Top 50 places foreign travellers visit
Our ranking from foreign visitor surveys, mobile data and booking sites (2024 to 2026): what each place is, where it is and why people go.
1. Myeongdong명동 · Jung-gu, central SeoulMyeongdong is a dense shopping district around the Line 4 Myeongdong station, with department stores, brand…
2. Gyeongbokgung Palace경복궁 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulGyeongbokgung, built in 1395, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty and still shows the scale of…
3. Hongdae홍대 · Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, western SeoulHongdae, around Hongik University, is known for indie fashion, design shops, bookstores, cafes and street…
4. N Seoul Tower (Namsan)N서울타워 · Yongsan-gu, central SeoulN Seoul Tower, on Namsan mountain, is a broadcast tower with an observation deck and has been one of Seoul's…
5. Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)동대문디자인플라자 · Dongdaemun, central SeoulDongdaemun Design Plaza is a curved, futuristic building designed by Zaha Hadid that hosts exhibitions,…
6. Bukchon Hanok Village북촌한옥마을 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulA residential district of traditional hanok houses between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces, largely…
7. Insadong인사동 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulA traditional district of narrow alleys packed with art galleries, antique and craft shops, tea houses and…
8. Lotte World Adventure롯데월드 어드벤처 · Songpa-gu, southeast SeoulLotte World Adventure is an urban theme park with an indoor section, an outdoor area called Magic Island…
9. Seongsu-dong성수동 · Seongdong-gu, eastern SeoulSeongsu-dong is a former factory district of workshops and shoemakers that has become a hub of cafes, select…
10. Gwangjang Market광장시장 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulGwangjang Market, opened in 1905, is considered Korea's first permanent market and is known for fabrics,…
11. Gangnam Station area강남역 · Gangnam-gu, southern SeoulGangnam Station is a busy subway hub surrounded by office towers, shops, restaurants and cafes. Visitors come…
12. Nami Island남이섬 · Chuncheon, Gangwon; ferry from Gapyeong, about 1 h east of SeoulNami Island is a tree-lined river island known for its fairy-tale style, music events and exhibitions. It…
13. Haeundae Beach해운대해수욕장 · Haeundae-gu, east BusanBusan's best-known beach, with a broad sandy shore, shallow gentle water and high-rise hotels along the…
14. Lotte World Tower (Seoul Sky)롯데월드타워 · Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, southeast SeoulSeoul Sky is the observation deck at the top of Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in South Korea, with…
15. Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon창덕궁 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulChangdeokgung is a Joseon palace built in 1404 as a royal villa, and it is known for its harmony with the…
16. Itaewon이태원 · Yongsan-gu, central SeoulItaewon is a multicultural neighbourhood in Yongsan-gu, known for its mix of residents from many countries.…
17. Gamcheon Culture Village감천문화마을 · Saha-gu, western BusanGamcheon Culture Village began in the 1950s as a settlement for refugees of the Korean War and was later…
18. Namdaemun Market남대문시장 · Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, central SeoulNamdaemun Market is one of Seoul's largest traditional markets, with thousands of stalls selling clothing,…
19. Gwangalli Beach광안리해수욕장 · Suyeong-gu, south BusanA wide sandy beach in Busan with clear water, with cafés and restaurants lining the shore. Visitors come for…
20. COEX (Samseong)코엑스 · Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, southern SeoulCOEX is a large convention and exhibition complex with exhibition halls, meeting rooms, a concert hall and…
21. Deoksugung Palace덕수궁 · Jung-gu, central SeoulA palace in central Seoul that served as the imperial residence after 1897, when Korea proclaimed the Korean…
22. Seongsan Ilchulbong성산일출봉 · Seogwipo, east JejuSeongsan Ilchulbong is a 180-meter tuff cone formed by an eruption under the sea about 5,000 years ago, and…
23. Everland에버랜드 · Yongin, about 1 h south of SeoulA large theme park with more than 40 rides, including the T Express wooden coaster, plus a zoo with safari…
24. Jagalchi Market자갈치시장 · Jung-gu, central Busan, by the harborJagalchi is Busan's best-known fish market, on the waterfront, selling live fish, dried seafood and fresh…
