Exploring More of Korea Inside of Seoul

What if I told you, you could have a taste of various regions in Korea without ever having to leave Seoul?

Right now the Seoul Regional Tourism Center is hosting a free “Local Trip Thu-Fri-Sat” program. The feel is “travel-without-leaving-Seoul” so you get a taste of countryside or coastal region culture (depending on the theme) while staying in the city.

The idea is to showcase different regions of Korea through themed pop-up booths that offer performances, food or cultural content tied to a specific region. Think regional drinks or dishes, artisan goods, and hands on experiences. It happens on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (hence the name) and rotates through different regional themes every week or two.

This week’s theme was “A Local Healing Rest-cation” and it highlighted the Daejeon, Hadong and Chungnam regions. For Daejeon, the concept was “A Place to Laugh,” so we got to sample some of their deliciously creamy local makgeolli. They also have their own regional instant ramen, but unfortunately we missed the tasting time for that. They did however have both the makgeolli and ramen for sale if anyone wanted to take a bit of Daejeon home with them.

Hadong’s concept was “A Place to Reflect.” This booth focused on the soothing effects of tea. We got to pick a “tea prescription” based on what we felt we needed in the moment, whether it was energy, focus calm, etc. Then they gave us a cup of tea ment to cater to those needs. I was prescribed a white tea that that had this lovey delicate, subtle flavor and sweetness.

And finally we made our way to Chungnam, “A Place to Breathe.” Here we got to engage in a bit of horticulture by creating our very own mini terrariums. This was probably my favorite booth because it was really therapeutic to make and it’s something I get to take home to add to my sunroom.

Aside from the activities available at each regional booth, we also got free cups of cold brew and were able to participate in a Stamp Tour. For every region we visited, we were given a charm and then at the end we could put them all together to create a really cute bag charm.

While we were there, we also checked out the inside of the Seoul Regional Tourism Center which is like a travel-experience hub, not just a brochure desk (though they do have those as well). They have small exhibitions focused on the tourism content of 10 different Korean regions using touch, sight and sound, so you don’t just read about places, you kind of experience them. They had a scent you could spray to get a whiff of the inside of a Daejeon bakery and it damn near had me ready to pack my bags.

But if you’re not ready to hop on a plane just yet, you can still grab some regional goods & souvenirs from the Goods Shop. I picked up this really pretty Goryeo Celadon Knit Bag, along with some melon jams from Seongju and a perfume from Tongyeong.

Overall It’s a surprisingly fun way to explore Korea beyond just Seoul and even better for people who want to sample a region and get additional information or inspiration before visiting. The program will continue until November 22, 2025 and it’s completely free, so be sure to drop by if you’re in the area.

Tentative Program

• Chungbuk & Andong “A Day of Elegant Travel” Sept 11-13
• Daejeon · Hadong · Chungnam “A Local Healing ‘Rest-cation’” Sept 25-27 & Oct 2-4
• Tongyeong · Gyeongbuk · Jeju “Seasonal Travel for Gourmets” Oct 16-18 & Oct 23-25
• Gangwon · Jeonnam “If You Love, A Romantic Winter Trip” Nov 13-15 & Nov 20-22

Time

• 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Address

• 서울 중구 세종대로 119 (Naver Map)
• 119 Sejong-daero, Jung District, Seoul (Google Maps)