For over 10 years I’ve been a frequent visitor to South Korea. My son and his family live in the city of Daegu which is South Korea’s 4th largest city located less than two hours south of Seoul by KTX fast train.
During my twice yearly visits to South Korea – and to the culture rich and metropolitan City of Daegu – I always enjoy visiting Daegu’s many attractions.
So, if South Korea is on your travel wish list, I would encourage you to venture further than the metropolitan capital city of Seoul and explore the much less touristy and perhaps more conservatively authentic South Korean City of Daegu.
Read on to see My Top 10 Things To Do In Daegu South Korea.
And watch my (very short) video below with my personal #1 Top Tip For Daegu South Korea!
My Top Tip FOR Daegu South Korea!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- My Top Tip FOR Daegu South Korea!
- DAEGU’S CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON
- WHERE TO STAY IN DAEGU CITY
- MY TOP TEN LIST OF THINGS TO DO IN DAEGU
- 1) Apsan Mountain Park
- 2) Visit the Nakdong River Victory Memorial Hall
- 3) Palgongsan Mountain
- 4.) Visit Donghwasa Temple
- 5) Have fun at E-World Amusement Park
- 6) Visit Daegu 83 Tower
- 7) Duryu Park
- 8) Eating and Drinking In Daegu
- KIMCHI EXPLAINED
- SOJU EXPLAINED
- 9) Shopping in Downtown Daegu
- 10) K-Beauty Products
- CELEBRATE CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON IN DAEGU
- THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FLOWERING SEASON IN DAEGU
DAEGU’S CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON
If you are planning to visit South Korea and Daegu in early springtime why not choose Daegu for your ‘sakura’ cherry blossom experience? The city has so many parks and tree lined avenues filled with cherry blossom trees.
The cherry blossoms of Daegu bloom beautiful during late March to early April and there are lots of cherry blossom themed activities planned to celebrate this wonderful time of year in South Korea.
And, with neighbouring Japan reporting an ever-increasing onslaught of tourists during sakura season, in comparison, you wouldn’t have to share the beautiful blooms with so many people!
WHERE TO STAY IN DAEGU CITY
LUXURY STAY – THE DAEGU MARRIOTT HOTEL
FIND YOUR PERFECT PLACE TO STAY IN DAEGU USING THIS INTEREACTIVE MAP
MY TOP TEN LIST OF THINGS TO DO IN DAEGU
1) Apsan Mountain Park
The sprawling area of Apsan Mountain Park is one of my favourite places to visit and is located where three mountain ranges converge.
Apsan Park is one of the largest urban parks in Daegu, offering hiking trails on the mountain paths, and the most incredible panoramic views of the city.
Before you head up the mountain you walk through the eco-park, which is very popular all year round with the citizens of Daegu.
With so many trees, there are opportunities to see cherry blossoms in the springtime and golden leaves in the autumn and the park provides a wonderful and shaded respite from the scorching heat of a Daegu City summer.
At the base of the mountain there is the war museum and cafes and opportunities for leisure pursuits include horse riding and archery and water sports or swimming in the lake.
You can hike the 4 km Apsan Park walking trail that starts at the entrance of the park. The trail is challenging and takes about 2 hours to complete.
For those who prefer an effortless assent (600m) up Apsan Mountain you will no doubt prefer to take the cable car/gondola cab up to the observatory platform right at the top.
Getting There: There are a few ways to get to Apsan Mountain Park in Daegu if you don’t drive. Take the 410 or 750 bus to the Apsan Park stop or on the subway it’s Line 1 from Daegu to Anjirang Station and the 410-1 bus to the last station.
2) Visit the Nakdong River Victory Memorial Hall
At the base of Apsan Mountain and in the park there is the Nakdong River Victory Memorial Hall (War Museum).
This war museum is interesting and informative and preserves the memory of those who fell in the Korean War.
As a visitor it certainly makes you appreciate why South Korea still maintains its defensive military conscription today.
That said, South Korea these days is one of the safest countries in the world to visit, as people are polite and respectful and crime levels are low.
3) Palgongsan Mountain
Palgongsan Mountain Park is another popular destination for Daegu’s population and for nature lovers.
Daegu’s second mountain offers scenic hiking trails, temples, historical sites.
There is a cable car ride to take you gliding over the rising forest canopy up to a platform and café right at the top.
The Palgongsan Mountain Cable Car is especially good to do if you are visiting in autumn when the leaves on the trees in the forest are changing colour.
It’s also popular in the winter. The air is clear. Views are stunning.
For hikers, the Palgongsan Loop trail is a popular but challenging five-mile route.