25. Cheonggyecheon Stream청계천 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulCheonggyecheon is a 10.8 km stream that was restored from a covered road in the early 2000s and now runs…
26. Gwanghwamun Square광화문광장 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulGwanghwamun Square is a pedestrian plaza on Sejong-daero, the main avenue leading to Gyeongbokgung Palace.…
27. Third Infiltration Tunnel제3땅굴 · Paju, near the DMZ, about 1.5 h north of SeoulThe Third Infiltration Tunnel is an underground passage dug from North Korea under the DMZ, discovered in…
28. Gukje Market국제시장 · Jung-gu, central BusanA market that grew after 1945 from goods left behind by Japanese residents and items from US military bases,…
29. BIFF Square (Nampo-dong)BIFF광장 · Jung-gu, central BusanA cluster of cinemas around Nampo-dong that became the heart of the Busan International Film Festival after…
30. Haeundae Blueline Park해운대 블루라인파크 · Haeundae-gu, east BusanA 4.8 km coastal park built on a former railway line between Miponam, Cheongsapo and Songjeong, with a beach…
31. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple해동용궁사 · Gijang-gun, Busan, east coastHaedong Yonggungsa is a seaside Buddhist temple on rocks above the East Sea, founded in the 14th century and…
32. Hallasan National Park한라산국립공원 · Seogwipo, south JejuHallasan is the highest mountain in South Korea, a dormant volcano at the centre of Jeju Island, and a…
33. Dongmun Traditional Market동문시장 · Samdo-dong, Jeju City, north JejuDongmun Market is one of Jeju's oldest traditional markets, in the center of Jeju City. Visitors browse…
34. Suwon Hwaseong Fortress수원 화성 · Paldal-gu, Suwon, 40 min south of SeoulSuwon Hwaseong is a late 18th-century fortress wall built under King Jeongjo to honor his father and to serve…
35. Jeonju Hanok Village전주한옥마을 · Wansan-gu, Jeonju, southwest KoreaKorea's largest traditional hanok village, with hundreds of houses clustered in the city centre and historic…
36. Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto불국사 · Gyeongju, southeast Korea, about 1 h from BusanBulguksa is a major Silla-era Buddhist temple, rebuilt over the centuries after wars damaged much of it, and…
37. Yeouido Hangang Park여의도한강공원 · Yeongdeungpo-gu, west SeoulYeouido Hangang Park sits along the Han River in Seoul's financial district and is easy to reach by subway or…
38. Garosu-gil (Sinsa-dong)가로수길 · Gangnam-gu, southern SeoulGarosu-gil is a tree-lined street in Sinsa-dong known for independent fashion boutiques, designer shops,…
39. Changgyeonggung Palace창경궁 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulA palace first built in the 15th century for members of the royal family, later turned into a zoo and garden…
40. Bukhansan National Park북한산국립공원 · Seongbuk-gu and Dobong-gu, north SeoulA granite mountain park on the edge of Seoul, with dramatic rock peaks such as Insubong and Manjangbong and…
41. Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond동궁과 월지 · Gyeongju, southeast KoreaThe former villa of the Silla royal palace, with a pond and restored pavilions that was once called Anapji.…
42. Hwangnidan-gil황리단길 · Hwangnam-dong, GyeongjuA lane of old 1960s–70s buildings turned into a young neighbourhood of cafés, craft shops and independent…
43. National Museum of Korea국립중앙박물관 · Yongsan-gu, central SeoulThe National Museum of Korea, which moved to Yongsan and opened in 2005, is one of the country's largest…
44. Cheonjiyeon Falls천지연폭포 · Seogwipo, south JejuCheonjiyeon Falls is a waterfall in Seogwipo that drops past towering volcanic rock cliffs into a deep pool…
45. Samcheong-dong삼청동 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulSamcheong-dong is a neighborhood where traditional hanok houses stand beside galleries, cafes, small museums…
46. Seoraksan National Park설악산국립공원 · Sokcho, Gangwon, northeast coastSeoraksan National Park is a mountain park in Gangwon, centered on Daecheongbong peak and known for its…
47. Seoul Forest서울숲 · Seongdong-gu, east SeoulSeoul Forest is a large urban park along the Han River, built on the former Ttukseom sports grounds and…
48. Imjingak Pavilion임진각 · Paju, about 1 h north of SeoulImjingak is a memorial park near the Demilitarized Zone that holds war memorials, a preserved train, and the…
49. Jongmyo Shrine종묘 · Jongno-gu, central SeoulJongmyo is the royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon dynasty, where the spirit tablets of past kings and…
50. Korean Folk Village한국민속촌 · Giheung-gu, Yongin, about 1 h south of SeoulKorean Folk Village is an open-air museum with reconstructed traditional houses, craft workshops and…