Gurye is about 4.5 hours by car from the capital city of Seoul.
It is a small rural town in South Korea, about 2 hours by KTX.
The reason I recommend this is because
- it’s a famous neighborhood in Korea for Korean food
- you can experience an authentic, unspoiled hanok.
- it’s a great way to take photos that say you’re really in Korea.
If you want to experience authentic Korea outside of the developed city of Seoul, I recommend Gurye.
Here’s the itinerary for a 3-day/2-night trip to Gurye with Loah.
Location – Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do (a rural town far from Seoul)
Transportation – 300km (4.5 hours) by car from Yongsan Station, KTX (2.5 hours)
Highlights – Traditional houses, Korean cuisine, Jirisan trekking
Recommended travelers – 1. People who are interested in Korea, but only know Seoul.
2. chefs who are interested in cooking (Korean food)
3. old Korean hanoks and temples
4. Jirisan Trekking
5. families with small children (widen one’s perspective)
The approximate location is shown in the photo.
Day 1.
I arrived in Gurye at 12 noon by car or KTX.
I took the fastest train in Korea, the KTX, but I got off at a very small rural station.
There are also clean restrooms and tidy nursing rooms.
In Korea, even if you go to the smallest rural areas, public facilities are clean and well-maintained.
This is the view right in front of Gurye Station.
If you’re coming by KTX, it’s actually difficult to use public transportation in Gurye.
There are buses, but they are infrequent and hard to time.
There are taxis, but it can get expensive to use them constantly.
You’ll feel most comfortable renting a car in Seoul to get around.
A taxi ride from the station to Hwaeomsa Temple, home to the famous temple, costs about 30,000 won in Korean currency.
If you need a professional taxi, please comment and I’ll try to find one for you.
((This is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed.))
The first thing we decided to try was a bakery that uses local produce from Gurye.
This is a bakery that uses wheat grown in Gurye and various ingredients to make it healthy!!!
This place is located in the downtown area here.
It is about a 10 minute drive from the Guryegu KTX station.
Closed every Monday,
Open from 11am to 7pm,
Due to popularity, there may not be much bread available around 4pm.
It gets crowded on weekends, so a weekday visit seems best.
There is no parking lot, so you’ll have to leave your car on the side of the road.
It has a different quality from the usual Korean bread,
European-style meal bread.
Most of the ingredients are produced in Gurye,
and the price is about 70% cheaper than in Seoul.
You’ll feel like you’re in a French country bakery,
Most of the menu is written in Korean, so you may be confused at first.
you may be confused at first, but they’ll be able to help you out with their typical Korean friendliness.
Gurye is known for growing fine wheat, and many of the breads use produce and fruit from the area.
You’ll need to order your drinks outside.
It’s not difficult.
Koreans are very friendly.
The drinks here are very eco-friendly and taste great.
The dried persimmon bread from Gurye and the ciabatta with mugwort were delicious.
I recommend this place because it’s a great place to try some of the higher quality breads in the Korean countryside.
My family remembers the taste of the bread we ate while traveling in Europe a few years ago, and really good at it.
There were good seats indoors on the second floor, but we broke bread on the outdoor terrace.
We visited in the hot summer, but the setting was so beautiful and cool.
The name of this place is “Mokwol”.
We decided to take a break and visit the famous “Hwaeom Temple” in Gurye.
If Mokwol Bakery was in the downtown area, this one is a little further north, in the mountains.
If you take a taxi, it will cost you around 15,000 to 20,000 won.
Parking is free here, and admission is also free.
We recommend visiting on a weekday if possible, as weekends and holidays can be very crowded.
If you’re visiting on a holiday, it’s a little better after 4pm.
In Buddhism, don’t see the fault in others,
and don’t be ungrateful at the sound of praise,
and don’t speak ill of others.
I’ve visited many temples in South Korea, but it’s not often that you find a building this old.
There are quite a few Korean treasures here.
Most Korean temples have been destroyed or burned down and rebuilt.
But this one is still standing.
When you come here, you’ll get a real sense of an authentic Korean temple.
You can take pictures and everything will come out great.
There is a leaflet about Hwaeomsa Temple near the entrance, and there are explanations everywhere, so if you want to know more about Hwaeomsa Temple, please read it.
We spent about an hour and a half sightseeing.
you go back the way you came, there is an authentic Korean restaurant.
The name is “청내식당”. (chungnaesikdang)
It takes about 5 minutes by car from Hwaeomsa Temple.
You can enjoy authentic Korean food here,
and you can eat healthy by using good ingredients from Jirisan.
It’s mostly written in Korean because they rarely have foreign customers.
