Last year, I arranged a trip for my partner and three other couples to explore the small city of Andong, hike in Juwangsan National Park, and bike through Hahoe Folk Village in Gyeongsanbuk-do, South Korea.

We saw beautiful mountain views, took in the sunset lake side, walked among traditional buildings, frolicked in pink grasses and ate great food. Compared to other Korean weekend getaways, this trip had a little bit of everything – from culture to nature to taste buds, this was a full package sort of weekend. It was deemed by the couples as the prefect escape from Camp Humphreys.

This trip received rave reviews from the whole group. Their reactions inspired me to write this article to describe our successful trip’s itinerary so others might be able to pull off their own version of this trip. With that in mind, I have detailed what we have done, but have included a lot more accommodation information since it would have been cool to stay somewhere else.

Major Highlights:

Juwangsan National Park
- Juwangsan National Park’s 10km loop trail and a waterfall walkway
- Jusanjeosuji Lake (주산저수지), the submerged tree lake
- Juwangsan’s Temple and Food Street
Andong
- The Andong Hahoe Folk Village
- Mammoth Bakery
- Andong Food Streets
- Autumn: Pink Muhly Grasses Park (그라스원)

The Itinerary

Day 1 / Friday Evening

Drive to Andong (2.5ish hours from Seoul/ Pyeongtaek) or take the express bus from Seoul
Check in to your Hotel
Dinner – Andong is famous for Jimmdak

In Andong, you have many accommodation options ranging from standard hotels to more traditional or fun accommodations. Because we ended up confirming this trip last minute, many of the spots were booked out and so we stayed in the Queen Hotel – which is in walking distance of the major city attractions and fairly cheap, though I can’t say I recommend it. Other better accommodations options include the Goryeo Hotel, which has rooms for under $50 a night, or Kims House Andong which lets you rent out a small traditional Hanok with fun furnishings for $100-150 a night.

Since we had a group of 6 people, a more utilitarian hotel was the best option – but if I was to do this trip again with just one other person I would opt for Kim’s House Andong.

Kims House Andong

The must eat food in Andong is Jimdak. Although Jimdak is chicken dish that you can find anywhere in Seoul, they have a specialty flavor here in Andong. You can find this favor in some Seoul locations – but it’s just the thing to eat here. To the point that they have dedicated an entire street exclusively to restaurants serving this dish.

It’s worth noting that Andong is a small ‘city’ and as a result, even though it was a Friday night most of the Jimdak restaurants were closed by 9pm. If possible, I would recommend trying to get dinner by 7pm so you more selection, and wouldn’t feel rushed.

Day 2 / Saturday

Drive to Juwangsan National Park (50ish minutes)
Hike the loop course + Explore temple (10km hike)
Post-hike Meal at the national park
Drive and Walk around Jusanjeosuji Lake

Juwangsan National Park isn’t accessible through public transportation from Andong and requires you to have a car to make this additional detour. But it was the highlight of the trip for both the mountain lovers and non-hikers in the group. I have been able to visit all the national parks in South Korea multiple times, and this park makes my top 5 list – more specifically I consider it the 3rd best place to see fall foliage and the best in the nation for waterfall hikes!

I wrote a detailed guide to hiking in Juwangsan National Park – with trail options including a 10km hiking course or just the waterfall valley. This guide also includes information about exploring Jusanjeosuji Lake – which was a fantastic place to see the sunset and the only place in the nation to see submerged willows!

After hiking in Juwangsan National Park, you will want to eat at one of the main restaurants that line the street leading up to the temple. There are many delicious mountains foods on offer here. We went with the chicken stew, however there are numerous options to pick from.

This region is famous for apples, so don’t forget to try the apple makgeolli!

Sono Belle Cheongsong

If you want to stay closer to Juwangsan National Park and be able to plan multiple hikes, I would recommend Sono Belle Cheongsong, which is a resort with family style rooms and a spa. They also have a large garden, complete with outdoor relaxing areas [Cheonsong is the name of the area]. This is the perfect spot to make Juwangsan National Park be a full package getaway that has both natural & beautiful and luxurious & calming aspects.

