Bulguksa (meaning Temple of the Buddha Land) is one of the architectural masterpieces of South Korea. The current temple dates back to the 8th century. It contains seven National Treasures, one of which is the lower Blue Cloud Bridge (Chong-un kyo) and the upper White Cloud Bridge (Paek-un kyo) leading up to the main entrance of the temple. Buddhists believe that one enters Buddha Land after crossing the bridges and entering the Golden Purple Gate (Jaha mun).

Namdaemun (the Great South Gate) was once the southern gate of the walls surrounding Seoul, and dates back to the end of the 14th century. It is now the city's oldest wooden structure. It is well worth a visit at night when it is floodlighted.

One of the main attractions of Busan is the temple of Yonggungsa, in the north-east of the city. Unlike most other temples, which are in the mountains, Yonggungsa is situated on a big rock overlooking the ocean. The temple was founded in the era of King Gongmin, in the 14th century, by the great monk Naong. The temple burned down during the Japanese invation, but was rebuilt in the 1930s. It is best reached by taxi, about 20 minutes from Haeundae Beach.

Changdeokgung Palace was built during the 5th year of the reign of King Taejong (1405) as a royal villa. It was later used as royal residence when Gyeongbokgung Palace was burnt down during the Japanese invasion in 1592. Since the site of the Palace is not level, the layout of the buildings is designed in such a way that architectural forms adapt to the changing natural terrain.

In particular, the back garden, along with numerous pavilions, tens of thousands of trees and flowering plants attest to the Korean design tradition that harmonizes the structure with its natural surroundings.

Headquarters for Chogyejong, the largest sect of Buddhists in Korea, Jogye-sa is one of the largest temples within Seoul's city limits. Located near Insa-dong, each year it holds a major Lantern Festival in honor of Buddha's Birthday. Because of its influence among Korea's Buddhist population, nearby are a number of shops selling various Buddhist-related paraphernalia, such as clothes, prayer beads, candles, and cassette tapes of chants.

From the busy streets of Jongno, follow the road towards Anguk Subway Station, and you will see Jogyesa Temple. The first thing you will notice at the temple are the lovely trees. These locust trees and baeksong trees in front of the Daeungjeon, the main temple building, are about 500 years old. One locust tree is about 26-meter high, and in the summer, provides a large amount of shade to enhance the mood of the temple. The baeksong tree is designated as a Natural Monument. The Daeungjeon building is a stately building built in 1938. The Dancheong is particularly beautiful with all the different colors painted on it, and inside the building is the Seokgamoni statue.

Jogyesa Temple does not give off the solemn and traditional air of the other temples located deep in the mountains, or offer the seasonal scenery of the mountains and the sea. But because it is located in the middle of the city, the transportation is convenient, and is well connected to the surrounding areas. It is good for tourists on a tight schedule. Along the street around Jogyesa Temple are many Buddhist specialty shops, selling such things as prayer beads, Buddhist writings, incense, as well as souvenirs such as dolls and key chains. If you are interested in Buddhism, these stores may be worth looking around.

Namsan (South Hill) once marked the southern edge of Seoul many generations ago. Nowadays, it stands in the center of the sprawling city, surrounded by the major shopping districts of Namdaemun, Myongdong, and Itaewon. The park itself covers almost a million pyong (1 pyong = 3.3 sq. meters), with over 60 species of trees, plants, and animals.

The park gives a wide patch of green to the downtown area. The park has several hiking trails leading to the 262-meter peak with Seoul Tower, as well as several exercise areas, making the park very popular among Seoulites for early morning exercise. The Citizens' Health Jogging Course is one of the regular annual events and you can have your blood pressure and pulse taken by volunteers during Spring and Autumn.

In addition to Seoul Tower and its attractions, Namsan Park contains many places of interest, including the National Theater, Namsan Public Library, Namsan Botanical Gardens, and several statues in memorial of Korean patriots. The park also contains Paljakjung (an octagonal pavilion), an aquarium, a fountain, and a cable car leading to Seoul Tower. Except for cable car, the other facilities are free. To the north is Namsangol Traditional Folk Village is a must to visit.

After passing the Presidential Blue House, your will arrive to Gyeongbokgung Palace which is built in 1394 as the main palace of Joseon Dynasty. It is the most comprehensive and grandest of the five palaces for the Joseon Dynasty.

The Korea National Folk Museum
It holds a concert every Saturday and Sunday, with traditional music, folk dance, martial arts and mask drama. It is held indoors on Saturday, and outdoors on an open-air stage on Sunday. The performance alternates weekly between folk dance and traditional music every Saturday. Also, traditional martial arts are presented on the first Sundays of each month, pungmulnori (farmers¡¯ percussion) on the second, taekgyeon (a traditional martial art that has become a performing art) on the third, and Gangryeong Talchum (Gangryeong mask dance) on fourth Sundays since March 2003.

Songnisan National Park
Dotted with intricately-shaped lakes, this park includes the temple of Beopjusa and its 33 meter-tall bronze Buddha.

Andong
This has traditionally been the town of the aristocrats and the old culture is valued here. Andong Folk Village and Folk Museum showcases the relics of Korean culture. Restaurants here serve traditional food. To the north of Andong is Dosan Seowon, the famous Confucian institute. To the west is the Hahoe Maeul Folk Village. The Mask Dance Festival is held here every autumn and if you are around do not miss it for any thing in the world.

Busan
Waterways have been the lifeline of civilization and Busan, the port city and the second largest metropolis is absolutely indispensable to the Koreans. A bird.s eye view of the city can be had from the Busan Tower in Yongdusan Park. The U.N. Cemetery is one place that attracts a lot of tourists. It is here that the fallen U.N. soldiers of the Korean War are buried, some thousands of miles away from their homeland. Geumgand Park is also a tourist attraction. The city is also a departure point for another tourist hot spot, the Jeju Island.

Jeju Island
Jeju, though only 100km off the mainland, seems to be a completely different world altogether. It has got fantastic infrastructure in terms of accommodation and other tourist facilities. It is a honeymooner.s delight. Beautiful yellow flowers brighten the landscape and golden beaches are alluring indeed. Coastal waterfalls plunging straight into the sea, hot spring, fishing and scuba diving have become synonymous with Jeju. Folkcraft and National Museum as well as Jeju Folk Village Museum are worth a visit. The island also has the tallest mountain of the country, Mt. Hallasan. Do not miss the impressive Crater Lake here.

Haeinsa
A ninth century Buddhist temple considered to be the holiest Korean shrine lies amidst the eerie Gayasan National Park. The entire Buddhist scriptures are printed on 81000 wooden blocks but this is out of reach of the visitors who can only have a glimpse of it through the slatted window. It has also a good hiking trail.

Panmunjiom
Come here to visit the Demilitarized Zone. Walk into the Third Tunnel of Aggression and stand on the Freedom Pavilion. From here the North Korean soldiers can be seen peering back through binoculars. A meal in the soldiers. mess hall or a drink in the officers. club can really be an experience that you will not forget in a hurry. Troops here are always on high alert and confrontations here are both common and lethal.

Gyeongu
Once the capital of the Silla kingdom, the city has about 20 huge burial tombs. The beautiful temple of Bulguksa is just outside the town. Seokguram Grotto has exquisite stone image of Buddha. Hiring a boat to see the underwater tomb of King Munmu, who wanted to become a dragon to protect his subjects from invasions.