I recommend Sanchae Baekban for 12,000 won. (산채백반)
It’s reasonably priced, comes with several side dishes, and you can keep refilling the delicious ones.
If there are two of you, you can order the Sancheobaekban for two. Sanchae Baekban is the 8th menu item from the left in the photo.
It’s made with healthy ingredients from Jirisan (Mountain).
Parking is a little tight,
there are no baby seats.
If you order the Sanchae Baekban for two, you’ll get this many side dishes.
If you like Korean food, this is a great option.
In Korea, Jeolla Province is famous for its gastronomy.
Gurye, where the famous Jiri Mountain is located, is a great place to visit.
It costs 24,000 won for two people,
In addition, we recommend Sancheojeon and Sansuyumakgeolli on the right side of the menu.
Unlike Seoul, many shops start to close after 6pm.
If possible, try to get back to your hostel between 6pm and 7pm.
Of course, there are a few 24-hour convenience stores nearby, but unlike in Seoul, it’s best to head back to your hostel when the sun starts to set.
For accommodation, I recommend Jisan Lake Resort.
The owners are very friendly and clever.
You can get a private pension for 100,000 won on weekdays.
There are three buildings: A, B, and C. All of them are detached pensions each other.
Building C is mainly used by guests with dogs. It is on the top floor and has a great view.
It’s next to a gorgeous lake with a great view.
If you can’t get a reservation, you might want to give them a call.
+82 61 783 0011
site adress = https://goo.gl/maps/pYJpRbysQNxmuWu57
I rent an entire house.
You’re lucky to be able to rent a house for 100,000 won on weekdays.
If you have a car, you can park it in front of the house and move your belongings.
This is actually the bedless room we stayed in.
We requested a room without a bed because we had a small baby.
It has a basic refrigerator, a light table, and a microwave.
The restrooms are also well equipped indoors.
The basic amenities are towels.
You’ll need to bring the rest.
Outside, there is an area for a quick coffee break.
This is the administrative office and small shop.
If you need something in a hurry, you can buy it here.
When you first arrive, this is where the owner will give you the key.
Day 2.
There is a place nearby where you can zip wire and see Mount Jiri.
Made in March 2023 and is brand new!!!
The distance is very close.
It takes about 10 minutes by car.
The name is “Jirisan Sky Run”
This is where you can ride the monorail and zipwire.
All languages are in Korean only.
1st Time 09:10 2nd Time 10:00 3rd Time 11:00 4th Time 13:00 5th Time 14:00 6th Time 15:00 7th Time 16:00 8th Time 16:40
Adult 30,000 won 14 years old and over 27,000 won 13 years old and under 24,000 won
One-way for monorail only
Adult 5,000 won Over 14 years old 4,500 won Under 13 years old 4,000 won
Please arrive 20 minutes before boarding.
Once you’ve paid and been accepted, they’ll fill your bracelet with different colors based on your weight.
First, you’ll take an electric bus up the mountain for about 10 minutes.
You will then transfer to the monorail for areas with higher inclines.
The ride lasts about 15 minutes.
As soon as they disembark, they’ll be divided into two groups: those on the zipwire
and those going back down the monorail.
((Zipwire passengers are free on the monorail.
Those who ride the monorail only will need to purchase a round-trip ticket.))
It’s a very exhilarating zipwire from Jirisan.
People who only ride the monorail go down after watching the zipwire riders.
If you have a small baby or are elderly, the monorail is the only way to go.
But the monorail is scarier than I thought.
One of us rode the zipwire and the other rode the monorail with a baby. Total = ₩40,000 won
The trip down the monorail took about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Now it’s time for lunch.
This time, we went to a place where you can enjoy Korean food in a buffet style.
It takes about 20 minutes by car.
This is a local restaurant that is not frequented by tourists.
You can enjoy all-you-can-eat Korean food.
There are plenty of parking spaces.
The price is 10,000 won per person for all-you-can-eat.
What makes this place unique
All the food is made by a single grandmother.
The food tastes great. It is a place where you can really eat authentic Korean food.
There is no baby’s chair.
There are plenty of tables.
It’s a real gourmet restaurant with few tourists and lots of locals.
If you’re a fan of Korean food, I highly recommend this place.
This is a place that not many Koreans know about.
You’ll get a real sense of the Korean countryside.
There is nothing difficult.
When you first enter, you pay according to the number of people in your party (cards and cash are all accepted).
You put your luggage down, grab a big plate, put what you want to eat on a big plate, and go back to your seat and eat.
Then you bring a new plate with new food and eat it.
We’ve been here twice!!!
