Things to Do in Daegu Korea: 12 Not to Miss! I The Boutique Adventurer

12 min readMay 29, 2019

There are so many fantastic things to do in Daegu South Korea. While South Korea has so much to offer tourists in its popular destinations like Seoul and Seoul day trips, things to do in Jeju Island, and Busan, visiting the bustling city of Daegu should definitely be added to your Korea itinerary.

Being the third-largest city in South Korea, there are so many fun things to do in Daegu. This city blends traditional history and culture with modern metropolitan charm. If you’re asking is Daegu worth visiting the answer is definitely yes!

Located in the North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu South Korea is surrounded by breathtaking mountains and beautiful temples. This is a bustling city with a rich history and there are many attractions in Daegu.

With so much going on in the city, planning the perfect Daegu travel guide can be overwhelming. Here are my top things to do in Daegu, South Korea for the ultimate visit.

Things To Do In Daegu Korea

There are so many interesting Daegu adventures to be had! Whether you want to learn about history, experience the unique Korean culture, marvel at natural beauty or take on some adventure, you can find it all in Daegu. Here are some of my favourite things to do in this Korean city.

1. Apsan Mountain

From the top of Apsan mountain, you get the most breathtaking views over Apsan Park Daegu and the surrounding areas. It also features an area for colourful locks — very popular in South Korea — and good for photos.

The best way to experience Apsan Mountain Daegu is to climb up to the top. The walk up should take between one to three hours, and will have any nature lover in their element — this is one of the best things to do in Daegu South Korea.

Once you have soaked up all of the views of Daegue at the summit of Apsan Mountain, you can take the cable car down for an enjoyable descent.

There are water and toilet stops on the way. There is also a decent coffee shop at the base of the Apsan Mountain cable car — the restaurant at the top didn’t look as appealing.

Purchase the ticket to Apsan mountain just near the entrance to the cable car. The cable cars run every 15 minutes on weekdays and it takes just 5 minutes to get to the top.

The best views of beautiful Daegu Korea can be gained from turning right when you exit the cable car to the observatory.

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2. Daegu City Bus Tour

Experience the best Daegu attractions with a Just as one of must-dos of a Seoul Itinerary is being taken around the busy city, hopping onto the double-decker bus for a city tour will have you pass all of the best things to do in Daegu. You will get to see many interesting sights around Daegu on this convenient bus tour.

Hop on and off at tourist attractions in Daegu such as Kim Kwang-Seok Road, E World Duru Park, Suseong Lake Resort, Modern Culture Alley, and many more.

This is a fantastic way to experience Daegu sightseeing easily and efficiently. Also, all of the bus staff speak English and are extremely helpful.

The city bus Daegu also offers discounts for other activities and there is Wifi on board. If you’re staying at the Novotel Daegu there is a stop just in front of the Crown Bakery.

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3. Seomun Market

A trip to Daegu would not be complete without a visit to its largest traditional street market for some Daegu shopping — Seomun market Daigu has over 4,000 shops and is the ideal place to pick up something to remember your trip here.

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Whether you want to buy some of the area’s famous fabrics and textiles or are looking for delicious local Daegu food and treats, a visit to Seomun Market is one of the more enjoyable activities in Daegu.

There really is so much on offer at this Daegu market, and a visit will give you invaluable insight into the culture and bustle of this city.

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4. Kim Kwang Seok Street

Daegu is a city alive with culture, and a walk down is one of the best ways to soak this up. This is a mural street named after the country’s famous musician that used to live here.

Kim Kwang Seok street Daegu has a 350m-long wall covered in murals depicting the singer’s life and music. There are also famous statues here.

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If you are lucky enough to visit this street in autumn, you could catch one of the annual Kim Kwang Seok singing competitions.

The murals on Kim Kwang Seok Street are in all sorts of different, often pastel, colours and very photogenic. There is often someone playing the music of Kim Kwang Seok and lots of cute cafes and shops.

When it comes to places to visit in Daegu this was one of my favourites.

