A Guide To Daegu, Korea: What To See & Do
Did you know that Daegu is the hottest city in Korea? By hottest, I don’t mean the most popular place but rather that the weather is super hot. For this reason, it’s probably not the best idea to go in the summer, but there are still a lot of cool places to check out. Daegu isn’t a major tourist spot, but there are tourist attractions that are nice to see and probably won’t be too busy.
Check out this Daegu travel guide so you can plan a trip to this Korean city with 1000 year old Buddhist sites and traditional markets and some really cool cafes and restaurants to see in between.
Get ready for a trip to Daegu, Korea:
- How To Get To Daegu
- How To Get Around Daegu
- Where To Stay In Daegu
- What To Know About Daegu
- What To See
- What To Do
- Daegu Events To Check Out
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How To Get To Daegu
Train: Daegu is easy to reach thanks to the KTX high-speed train system in South Korea. You can get to Daegu from Seoul in 1 hour and 40 minutes. The standard fares are W34,900 and you can book online on Let’s Korail.
Express Intercity Bus: The express bus from Seoul to Daegu takes 3 and a half hours and costs W35,200. If you want to book your bus tickets in advance, take advantage of the Trazy service that will do it for you.
On A Tour: There are some great tour options to Daegu that include a lot of highlights and make it super easy for you so you don’t have to worry about transportation.
- Daegu 1 Day Tour from Busan: Trazy offers a great day trip option that includes pick-up and drop off in Busan, entrance to 83 Tower, Daegu’s E-World, and a ride on Palgongsan Cable Car to see the gorgeous Donghwasa Temple. You’ll also eat at Seomun Traditional Market and enjoy the Mabijeong Mural Village and Inheung Traditional Village.
- Currently only available on Wednesdays.
How To Get Around Daegu
Daegu City Tour Bus: If you want to spend a day in Daegu and don’t want to worry about transportation but want to see the highlights, Daegu has a great city tour bus! The Daegu City Tour Bus stops at 12 different tourist spots comes around every hour between 9:00am and 6:00pm.
- Admission: Adults: W10,000; Youth 12 – 18: W8,000; Children 2 – 11: W6,000
- Departure Hours: Buses depart from Dongdaegu Train Station at the top of every hour for the first 7 hours starting at 9:00am.
- Stops Include: Daegu Samsung Creative Campus & Daegu Opera House, Kim Gwang-Seok Road, Dongseongno, Modern Culture Alley, Cheongna Hill Station, Seomun Market, E-World & Duryu Park, Anjirang Gopchang Alley, Mt. Apsan Observatory, Suseongmot Lake, Daegu National Museum.
- Days: This tour bus runs every day except for Monday.
- The city tour buses operate on single decker buses generally but do run double-decker buses one time per day.
Standard/Electric Bikes: Taking a bike is a great way to see more of a city. You can pick these bikes up from Yoo Hoo Bike. The rental includes the bike, helmet, and a bike lock.
- Rental Fee: Standard Bike: W5,000; Electric Bike: W10,000
- You can pre-book and ensure you have a bike there for you on Trazy.
- Hours: December – February: 9:00am ~ 6:00pm; March – November: 9:00am ~ 9:00pm
Where To Stay In Daegu
Daegu Marriott Hotel
Marriott Hotels are always a great choice for any weekend away in my opinion. There is great food on site, the beds are so comfortable, and you’ll always feel taken care of. This hotel is very close to Dongdaegu Station as well so great for arriving and checking right in. It’s a very convenient location and the staff are friendly, attentive, and helpful.
If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy Member, book directly on Marriott.com. Or, check the rates at Daegu Marriott Hotel on Booking.com or Agoda.com.
Daegu February Hotel Dongseongro
A boutique hotel with a ton of photo-ops, but also great helpful staff, Daegu February Hotel Dongseongro is in a great location downtown. The rooms are comfortable and there are some lovely places and spaces to sit and chat with your traveling mates in the hotel. The fitness center has great facilities and the decor is thoughtful.
Definitely check out this hotel on Booking.com or Agoda.com
What To Know About Daegu
Daegu is the third largest city in South Korea with a population of 2.5 million people. It was known originally as Dalgubeol, and given the name Daegu in 757. It was well known from 1960-80 for it’s electronics industry. It’s nicknamed the Apple City, because it’s humid climate is perfect for growing quality apples.
Now, Daegu is still known for technology but is also known for textiles and fashion and well known in the summer among locals as the hottest place in Korea.
