Hi everyone! Welcome (or welcome back) to my travel blog! This is about my visit to South Korea from 14 June to 23 June 2026. Look out for any top tips along the way. 😀 Hope that you find the information here useful!
QUICK LINKS 🍄🔥:
1. Gyeongbokgung Palace
15 June 2026
My parents and I went to this ancient palace, which was home to the kings of South Korea in the past. The palace grounds were quite large, but most of the paths were covered with mud so I would not recommend visiting on a rainy day.
Ticket prices: (Top tip: If you rented a Hanbok, it is free!)
- Adult (19-64 years old): 3000 won
- Rest: Free
Top tip: Re-entries are NOT allowed (unless you need to go back to the lost and found etc.)
Main highlights:
- Palace Grounds
- National Palace Museum of Korea (free entry :D)
Inside the Palace
Overall, the palace experience was… [] out of []! Actually, why don’t you rate it yourself! Let me take you through each part of the journey. We started off at the gates. There were actual “guards” that I took photos with! Every 15 minutes or so, they would change shifts. Thereafter, we moved to the courtroom. It was large with gold dragons engraved into the ceiling.
After visiting that, we followed the main doors into the living quarters of the royal family:
Next, we headed to the mini garden, which lead us to the kitchen. There is a well in front of the kitchen where they retrieved the water from.
We walked a little further before arriving at a dead end. Hence, we had no choice but to turn around and head back. On the way towards the main palace, we came across a lake. It was a spectacular view so we had to snap some shots!
There was also a performance that we unfortunately missed. Do watch it if you have time though! After lunch, we went to visit the National Palace Museum of Korea. Scroll down to find out about it!
PS: I almost lost my watch, thankfully one of the staff brought it to the lost and found area and I found it after lunch. Thanks so much! Anyway, go take a tour around the National Palace Museum of Korea now and read on!
AMUSING Museum
This is a three storey museum which we stumbled across. It turned out to be extremely interesting and allowed us to understand Korea’s royal family better. We went to several different exhibits and there were many videos along the way. Do take note that the video at the end of the Science and Culture only plays once every 10 minutes. Here are some photos of the interior:
That’s about it for palaces in this blog! Now for some fun… 😁
2. Amusement Parks!
Lotte World
My family and I went to Lotte World on 17 June 2026. The first parade in the afternoon was not bad, but the final one at night was grander. We didn’t get to see any shows because we visited on a weekday. Read on to find out which rides I recommend and more about the parades!
Recommended Rides!
1. Wild Dragon Shooting
This was fun and easy to pick up! It is suitable for all ages and there was basically no queue. It is a game where you board a moving “vehicle” and you aim using a red laser pointer. All you have to do is find dragons to shoot! The leader board would be shown at the end. Each “vehicle” or cart sits a maximum of four people.
2. Fly Venture
This was a 3D adventure! Every admission admits many people, an estimate could be from 45 to 90. There are three rows of around 15-30 seats. The seats would be suspended mid-air during “flight” and you would be brought into different realms! This is suitable for all ages and the animation was really beautiful!
3. The Adventures of Sindbad
A treasure-seeking adventure for pirates!
4. Battlegrounds
Ride on a fast moving horse/carriage and shoot targets!
5. Pharaoh’s Fury
The ride which took the most resources to build!
Top tip: Beware of the long queues! The ride itself was exciting but suitable for almost all ages.
Others!
Lego Land
Overall, the place had many attractions which we could not finish! There were many amazing rides, but I won’t write about all of them here. Do check out the photos for more!
1. The Dragon
Fast-paced fiery dragon fun! (Rollercoaster)
2. Masters of Spinjitzu
Fun rollercoaster with unexpected twists! Get ready to find that your seat rotates, and the dragon spits out real fire!
3. Legoland Lookout
You can get a 360 view of Legoland up there! Suitable for all ages 🙂
Everland
This is in fact, my third time visiting Everland. Yet, although I take different rides each time, I haven’t finished all of them. That is how big the amusement park is!
This time, I took the high drop rollercoaster 🎢 for the first time! Here are some recommended rides/shows:
1. Monimo-Rush
Top tip: Perfect for thrill seekers! No riding under 130cm though…
2. FIREWORKS!
Definitely the BEST fireworks performance EVER!
