Highlights of South Korea

Seoul is a phoenix; all but destroyed in the Korean War, it is now a towering, electric capital, glinting with bright lights and brimming with self-confidence. Traditions both old and new thrive here: explore tranquil gardens, thronging markets and temples peering over historic hanok villages, or jump into the bubble-gum world of K-pop by learning the latest dance moves taking the world by storm.

Like a rich silk screen painting, Gyeongju is a timeless, intricate expression of Korea. The former capital of the ancient Silla kingdom, it is a city of ghosts, where palaces stand over quiet lily ponds, and royal tombs have yielded ancient, gilded treasures. The holy touch of Buddhism is everywhere, from the painted walls of grottos to lavish temples, some thousands of years old. Coming from the bustle of Seoul, Gyeongju is another world, a riveting look into Korea’s still, sacred waters.

Korea’s second city packages the best of the nation and wraps it up with the golden sands of the southeast: the home of a proud filmmaking culture, it promises seaside temples and jade-green mountains, cutesy, color-splashed cafes and the sensory overload of the bustling Jagalchi Fish Market, where with the finest catches are brought, sold and eaten fresh each morning. Come hungry: this is *the* place to go for a true taste of Korea.

Jeju is a land bent by volcanic forces, an island of lava tubes and mountain-side caves, thick forests and hidden waterfalls. In the daydreams of Koreans who escape here each year, the beaches sparkle, too, their white sands lapped by paradise waters. And then there is Hallasan, the nation’s highest peak, rising from the heart of the island like a waking dragon, its slopes scored with hiking trails, its summit crowned with a gleaming crater lake.