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All the must-visit day trip locations near Seoul can be found in Gyeonggi-do Province. Surrounding Seoul, Gyeonggi-do Province is a sprawling destination with both urban and natural sites. Suwon is the largest city in Gyeonggi-do Province and, home to numerous companies and universities. If you are visiting Suwon, make sure to visit the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, the Temporary Palace at Hwaseong Fortress, and Haengnidan Street, a collection of restaurants, cafés, and shops near the palace.
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Gyeonggi-do Province has plenty to offer, but we particularly recommend Paju for its beautiful scenery. Come springtime, Paju’s Byukchoji Gardens breaks out in hundreds of wildflower species.
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If you want to get a little closer to nature, head to Pocheon. “Pocheon” means “the place that embraces streams” and, just like its name, Pocheon is home to numerous tourist sites where water and forests come together. Pocheon Art Valley, an eco-friendly cultural space made out of an abandoned quarry, is located about an hour’s drive from Seoul. Other sights include Cheonjuho Lake, the Astronomical Observatory, and the Sculpture Garden. Cheonjuho Lake, in particular, is a lake full of clear water formed in a former granite quarry. It was featured as a filming location in famous TV shows like Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, The Legend of the Blue Sea, and A Korean Odyssey. Another must-visit site is the Hantangang UNESCO Global Geopark, which was listed as a Global Geopark in 2020. It is home to a majestic basalt canyon, 30m in length, along the Hantangang River, flowing on an expansive volcanic plateau. The view is nothing short of its moniker, “Korea’s Grand Canyon.”
Gyeonggi-do is famous for its rice. When boiled, Gyeonggi Rice is tender and sticky, so it was even presented to the royal court in the Joseon period. Desserts made with good Gyeonggi rice offer unique textures and flavors different from that of desserts made with flour. From rice cakes adorned with flamboyant flowers to pound cakes, rice cakes, and buns made with rice flour, you have a large variety of choices.
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DALROLL RICE SWISS ROLL
This Swiss roll is made with “Gimpo Golden Rice,” produced on fertile plains nourished by the Hangang River in Gimpo. Gimpo Golden Rice has always been recognized for its quality, so much so that it was even presented at the king’s table during the Joseon period. Dalroll Company’s Swiss rolls are made with rice flour rather than wheat flour, so they are gluten-free, easy to digest, and fluffy and soft like clouds. Selections offered include Swiss rolls with milk cream, Chodang sweet corn cream, and other rice-based bread products like rice sandwich bread.
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12TOL RICE POUND CAKE
12tol is a place that offers pound cakes made with Gawaji rice, which is grown in Goyang. It mills its own rice powder to optimal levels for dessert-making, so the pound cake comes out with a luxuriously soft texture. Flavor offerings include the rich Plain Pound and the mugwort-and-sweet-red-bean-flavored Ganghwa Mugwort Pound.
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HEUNGMANSO ICHEON RICE CREAM BUN
These buns, made with Icheon rice, are made without wheat flour. Each bun contains rice corresponding to about 1/5 of a standard rice bowl. The buns are crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and are filled with eight different types of cream, from rice to chestnuts, red beans, corn, black sesame, bean powder, chocolate, and matcha. They can be purchased either in Heungmanso café or online.
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GYEONGGI MIDANG RICE CASTELLA INJEOLMI
Gyeonggi Midang, a rice cake shop in Ansan, came up with “Castella Injeolmi,” or bean-powder-coated rice cake topped with rice castella. The confection features a heavenly harmony of tender rice castella and chewy rice cakes. Discerning customers will be delighted to know they are made with rice harvested from a dedicated rice paddy in Daebudo Island, Ansan.
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Q The name of the store, “12tol,” is quite interesting. Back when the land was being prospected for the development of Ilsan New Town in 1991, 12 rice seeds were discovered in the process. These rice seeds are Gawaji rice seeds, the first rice variant to be grown in the Korean peninsula. Since we use Gawaji rice to make desserts, we named the place “12tol.”
