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Daegu
South Korea / Gyeongsang: Busan, Gyeongju & Andong / Daegu

Daegu

Herbal Markets, Hill Temples and Modern Alleys

Plan this trip
1 dayIdeal stay₹3,960From / night₹1,800Food / day₹290Entry

Korea's third-largest city, on the KTX line between Seoul and Busan: the Yangnyeongsi herbal-medicine market, the Kim Gwang-seok mural street, Seomun Market's night stalls, and the 1900s missionary houses on Cheongna Hill. Haeinsa, the temple that keeps the 13th-century Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks (UNESCO), is about 90 minutes away, and Daegu is the nearest big city to Andong. Daegu airport flies to Jeju.

Highlights

  • Seomun night market
  • Kim Gwang-seok mural street
  • Herbal medicine market and museum
  • Cheongna Hill missionary houses
  • Gatbawi stone Buddha on Palgongsan
  • Haeinsa and the Tripitaka Koreana
  • Makchang (grilled tripe) alleys

Things to do

  • Haeinsa temple & the Tripitaka Koreana halls (day trip)Morning · 5h
  • Yangnyeongsi herbal market & Cheongna Hill walkMorning · 2h 30m
  • Kim Gwang-seok Street muralsAfternoon · 1h
  • Seomun night marketEvening · 2h

Tours & tickets

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When to go

Best time: April – May, October – November

Worth knowing

Jangma: the Summer Monsoon

The monsoon (jangma) brings days of heavy rain from late June to late July, hot and humid in between. Flash floods can close riverside parks, mountain trails and some roads. Plan museums, markets and indoor days, carry an umbrella, and keep hiking days flexible.

Worth knowing

Seollal (Lunar New Year) Travel Rush

Seollal falls on 6 February 2027 (holidays 5-7 February). Trains, express buses and Jeju flights sell out weeks ahead, expressways jam, and many small restaurants and shops close for the three days. Book every train and flight that week early, or stay in one city over the holiday.

Worth knowing

Chuseok Holiday Rush

Chuseok, the harvest holiday, falls on 15 September 2027 (holidays 14-16 September; in 2026 it was 24-26 September). KTX and bus seats for the holiday sell out within hours of opening, roads are gridlocked, and many shops and family restaurants close. Stay put over the three days and book any train before or after them.

  • Seollal (Lunar New Year) — Three days of family holiday when much of Korea travels home: KTX, SRT and express-bus seats sell out weeks ahead, Gimpo–Jeju flights are full, and many small restaurants, markets and shops close. Palaces and the big sights stay open, often with folk games and free entry days. Avoid moving between cities on the first and last day.
  • Chuseok (harvest festival) — Korea's biggest holiday: tens of millions travel to their home towns, trains and buses sell out the day bookings open, expressways jam, and many family restaurants, markets and shops shut for the three days. Seoul's palaces and folk villages hold events. Plan to stay put in one city over the holiday, and book any train before it.