4 serene day trips from Seoul

Chiaksan National Park

Located in Wonju, this small national park has scenic but challenging hiking trails lined with old oak trees. It can be reached in an hour by the same train that goes from Seoul to Gangneung.

Hwaseong Fortress

This is a Unesco-listed, 18th-century fort in Suwon, where visitors can spend hours exploring its floodgates, bridges and watchtowers. It can be reached by a one-hour subway ride from the centre of Seoul to Suwon station.

Garden of the Morning Calm

This calming arboretum  in Gapyeong county is the country’s oldest private garden. It can be reached by taking the subway from Seoul’s northeast to Cheongpyeong station, which takes about an hour.

Imjingak

In the city of Paju, Imjingak is the last village before the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas, featuring a peaceful park dedicated to unification. Take an hour-long subway ride from central Seoul to Munsan station and then a 15-minute taxi to the park.