This time, we will visit Ssangsanjae.
This is a famous filming location for the TV program “Yoonstay”.
You may recognize this place from watching Korean entertainment programs.
The entrance fee is KRW 10,000 and includes a welcome drink of your choice of coffee or plum tea.
Children under the age of 13 are not allowed to visit.
Babies are also not allowed.
It’s only open from 11am to 4pm.
This is a real place where people live.
This is the raw, unpolished look of the old days.
It’s a shame they don’t allow small children,
On the other hand, it’s nice to be able to enjoy my tea in peace.
If you’ve ever watched the TV show “Yoonstay”
your visit here will be more meaningful.
Captured by Yunstay
We visit one more kid-friendly place in the neighborhood.
It’s about a 5 minute drive away.
The name is Gokjeonjae.
There are few tourists here compared to Ssangsanjae,
and you can bring small children.
This is a very old Korean house.
This one is actually inhabited. It should be viewed in silence.
Parking is available for about 2 cars,
There is no admission fee, but there is a donation box.
The information is that it is an old house in Korea.
It’s more beautiful than you think.
It’s also a place to stay.
It costs 80,000 won per night.
We spent about 40 minutes here, taking pictures and exploring.
There’s a place to sit in the middle, so I’m taking a break.
You don’t see a single other person.
It’s time to move on to the next course.
Jirisan is actually famous for its tracking course.
However, since we have a baby, we didn’t do any trekking.
This time we go to Cheoneunsa Temple.
Move north again.
You’re getting closer to the property now.
Parking and admission are both free here.
This is a famous filming location for the drama Mr. Sunshine.
It is a temple called Cheoneunsa Temple,
many people come to take pictures of the scene in the photo above.
Many tourists don’t go inside the temple, but take a lot of photos like this from the outside, because it looks good no matter how you take it.
We also explore the inside of the temple.
There are stairs everywhere, so strollers are not possible.
There’s even a space in the middle where you can walk in and sit down.
Other than that, it’s a lightweight mountain trek.
However, there are a lot of stairs, making it difficult for strollers.
If it’s around 5pm, it’s time to get ready for dinner.
We eat dinner at a place called “Hyeorim Hall” a little further north.
It takes about 22 minutes by car.
Closed on the first and third Wednesdays.
This is where you’ll also find Sanchae Baekban.
It costs 10,000 won, located at the top of the menu on the left.
We get this variety for 20,000 won for two people, and it’s even refillable.
Real gourmet food is here.
Come to Guryeo for authentic Korean food!
It is a Korean meal made with fresh ingredients from Jirisan.
Now let’s go back to the resort~~!
Day 3. (Last day)
After checking out of the resort, we head across the lake to Jirisan Cheese Land.
It’s right across the street from the resort, so you can actually walk to it.
In March and April, the flowers are pretty and there are lots of people.
We came in June.
Parking is free
Entrance fee is 5,000 won for adults
3,000 won for ages 8 and up.
This is Korea, but it feels like Switzerland.
The sheep follow Loah’s mom around.!!
There are rabbits and there are cows.
You can see them very closely.
The scenery is so pretty, it’s great for video and photography.
It’s a cheese land, but don’t make cheese, make yogurt.
But the yogurt is so delicious.
6,000 won for 500ml is very cheap compared to other places.
It’s so delicious that even babies and adults want to keep eating it.
We bought 10 yogurts.
Family photo before leaving
Most people think of Seoul when traveling in Korea, but I think it’s a good idea to visit the Korean countryside in a different way.
It can be a bit inconvenient if you don’t have a car,
But it was even better to be able to taste really delicious Korean food and experience old hanoks that actually have people living in them.
From here, it’s about a 20-minute drive back to the KTX Gurye Station.
Before you head home, try some fusion food instead of Korean food!
This is a restaurant called Gurye Station Waiting Room near the Guryegu station.
site = https://goo.gl/maps/HCvi5zDm6rkNZWmL7
It is located near the KTX station.
It takes about 10 minutes to walk there.
It’s across the river, so it’s a good place to eat before you leave
- Jirisan Black Pork Tenderloin Tonkatsu 13,000 won
- Jirisan Mushroom Cream Risotto 12,000 won
- Tteokbokki (rice cake with soup) 9,000 won
- Dasulgi Pasta 9,000 won
We had items 1 and 4.
It’s more delicious than I thought!!!
The quality is excellent. The chef seems to have good skills.
It’s a 2.5 hour KTX ride back to Seoul.
If you need a professional taxi, please comment and I’ll try to find one for you.
I’ll introduce you to more wonderful places after my trip with Loah!!!
Bye~!