The number of holidaymakers in Yangyang and Samcheok, two of the popular coastal getaway spots in Gangwon Province, has decreased this year, according to the Gangwon Provincial government. While Samcheok welcomed almost 32,000 visitors from July 1 to 24, marking an 84.1 percent decrease from last year, Yangyang beckoned 42,000 visitors during the same period, a 67.5 percent decline from 2023. Though the detailed reasons for these striking drops have yet to be analyzed, the provincial government

The number of foreign visitors to the National Museum of Korea hit a record high of 94,951 in the first half of this year, museum officials said. The figure represents a 34.5 percent increase from 70,585 a year ago and a 55.6 percent rise from prepandemic levels in 2019, they said. They expect the annual number of foreign visitors to reach 200,000 this year if the current trend continues. The museum attributes the rise to its efforts to diversify exhibition content, aligning with growing globa

KTO recommends four summer getaways, each an indoor travel spot for the unique cultural experience

Traffic between Seoul and Gangwon Province is expected to surge considerably during the summer vacation season, with trips from Seoul to the eastern coast taking as long as five hours and 50 minutes. According to the Gangwon Provincial headquarters of the Korea Expressway Corporation, an estimated 433,000 cars a day were expected to be on the expressways of the province between July 25 and Aug.11, the peak of the vacation season in South Korea. This is up 11.6 percent from the daily 386,000 ca

Travel and leisure e-commerce platform Klook announced on Thursday that two types of foreigner-friendly tickets that offer priority access to Everland attractions are now available. Everland is the largest theme park and zoo in South Korea, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Everland’s priority boarding ticket Q-Pass is available exclusively on Klook. The two Q-Passes -- Plan-it 2 and Plan-it 3 -- allow ticket holders to make reservations for the theme park's popular attractions, i

YEONGWOL, Gangwon Province -- Luxury travel is incomplete without a stay at a high-end hotel, where the pampering includes exquisite food, decor and seclusion, while sessions for restoring mental and emotional wellness enrich the experience. All that is available at the Hanok Heritage House in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province -- the latest example of how far entrepreneurs are willing to go when refashioning “hanok,” the traditional Korean house. The architect behind the $130 million

Seoul City’s signature summer festival “Seoul Summer Beach” has returned to Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul, with a larger swimming zone than last year and new facilities to help beat the heat. The second edition of the festival began its 17-day operation Friday afternoon with an opening ceremony, according to its operator the Seoul Tourism Organization. Seoul Summer Beach consists of a water zone, Gwanghwa Waterpark, and a zone in front of the Statue of King Sejong the Grea

Quench your thirst at Park Hyatt Seoul The Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, presents an opportunity to enjoy refreshing, premium Champagne at its top floor The Lounge. The hotel offers a total of five bottles of Champagne -- Krug Grande Cuvee, Dom Ruinart 2010, Dom Perignon 2013, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and Ruinart Rose Brut -- paired with a menu of smoked salmon, sliced ham, Blini, chives and 30 grams of Osetra caviar. The Lounge’s chef, Jung Sang-hyup, recommends eit

Petite France in Gapyeong Petite France is a village in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, mirroring a typical French countryside landscape. Next to it is Pinocchio & DaVinci, an Italian village. Through August, visitors can watch a puppet show and a performance on a 19th-century European organ. Admission for adults is 12,000 won for the French village and 16,000 won for the Italian village. A pass for both attractions costs 19,500 won. Find out more at pfcamp.com. Sandulsori Botanical Gar

The coastal city of Gangneung is extending the operating hours of the popular Gyeongpo Beach until 9 p.m. starting Saturday. Gyeongpo Beach, the largest beach along the East Coast that attracts an average of 6.5 million visitors each summer, will increase the number of lights to allow swimming and other water activities in the area up to 200 meters deep near the Central Square, according to the city on Wednesday. Visitors were originally allowed to swim until 6 p.m. The city expects the longer o

With heavy rainfalls battering the entire country, hitting the beach with friends or enjoying water sports and other outdoor activities may not have been an option in recent days. However, Korea offers some interesting indoor travel destinations that are not only entertaining, but also keep visitors cool and dry in hot, humid weather. Lighting Museum Those who wish to feast their eyes on a variety of colors, lights and entertain themselves with dynamic sounds, should head over to the Lighting

Government data showed Monday that the number of visitors at major theme parks in South Korea has rebounded, approaching pre-COVID-19 figures. The annual headcount for those who visited Everland, the largest theme park and zoo here, marked 5.88 million in 2023. In the same year, 5.19 million people visited Lotte World and 1.33 million went to Seoul Land, according to the Tourism Knowledge and Information System operated by the state-run Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. Both Everland in Yon

SIHEUNG, Gyeonggi Province -- For those in the capital who feel like traveling but do not wish to spend a lot of time on trains, cars or buses, looking up satellite cities of Seoul -- mostly located in Gyeonggi Province -- is a great option. Siheung and Hwaseong -- among many other cities -- are already well-known for their popular tourist destinations, like Sorae March Ecological Park and the sandy beach of Jebudo Island, respectively. These towns, however, are a bit more special to the fans of

Sports lovers can enjoy diverse water sports at the upcoming Danyang Lake Park Water Sports Festival in Danyang, North Chungcheong Province, from Aug. 1 to 4. Visitors can try out both motorized and nonmotorized water vehicles ranging from motorboats, jet skis, water bicycles, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards for free on the county’s Namhan River. Those who are pregnant, preschool children and the elderly are restricted from such activities due to the safety issues. Children can play in a

Boryeong Mud Festival, one of South Korea’s most celebrated summer events, presents therapeutic experiences for festivalgoers with its mud-themed beauty and wellness center for the first time. The festival is an extravaganza of mud, first held in 1988 at Daecheon Beach along Korea's west coast, in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. Many holidaymakers enjoy the summer event not only to experience the dynamic, mud-themed activities -- mud slides, an air bounce, mud yachting and more