What To See
Daegu isn’t often talked about as a tourist destination, but there are some really interesting places to see. If you want to do something different this weekend, head to Daegu and see what you can find. Here are some great things to see in Daegu, Korea.
Suchang Youth Mansion (수창청춘맨숀)
Suchang Youth Mansion is an exhibition space for young artists in Daegu to show their work. It was originally a residence for mobile service company KT’s factory workers. It was used for this purpose from 1976 to 1996 and then was abandoned for 20 years. In 2016, the city of Daegu renovated it to be used as an art space. It officially opened in 2017. It now hosts various exhibitions that are available for free.
- Address: 27 Dalseong-ro 22-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu (대구 중구 달성로22길 27)
- Days: Closed Mondays
- Hours: Tuesdays – Sundays: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm
- Admission: Free
Kim Kwangseok-gil Street (김광석 길 (김광석다시그리기길))
This mural street near Bangcheon Market is dedicated to Kim Kwang Seok, a famous Korean folk musician dubbed “Korea’s Bob Dylan” by some. Even if you don’t know his music, you can hear it here as there are often musicians busking his songs but also the cafes in the area are commonly playing the songs too.
Born in Daegu in 1964, Kim Kwang Seok produced four popular albums in the 1980s and early 1990s, and people were moved by the emotions he conveyed in his songs about social issues.
If you visit you’ll find 70 fun murals along a 350-meter-long road, cafes, restaurants, and often live music. It’s a great area to spend some time and you can eat in nearby
Bang Chun Market.
- Address: 6-11 Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu (대구 중구 대봉동 6-11)
The ARC Cultural Center (디아크문화관)
The ARC, Advanced Research Center, is a picturesque upside-down seashell. This photo-op with mountains to the east, north, and west is giant and a must-see if you’re interested in architecture. The Aymptote Studio out of New York created the pavilion for the World Expo in 2012.
Visit the museum inside to learn about the Four River Restoration Project aiming to protect the ecosystem of Korea’s four major rivers – the Han River, the Nakdong River, the Geum River, the Yeong San River. Head to the top for the roof-top observation deck which is open year round and has a nice cafe there too.
- Address: 57 Gangjeongbon-gil, Dalseong-gun, Daegu (대구광역시 달성군 다사읍 강정본길 57 디아크문화관)
- Hours: Tuesdays – Sundays: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm
- Days: Closed Mondays and New Year’s Day
- Admission: Free
Donghwasa Temple (Daegu) (동화사(대구))
Located on the southern side of Palgongsan Mountain, the Donghwasa Temple you can visit today was built in 1732 though the original temple on the site was built in the 15th year of King Soji’s reign, AD 493.
The main hall is beautiful but the most distinctive part of the temple complex is the huge Unification Medicine Buddha statue that towers over the temple grounds. She is amazingly beautiful. Definitely a must see as far as temples go. If you have the time, they also have a temple stay program you can join.
- Address: 1 Donghwasa 1-gil, Dong-gu, Daegu (대구 동구 동화사1길 1)
- Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Yangnyeongsi Market (대구약령시)
The Daegu Yangnyeongsi Market is the oldest oriental medicine market in Korea. (There is also a Seoul Yangnyeongsi Market, FYI.) This market was established in 1658 and is a sight to see. There are snakes, turtle shells, bees, and honeycomb sitting aside ginseng, tree bark, and more. Do you have an ailment? There’s a traditional remedy in this market for you somewhere. There is a lot to learn about Korean holistic medicine and this is the place to do it if you’re interested.
- Address: 51-1 Namseong-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (대구광역시 중구 남성로 51-1)
- Days: Closed Mondays, January 1st, Lunar New Year’s Day and Chuseok
Daegu Alive Aquarium
This is the only aquarium in Daegu. There are some great aquariums in Korea and if you have kids that love their fishy friends or are interested in learning about them, this is a great place to go. This aquarium is located on the 9th floor of the Shinsegae Department Store so you’ll probably end up doing a little shopping too.
- Hours: Every day: 11:00am ~ 6:00pm
- Closed the first Monday of every month.
- Admission: Adults: W29,000; Children 13 – 18: W27,000; Youth 3 -12: W25,000
- Buy your tickets online before you go because you can take advantage of great discounts. You can get discounted tickets for Daegu Alive Aquarium on Trazy.
What To Do
Sparkland Amusement Park (스파크랜드)
Sparkland is located on the top three floors of Spark Mall. There are two different park sections, the Blue Zone and the Red Zone. Tickets can be bought for either park, or an all-park pass can be bought for a discount. The Red Zone is outside and includes your usual amusement park attractions, like a ferris wheel or a merry-go-round.
