South Korea Road Trip – Southeast Coast & Islands

We are staying in South Korea for summer break 2021. After two weeks of summer program at Korea International School for the kids, it’s time to hit the road!

Last summer’s 32-day South Korea travel itinerary took us down the west coast, on the ferry to Jeju and to some of the southern islands and peninsulas. This year, we are starting midway down the east coast and making out way back to Yeosu, one of our favorite destinations. We’ll stay in each destination for four nights, giving plenty of time to explore and wander without feeling rushed.

Where are we going this year?

Pohang

Pohang is an industrial port city on the east coast. It’s a center for steel production and science research. While not a typical tourist destination, I decided to stay here to have easy access to the Haeparang trail coastal path. It’s also home to several beaches, a museum of steel art, and a variety of interesting-looking restaurants.

From Pohang, we can make an easy day trip back to Gyeongju, which has a fantastic theme park and water park.

Ulsan

It’s just an hour and 15 minute drive from Pohang to Ulsan. In Ulsan, we’ve marked several natural attractions such as the Ulsan Theme Plants Arboretum, Ulsan Grand Park, and Daewangam Park. My kids love all things dinosaurs, so we’re planning to visit Dinosaur Footprint Park. Beaches and ports dot the coast so we’ll see what watersports, boating, and scenic spots we can find.

Busan

Busan is the prime tourist destination of the east coast. We’ve not visited thus far and are looking forward to see the harbor, beaches, and restaurant scene. It’s about an hour and 15 minute drive from Ulsan. Some attractions we’ve marked for Busan and its environs include the Korea National Maritime Museum, Haeundae Arboretum, and Hwamyeong Arboretum. Igidae Urban Nature Park looks like a good place for some hikes with kids.

Geoje Island

I’ve been to Geoje-do (Geoje island) once before to scope out a school field trip, however I’ve not yet gone just to explore or with the kids. I’ve pinned several beaches along the east coast of the island, hoping to find some quiet and relaxing spots where the kids can jump in the waves. With lots of recreational forests and mountain trails, we’ll have plenty of exploring to do. Geoje Botanic Garden is on the list, as is Geoje Natural Recreation Forest.

Depending where you’re going in Geoje-do, it can take an hour to 3 hours to get from Busan to your destination. Pay attention to where the bridges are when planning your route. A boating center called Sea Life is en route when going via Gaedokdo Island, which we might stop by and check out.

Yeosu

We have visited Yeosu twice before, during summer 2020 and also Chuseok. It’s a two or three-hour drive from Geoje, and you’ll skirt by Tongyeong which was one place we stayed last year and I’m tempted to go back to stop by the shop Tongyeong It’s Nubi for their beautiful hand-quilted purses or stop at the delicious Rice BBQ restaurant which seems conveniently on the way and near an E-Mart for grocery stock up.

Yeosu will be a great place to end the trip, since we already have some favorite beaches, temples, playgrounds, activities, and restaurants. The kids are always up for the scenic (and calore-burning) Yeosu Marine Rail Bike. It’s also an access point to several of the nearby islands by ferry. From Yeosu, it’s pretty much a straight shot four to five-hour drive back north toward Seoul.