Getting There: To reach Palgongsan Mountain Park from Daegu city you can take one of the many frequent and inexpensive city buses to the provincial park. Take the red bus #1 to the end of the line and then walk up the hill.
4.) Visit Donghwasa Temple
This ancient Donghwasa Buddhist Temple and cultural centre is located on the southern slops of Palgongsan Mountain and is one of Daegu’s most famous temples and is a worthwhile day trip from Daegu.
Originally built in 493 AD by a monk called Geukdal, the site is both spiritual and historical and renowned for its giant 30-meter-tall Buddha statue (a stone Buddha statue believed to grant wishes).
There is also a three-story stone pagoda built in 863 and an impressive stone wall of statues resembling a scroll which you can see in my short video.
The beautiful temple gardens offer a wonderfully serene atmosphere in which to walk and includes ponds, cascading falls, an ancient stone bridge, fountains, stone pagodas, stone lanterns and statues.
The temple hosts the Lotus Lantern Festival, also known as Yeon Deung Hoe, which is a Buddhist cultural festival that takes place in Korea every May to celebrate the birth of the Buddha.
The temple also offers people a popular ‘temple stay experience’ where you can experience traditional Korean Buddhist culture, learn to meditate, and live like a monk!
Getting There: To get to Donghwasa Temple (22km from Daegu) you can take the express bus #2 from Ayanggyo station to the next to last stop marked “Donghwasa”. From there, you’ll need to climb a hill to reach the temple area.
You can also get to Donghwasa Temple by taking a express bus #1 to “Donghwagyo Bridge 2” from the city (this was how I got to the temple) or from the bus stop in front of Daegu International Airport.
5) Have fun at E-World Amusement Park
Daegu’s E-World is a colourful city centre theme park (it’s in the same area as Daegu Tower and Duryu Park) with a zoo and theme park rides and roller coasters and lots of fun attractions to suit all ages and levels of bravery.
As well as the rides there are water features and flower gardens and winding pathways with plenty of places to stop and take photos.
E-World also hosts seasonally themed festivals and is well worth a visit.
Highly recommended especially if you have small children.
We had such a fun time with our grandson at E-World!
6) Visit Daegu 83 Tower
Those of you who have read my posts on Tokyo Tower in Japan and Taipei 101 Tower in Taiwan and The Bitexco Tower in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam know I love a city tower!
The Daegu 83 Tower (with 83 floors) is the tallest observation tower in Korea. It is also an iconic symbol of Daegu.
Located in E-World, the tower has a very good and very busy buffet restaurant at its base and a revolving restaurant at the top and offers an observation deck with panoramic views the entire city.
7) Duryu Park
The 40-acre Duryu Park is a great place to wander and to relax but the park also offers many activities.
It’s right next door to E-World and The Daegu Tower!
Don’t forget to take a photo at the Colorful Daegu sign!
8) Eating and Drinking In Daegu
Visit the modern city centre of Downtown Daegu but don’t forget to also explore Daegu’s many colourful and fragrant traditional markets.
The traditional markets typically sell remarkably large and perfectly formed fruits and vegetables – and lots of types of kimchi and spices – as well as fresh meat and fish and seafood.
The markets are also famous for their street food, including flat dumplings (Nabjak Mandu), spicy stir-fried glass noodles (Japchae), and more.
I absolutely love Korean mandu dumplings – I crave them when I’m not in South Korea – and for over ten years now I’ve been heading straight to the same stall at my favourite traditional Daegu market to buy mandu with kimchi!
Take a look at my short video showing my favourite dumplings being made!
These traditional old markets in Daegu are like a window into the Korean past and are a great place to shop for traditional Korean textiles, hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), and affordable souvenirs.
I’ve already recommended street food to you but there are also lots of fantastic restaurants in Daegu for you to try and, of course, you must eat at a Korean BBQ restaurant.
You’ll see lots of these BBQ restaurants all over Daegu.
You will note the ‘metal flue style chimneys’ – suspended above each of the gas fired charcoal pits at each table to take away the BBQ smoke while your food cooks – as it’s raw meat (pork, chicken, or beef) that is brough to your table with lots of vegetable accompaniments including kimchi.
You must try the lots of different types of kimchi – eaten as a side dish – with every meal in South Korea and is often included as an ingredient in soups and stews.
I adore kimchi!
KIMCHI EXPLAINED
If you are not familiar with Kimchi – it is a traditional Korean side dish of fermented vegetables that’s a staple of Korean cuisine. It tastes both spicy and tart and is usually made with napa cabbage or Korean radish and often includes other ingredients like garlic, ginger, spring onions, and Korean chili powder (gochutgaru).
