I had a few days off thanks to Buddha's birthday and decided to wander outside of Seoul on an epic Korea Road Trip, making my way far south, a little east, then west, before heading back to the capitol city.

Scroll to the bottom of the post for the complete list with addresses for navigation.

There are so many things to see in Korea, and they aren’t all in the cities. If you’re interested in checking out some of those sights, your best bet is to hop in a car and go. That's what I did. Here's my Ultimate Korea Road Trip guide.

Why You Should Road Trip in Korea

Time Efficiency = Cost Efficiency

A lot of the sights outside of the cities aren’t worth spending a whole weekend on, but if you can hit up a few of them in a weekend, it’s worth your time, effort and money.

The outright cost of driving (rental, gas, tolls) are higher than public transportation costs, but it’s a one-time shot, as opposed to making multiple train and bus rides to just see one or two sights at a time. It's the most cost effective was to see things efficiently, saving money in the long run.

For more info on renting cars, gas a tolls, check out my post Driving in Korea: What You Need to Know.

Autonomy on 4 Wheels

Getting from city to city in Korea is relatively easy. Buses, trains and planes can get you from Seoul to Busan, to Daegu and Jeju. In the less populated areas, buses are still an option, but it takes forever, and you’re traveling on someone else’s schedule.

Road tripping lets you hop off the highway when the mood strikes. Pull over to check what the fuck is up with that cheese-wheel-shaped building. Spend an hour exploring the small fishing town port and chat with a local fisherman. Decide to check out that temple you read about because you have the time. Do whatever you want, whenever you want.

See life outside the city

More than the autonomy and efficiency, a Korea road trip gives you a unique perspective of life outside the cities. You see the rural areas that are missed completely if you take a train or a bus. I always feel like these areas are the life blood of countries. Where the real culture is. The cities are the heart, but everything else is the life coursing through.

For more info about how to become a legal driver is Korea, how to rent a car, and what to expect while driving in Korea, read Driving in Korea: What You Need to Know.

Hitting the Road

I began my Korea road trip from Seoul. I left in my rented Hyundai Sonata at about 8:00pm on a Friday night after work, heading towards Boseong. About 2 hours in, and after wrangling kindergartners all week, I was beat.

I didn’t plan where I was going to sleep on this journey, not certain where I would even be at the end of each day. I figured if I didn’t make it to Boseong that night, I’d scope out a spot and sleep in my car.

The rest stops in Korea are good spots for some car sleepin, so I hopped in the back seat, put on a podcast, and hit the sack. If you’re not into that, I’m sure you can find a hotel or jjimjilbang on your way down, if needed.

Sleep: Backseat of my rental car

Car time: 2 hours & 150 miles

Korea Road Trip: Day 1

Green Tea Fields, Bamboo Forest, gigantic Cheese Theme Park, and a mountainous temple surrounded by stone pagodas

Car time: 3 hour & 135 miles

After a decent night sleep, I woke up and hit the road at about 5:00am, on my way to Boseong Tea Fields.

After exploring Tapsa Temple, my dogs were barking and I was ready to chill. A successful first day of my Korea Road Trip in the books. I sat in the car for a few minutes searching for a place to rest my weary head in the nearest city on the way to my next stop.

Sleep: Jeonju. Malmani Guesthouse.

I grabbed some delicious Vietnamese food for dinner. On my way back, I heard drums and followed my ears to find the source. I came across a parade in the middle of the city in honor of Buddha's birthday. Hundreds of monks and local people clapping, dancing, chanting, holding lanterns and singing. Random road trip magic.

I headed back to the hostel and was sound asleep by 10:00pm, ready for the next day's adventure.

Korea Road Trip: Day 2

Walk across a suspension bridge high atop Daedunsan Mountain, try to find the azaleas at Hwangmae Mountain and sleep in the "museum without walls"

Car Time: 4.5 hours & 216 miles

The scenery on day two was pretty amazing. I passed through a lot of agricultural land, rice fields, and rural villages. It probably took me a lot longer than it would have if I just went straight through, but I found myself stopping pretty regularly to snap some pictures of the beauty I was seeing. It was such a contrast from what I had seen so far in Korea, which was mostly city landscapes. It was so refreshing to be outside of a city, to see green.