The most popular time to visit South Korea is during the Spring and Fall seasons, thanks to the moderate temperatures and vibrant scenery. While Summers here tend to be extremely hot, humid, and rainy (it’s Southeast Asia’s monsoon season), they’re also extremely beautiful- with lush green vegetation and clear blue skies. You’ll definitely want to plan your summer activities around water, or stick to mornings and late afternoons to avoid the hottest part of the day, but there are tons of fun experiences here to make your summer in Korea a memorable one. Below are some of the top 20 things to do in Korea this Summer:

Ride a Mountain Alpine Coaster. Korea is a very mountainous region that is abundant with beautiful ski resorts to visit during winter, but to maintain business during the summer you can usually find alpine coasters and other fun activities to do at these resorts. Dusten and I visited the Alpensia Resort in Pyeongchang recently and tried out their alpine coasters which was so much fun. For those with kids, the coaster is built to fit one small child in front of an adult in each car.

Watch the Sunset at Han River/ Banpo Light Show. Watching the sunset over the Han river in Seoul should be on everyone’s Korea bucket list, but during the Summer there is an added bonus of watching the Banpo Bridge light show right as it starts getting dark. It’s basically a colorful fountain show from the side of the bridge that goes with music, but it makes for a vibey evening date and was even used as the backdrop for the iconic Louis Vuitton runway show in Seoul this past April.

Explore Lavender Fields. In the far northeast corner of South Korea, there is a small farm that looks like a place out of the South of France. They have fields of lavender and hydrangeas that bloom mid-June and offer a little shop of lavender products and icecream. I would highly recommend taking a trip to the Sokcho area and adding Hani Lavender Farm to your itinerary.

Visit Surfyy Beach. The east coast of Korea is filled with beautiful beaches and turquoise water, including the most Instagram-famous beach club in Korea, Surfyy Beach. The club is decked out in boho vibes and makes you feel like you’re transported to Bali or Tulum (minus the palm trees). It gets it’s name as this is one of the only places where majority of the beach is marked off only for surfing, however there are some area towards the far ends of the beach where you can cool off with a swim.

Go Paragliding in Danyang. If you want to try something more adventurous this Summer, head to Danyang to try out paragliding. I’m actually terrified of heights but decided to try this out during our first Summer in Korea and actually found it to be very fun & surprisingly peaceful. You’re paired with a professional paraglider and even recieve a Go-Pro video straight to your phone at the end of the flight. The scenic mountain top you jump from features a few pretty cafes to grab a coffee and enjoy the view. There are also several other fun things to do in Danyang that would make for a great day trip, including a Skywalk, river cruise, temples, zipline, cable car, etc.

Green Tea Fields. For an extremely scenic and peaceful summer day, check out the Boseong Green Tea Plantation near the southern coast. This is the largest tea producing area in Korea, and this plantation features really beautiful terraced fields to enjoy walking around. In the local area, you’ll also find plenty of cafes with green tea flavored drinks and snacks. Make sure to stop by 초록잎이펼치는세상 cafe (A Green Leafed World) afterwards for green tea ice cream and a stunning view of another plantation and the sea. This area is also very close to Yeosu, so I recommend combining the two on a weekend trip.

Spend a Weekend in Busan. For another fun weekend getaway, head to Korea’s most popular coastal city, Busan. I’ve been to Busan twice since moving here and it is truly one of my favorite places. It’s got a lively beautiful city, right along the coast with a more laidback feel than Seoul. However, you’ll find just as many fun attractions, temples, and scenic cafes as you would in Seoul. My favorite areas to stay/visit in Busan are Haeundae Beach and Gwangali Beach.

Cool Off with a Mountain Stream Swim. On an extremely hot summer day, one of the best water activities besides the beach, is to find a beautiful mountain stream to swim in. An easy way to find a local mountain stream is by searching “계곡” on Naver.

Admire the Hydrangeas. One of my favorite things about Korea is that there is literally always something blooming. You can enjoy every possible flower during Spring & Summer and incredibly vibrant foliage during the Fall. One of the more popular flowers during Summer is the hydrangeas. There are plenty of beautiful cafes and gardens to go enjoy them while they are blooming.

Visit a Daisy Cafe in Incheon. At the end of May/early June, head to Incheon and visit Mahogany Cafe & Dore Dore Cafe for fields of daisy’s and some cute desserts. This is a *very * popular spot when the daisy’s bloom, so ideally you’ll want to visit them on a weekday or early when they open on a weekend.

Take a Trip to Jeju Island. Known as the Hawaii of Korea, this pretty island off the southern coast is another great summer trip option for a 4-day weekend. With turquoise-water beaches, volcanos & lava tubes, waterfalls, hiking, horses, and more, there is plenty of amazing things to do for a tropical getaway without spending hours on a plane.

Songdo Central Park. Inspired by New York City’s Central Park, Songdo Central Park is a beautiful lake front park in the city of Incheon. You can find plenty of bike trails, Swan shaped boats to rent, and cute cafes to grab a coffee and enjoy the view.

Suwon Pony Cafe. For a wholesome Summer day, head to a pony cafe near Suwon. This cafe is super cute and gives off very cottagecore/farm vibes. It’s usually necessary to purchase one drink per person, and you can also buy food to feed the ponies.

Take a Weekend Getaway to Yeosu. Dusten and I visited Yeosu last May for Memorial Day Weekend and it was honestly one of my favorite spots we’ve visited here. There are tons of small little islands scattered near the southern coast and the view from our waterfront Airbnb made me feel like I was in another country. Yeosu itself was a very peaceful town that had plenty of stunning waterfront cafes, a scenic cable car crossing the bay, great seafood spots, and less than an hour away from other popular destinations, like the famous green tea plantations.

Visit an Amusement Park. If you’re in the mood to let loose and ride some rides, head to one of Korea’s many theme parks. For rollercoasters, head to Busan Lotte World, Gyeongju World, & Everland. For little ones, check out Lotte World Seoul, Seoul Land, Daegu E-World, and Legoland. And if it’s way too hot to walk around, cool off at Caribbean Bay waterpark.

Spend a weekend in Paradise City. Often described as the “Vegas of Korea”, this pretty resort is less than 5 minutes from Incheon airport and is a very popular spot with tourists and locals alike. The entire resort is very upscale and features a luxe indoor spa, a heated indoor pool (which frequently hosts pool parties), a club, and a casino for foreigners.

Summers in Korea also unfortunately mark the start of monsoon season, which can mean a lot of rainy days. Thankfully there are plenty of indoor activities to keep you occupied.

Some Rainy Day options:

Botanical Garden. If you still want to enjoy some Summer greenery on a rainy day, head to one of Korea’s indoor botanical gardens. One of the gardens that I have on my list to visit this Summer is Seoul Botanic Park.

Visit a Museum. Seoul is filled with a ton of Art and History museums that would make great options for a rainy day. You could honestly spend a full day visiting each one and exploring the nearby cafes and attractions.

Shopping Mall. The malls in Korea are extremely extravagant and usually feature creative pop-up’s to check out. Some of the more popular ones in Seoul are The Hyundai Mall, The COEX in Gangnam, and Lotte World Mall in Jamsil.

Boujie Bowling. Gangnam is known for having * everything * boujie, and the bowling is no exception. Dusten and I recently went with some friends to Smashing Bowl and it was such a nice experience. The bowling alley itself is stunning, and they have amazing drinks and music that really complete the vibe. I’m not much of a bowler myself, but would highly suggest a visit to this spot.

For more Korea content, make sure to check out my Instagram and TikTok.

xoxo