Korean beer is good (Cass) and of course if you like to drink alcohol spirits you should try Soju.
Do drink Soju very carefully – especially if it is disguised with fruit flavours – as it’s deceptively strong!
And, as a personal recommendation for cocktails, don’t miss Daegu’s famous and original GoGo Vinyl Bar on the corner of bar Street the corner of bar street on Dongseong-ro 4-gil where you can get a delicious cocktail in a go bag!
SOJU EXPLAINED
Soju originated in Korea and is the country’s national drink. It is a clear distilled alcoholic drink often compared to vodka but it has a lower alcohol content of around 16–25% but some brands can be as high as 45%.
Traditionally made from rice, wheat, or barley, it can also be made from other grains and starches like tapioca and sweet potatoes so giving soju a slightly sweeter taste than vodka.
My Korean family like to serve soju neat and by the shot but it can also be enjoyed in cocktails or mixed drinks or indeed added to your beer!
Interestingly – and perhaps rather disturbingly – soju is the best-selling liquor in the world by volume and yet consumption is almost exclusively confined to the South Korean market accounting for 97% of sales!
9) Shopping in Downtown Daegu
Dongseongno is Daegu’s main shopping and entertainment district, often compared to Myeongdong in Seoul, and it’s a great place for shopping, dining, and experiencing Daegu’s youthful and fashionable vibe.
The street stretches from Daegu Station (Dong Daegu) Intersection to Art Square and has fashion boutiques, cosmetics shops, cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, and lots of karaoke bars where you can sing and dance to K-Pop! Gangnam Style anyone?
10) K-Beauty Products
K-Beauty products are world-renowned and Koreans take their ‘skin first’ skincare very seriously.
Unlike many Korean’s I don’t have a complicated multi-stage skin care regime but I do love the moisturising serum infused facemasks available and so always stock up before I leave South Korea as they really are the best.
As a tip, I recommend checking the skincare product ingredient list carefully, as Korean like to ‘brighten’ (whiten) their skin.
Also, I suggest storing your moisturising K-Beauty face masks in the fridge, for a cool and refreshing home spa treatment.
CELEBRATE CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON IN DAEGU
Palgongsan Cherry Blossom Festival and The E-World Cherry Blossom Festival take place in Daegu from late-March to early April.
At this time, you’ll see lots of people and families and romantic couples in the parks picnicking under Daegu’s blossom trees and enjoying the pink blooms.
Duryu Park in Daegu has a long central walking path leading from one end of the park to the other that is lined with Cherry blossom trees.
Similarly, The Ayanggyo (Bahyong) Bridge crossing the Daegu River, also has a beautiful pedestrian walkway of cherry blossom trees.
Cherry blossoms can be seen blooming at the Donghwasa Temple Complex (details below) on the southern slopes of Palgongsan Mountain Park where due to the elevation of the site the blossoms normally bloom a week later than those on lower aspects of Daegu.
Other places in Daegu popular for cherry blossom experiences include Suseongmot Lake, Chimsan Park, and Kkotbora Park and Gardens and many others. See my cherry blossom location map below.
THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FLOWERING SEASON IN DAEGU
As a guide to the flowering season – the cherry blossoms in Daegu begin to bloom from around the last week of March and reach full bloom around a week later (see my note above on Donghwasa Temple) – before gradually beginning to fade.
Have you ever visited South Korea?
If not, is South Korea on your travel wish list?
Let me know!
I’d love to hear from you.
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4 comments
South Korea is such an amazing travel destination for me.
I have been there for a couple of time.
I loved your honest and resourceful travel guide, photos are mind-blowing.
Thanks Sarah – it is an amazing country in all seasons. We are heading back for another visit at the end of this year – it will be pretty cold then!
Hi Janice – we’re just planning our visit to South Korea but will be coming from the south (ferry across from Japan). Planning to spend time in Busan, Daegu and Seoul – any other recommendations? Andy & Jane http://www.bridgesontheroad.com
Hi Andy and Jane – how exciting that you are planning such an amazing trip! You didn’t say what time of year you plan to visit South Korea – assuming you are travelling in the warmer months – then the only other recommendation I have for you at this time other than Exploring Busan, Daegu and Seoul, would be to consider a couple of days on Jeju Island. I haven’t actually been to Jeju myself yet but it’s on my list for the next time we visit South Korea. Do an internet search to find out more about the ‘Hawaii of South Korea’ – and let me know how your trip goes – I’d love to read about your adventure and see the photos!