-
A weekend without rules: Make your own ice cream, experience art by touch
Weekends in Seoul are often shaped by familiar rituals — a cafe visit, a gallery stroll or a quiet afternoon in the city. But sometimes a different kind of outing can make the day more memorable. This weekend offers two such options. At one spot, visitors can go beyond simply ordering a scoop and instead craft their own pint of ice cream, turning dessert into a playful act of creation. At another, an exhibition invites viewers to experience art not only with their eyes, but also with their hands
March 13, 2026 -
Packages and promotions
Lahan Hotels has launched the “Spring Camp with Kovea” package, offering guests a chance to experience camping gear in a comfortable hotel setting before heading outdoors. Prices start at 214,000 won for a one-night stay and include a specially designed Lahan x Kovea camp cup set in moss green or sand. The double-vacuum insulated cup features a plastic lid and a wire handle for easy portability. The package is available through May 31 at properties nationwide. Depending on the property, benefits
March 13, 2026 -
Festivals, sights across Korea
The 25th Gwangyang Maehwa Festival will run through March 22 at Gwanyang Maehwa Village in South Jeolla Province. The annual event celebrates the blooming of plum blossoms that blanket the hills along the Seomjin River, creating one of Korea’s most iconic early-spring landscapes. Visitors can enjoy folk painting, media art exhibitions, a stamp tour and live busking performances. Hands-on activities include traditional archery and a plum-themed healing therapy session, each costing 6,000 won. Oth
March 13, 2026 -
Film about tragic Joseon king sends crowds to historic exile site in Yeongwol
A recent hit at the box office is reshaping travel patterns in Gangwon Province, drawing thousands of visitors to Yeongwol to trace the final days of one of Korea’s most tragic monarchs. “The King’s Warden” has sparked a surge of interest in sites connected to King Danjong, the sixth ruler of the Joseon era (1392-1910), who was dethroned and exiled as a teenager. According to Yeongwol County, the historic sites of Cheongnyeongpo Meandering Stream and Jangneung Royal Tomb welcomed more than 10,00
March 9, 2026 -
Following crab season to Uljin along East Sea
ULJIN, North Gyeongsang Province — Early spring arrives quietly along Korea’s East Sea. The wind still carries a trace of winter, fishing boats return to port with the season’s prized catch, and seaside towns begin to stir after the colder months. In Uljin, that seasonal rhythm revolves around one thing: crab. Although the annual Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab Festival recently wrapped up in Hupo Port, the town’s seafood culture continues well beyond the event itself. Visitors arriving after
March 7, 2026 -
Festivals, sights across Korea
The Gurye Sansuyu Festival takes place from March 14 to 22 in Gurye-gun, South Jeolla Province, celebrating the bloom of sansuyu, or cornelian cherry blossoms, which blanket the area in vivid yellow. Gurye is home to the nation’s largest sansuyu colonies, drawing visitors for scenic flower walks and countryside views. Included are an opening concert, traditional ritual praying for a good harvest, sansuyu fruit-peeling contest, rice cake pounding and children’s craft workshops. Visitors can strol
March 6, 2026 -
Packages and promotions
Signiel Busan marks White Day with music and dining Signiel Busan will mark White Day with a series of romantic offerings overlooking Haeundae Beach. On March 14, the hotel’s first-floor lounge will host “A White Day Serenade,” a short house concert featuring flute and harp performances by the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra's principal flutist and harpist. The 30-minute performances will take place at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. and are open to guests visiting the lounge. From March 1 to 15, the hotel will
March 6, 2026 -
Cherry blossoms, tulips and canola fields: Where Koreans are traveling this spring
Spring in South Korea is brief but spectacular — and this year, travelers are planning ahead. New accommodation search data from digital travel platform Agoda shows sharp spikes in interest around major spring flower festivals nationwide. Seoul recorded the highest increase in search growth, followed by Gurye, Gwangyang, Taean, Jeju Island and Yeosu — destinations where blossoms are paired with food markets, art programs and outdoor activities. Accommodation searches in Seoul rose 225 percent ab
March 3, 2026 -
Korea’s new travel playbook: closer trips, richer stories
For Korean travelers, distance is measured not only in miles, but in vacation days. “Usually, Korean travelers travel for about four to seven days,” said Jay Lee, regional director for North Asia at Agoda, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday. “They don’t want to go someplace that’s too far and spend one day going and one day coming. Proximity is an important piece.” That practical calculation continues to shape outbound travel patterns in 2026. Short-haul destinations dominate: To
Feb. 28, 2026 -
From hanok horizons to robot encounter: unique ways of greeting spring
With spring stepping into the city, this weekend calls for plans that feel both fresh and a little unexpected. For those craving calm, a serene cafe at the entrance of Eunpyeong Hanok Village offers coffee with panoramic views of hanok rooftops and Bukhansan in the distance. If you’re in the mood for something more futuristic, Dongdaemun Design Plaza is hosting the Seoul AI Festival 2026, where 17 humanoid robots will be on display from Saturday to Sunday. This weekend, you can get a glimpse of
Feb. 27, 2026 -
Packages and promotions
Grand Hyatt Seoul expands dining membership with new entry tier The “New Classic” tier of Gourmet by Grand Hyatt Seoul replaces the former entry level and is priced at 730,000 won per year. Members receive up to 15 percent off dining for as many as six guests across the hotel’s restaurants and bars, including The Terrace Kitchen, Steak House and Tenkai. The membership also includes restaurant vouchers, a two-person pass to The Terrace Kitchen and a wine corkage waiver. Benefits are valid for one
Feb. 27, 2026 -
Festivals, sights across Korea
The Jecheon Red Odeng Festival will return from Saturday to March 2 at Jecheon Station Plaza in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, offering visitors a fiery taste of one of the city’s best-known street foods. Admission is free, though food and drinks are sold separately. The three-day event spotlights “red odeng,” a spicy fish cake dish simmered in a bold chili broth. About 25 retro-style food stalls will line the plaza, serving classic red odeng, fusion variations, chicken skewers, tteokbokki
Feb. 27, 2026 -
Why Korea sets 'no more rip-off' campaign
South Korea on Wednesday signaled a shift away from a visitor-volume strategy, unveiling measures to encourage repeat visits by tackling price gouging and unfair practices affecting international travelers. The initiative reflects growing concern that negative first impressions — ranging from inflated hotel rates to taxi overcharges — could undermine the country’s rising global appeal through K-pop, film and streaming content. Policymakers say improving visitor experience has become as important
Feb. 25, 2026 -
Starlux Airlines to launch new routes linking Busan with Taipei, Taichung in June
Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines will enter the South Korean market with the launch of direct routes starting June 1. The new services will connect Busan with Taipei and Taichung, expanding air links between South Korea’s second-largest city and Taiwan’s capital and central cultural hub. Founded in 2018, Starlux operates flights to 31 destinations across Asia and North America, including cities in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. The airline has received global recognition for service and safety
Feb. 24, 2026 -
Desert becomes backdrop for installation art
ALULA, Saudi Arabia – About a 90-minute flight from the Saudi capital Riyadh, AlUla, a desert oasis on the historic Incense Road that linked India and the Arabian Gulf to the Levant and Europe, harbors a grand ambition: to be the center of art and culture of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The stunning landscape is an artwork in and of itself: Vast desert is dotted by towering sandstone mountains, dramatic cliffs, strange rock formations and sweeping canyons that change colors through the day with
Feb. 23, 2026