Top Things to do in Gyeonggi-do
Countries
Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Discover the best top things to do in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea including Hwaseong Fortress, Korean Folk Village, Ilsan Lake Park, Seoul Grand Park, DMZ, Yongin Daejanggeum Park, National Gwacheon Science Museum, Uijeongbu Budaejjigae Street, The Garden of Morning Calm, Mulhyanggi Arboretum.
Restaurants in Gyeonggi-do
1. Hwaseong Fortress
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 953 reviews
Hwaseong Fortress in the town of Suwon is just a 30-minute train ride from Seoul. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Korea’s most important historical treasures and is the only remaining walled fortress in the country.
Reviewed By chrisruggaluffagus - Yorktown, United States
This place is a great stop and definitely in my top 15 things to see in South Korea. The fortress, gates, bastions, command posts, etc are amazing and picturesque. So many great opportunities to get cool and beautiful pictures. Lots of food and markets located on the south end of the fortress are an ideal place to stop for lunch or dinner. Small entry fee gives you access to the entirety of the fortress. Parking near Yeonmundae Information Center allows you access to tourist trolley. Parking is 2000₩ for 3 hours. If you have time, plan your trip later in the day to see the fortress in day light and at night. Beautiful beautiful beautiful. Good luck and have fun.
2. Korean Folk Village
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 756 reviews
Reviewed By x96lee26 - Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Had the privilege to cost the Korean Folks Village and witness how the Joseon live during their dynasty. They are simply amazing and amusing. Truly blessed to understand how they live and the older days. The Korean Folk Village located on a large 245 acres of land with backdrop of mountains and a river running through it. Korean Folk Village introduces traditional culture from the late Joseon period to both local and international visitors through cultural classes experience, shaman faith, seasonal customs and others. The Korean Folk Village has been a popular film site for many well-known historical dramas including My Love from the Star (2013), Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), Dong Yi (2010), Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010), The Great Queen Seondeok (2009) and of course, the hugely popular Dae Jang Geum (2003).
3. Ilsan Lake Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 258 reviews
Reviewed By Jakecosmosaller - Alexandria, United States
Ilsan lake park is a wonderful place to take a walk especially in the fall or winter. During the winter it is lit up at night. also fantastic cherry trees in the spring time. the lake is one of the largest man made lakes in Asia. it is located next to great shopping and restaurants ( on the right side of the Lake). Nearest station is Balsan station on the orange line. Coming from the airport or Seoul station take the ARA and transfer at Digital Media city. Ignore the official metro guide book which says to transfer at Seoul Station - that will double your travel time and take 90 minutes as opposed to 40 minutes. Balsan station is also the entry to Balsan mountain which is a nice short hike. at the top you can take a trail that links you to Pukansan national park trails as well.
4. Seoul Grand Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 271 reviews
Reviewed By yipjcs88 - Hong Kong, China
The Seoul Grand Park has a good zoo and rose garden. I did not see roses in past visits but this time (late Oct.) the rose garden was filled with roses. In autumn the autumn colours are fascinating. However this year was dry and the summer was unusually long so the ginkgo and maple trees were much less attractive than last year. I like the park because it has a bird house where one could see various birds face to face ie not caged. The zoo is very large and has a wide range of animals.
5. DMZ
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,040 reviews
Reviewed By Granules2013 - Darwin, Australia
Very lucky to have been able to visit the DMZ on a trip to South Korea. Would probably say this is an absolute must see thing to do when visiting Korea. Managed to do a full day tour, an eerie experience and can still see the tension. Coming here helps you understand a lot about the history though.
6. Yongin Daejanggeum Park
7. National Gwacheon Science Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 77 reviews
Reviewed By SusannaG42
We travelled all the way here for my 4 year old dino-obsessed son. We thought it was totally worth it! Word of warning - taxis are hard to come by so you are probably better off prebooking your ride. The main exhibit hall was great - lots of informative stuff in English. They also have separate buildings for an Insectarium (which we didn’t go to) and a Space Centre (which we did but left quickly as it was all in korean and we understood nothing). There’s a Dino park outside as well with Dino statues which my son loved taking photos of.
8. Uijeongbu Budaejjigae Street
9. The Garden of Morning Calm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 475 reviews
The Garden of Morning Calm was founded by professor Sang-kyung Han (honorary professor of the Department of Horticulture, Sahmyook University) and it opened on May 11, 1996 as a private garden. He came up with the idea of establishing he beautiful, world-class garden while staying as an exchange professor in the US in 1993. The name Garden of Morning Calm originated from when Rabindranāth Tagore, an Indian poet, called Korea ‘the Land of Morning Calm.’ The founder and his employees have strived to embrace the natural beauty of Korea, oriental mystique, and the spirit of the Korean people in the garden. The design of the garden focused on curves, spaces and asymmetric balance, and Korea's unique beauty to express classic elegance and fabulousness.
