A spectacular rail tour of South Korea

Sunrise of Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea

The traditional houses, many now craft studios, in Bukchon Hanok Village

(Image credit: CJNattanai / Getty Images)

Much like Japan’s bullet trains, South Korea’s KTX trains are “quiet, luxurious and extremely fast”, said Georgia Pritchett in The Times.

Particularly “heavenly” is the east coast line, which passes mountains and “stunning” beaches for much of its length. I took it all the way from Gangneung (in the north) down to Busan (in the south), having started off in Seoul (in the northwest). The whole trip, organised by Inside Asia, was fabulous: it was my first time in South Korea, and I found it “surprising, fun, beautiful and exciting”, its people “relaxed and friendly”, and its food “delicious” (although some options – such as the sea worms aptly named “penis fish” – were a little too challenging).

In Seoul, I visited the “excellent” Museum of History, and the Bukchon Hanok Village, a neighbourhood of traditional houses, many of which are now craft studios. I also loved the outdoor libraries with bean-bag seating in parks, and spent too much time in claw-machine shops trying to win a soft toy emblazoned with an “underpowered” motivational slogan (e.g. “You’ll be fine”).

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Next came Gangneung, which has a “mesmerising” digital art museum, Arte, where you can “immerse yourself in waterfalls, jungles, waves and stars”. And then another spectacular train journey took me south to Gyeongju, where a museum displays exquisite treasures from the royal burial mounds of the Silla period (57BC to AD935), and there are some beautiful historic sites, including the Buddhist temple of Bulguksa, founded in the sixth century.

In Busan, I wanted to stay “permanently” in the food hall at Shinsegae Centum City – the world’s biggest department store – but was mildly traumatised by its vast spa complex (too much nudity for a “repressed” Brit, and the full-body exfoliation was a bit vigorous). However, a visit to the seaside temple of Yonggungsa – where I listened to monks chanting while waves crashed on the rocks – restored my equilibrium, and I also enjoyed a fascinating tour of the city’s markets.