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The street is in the Bangcheon market area of Daegu, which is a fantastic place to spend some time browsing the shops and appreciating the local neighbourhood.

5. Medicine Street

Then there is the Herbal Medicine museum Daegu which is an interesting place to learn all about the differences between Eastern and Western medicine.

This is a great place to learn about an important piece of South Korea. I recommend a herbal water footbath to top off your experience on Medicine Street — something different on your list of Daegu what to do!

6. Day Trip to Jeonju

You can learn all about local cuisine through the many different food and wine stalls — this city is gastronomical heaven. The Jeonju Traditional Wine Museum can teach you all about the areas of rice wine production and history.

Jeonju is also the home of the classic There are a lot of Bibimbap restaurants in Jeonju. We chose to visit — serving bibimbap in Jeonju since 1952 and still run by the same family.

It is best to have the complete traditional experience which means sitting on the floor and having your bibimbap served in an extremely hot stone bowl. Bibimbap also comes with an insane number of side dishes.

There is a 15th-century Gyeonggijeon shrine with portraits of former kings in Jeonju which is worth a visit. Omokdae and Imokdae are ancient hilltop pavilions that provide some of the best views of the surrounding area.

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Without question though the most fun thing to do in Jeonju is to join the locals and hire some classic Korean fancy dress. A key thing to do in Jeonju is to hire classic Korean costumes and then wander the streets being instagrammed in front of the classic buildings.

We were the only westerners doing this and it was great fun. We also gave much amusement to the locals. The fabrics aren’t the most breathable so about 20 odd minutes of this is more than enough.

It is necessary to cross the main road and walk up a very steep hill to access it. Jaman Mural Village Jeonju is covered in murals and has several cute cafes and is very photogenic.

A bus trip from Daegu to Jeonju can take between 2 1/4 and 3 1/2 hours depending on which bus you choose. And what a bus. The bus from Daegu to Jeonju was very luxurious and so comfortable.

7. Daegu Arboretum

The arboretum in Daegu is incredibly well-maintained, with the most breathtaking flowers, fountains, and trees surrounding you wherever you go. Daegu Arboretum is an ideal place to spend an afternoon walking around and enjoying the natural beauty and peace.

8. Buy K Beauty Products at the Many Beauty Shops in Daegu

Korea is famous for its beauty products, as skincare is taken very seriously here. Before leaving Daegu, be sure to stock up on some of the best quality local beauty and skincare products from the city’s many famous beauty shops.

Some of the best brands to get while in Daegu would have to be Dr. Jart +, Blosson Jeju, Sulwahsoo, Skinfood, TonyMoly and Missah. You will feel truly amazing after using some of these products.

Olive Young is a drug store/pharmacy which stocks a range of the K beauty brands and a good place to start if it feels a bit overwhelming. Lotte is the main department store in Korea and also has a good range of products.

All of the well known K Beauty brands have stores in Daegu — most in the central part of town. Look out for the hottest new ingredient trend — it was all about beeswax when I was there.

Also, when you purchase they generally give you loads of fantastic samples which is great.

The Koreans are world masters in face masks so lookout for some of these. And the prices are very low compared to what you would pay for similar style beauty products elsewhere in the world.

While we’re in shopping mode, I recommend Art Box for the cutest of Korean kitsch -, particularly for stationery.

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9. Daegu Art Museum

The well-curated exhibition halls of Daegu art museum are filled with modern and contemporary art. There are all kinds of interesting planned exhibitions on various important topics.

If you are interested in art and culture, then a visit to this enormous triple story art museum should definitely be in your Daegu itinerary.

10. Suseong Lake

Have some fun paddling around Suseong Lake Daegu in the swan boats, or witness one of the impressive fountain shows. There are well-kept walkways around the lake for a scenic walk, as well as a small amusement park to keep the children entertained.

11. Experience the Daegu Coffee Scene

South Korea is famous for its vibrant cafe culture, and Daegu has got to be one of the best places to experience this. This city is loaded with artisan coffee shops offering all kinds of amazing food and brews.