Moonlight House

If you are looking for a more traditional or camping-like experience, you can’t miss the Moonlight House. Also located close to the park, this is a great option to experience Korean pension culture for the first time, or to simply feel like you are truly getting out into the countryside.

One person who stayed in the Moonlight House stated “The traditional rooms were lovely, especially the beds, it was a great experience. The location was fantastic, and the quiet atmosphere really helped us feel like we were on a camping trip. The owners were really friendly and welcoming. Offered us fantastic breakfast and homemade tea and helped us out with transport the next day, they looked up bus times for us and even drove us to the bus stop. Next time we will definitely stay for much much longer there.”

Day 3 / Sunday

Check-out of the Hotel
Mammoth Bakery / Le Chocolat de Xavier
Pink Muhly Grasses Park in Andong (Autumn time)
Explore the Hahoe Folk Village (UNESCO World Heritage Site) + Mask Museum!

Mammoth Bakery is a Michelin star bakery, and has been brought up into conversation by people from this trip multiple times in the months since this trip, its that good. The coffee selection is limited but the baked goods were to die for, with some interesting local specialties.

Owned by the same company, the Le Chocolat de Xavier, is where you can go to you can make your own chocolate box by picking out the specific flavors you want. It was a fun experience, and we couldn’t wait long before breaking open the box.

If you happen to be traveling to the autumn time, located downtown along the river is a small park dedicated to the Pink Muhly Grasses which have taken the internet by storm. These grasses are actually native to the Southern and Southeastern United States, however the Korean government and local entities have taken to planting them in large fields for tourism purposes. Worth seeing at least once in Korea!

The Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the main regional attraction and a must-see location. I’ve had the opportunity to visit this village on two occasions – and it was a blast both times. In the village there are numerous streets to walk around, and building to enter and explore- the group’s highlight was renting bikes and riding them around the village.

Since people live in the Hahoe village, the set up isn’t focused on only tourist convivence, but also accommodates the needs of the locals. So, there are a series of large parking lots 2 kilometers from the village, with only locals allowed to drive closer to the village. Here there are many restaurants, cafes, the Mask Museum and a ticket booth. After you purchase your ticket, you are entitled to ride the shuttle bus the 2 kilometer distance to the village. You can’t park closer to the village and on nice weather weekends the line to ride the shuttle bus can be long – this isn’t a short stop, be prepared to spend a couple hours here. However, its definitely worth the hassle!

The below photos were taken in the fall, with rice field a golden yellow and flowers in full bloom. Be prepared for the sun exposure!

Want to stay in or around the Hahoe Village?

You can’t beat the full package offered by Bukchondaek – be immersed in traditional Korean culture by staying in a well preserved traditional building in the middle of Hahoe Village. This Hanok [name of theses Korean traditional houses] has been owned by the same family for 9 generations and continues to operate a traditional ondol floor heating system – wherein a stove [agungil], which is also used for cooking, heats the house through smoke under the floor boards. Where some places just look authentic from the outside, Bukchondaek offers a true traditional experience.

Hands down this is the ultimate traditional village experience. They provide a full breakfast spread in the morning with many sides, home cooked by the owner. Previous guests describe it as staying in a museum and “This is one of the most magical places a person could ever stay at”. Between the 50+ reviews with a 9.6 rating, the drop dead gorgeous architecture and furnishings, this is the best place to go in Korea if you want to be able experience Korea in the olden days. Not to mention, this trip will be stress free with owners who speak English and are used to international guests!

Located just across the river from the Hahoe village, is Okyeon Jeongsa, which likewise boosts a very high review rating of 9.4 with 200+ reviews. This accommodation option is more affordable than Bukchondaek, making it a perfect special weekend spot for a couple or family looking to enjoy a traditional Korean accommodation. They provide a traditional Korean home-cooked breakfast with unique views of the river and Hahoe Village. This is a step beyond the pension experience you can have throughout Korea, and the owners can speak english!

International visitor’s describe it as ” a truly unique site and set of traditional buildings. Wonderfully peaceful” and “Everything felt beautifully cared for, and the hosts were absolutely lovely!”