll surely have many more questions but you’ll be glad to have gotten this rare insight into the history and ongoing reality of the Korean Peninsula’s division.

Home to luxury high-rises, upscale boutiques and a lively nightlife, Gangnam is where you go to have fun… and spend money! The neighborhood hugs the south side of the Han River (Gangnam literally means “South of the River”) and welcomes you with dazzling lights and luxury labels everywhere you look. Get off at Samseong (World Trade Center Seoul) subway stop which will put you right in front of COEX Mall – one of the largest underground shopping malls in Asia.

Make an obligatory stop at the “Gangnam Style” statue, an homage to the song by PSY that made the neighborhood famous all over the world. You only need to stick around for a few minutes to witness a line forming of tourists wanting their picture taken while performing the song’s classic dance moves beneath the statue.

For me though the star of the mall was undoubtedly the Starfield Library.

It’s truly a visual masterpiece with towering bookshelves reaching up to 13 meters high and cleverly designed nooks for reading or simply admiring the stunning architecture. It’s open to everyone and so inviting you’ll want to pick up one of the 50,000 books or magazines and soak in the atmosphere of this book lovers’ paradise.

Elevated shopping

Head west to reach Gangnam-daero (road), Gangnam’s main boulevard and most popular shopping and dining area. Quite a few big brands have their flagship stores here. You’ll inevitably get an introduction to Korean pop culture by visiting Kakao Friends and other character-based souvenir stores. Make a point to pop into Samsung and go up the many levels of their immersive store to discover and play with their latest electronics.

There’s even a trendy cafe with special drinks and a themed photo studio for all your selfie needs…

Once you’ve done a few of the big stores, step out of the loud main street and into the trendy and quieter Garosu-gil area. Meaning “tree-lined street”, here you can peacefully stroll under gingko trees and browse boutique shops, cafes and galleries minus the buzzing traffic of downtown Gangnam.

Fine dining

The area is also home to several high-end and celebrated restaurants (there are a few Michelin-starred establishments within a few blocks radius) and I chose to break my day with a leisurely lunch at Soigné (2 Michelin stars).

What a delightful lunch it was – a tasting menu of contemporary Korean cuisine with western techniques and thoughtful wine pairing. The service was impeccable and the small dining room very relaxed despite the fine dining pedigree. I also enjoyed the fixed iPad displaying the menu and additional details about the wine pairings, very clever.

More glam in Apgujeong

Walk off the multi-course meal through the “Beverly Hills” of Seoul – Apgujeong, a glitzy pocket of Gangnam.

The center of Seoul’s fashion world, Rodeo Street with its luxury stores also crosses with the famous K-Star Road. Try to locate all 17 toy statues representing popular K-pop groups while popping in and out of high-end boutiques.

Even if you don’t intend to throw a few thousands out for a piece of clothing or jewelry, step inside Seoul’s most prestigious department store Galleria for some eye candy and just to be dazzled.

When you’ve had your fill of retail experiences, walk just a few blocks north of the Galleria towards the river for an artful surprise found in… a nondescript pedestrian tunnel!

The Apgujeong Graffiti Tunnel is one of the few places in Korea where young street artists are authorized by the local government to draw graffiti.

You can spot a myriad of vibrant art forms along the tunnel which allows pedestrians to safely pass beneath the busy highway to reach the Han River.

At the end of it, the Han River and a clear view of the Seoul you’ve been exploring for the past few days. You can follow the trail along the river for a bit and keep on admiring the views from different riverside parks, or go back to Gangnam for a night of feasting and drinking!