Korea · Which city

Which Korean city to stay in

한국 어느 도시에 묵을까

Start in Seoul. For a first trip it is the easiest base in Korea, and Myeongdong is the easiest first-visit base in Seoul. Add Busan for the sea, then choose from the heritage cities of Gyeongju and Andong, Ulsan on the coast, and the southern harbours and islands of Tongyeong, Geoje and Namhae. This page matches each kind of trip to a city and a neighbourhood, then shows how the eight fit together by rail and bus.

Quick pick

Quick pick by trip type
Your trip	City	Stay in	Why
First trip to Korea	Seoul	Myeongdong	Line 4 at the door, Visit Seoul's shopping mecca on the doorstep, and Seoul Station, for AREX and the KTX, on the same line.
Short city break	Busan	Seomyeon	Lines 1 and 2 meet here, so the beaches, the old town and Busan Station are all one ride away.
Beach holiday	Busan	Haeundae	Korea's best-known beach, in Busan City's words, with Line 2 at the door.
Nightlife	Seoul	Hongdae	Visit Seoul ranks its bar and club scene ahead of Itaewon's among foreign visitors, with buskers, Club Street and AREX in its own station.
History and UNESCO sites	Gyeongju	Hwangnidan-gil & Daereungwon	Daereungwon, Cheomseongdae, Gyerim Forest and Wolji Pond link up as one walking course inside the UNESCO-listed Gyeongju Historic Areas.
A night in a hanok	Andong	Hahoe Village	Some of Hahoe's old houses run minbak, so you sleep inside a UNESCO-listed clan village and have its lanes after closing.
Slow island trip	Namhae	Mulgeon & German Village	Villagers run their houses as guesthouses in German Village, about an hour by rural bus from Namhae-eup by VisitKorea's 2021 guide.
Islands and boats	Geoje	Jangseungpo & the East Coast Ports	Four of the seven Oedo docks VisitKorea lists, plus the ferry to Jisimdo, the camellia island, about 15 minutes away.
Sunrise	Ulsan	Ganjeolgot & Jinha	VisitKorea and Ulsan City call Ganjeolgot the first place on the Korean Peninsula to see the sunrise; bring a car.
Mountains and hiking	Gyeongju	Bulguksa	Walk the 3 km trail from Bulguksa up to Seokguram for its 09:00 opening.
Families	Seoul	Jamsil	Lotte World Adventure, Korea's largest indoor theme park, is a step-free underground walk from Jamsil Station.
Long stay	Seoul	Itaewon & Yongsan	Seoul's most international neighbourhood, where shops stock imported clothing in sizes that are hard to find elsewhere in Korea.
Rail-based trip	Ulsan	Taehwagang & the City Centre	Taehwagang Station has KTX-Eum trains to Gyeongju and Busan and the Donghae Line metro to Busan.
Food markets	Tongyeong	Gangguan & Jungang Market	Jungang Market, with nearly 400 years of history, faces a harbour lined with Chungmu gimbap restaurants.

The 8 cities

Where to stay in SeoulThe natural first base: palaces, markets, shopping and nightlife across seven distinct neighbourhoods, with AREX and the KTX at Seoul Station.A first trip to Korea · Palaces and shopping · Nightlife in Hongdae
Where to stay in BusanThe sea half of the classic pair: Korea's best-known beach, the old downtown's markets, and KTX and SRT trains from Seoul.Beach holidays · Seafood markets in Nampo · Night views over Gwangalli
Where to stay in GyeongjuThe old Silla capital, with a share in three UNESCO listings and night views at Wolji Pond that a day trip misses.UNESCO heritage on foot · Wolji Pond after dark · Cherry blossoms at Bomun Lake
Where to stay in AndongSleep inside Hahoe, a UNESCO-listed clan village, and have its lanes to yourself after the day visitors leave.A night in a hanok · The Maskdance Festival · Jjimdak in the Old Market
Where to stay in UlsanA river garden, a rocky coast with Ganjeolgot's sunrise and the UNESCO-listed Bangucheon petroglyphs, on the rails between Busan and Gyeongju.The New Year sunrise · Rail trips to Busan and Gyeongju · The Bangucheon petroglyphs
Where to stay in TongyeongA harbour city of markets, murals and island ferries, with the cable car and concert hall across the water on Mireukdo.Harbour nights · Island ferries · Concerts and the cable car
Where to stay in GeojeKorea's second-largest island by VisitKorea's account: boats to Oedo, camellias on Jisimdo and sunsets at Sinseondae.Oedo Botania by boat · Camellias in late winter · Sunsets and sea views
Where to stay in NamhaeA slow island of village guesthouses and the Boriam sunrise, best explored with a hire car.Sunrise at Boriam · A night in German Village · Beach days at Sangju

