Geochang, Gyeongsangnam-do: A Guide To This Hidden Gem In Korea
Geochang, Korea is an unassuming area with a lot to share. If you’re looking for a hidden gem in Korea with natural views, a ton of history, and fun things to see, this don’t miss Geochang in Gyeongsangnam-do. Haven’t heard of the area before? Wondering what is there to do in Geochang? If you like mountains and views, then it should be on your radar. Take a trip in South Korea and see what you can see.
Plan your trip now. There are plenty of things to do in Geochang and more:
- What To Know About Geochang, Korea
- How To Get To Geochang
- Where To Stay In Geochang
- What To See
- Where To Eat
(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)
Geochang Itinerary
What To Know About Geochang, Korea
Geochang-gun (거창군) is located in Gyeongsannam-do (경상남도) and is surrounded by mountains. Geochang is at the center of three National Parks including Gayasan (가야산), Jirisan (지리산), and Deokyusan (덕유산) National Parks so there is a lot of natural scenery to enjoy.
How To Get To Geochang
The best way to get there is by car or by bus. It is pretty regional so you can take a bus to Daejeon where you can transfer to go further. You could also take a train to Gimcheon and then transfer to a bus from there. It may not be the easiest place to get to, but it’s worth it.
Where To Stay In Geochang
The best places to stay in Geochang are the gotaeks, or Hanok style traditional homes of which there are numerous in the area.
Choongsindang Donggae Jeongon Gotek
This is a great place to stay with a really friendly couple. You’re not really going to find hotels in the Geochang area, but there are some really lovely Hanok stays like this one that I would highly recommend. The owners were friendly and hospitable and she actually called and tried to speak English to see if we’d want breakfast. So even if you can’t speak Korean, I think you’ll be alright here.
Book a stay at the Choongsindang Donggae Jeongon Gotaek here.
What To See
Suseungdae (수승대)
Located in Deogyusan National Park, Suseungdae (수승대) is one of Geochang’s oldest tourist attractions. The massive turtle shaped rock dates back to the three kingdoms period in Korea and is quite an impressive sight to behold. For anyone that read The Neverending Story or saw the film adaptations and remembers Morla, The Aged One, the giant turtle mistaken for a mountain, Suseungdae is the literal incarnate of the character.
Amgudae (암구대), the name given to the turtle, sits in the Wi River (위천), if the water is low enough it is possible to cross over and climb up the back of Amgudae for a real life Neverending Story experience. Do be wary of the water though after major storms when it would be more dangerous to try and cross to it. Honestly, it’s pretty epic if you grew up with the films the way I did.
Suseungdae means “supreme beautiful landscape, which can make people forget their concerns and worries” and fits the current vibe of the location much better. The carvings and etchings in the rocks that make up the massive turtle are intricate and really unique to see in an area so historical.
Nearby, along with the river to swim in and the sites to camp and the mountain trails to hike sits the Guyeon Seowon Confucian School dedicated to Yosu Shin Gwon, Seokgok Seong Paeng-nyeon and Hwanggo Shin Su-I, three scholars from the Joseon period. The tower overlooking the water was built in 1740 and is called Gwansuru Gate. The name means “watching water” and was inspired by the Book of Mencius that says, “The way to look at water is watching how it flows. Flowing water never runs past a puddle, unless it has filled it.”
- Address: 2 Eunhari-gil, Uicheon-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 거창군 위천면 은하리길 2)
- Hours: 9:00am ~ 6:00pm
Hwangsan Hanok Village (황산전통한옥마을)
Near Suseungdae, , about a 10-15 minute walk, there is a very scenic Hanok village and it has even been designated as the 7th most beautiful village in Korea. There’s a 600 year old zelkova tree there called Angjeong-sewa which welcomes visitors into the Hanok village that was the home of the Geochangshin clan.
You can walk along the narrow dirt alleys that have those stone walls lining the lanes and see traditional roofs over the tops. Today, some of the buildings are still residential spaces, so be aware when you’re enjoying the old paths with earthen walls on the sides. There are some buildings that are designated as museums and are open so just look for the signage. It’s a beautiful add-on to a visit to Suseungdae. It also has a huge field of rice just near the village that is gorgeous to sit and enjoy as well.
- Address: 73-2 Hwangsan 1-gil, Uicheon-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 거창군 위천면 황산1길 73-2)
Gamaksan Wind Turbines (감악산 풍력발전단지)
This one might sound a bit odd. Why go check out some wind turbines? But if you put this into your GPS, this is a spot up high on the mountains where you can get an amazing and dramatic view out of the mountain range and you can get there via car.