Q How did you come to develop a pound cake made with rice? I first thought about pound cakes when I was thinking of desserts that I could make with Gawaji rice since pound cakes are accessible to everyone. I came up with the product after learning the ropes from experts.
The word “Jangdansambaek” refes to the three great products of Paju, namely Paju-Gaeseong ginseng, Paju rice, and Jangdan soybeans (Jangdankong). The trio was so highly regarded that they were often featured at the king’s table. Jangdan soybeans, which are grown in Jangdan, Paju, are a Korean cultivar with a more excellent quality and flavor over soybeans from other regions.
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DMZ CHOCOLATE
Jangdan Soybean Chocolate refers to Jangdan soybeans, a local specialty of Paju, being roasted and covered in chocolate. Historically, Jangdan soybeans were highly regarded as a nutritious ingredient. Its status as a local specialty can be seen in the fact that the “Paju Jangdan Soybean Festival” is held every year.
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Yeoju is a region rich in high-quality white clay, clay, and water, which have made the region a center of pottery culture. Its tradition goes back in time for a thousand years to the early Goryeo period. Proud of their distinguished history of porcelain-making, local porcelain-makers have banded together under a joint brand to bring together the artisanal spirit of Yeoju porcelain-making and contemporary sensibilities.
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YIDO YEOJU CERAMIC STUDIO
If you want to purchase Yeoju porcelain, visit Yido and browse Yido’s selection of practical and refined porcelainware, such as pasta plates, mugs, and tea cups. Founded by artist Yi Yoon-shin, Yido combines Korean aesthetics with contemporary touches to create porcelain tableware that can be put to use easily in one’s day-to-day life.
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CERAMICS FROM YEOJU CERAMIC NANAL CENTER
This is a store dedicated to Yeoju NANAL, a joint brand established to promote the excellence of Yeoju porcelain. You'll find limited editions of art collaborations with Yeoju-based artists as well as collections made by expert artisans handpicked by the city.
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OBUZA ONGGI
This store offers onggi (Korean earthenware pottery) made by Kim Il-man, Onggijang (master of earthenware making) and the Holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 96. The items offered run the full gamut of onggi houseware, from large pots to tableware and interior decorations. The onggi here is made with traditional foot-spinning wheels, and the name “Obuza Onggi” comes from the fact that the five family members—the father and four sons—are all involved in onggi-making.
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Inspired by the island of Murano in Italy, Glass Island is a cultural space that introduces the history of glass craft and art, which dates back to 3000 BCE. The museum itself shows how glasses are made into works of art, while its art shop offers a wide variety of art glass, glass bowls, cups, and other pieces made by artists.
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GLASS ISLAND HANDICRAFT
Glass Island has a glassmaking studio where you can try your hand at glass craft. The website allows you to order customized glass art, trophies, sculptures, and more. Sculptures that excel in aesthetic beauty and color balance alike offer a way for you to elevate your interior space to the next level.
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The Korean Folk Village in Yongin is a theme park that recreates the life and space of the Korean folk and introduces the wisdom and lifestyle of Korea’s ancestors. It has been a beloved destination for fans of traditional Korean culture, particularly with its regular performances like madangnori (traditional theater).
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KOREAN FOLK VILLAGE PICNIC MAT
This picnic mat is ideal for both picnics and catching your breath while looking around the expansive Folk Village. The Korean Folk Village’s inspiration can be felt in the illustration of the seonbi (scholar) and a lady, both wearing hanbok (traditional Korean costume) and walking on roads adorned with flowers.
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YEOPJEON YAKGWA
This cookie recreates the traditional yakgwa (honey cookie) enjoyed in the royal court. It is notable both for its sweet and chewy texture, attributable to the sugar-fed honey it is made with, and its unique shape inspired by the Joseon-era coin yeopjeon.