Reviewed By SQKrisflyer - Singapore, null
I first visited the Garden of Morning Calm in 2018 about 2 weeks before the peak autumn foliage. So this time I timed the visit perfectly in first week of November and came with my family where we spent a wonderful 2.5 hours on a clear sunny Thursday morning. Getting there and entrance fees: The Garden of Morning Calm is located in Gapyeong, about 30 km northeast of Seoul. We took a Indiway tour that covers Garden of Morning Calm in the late morning followed by Nami Island in the afternoon. Alternatively, if you would want to go from Seoul to the Garden but not on a tour package, you could first take the subway to Cheongnyangni Station or Yongsan Station (both on Subway Line 1), followed by the ITX express train on the ITX-Cheongchun Line of about 50 minutes (from Yongsan) or about 35 minutes (from Cheongnyangni) to Cheongpyeong Station (do book the ITX train ticket online and arrive early at the station to find the ITX-Cheongchun Line station). Upon coming out of Exit 1, take the Gapyeong City Tour Bus from the bus station right outside to the Garden of Morning Calm. A one day pass for the Gapyeong City Tour Bus costs ₩6000 per person (excludes entrance fees to attractions) and has to be bought from the bus driver. The departure schedule is at the bus stop and among the stops include Gapyeong Rail Bike, Nami Island, Petitie France and of course Garden of Morning Calm. The entrance fees for the Garden is ₩9,500 (adults), ₩7,000 (youth) and ₩6,000 (child). The attraction: The Garden of Morning Calm is the oldest private garden in Korea, founded by Professor Han Sang-kyung who had his vision to create a world-class garden that embraces the beauty of Korea as the “Land of Morning Calm”. I think one testament to its success is that several Korean dramas had been filmed at this Garden. However, upon entering the Garden, most visitors started queuing for a photo, selfie or wefie at the wooden board with the “Garden of Morning Calm” inscription. For my family and I, we just moved on quickly because there are several walking trials and so much autumn vibrancy to enjoy in this 330,000 square metres Garden with over 5,000 fauna species and 27 theme gardens. Using the map (do get one), we took the following “best” walking route covering the major attractions: Dropping Tree Garden -> Eden Garden -> Millennium Juniper Garden (see the iconic 1000 year-old juniper tree which is the representative tree of the Garden) -> Sunken Garden (this is Garden of Morning Calm’s representative garden) -> J’s Cottage Garden (with a lovely English cottage) -> Pond Garden (the pavilion is the site of the hit Korean drama “Love in the Moonlight” or “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds” starring Park Bo-Gum and Kim Yoo-Jung) -> Stream Garden -> Road to Heaven (beautiful blooming flowers lining the winding road) -> Moonlight Garden (mainly white flowers and plants that symbolise moonlight) -> Conifer Garden -> Wild Flower Garden -> Bonsai Garden -> Cloud Bridge. After the Wild Flower Garden, I could not resist making a dash past the Rose of Sharon Garden and up to the stairways to the Alpine Rock Garden. This is where you could catch a birds-eye view of the Garden. Not to worry if you go hungry at the Garden. There’s a Good Morning Coffee Café and a Morning Spring Bakery next to each other as well as a Korean Food Garden restaurant serving healthy Korean dishes. What I enjoyed: (1) True to its name, the Garden, with its aesthetic greenery, is so peaceful and gives me the calming effect. The relaxed picturesque setting at the foot of Chungnyeongsan Mountain and the fresh countryside air so ever contrasts with the hustle and bustle and pollution of city life (2) Of the so many theme gardens, my favourite is the Pond Garden because the surrounding beautiful and dramatic autumn landscape was reflected on the still water of the pond. My other favourite theme garden is the Moonlight Garden where there is a dainty white church building surrounded by lovely flowers. (3) Everywhere you look, there were leaves painted in scarlet red, golden yellow, royal purple and burning orange hues from the hazel, gingko, katsura and maple trees that showcased the autumn beauty and created such a romantic atmosphere. (4) Being autumn, there were yellow, pink, violet, red, maroon, orange and white chrysanthemums in full bloom (particularly at the Road to Heaven), adding further enchanting beauty to the Garden (5) There are several wide paths and lots of narrow paths such that there was room for everyone, and we never encountered overcrowding or having others unkowingly standing next to us in our photographs. But that’s on a weekday and I am not sure about the situation on a weekend. Nevertheless, do go early in the morning as hordes of tourists typically come in the late morning. My family and I would want to come back on our own next time. But this is definitely one garden that you would not want to miss, even though you are not a lover of Nature – just enjoy the walk and the calmness at this attraction which is one of the “2019-2020 100 Must Visit Tourist Spots in Korea”!
