6 Offbeat Tourist Destinations To Visit In South Korea

South Korea has recently gained popularity as one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. With its green, hilly countryside dotted with cherry trees and centuries-old Buddhist temples, stretches of coastal fishing villages, sub-tropical and volcanic islands, and ultra-modern cities like Seoul and Busan, South Korea has something for every kind of traveller. The country is filled with rich culture, history, and of course cult favourites like K-pop fandom sites and merchandise and world-class cosmetics. But along with all that, it also offers a plethora of other activities that are both weird and unusual, and totally worth checking out. Here are the most unusual things to do in South Korea.

# Grab A Cup Of Coffee At Themed Cafes

Korea has a huge coffee culture and is therefore known for its large number of themed cafés. But this list of the most unusual things to do in South Korea is topped by Seoul’s more weird or quirkier cafes. How about you grab a cup of Joe with a raccoon at Blind Alley (also known as raccoon café), or with a dog at Bau House Dog Cafe, or a cat and even fish. Yes, at this cafe you have to catch a fish (a real one, not VR), and get points calculated according to the weight of the fish which you can exchange for points to buy items, goodies, etc. By the way, there is even a Poop café, Ddo-ong Café, which, as the name suggests, is a faeces-themed café. So other than being decorated with toilets, miniature plungers, and smiling cartoon droppings, this eccentric coffee shop also serves up poop-shaped scones and lattes in toilet-shaped mugs.

# Explore The Whacky Exhibits Of Poopoo Land

As the name suggests, Poopoo Land is a poop-themed museum. This three-floor space is Korea’s one-of-a-kind ‘poop experience’ playground which dives deep (no pun intended) into the universe and science of poop, farts, and everything in between.

The theme park answers every question you may have had about human digestion, excrement, flatulence and more. An Instagram goldmine, it offers a Poo Photo Zone with stylish lighting and funny trick-eye paintings, a Dynamic Digestive Maze, an opportunity to let your hair down in Poo Party Zone, a mini poop house which has dance tracks coming from a poop jukebox, and more. Can you list a more bizarre or unusual thing to do in South Korea?

# Snap The Coolest Pics At The “One-of-a-kind” Trick Eye Museum

While visiting a museum might not be an unusual thing to do, a visit here will undoubtedly change your mind. The Tricky Eye Museum is a large optical illusion art exhibit in the Hongdae district of Seoul. It combines art and high-end technology featuring Augmented Reality (AR) effects and 2D/3D illusions. Therefore, instead of merely viewing the paintings, visitors here can interact with trompe l’oeil paintings. Using the newly developed Trick Eye Camera app, you can make paintings come alive or even become part of the artwork while recording it on video or taking pictures.

# Have An Authentic Korean Spa Session At A Jjimjilbang

Literally translating to heated rooms, jjimjilbang are traditional public bathhouses, segregated according to gender. They are furnished with hot tubs, showers, communal sleeping rooms, traditional Korean kiln saunas and massage tables. This is where you get to see how Koreans do not take their spa sessions lightly. As Korean baths are same-sex only, they require you to strip naked and soak for hours in tubs with strangers. If you want, you can sign up for a scrub session too, an intense Korean cleansing process called seshin. It includes soaking in hot water and then rubbing it down with a coarse towel to get rid of layers of dead skin that accumulate naturally. While definitely rejuvenating, a proper Korean scrub is also quite painful. You can see the rolls of dark, grey skin fall away as the ddemiri or scrub mistress works away, revealing soft, pink layers of skin underneath. Do remember that splashing or playing in the tub or talking loudly is considered rude at these bathhouses. If you have very visible tattoos, you might also be frowned up by older generations.

# Check Out The K-pop Tours In Seoul For Your K-pop Heart

The influence of the Korean Wave or Hallyu on international fans has swept through the world. One of the biggest cultural phenomena, Hallyu has now led to K-pop/K-drama-based tours, with sites highlighted that will draw die-hard fans. If you are a fan, you will fall in love with a ton of intriguing experiences. While you’ll obviously find up-tempo tunes everywhere you go, you’ll get to dig a little deeper into Korean music and pop culture with these Hallyu experience programmes.

If you’re planning a budget trip and don’t have time to go on a tour, don’t be disheartened. We’ve also listed the best K-pop spaces you should pay homage to and why: HallYu-K Star Road, a tour of K-pop Idol Entertainment Buildings, SMTOWN Museum, Myeongdong Underground Shopping Mall, and multiple K-pop album and K-drama filming locations.

# Up For A Dare? Try The Weirdest Foods In South Korea

Traditional South Korean cuisine is largely based on equal portions of rice, vegetables, and meats. But along with the most basic, it also contains some of the most bizarre things that you can dream of. If you are up for a dare, get up close and personal to the most unusual delicacies of South Korea. Be warned, these dishes are not for the faint-hearted, but are actually very delicious. Here are a few of the weirdest foods in Korea: Beondegi or silkworm larvae, Sannakji or live octopus, Dakbal or chicken feet, Sundae or Korean blood sausages, and Hongeo or a kind of fermented fish. Still have an appetite for all the weird things to eat in South Korea?