How to choose

Choose a city the way you would choose a neighbourhood: by what you want outside the door in the morning and where you want to be at nine in the evening. The eight cities fall into four groups. Seoul and Busan are the big cities, with a neighbourhood for every kind of trip. Gyeongju and Andong are the heritage cities, where the best hours come after the day visitors leave. Ulsan sits on the rails between Busan and Gyeongju. Tongyeong, Geoje and Namhae are the southern harbours and islands, slower to reach and slower to leave.

The second question is how you travel. Five of the eight are on the railway: Seoul, Busan, Gyeongju, Andong and Ulsan, linked by KTX, SRT and KTX-Eum trains. Tongyeong, Geoje and Namhae have no railway, and you arrive by intercity bus or by car. That one fact shapes a trip more than any distance on the map.

Then apply the rule our city guides share: sleep where you will spend your mornings, and in the heritage cities, where you will spend your evenings. Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond in Gyeongju is open until 22:00, and Hahoe Village in Andong belongs to its overnight guests once it closes to visitors. The quick picks:

First trip: Seoul, in Myeongdong, then Busan, in Haeundae.
History: Gyeongju's old town around Hwangnidan-gil, then Hahoe Village in Andong.
Sea and beaches: Haeundae in Busan, Ilsan Beach in Ulsan, Sangju in Namhae.
Islands and boats: Gangguan in Tongyeong and the east coast of Geoje.

Seoul then Busan: the classic pair

For a first trip, start in Seoul and stay in Myeongdong. Myeongdong Station is on Line 4, the same line as Seoul Station for AREX and the KTX, and Visit Seoul calls the area the city's shopping mecca. If palaces matter more to you than shopping, choose Jongno and Insadong, with Changdeokgung and Bukchon on foot. For nightlife, choose Hongdae: Hongik University Station has AREX in the station itself, so you step off the airport train and you are home.

The Han River gives Seoul two halves: the palaces of the old capital to the north, and Gangnam and Jamsil to the south, with Lotte World Adventure, Korea's largest indoor theme park, at Jamsil Station.

Then go south for the sea. The KTX and SRT from Seoul arrive at Busan Station, on Metro Line 1; KTX-Eum runs to Bujeon instead. Busan gives you three kinds of base: the beaches of Haeundae and Gwangalli; the old town of Nampo, around Jagalchi Market; and the transport hubs of Seomyeon, where Lines 1 and 2 meet, and Busan Station.

Our rule from the Busan guide: for a first trip of three nights or more, stay on the beach side, in Haeundae, and treat the old town as a day out on the metro. For one or two nights between trains, stay at a hub. For markets and history, stay in Nampo. Gwangalli is the better evening: its strip of restaurants, cafés and bars faces the lit Gwangandaegyo Bridge.

The heritage cities: Gyeongju and Andong

Gyeongju is the old Silla capital, the city VisitKorea calls a museum without walls, and it has a share in three UNESCO World Heritage listings: Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple (1995), the Gyeongju Historic Areas (2000) and, with Andong, the Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong (2010). Stay in the old town around Hwangnidan-gil and Daereungwon for a first visit. Daereungwon, Cheomseongdae, Gyerim Forest and Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond link up as one walking course, and the night view is on foot: Wolji Pond stays open until 22:00.