There is also a bit of a garden up there that is curated with flowers so if you go in various seasons you can get some nice shots with flowers in the foreground and just a beautiful range in the background. In the autumn there are beautiful purple flowers blooming and eulalia grasses too which is what we saw on our recent trip.
They were also just completing an observation deck too so if you go in the coming months, you might be able to enjoy that even taller view of the mountains. It’s a gorgeous stop if you maybe don’t want to do all of the hiking, but still want to enjoy the view.
- Address: 456 Yeonsusa-gil, Shinwon-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 거창군 신원면 연수사길 456)
Geochang Anti-Aging Healing Land (항노화힐링랜드)
This park is gorgeous and in the autumn will be even better. Since I was there, they’ve also opened a new Y-shaped floating bridge. Basically picture a suspension bridge but instead of going straight across, there are three spokes that meet at a central floating point. This bridge is 600 meters above the ground and just opened in 2020. The healing park is 100 hectares with 50 hectares of natural recreational forest area and 50 hectares of a healing forest. Visit the botanical garden and take a walk in the forest if you don’t want to hike up into the mountains.
As for the healing aspects of the park, the dense pine trees emit phytoncides, and the clean water that flows through emits negative ions which are said to calm the mind and the body. I think we all know that taking a walk in a forest is very calming and helps relieve stress so I think this is just the place for that.
- Address: 830 Uisangbong-gil, Gajo-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 거창군 가조면 의상봉길 830)
- Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00am ~ 6:00pm
Geochang Changpowon (거창창포원)
Established to reduce agricultural pollution in the area, this ecological park is gorgeous. Sitting on a waterfront area on the Hwanggang River, the park helps to protect water quality and revitalize the local economy. In the spring you can see thousands of irises, and in the autumn you can enjoy chrysanthemums. It’s really a beautiful stop off in Geochang if you’re looking for curated gardens to walk in and flowers flowers flowers.
- Address: 21-1 Changpowon-gil, Namsang-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 거창군 남상면 창포원길 21-1)
- Hours: 9:00am ~ 6:00pm (CLOSED Mondays)
- Admission: FREE
Geochang Museum (거창박물관)
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this regional museum. I think oftentimes people overlook the museums in smaller areas but you can learn so much about places this way and actually Geochang Museum was the first public museum opened at the county level in Korea back in 1988. Visitors can learn about Gaya earthenware, Goryeo porcelain, Joseon white porcelain, and see some really interesting relics from excavations done in the Geochang area.
- Address: 2181 Sunam-ro, Geochang-eub, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 거창군 거창읍 수남로 2181)
Where To Eat
Happles Farm Cidery
Korea’s first apple cidery, Happles was the perfect evening spot for dinner with some cider to celebrate autumn. There’s an apple orchard surrounding this two story building that serves as cidery and restaurant. There are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic ciders and our meal of pizza and curry was actually really good too and paired well with the cider. You can just stop in for some apple pastries and cider or go for dinner. I definitely recommend this stop and make sure to buy some extra cider to take home with you.
- Address: 192-8 Galji 2-gil, Geochang-eub, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경상남도 거창군 거창읍 갈지2길 192-8)
다우리밥상
This is absolutely where you should eat when you visit Suseungdae. It’s popular, which means that as soon as you’re in the area and are starting to get hungry, go and put your name on the list to get in. There are a variety of options but the 다우리 (반상) is filling and can’t be beat. Expect a plethora of side dishes, and a hot pot of rice and soup. It’s got all of the fixings and it is good good good. This was the perfect lunch in our busy day sightseeing.
- Address: 2 Eunhari-gil, Wicheon-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 거창군 위천면 은하리길 2)
- Hours: Every day: 11:30am ~ 9:00pm (Break time: 3:30pm ~ 4:00pm); Closed second and fourth Mondays of the month.
Geochang is a really lovely hidden gem in Gyeongsangnam-do. Keep it on your list for a getaway surrounded by rice fields and beautiful natural views.
Did you like this post? Pin iT!
One Comment
Shelley Williams
Hello, we love the Happles cidery, thanks for including them in you blog. We live here in Sacheon-si and travel around Korea a lot. We love to sightsee and drive around.
Question, do you remember when the apple trees bloom in Geochang? We were there this nurse just before harvest and want to return when the blooms are out.
Thank you in advance for your response