More to Yongin than Just Everland 🎡

So you might have never heard of Yongin, but I bet Everland will ring a bell. Located in Yongin, it’s Korea’s largest amusement park and will be at the top of your ‘must-do’ list when in Korea. But the long road trip down for just one day is a bit of a sacrifice that you’ll have to be willing to take. To make it more worth it, how about turning your trip to a ‘1 night, two days’ one? 

Korea Tourism Organisation

Let’s visit Daejanggeum Park first, the largest historical drama set in Korea. A park is kind of an understatement; I would say it’s a full-on historical village! If you’re a k-drama fanatic, then the scenery may be familiar to you as over 50+ historical k-dramas have been filmed here. Moon Embracing the Sun, Mr. Sunshine, The King: Eternal Monarch are just to name a few. Oh, and just casually name-dropping another one here, BTS Suga’s Daechwita music video was also filmed here! Daechwita is actually a genre of Korean traditional music played with wind and percussion instruments. In addition to taking inspiration from traditional music, Suga’s character in the MV was based on a Joseon Dynasty king. So filming at Daejanggeum Park now makes so much sense! If you want to travel back in time to the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, Daejanggeum Park is the only way.   

Klook

Staying with the traditional feel, there’s a Folk Village located in Yongin, with this one described as a ‘living museum’. You’ll find over 260 traditional houses from the Joseon Dynasty as well as displays of traditional life and culture of Koreans from centuries ago. What’s unique about Yongin Folk Village is that you’ll find numerous replicas of traditional houses from different social classes and regions too! Throughout the day, there are different plays going on like horseback martial art and even what a traditional wedding looks like. At night, the amusement park near the village comes alive and if you’re in for some horror and jump scares, take a walk through ‘Ghost Town’ (only if you dare 👻). 

Instagram | @bkimsu 

Moving away from the traditional side of Yong-in, go all out with a shopping spree at TimeVillas, a nature-friendly shopping mall giving you all the futuristic vibes. It’s a full experience, where you aren’t just shopping for the best outlet deals but engaging in the beautiful aesthetic. After a full day of shopping, there’s a Skate Bowl Park and even golfing, a huge hobby that many Koreans have gotten into lately. To get a better view of the entire complex, definitely head to the rooftop dining. In the summertime, people bring their picnic mats and lay out in front of the villas to soak up the sun as they dig into all the delicious cafe food that there is to offer. 

Naver Blog | @travis

Speaking about food, if you’re a major cafe-hopper then, Bojeong-dong Café Street is where it’s at! With the Korean cafe culture strong in any city you visit, these cafes are open until late. With hanging lanterns lighting up this street at night, it’s a go-to date with your bestie or lover ❤️ But out of any Yongin cafe or restaurants, trying Baekam Sundae (백암순대) is a must. If you haven’t heard of this Korean delicacy, it’s blood sausage stuffed with intestines, rice and vermicelli. At first, I was a bit grossed about it but it’s actually really delicious, only when done right. If you can’t get over the blood-filling, Baekam Sundae actually is known to be without. You know it’s a specialty when there's a Baekam Sundae Street located in Yongin, and from my research, no restaurant is not tasty 😋

The Chronicals of Mariane

Don’t think I’m finishing this virtual tour without mentioning Everland, only Korea’s largest theme park. Amongst the crazy and exhilarating rides, there’s also an indoor, outdoor water park called Caribbean Bay. What I didn’t know is that in Everland, you’ll even find a zoo and Ho-Am Art Museum placed in a Hanok building. With so much to do, one can never spend just one day in Everland. So why not buy multiple day passes, and spend those extra days travelling through Yongin too? 

In Yongin you’ve got a whole lot to do no matter what your interests are. A major foodie, or a K-culture lover or even a nature escapist? Yongin has it all so if you dig a little deeper, it’s easy to plan out the endless destinations to travel to. There are plenty of other places you can visit too so I’ll end this tour with a few more - Hantaek Botanical Garden, Samsung Transportation Museum and Yongin Agricultural Theme Park.