Wellness in South Korea

A jjimjilbang has two parts. The bathing floors are single-sex and nude, with showers, hot tubs, a cold plunge and steam rooms, and this is where you book a seshin, the vigorous full-body scrub with a rough mitt that Koreans swear by. The common floors are mixed and clothed in the T-shirt and shorts you are handed at the desk, with themed sauna rooms, a canteen, massage chairs and a sleeping hall. Most open 24 hours, and an overnight stay costs a few thousand won more than a day visit.

In Seoul, Dragon Hill Spa next to Yongsan Station is the big, foreigner-friendly choice, with outdoor pools and a rooftop. In Busan, Spa Land inside the Shinsegae Centum City department store is the grandest bathhouse in the country, with hot-spring water in more than twenty baths and a long row of sauna rooms; adult entry is about 17,000 to 25,000 won depending on the day. Smaller neighbourhood jjimjilbang across the country charge less and see few tourists.

Korea’s hot springs are hotel and bathhouse resorts rather than outdoor pools. Onyang Oncheon in Asan is the oldest, used by the Joseon royal family; it has its own subway stop at the end of Seoul’s Line 1, about two hours or more from central Seoul, or a short ride from Cheonan-Asan on the KTX. Suanbo Oncheon, near Chungju in North Chungcheong, is a small spa town in the hills with hotel baths and walking trails, and it pairs well with the autumn colour of Woraksan.

Daejeon’s Yuseong district has hot-spring hotels and a free public foot bath in a park, a pleasant hour’s stop on a KTX trip. On the east coast, Uljin has the Deokgu and Baegam springs, and Busan’s Dongnae district has bathed visitors since the Silla era.

A templestay is Korea’s version of a retreat: one or two nights at a working Buddhist monastery, with a guided tour, seated meditation, a tea session with a monk, the 108 bows and the 4am morning service. Meals are temple food, eaten in silence, with nothing left in the bowl. A standard overnight costs about 50,000 to 80,000 won including meals; day programmes of two or three hours are cheaper.

Haeinsa, home of the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks, and Woljeongsa, at the foot of Odaesan with its fir forest, are two of the most popular. Beopjusa in Songnisan has the giant bronze Buddha and a well-run English programme. Golgulsa, east of Gyeongju, teaches Sunmudo, a Buddhist martial art combining movement and breathing, alongside meditation. In Seoul, Jogyesa runs short programmes for visitors with an afternoon to spare. Book through the official Templestay site, and see our temples in South Korea guide for more.

Korea has an official forest-therapy programme, with healing forests run by the forestry service where guides lead slow walks, breathing exercises and foot baths in mountain streams. On Jeju, the cedar forests of the Saryeoni path and Seogwipo’s healing forest are the most visited, and many sections of the Olle trail make an easy walking day. For more serious hiking, see our national parks in South Korea guide.

Traditional Korean medicine (hanbang) uses herbs, acupuncture and cupping. Seoul’s Gyeongdong Market near Jegidong Station is the country’s biggest herb market, and Daegu has an herbal medicine market with a museum, Yangnyeongsi, dating back to the Joseon era. Hanbang clinics in the big cities offer consultations, but bring a translator or use one with English-speaking staff.