Gyeongju's other two bases suit other trips. Bomun Lake Resort is for families, cherry blossoms and KTX arrivals, with routes 700 and 710 straight from the KTX station. Bulguksa is for temples and early starts: Seokguram opens at 09:00, 3 km up the trail from Bulguksa. Two nights is the minimum the Gyeongju guide recommends: one evening at Wolji Pond, one early morning at Seokguram.

Andong is the city for a night in a hanok. Some of Hahoe Village's old houses run minbak, so you sleep inside the UNESCO-listed clan village of the Pungsan Ryu and have the lanes to yourself after closing. For a gentler first hanok night, Woryeonggyo's lodging uses relocated historic houses with hotel-style bathrooms, beside Korea's longest wooden pedestrian bridge. For jjimdak and the Maskdance Festival, stay in the old downtown.

Andong Station has stood in Songhyeon-dong, next to the intercity bus terminal, since 17 December 2020. Gyeongju's KTX station, opened as Singyeongju, was renamed Gyeongju Station on 28 December 2023. The two cities pair naturally: Hahoe is the other half of the UNESCO listing Gyeongju shares through Yangdong.

The south-east coast: Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongju by rail

Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongju sit close together on the rails, and since the end of 2025 they work as one trip. The Donghae Line KTX-Eum began running on 30 December 2025, Korail announced, with stops including Gyeongju, Taehwagang in Ulsan and Bujeon in Busan, and six trains a day, three each way. The Jungang Line KTX-Eum, launched by Korail on 20 December 2024, runs from Cheongnyangni in Seoul through Andong, Gyeongju and Ulsan to Bujeon.

Between Busan and Ulsan you have a choice of trains. VisitKorea's 2026 guide gives about 40 minutes from Bujeon to Taehwagang by KTX-Eum. The Donghae Line metro has run all the way to Taehwagang since 28 December 2021: Busan City's 2022 figure is 76 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes at peak times, and VisitKorea's 2026 guide says around 80 minutes. The Busan metro does not reach Gyeongju: Taehwagang is the end of its line.

Ulsan is three trips in one city. Stay by the Taehwagang for a first visit or a trip without a car: the national garden lines the river, and Taehwagang Station has the trains to Busan and Gyeongju. Stay at Ilsan Beach and Daewangam for the sea and a whale day at Jangsaengpo. Stay at Ganjeolgot and Jinha, with a car, for the sunrise. Stay by KTX Ulsan Station for fast trains to Seoul and the Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream, inscribed by UNESCO on 12 July 2025.

For a rail-based coast trip, sleep near the trains. In Busan, Seomyeon is the Line 1 and Line 2 interchange, and our Seomyeon guide also covers Bujeon Station, on Line 1, where KTX-Eum arrives. In Ulsan, stay by the Taehwagang. In Gyeongju, Bomun and Bulguksa have direct buses from the KTX station.

The southern islands and harbours: Tongyeong, Geoje and Namhae

There is no railway to Tongyeong, Geoje or Namhae. You arrive by intercity bus or by car. The Southern Inland Railway, which will run to Geoje, broke ground on 6 February 2026, and the government's announcement gives no opening year, so plan on the bus. All three are served from one terminal in Busan: Busan Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal, at Sasang on Metro Line 2.

Tongyeong comes alive after dark, and a day trip misses it. Stay at Gangguan, the old harbour, which VisitKorea calls the perfect starting point for a trip to Tongyeong: Jungang Market faces the water, Dongpirang's murals are next door, and the island ferries leave from Tongyeong Ferry Terminal in Seoho-dong. Stay on Mireukdo for the cable car and Tongyeong Concert Hall. The bus terminal is out of town in Jukrim, about 5.9 km from Gangguan by taxi.

Geoje is Korea's second-largest island, according to VisitKorea, and too big for one base. Stay at Jangseungpo and the east-coast ports for Oedo Botania and Jisimdo: four of the seven Oedo docks VisitKorea lists are on that coast. Stay at Hakdong and the south coast for Windy Hill and Sinseondae's sunset, and in Gohyeon, the bus terminal town, for a night between buses. VisitKorea's Korean site puts Hakdong about 1 hour 5 minutes from Gohyeon by city bus.

