Sokcho pairs autumn hiking with hot springs, Gyeongju turns pink and Andong stages masked dance
Four days off, cooler air and a calendar crowded with autumn festivals are pulling Korean travelers closer to home this Chuseok.
Chuseok falls on Sept. 25 this year, and the break runs Sept. 24 to 27. Searches for domestic destinations jumped 160 percent compared with two weeks out from the holiday, according to digital travel platform Agoda.
Three places stand out for travelers who want a short trip rather than a long one.
Autumn hike and hot spring in Sokcho
Sokcho, in Gangwon Province, ranked fourth among the most-searched domestic destinations for the holiday, behind Jeju, Busan and Seoul, Agoda data shows. Accommodation searches for the coastal city rose 324 percent, the steepest increase of any domestic destination on the platform.
One of its attractions is Seoraksan National Park, where cooler weather makes for a comfortable autumn ascent. For those who would rather skip the climb, the 2.7-kilometer Seorak Hyanggiro trail runs below the peaks and includes a skywalk and a suspension bridge, delivering much of the scenery at walking pace.
Cheoksan Hot Springs sits close enough to be the next stop, followed by the Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market, still widely known as Jungang Market, for dakgangjeong (sweet crispy bite-sized fried chicken) and seafood. The close distances between these are part of the appeal, with hiking, bathing and a traditional market all within easy reach of one another.
For meals, Squid is in season through the end of September and is sold at day rates at the Sokcho squid stalls and Daepo Port. Male blue crab, dense-shelled and full at this time of year, turns up steamed or in stew. On market days, stalls carry Chodang corn, watermelon and plums.
Gyeongju, in bloom around the ruins
The former Silla capital in North Gyeongsang Province draws steady interest for its historic sites, and rail access improves this month. Additional KTX services began running through Gyeongju Station in September, which is expected to lift visitor numbers through the fall.
Flowers are the seasonal draw. A field of orange cosmos behind Bunhwangsa Temple is free to enter, and the frame most photographers look for sets the blooms against the Hwangnyongsa History and Culture Hall rising behind them, the tiled hanok-style roofline stacked above a wash of deep orange.
Pink muhly grass takes over from mid-September. The Eastern Historic Site District, where Cheomseongdae, Wolseong and Gyerim Forest cluster together, has open ground planted with seasonal flower beds that shift through the year, from canola and cherry blossoms in spring to poppies, zinnias and sunflowers in summer. Autumn belongs to the pink muhly, whose soft pink plumes set against the stone observatory make for one of the country's more unusual views. It is in full bloom through October, and the color fades from hot pink toward a duller rose as the weeks pass. Cheomseongdae is free to visit.
Gyeongju harvests red beans from September through October, prized locally for their deep color and gloss, which is part of why hwangnamppang, a small pastry packed with sweet red bean paste, became the city's signature snack. It goes best with a glass of milk.
Andong, from firelight to masks
The most striking scene in Andong this autumn is Hahoe Village after dark.
On Sept. 19 and Oct. 4, the Mansongjeong pine forest and the Nakdong River banks host Hahoe Yayeon, a program built around the traditional Seonyu Julbulnori fire display and paired with performances and local food.
Seonyu Julbulnori is different from the usual fireworks that explode upward. Ropes hanging above the water are lit up, and the fire travels, dropping bright burning embers through the dark. It was a recreation that aristocrats living in Hahoe Village enjoyed from the vantage point of a boat in the late 16th century.
Daytime in the village rewards a slow pace, walking the lanes between the old timber houses and climbing Buyongdae Cliff for the view over the river's distinctive loop around the settlement.
From Sept. 24 to Oct. 4, the 2026 Andong Mask Dance Festival spreads across the city for 11 days. The traditional mask dance festival features a Korean mask dance drama and mask dance performances from foreign countries as well. The former Andong Station site and the area around Mask Dance Park serve as the main venues, with the city setting up shops and a night market nearby.
A must-try local dish is jjimdak, the braised chicken dish that took shape in the 1980s in the fried chicken alley of Andong's old market, where a row of restaurants still specializes in it, sweet at first and then hot. Salted mackerel and heotjesatbap (bibimbap served with soy sauce instead of gochujang) round out the local table.
Andong also offers a discount that Sokcho and Gyeongju do not. As a designated population-decline area, the city takes part in the Half-Price Korea Travel program, which refunds part of what visitors spend locally as a mobile gift certificate redeemable in the region. General travelers get back 50 percent of their costs, up to 100,000 won per person, and young travelers (age 19 to 34) get back up to 140,000 won. Applications go through the local government website, and proof of accommodation, food, sightseeing and activity spending needs to be submitted for verification.
yoohong@heraldcorp.com