There was a story behind the fireworks, and they were stunningly beautiful! Actual performers also came out to dance!
3. Amazon Express
A fun, unexpected twisty and bumpy water ride!
4. Zoo!
5. Water Parade!
Be prepared to get drenched! The whole arena was basically under a downpour during the show!
3. Korean Demilitarised Zone
We booked a tour to visit the DMZ (demilitarised zone). Although you can go there yourself, I would not recommend it as the place was huge and a tour could be more systematic. Now let’s dive into the highlights!
Top tip: Lunch time could be rushed and food choices are slightly limited~
Tour highlights:
1. Imjingak Pyeonghoa-Nuri Park
This park is suitable for all ages! It was beautiful, and at the end of the freedom bridge, I saw this:
It was a wall of memories and wishes for peace and reunion. Reading those messages was really bittersweet…
Walk a little further down, and a bombed train that was resembled would come into view. You can further explore the lake and other parts of the park too!
Top tip: A visit in June could be hot 🔥
2. The Third Tunnel
The way down into the Third Tunnel was steep. I would highly discourage the elderly from going down, as the climb back could be overly strenuous. It was also pretty cold down there, so I would recommend that you bring a jacket or sweater. Unfortunately, photos are not permitted, but there is a small replica outside!
The tunnel was narrow. Thus, be sure to look out for your head! Thankfully, we were provided with helmets that helped to absorb the impact. I had to bend down for certain sections of the tunnel that caved in. Along the way, I also saw yellow marks that were the remains of the dynamite North Korea used to make the tunnel!
The end of the tunnel could only be seen through a camera and a glass panel. There were plants growing on the other side! Now, here are some pictures… 😛
Top tip: Lock everything in the lockers provided! Bringing things down could add weight and make it harder to navigate the tunnel. (Mobile phones are not allowed in the tunnel)
3. Dora Observatory
Over there, you are not allowed to take photos on the observatory. Binoculars were provided, however. I could see both North Korea and South Korea from the highest level! The two countries had flags put up separately. They even competed to see who built the highest flag! In the end, North Korea’s flag was higher. Here’s a few photos (some of which are provided by our guide):
4. The Talk
Our tour also consisted of a talk with a North Korea Defector. He mainly answered some of our queries, and the whole session was held like a Q & A!
5. Suspension Bridge
After that, wvisited the suspension bridge. The climb up could be hard for the elderly as the bridge is hung between two mountains, so do take note!
6. JSA Museum
Lastly, we went to JSA Museum! There were a four different exhibits, and you could get free stamps!
- The first showed videos of the Korean War
- In the second, there were telephones which you could use to hear the recordings of the war
- The third was a reflective mirror path (The threshold of no map)
- Lastly, the fourth: (a replica of the border)
Top tip: Do look out for the JSA logo outside too!
Yay! We are done with the DMZ! Ready for some relaxing vibes in nature? Let’s go!
4. Nature
- Yeonhui Forest Rest Area
The whole forest was really peaceful and it was colossal… I really recommend exploring. There were Maple and Sakura trees along the way, so a visit in Spring or Autumn could be super worth it!
- Hongjecheon Artificial Waterfall
A calming waterfall with a café overlooking it…
I would recommend ordering iced chocolate!
- Nami Island
To reach Nami Island, we took a ferry. Top tip: Take note of the ferry times!
The whole island at night was brightly lit up with neon lights. There were many attractions like tree houses along the way. I even spotted wild rabbits and ducks!
Below are some photos of our visit from 7pm to 9pm!
5. Food 😛
Top Ten MUST tries! (In no particular order) 😀
- Ren Shen Ji (Tosokchon Samgyetang)
- Lotteria
- Korea Fried Chicken
- Cold Noodles in soya bean
- Bimbimbap
Wrapping Up 🌯
This summer adventure was successful! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The pace was just right and I got to try many amazing local cuisines! Hopefully your trip to Korea would be just as terrific… 😀
Unfortunately, I couldn’t include everything here, but the best vacation doesn’t necessarily mean every second must be planned!
Final top tip: Go with the flow! 🌊
With that, we’ve come to the end of this blog. Here’s a cookie for reading till the end! 🍪Stay tuned for more travelling… 🙂 See you!