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Gwang ju has a 500-year tradition of Joseon-style porcelains. Bunwon-ri in particular was the royal porcelain-making site during the Joseon period, and in it, high-quality white porcelain used in official organizations was produced. Since 1998, Gwangju has hosted the Gwangju Royal Ceramic Festival to continue that tradition.
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HAN GI-SEOK WHITE PORCELAIN
Artist Han Gi-seok is the 5th-generation descendant of a royal artisan who worked in the royal porcelain-making site and inheritor of his family’s more than 250 years of tradition. His work replicates the charms of Joseon white porcelain, which captures the world-view of Joseon’s literati in its understated flair and ordered aesthetics. Keep in mind that you have to make reservations to visit the store.
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Also known as the DMZ, the Demilitarized Zone is both an ecological sanctuary and history museum that captures the hopes of Korea’s reunification. Because entrance to the DMZ is strictly controlled, it has over time become a habitat of staggering biodiversity, while its symbolic character to the peace in the Korean Peninsula has led to it taking first place in a poll about “Korean tourist sites that foreigners would like to visit.”
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BARBED WIRE SOUVENIR AND HAT
Imjingak Souvenir Shop offers North Korean paper bills, hats and mugs with DMZ logos, military T-shirts, and other merchandise themed after the military. Take these souvenirs back with you to remember your visit to the DMZ.
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The 18th-century fortress of Suwon Hwaseong is thought to be the foremost example of fortifications in Korea, built with bricks and mechanical lifters. One can find quirky merch like miniature assembly kits for the Hwaseong Fortress nearby.
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SUWON HWASEONG BREAD
Suwon Hwaseong Bread was created to commemorate the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. It uses tapioca starch in lieu of wheat flour, which reduces its caloric content, helps with weight-watching, and imbues a chewy texture to the bread.
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SUWON HWASEONG MIRROR
This traditional hand mirror captures the beautiful form of Hwahongmun Gate, the northern gate of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. Traditional najeon (mother-of-pearl) techniques were used to create this luxurious product. The mirror comes in a sturdy paper box, which makes it ideal for gifting.
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Ildong Makgeolli is a specialty of Pocheon. It is a premium makgeolli (unrefined rice wine) with 85 years of history made with Pocheon’s premium rice and traditional techniques. In 2019, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea presented the bottle as a gift to the Japanese Emperor during his coronation ceremony, further cementing the beverage’s reputation as a premium specialty representing Korea.
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POCHEON DAMUN MAKGEOLLI
The milky white color of this unrefined rice wine, along with its thick, yet smooth texture, have earned the wine the nickname “cloud makgeolli.” The flavor profile emphasizes cleanliness and sweetness over acidity and carbonation, so it is ideal for those who are not used to the taste of makgeolli.
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Discovered for the first time in 1978, the Archaeological Sitein Jeongok-ri was designated as a Historic Site in recognition of its importance. The Archaeological Site in Jeongok-ri and Jeongok Prehistory Museum are sites that offer a glimpse into the lives of Paleolithic people in Korea. One can find souvenirs like arrowhead necklaces, hunting pouches patterned with prehistoric hunting scenes, and other prehistoric-themed items in the Jeongok Prehistory Museum.
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MAMMOTH BLOCKS
A mammal with a wooly coat and massive tusks? That’s got to be a mammoth. This assembly kit allows you to recreate the mammoth, a Cenozoic Era mammal that lived on grasslands. If you’re lost, head to Jeongok Prehistory Museum and take a look at its mammoth sculpture for ideas.
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HAND AXE CRAYON
This crayon set is inspired by the Paleolithic tool hand axe, specifically the hand axe that was excavated from Jeongokri, Yeoncheon, in 1981. Its form has been recreated with great care, while the colors were made authentic with mineral pigments extracted from stone. It comes in three colors: earthenware, mammoth, and hand axe.
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It is famous for its 6km-long walk that starts from the Sky Bridge and culminates with a view of the Meonguri Canyon before returning to the Sky Bridge. From atop the bridge, one has a wonderful view of the Hantangang River’s columnar joint formations and the scenery of the area.