Daegu coffee shops are often seriously trendy and full of life. If you are looking for the best place to go to experience just how good the Daegu coffee scene is, I would recommend a walk down Dongseong-Ro for some of the most buzzing cafes in the city.

Paris 16 Daegu does a good coffee and an even better brunch.

Enjoy your coffee with real cats and dogs at Yanggun Munggun Daegu. Of course, there are separate rooms for cats and dogs.

The animals just hang out wherever they would like — including next to sewing machines which is a bit random. All very Korean.

12. Donghwa Temple

This temple was built by the Monk Geuk-Dal in A.D. 493. The ancient Buddhist temple is an amazing place to learn about local religion and culture.

Donghwa Temple is a lovely place to visit in Daegu.

Where to Eat in Daegu

A visit to South Korea would not be complete without loads of delicious food! Daegu has a lot to offer on the culinary side, and it is important to experience just how good the local food can be.

Here are some of my favourite restaurants in Daegu.

Hi Thai

Located on Gongpyeong-ro, Hi Thai serves up some of the best Thai food in the city. If you are looking for amazing green curry, or shrimp pad thai, then this is the spot to go. The food at Hi Thai Daegu is made with fresh local ingredients, and it focuses on traditional Thai flavors.

A must-visit for any hungry traveller.

Geumgok Samgyaetang

Pan

The menu at Pan Daegu is loaded with all kinds of interesting flavours, and the staff is super friendly too.

Snowpea

The food at Snowpea Daegu is fresh and made with love, while the beer and sake list is long and varied. If you love sushi, then be sure to head down to Jungang-daero to find Snowpea restaurant.

Mentawai

Vasco

Where to Stay in Daegu

Whether you want luxury, basic comforts, or a fun and quirky hotel, Daegu has it all. Here are some great places to stay when visiting the city.

Novotel Ambassador Daegu

The rooms at the Novotel Daegu are clean, modern and equipped with all the comforts that you may need. The staff speak quite a bit of English and are extremely helpful. This is worth its weight in gold in Korea as they can let your taxi driver know where to go, give you helpful information etc.

There is a pool on the 8 thfloor of the Novotel hotel Daegu and a lovely terrace bar that has some decent wine on offer.

The Novotel Ambassador Daegu offers pretty good value for money, considering the kind of quality accommodation you are offered. With the central location and well-maintained rooms, it will be the perfect base for your city visit.

Across the road from the Novotel is a small park. The streets on each side are good for exploring for coffee, shopping and restaurants. There is also a Crown Bakery very close to the hotel which I recommend for snacks.

February Boutique Hotel Apsan

February Boutique Hotel Apsan is a really fun little hotel with themed rooms and a great atmosphere. Besides the lovely decor and fully-equipped rooms, the boutique hotel is centrally located with so many brilliant shops and amenities nearby.

The February Boutique Hotel Aspan is a really good value hotel for a perfect trip to Daegu — you will seriously love staying here.

Hotel Inter-Burgo Daegu

With its own gym, spa, bar, and restaurant, you will be well taken care of at Hotel Inter-Burgo Daegu. The riverside location is excellent and very close to many top attractions.

The Grand Daegu Hotel

Grand Daegu Hotel has some useful amenities and is close to many good restaurants and coffee shops. Centrally located, well maintained, and offering solid value, this hotel is a smart choice for any kind of visitor to the city.

Final Thoughts on Daegu, South Korea

If you are visiting South Korea and want to experience all that the country has to offer, then Daegu should definitely be included in your trip. Daegu attractions are vast and varied, with something on offer for every traveller .

Whether you love food, history, culture, nature, adventure or bustling city life, this place has it all. I hope that if you enjoy these places and activities as much as I did, as there really is so much to experience and enjoy throughout this wonderful city.

Who Paid for What in this Article

I covered all the costs when I visited Korea. However, if you click through on the links in this article and make a purchase I will receive a small commission. Just wanted to make sure that you knew.

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