Tongyeong and Geoje are neighbours. VisitKorea's 2018 itinerary gives about 30 minutes by bus between Tongyeong Bus Terminal and Gohyeon, and says public transport on both is limited and recommends a rental car or a taxi. Without one, the base matters more: Gangguan in Tongyeong, the east coast on Geoje.

Namhae rewards a slow trip. Its signature moment comes before breakfast: Boriam, a hermitage on Geumsan, opens daily at 03:30, and VisitKorea's advice is to stay a night and watch the sunrise from the mountain. The intercity buses end in Namhae-eup, the base without a car. German Village in Mulgeon, built for the Korean miners and nurses who came home to retire, has guesthouses run by villagers, and Sangju, under Geumsan, is the base for drivers. Hire a car if you can: Korea.net calls Namhae hardly a well-organised tourist spot because of its inconvenient traffic.

Getting between the cities

These are the routes our city guides give, with dated figures kept to the year their sources give.

Seoul to Busan: KTX and SRT to Busan Station; the SRT from Suseo takes about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Seoul to Gyeongju: KTX from Seoul Station to Gyeongju Station (KTX, formerly Singyeongju) in around two hours.
Seoul to Andong: KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni, about 1 hour 50 minutes; trains from Seoul Station take over two hours on Andong City's published timetable.
Seoul to Ulsan: KTX from Seoul Station and SRT from Suseo to KTX Ulsan Station; Ulsan City's 2021 page has the first KTX leaving Seoul at 5:15 and arriving at 7:29.
Busan to Gyeongju: express bus from Busan Central Bus Terminal, at Nopo on Metro Line 1, to Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal in about 50 minutes; or the Donghae Line KTX-Eum from Bujeon.
Busan to Ulsan: Bujeon to Taehwagang, about 40 minutes by KTX-Eum (VisitKorea, 2026) or 76 minutes by the Donghae Line metro (Busan City, 2022).
Busan to Andong: KTX-Eum direct from Bujeon, about two hours by Andong City's figure.
Gyeongju to Andong: 1 hour 40 minutes by bus, by Andong City's figure.
Busan to Tongyeong: intercity bus from Busan Seobu; about 80 minutes (VisitKorea, 2026), 2 hours 10 minutes for the nonstop (Tongyeong City, 2016).
Busan to Geoje: Busan Seobu to Gohyeon, about 1 hour 20 minutes, about every 20 minutes from 06:00 to 22:00 (VisitKorea, 2019).
Busan to Namhae: Busan Seobu, at Sasang, to Namhae Public Bus Terminal, about two and a half hours (VisitKorea's June 2019 timetable).
Tongyeong to Geoje: Tongyeong Bus Terminal to Gohyeon Bus Terminal, about 30 minutes (VisitKorea, 2018).
Seoul to the south coast: Seoul Nambu to Tongyeong, 4 hours 10 minutes nonstop (Tongyeong City, 2016); Seoul Nambu to Namhae, about four and a half hours (VisitKorea, 2019 and 2021).

How many nights in each

Add up what the city guides recommend and a longer trip takes shape on its own. The Jungang Line KTX-Eum runs from Seoul through Andong, Gyeongju and Ulsan to Busan, so a route in that order needs no backtracking: a night in Hahoe, two in Gyeongju, two in Ulsan, then Busan. From Busan Seobu, the southern harbours and islands are a bus ride away, and Tongyeong and Geoje pair as neighbours.

Each city guide makes its own call on nights:

Seoul: one base for a trip of a week or less; two only when the trip has two distinct halves, split along a single line.
Busan: three nights or more on the beach side for a first trip; one or two nights at a hub between trains.
Gyeongju: two nights at least; with three, one or two in the old town and one at Bulguksa or Bomun.
Andong: one night in Hahoe; two is the sweet spot, adding the old downtown or Woryeonggyo.
Ulsan: two nights, one by the river and one on the coast.
Tongyeong: a night, better two, with an island by ferry.
Geoje: two nights, one on the east coast for Oedo, one on the south coast for Sinseondae's sunset.
Namhae: two nights, German Village and then Sangju for the Boriam sunrise.

When to book early

The city guides name the dates that fill rooms. Book these first, in the neighbourhood the guide names: on festival nights, a room within walking distance wins.

Late February to mid-March: Jisimdo's camellias on Geoje, the best time by VisitKorea's Korean site in 2019.
April: cherry blossoms in Gyeongju, where Bomun Lake draws crowds at full bloom; book lakeside rooms first.
Spring: the Tongyeong International Music Festival, which ran from 27 March to 5 April in 2026; stay on Mireukdo for Tongyeong Concert Hall.
June: the Namhae Garlic and Hanwoo Festival in Namhae-eup, 11 to 14 June in 2026.
Summer: Tongyeong City lists the Hansan Battle Festival for 12 to 16 August every year; for festival week, book early.
Late September to early October: the Andong Maskdance Festival, 24 September to 4 October in 2026; book in the old downtown, not Hahoe.
October: the Busan International Film Festival (6 to 15 October in 2026; stay in Haeundae), Oktoberfest at German Village in Namhae (9 to 11 October in 2026) and the Ulsan Whale Festival at Jangsaengpo, held every October, says Ulsan City.
Early November: the Busan Fireworks Festival along Gwangalli Beach, on Saturday 7 November in 2026; book within walking distance of the sand.
31 December to 1 January: the Ganjeolgot Sunrise Festival in Ulsan, which starts at sunset on 31 December by Ulsan City's listing; stay at Ganjeolgot and Jinha, with a car.

Questions visitors ask

Where should I stay on my first trip to Korea?

In Seoul, in Myeongdong. Myeongdong Station is on Line 4, the same line as Seoul Station for AREX and the KTX, and Visit Seoul calls the area the city's shopping mecca. If palaces matter more than shopping, choose Jongno and Insadong. For a second city, add Busan and stay in Haeundae, by Korea's best-known beach, with Line 2 at the door.

Seoul or Busan?

Both, and Seoul first. Seoul is the base for palaces, markets, shopping and nightlife, with seven neighbourhoods tied together by the subway. Busan is the base for the sea: Haeundae and Gwangalli on the beach side, Nampo for Jagalchi Market and the old downtown. The KTX and SRT from Seoul arrive at Busan Station, and the SRT from Suseo takes about 2 hours 30 minutes. With time for only one, choose Seoul for a first trip.

Is Gyeongju worth an overnight stay?

Yes, and two nights is the minimum the Gyeongju guide recommends. Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond stays open until 22:00, Seokguram opens at 09:00, and Bomun Lake is about 10 km east of downtown. A day trip ends just as the old town lights up. For a first visit, stay in the old town around Hwangnidan-gil and Daereungwon.

Can I visit Tongyeong and Geoje without a car?

Yes, by bus, with the right base. Neither has a railway; intercity buses run to both from Busan Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal, and VisitKorea's 2018 itinerary gives about 30 minutes between Tongyeong Bus Terminal and Gohyeon. The same itinerary calls public transport limited and recommends a rental car or taxi, so sleep where the sights are: Gangguan in Tongyeong for the market and ferries, Jangseungpo on Geoje for the Oedo and Jisimdo boats.

Which city for a hanok stay?

Andong. Some of Hahoe Village's old houses run minbak, so you sleep inside a UNESCO-listed clan village and have its lanes after it closes to visitors. For hotel-style bathrooms, choose the relocated hanok by Woryeonggyo. In Seoul, stay in Jongno: many Bukchon hanok houses operate as guesthouses, and guests are exempt from the Red Zone that keeps tourists out from 17:00 to 10:00.

Which cities can I reach by train?

Five of the eight: Seoul, Busan, Gyeongju, Andong and Ulsan. The Jungang Line KTX-Eum runs from Cheongnyangni in Seoul through Andong, Gyeongju and Ulsan to Bujeon in Busan, and the KTX and SRT from Seoul serve Busan Station and KTX Ulsan Station, with KTX and SRT tickets sold to Gyeongju. Tongyeong, Geoje and Namhae have no railway: take the intercity bus from Busan Seobu or Seoul Nambu.

Sources & review

Editorial review: 29 October 2026 · Korea Standard Time