My favorite ride to go on when we visited was the sky swing. This swing fits four people at a time and swings out over the side of the building. It’s pretty simple, but still fun to go on with your friends. Most of the bigger rides in the Red Zone open at 4:00pm, so if you want to go there, it’s best to go in the evening.
The Blue Zone is indoors and has more tech-based attractions, so it’s much more like an arcade than an amusement park. There are three different VR experiences, which are very popular lately. There’s also virtual archery and firearm shooting, and a virtual baseball batting section. There’s even a section of more active attractions akin to obstacle courses and climbing walls.
- Address: 7~9th floor, Taewangspark, 61 Dongseong-ro 6-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu (대구 중구 동성로6길 61 태왕스파크 7~9층)
- Days: Every Day
- Hours:
- Blue Zone: Weekdays: 12:00pm ~ 10:00pm; Weekends and Holidays: 11:30am ~ 10:00pm
- Red Zone: Mondays – Thursdays: 12:00pm ~ 10:00pm; Fridays: 12:00pm ~ 11:00pm; Sundays: 11:30am ~ 10:00pm
- Admission: Ranges from W13,000 to W35,000 depending on how long you want to stay, which zone you want to be in, and how many rides you want to go on.
- Note: If you only have an hour, the 3 ride Red Zone pass for W11,000 is a good pick)
Daegu E-World (이월드)
Want a major amusement park experience? Daegu’s E-World is made up of 4 outdoor amusement parks: Fantasy World, Magic World, Adventure World, and Dynamic World. Let the kids jump onto the Flying Elephant, Cocomong Airplane, Cocomongn Ferris Wheel, and Merry Go Round, eat some lunch and then check out the Boomerang, Magic Express.
If you’ve got bigger kids or want something for you, jump onto the Cambel Back rollercoaster, Top Spin, Viking, Tambourine, Hurricane, and definitely don’t miss the Megaswing 360.
- Address: 200 Duryugongwon-ro, Dalseo-gu, Daegu (대구광역시 달서구 두류공원로 200 (두류동))
- Hours: 10:30am ~ 9:00pm
- Admission: Adults: W45,000; Teenagers: W40,000; Children: W35,000; Night Passes: Adults: W31,000; Teenagers and Children: W29,000
- Make sure to buy tickets online before you go to take advantage of the discounts online. Trazy has discounted combo tickets to Daegu’s E World and 83 Tower. They also offer discounted tickets to evening entrance.
E-World 83 Tower (이월드 83타워)
Take in the city views from this symbol of Daegu. The tower has a revolving restaurant and sky lounge where you can have food and views all in one go.
- Address: 200 Duryugongwon-ro, Dalseo-gu, Daegu (대구광역시 달서구 두류공원로 200 (두류동))
- Admission: Adults: 10,000; Children: W5,000
- Make sure to buy tickets online before you go to take advantage of the discounts online. Trazy has discounted tickets to 83 Tower. Additionally, they offer a combo ticket if you plan to visit 83 Tower and E-World.
- Note that you can get a 50% discount on the last Wednesday of the month which is Culture Day in Korea.
Seomun Market (서문시장)
Seomun Market is the biggest market in Gyeongsang Province, where Daegu is located, and the night market, that opened in 2016, is the largest in all of Korea. There are sections selling jewelry and clothes, but the real attraction at the night market is the food. While you’re there, you should definitely try yukjeon (육전), which is pan-fried battered beef.
There’s also a stage at the market where you might see a performance. It’s perfect to watch while you’re eating, and super entertaining too. While we were there, there was a hiphop dance performance going on, but according to the website, there’s also traditional music and lightshows, so it seems there’s a lot of variety in the kinds of performances put on at the market.
- Address: 65 Keunjang-ro 26-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu (대구 중구 큰장로26길 65)
- Hours: Summer: Sundays – Thursdays: 9:00am ~ 11:30pm; Fridays & Saturdays: 9:00pm ~ 12:00am; Winter: Sundays – Thursdays: 9:00am ~ 10:30pm; Fridays & Saturdays: 9:00am ~ 11:30pm
Palgongsan Cable Car (팔공산 케이블카)
Grab a ticket and take the cable car up to the top of Mt. Palgong which is a sacred site in northeastern Daegu. There are Buddhist temples, Confucian traces, and even Catholic religious sites on this mountain. The cable car will take you up to the top of Sinnimbong Peak of Palgongsan Mountain. If you like cable car rides, there are a ton in Korea to choose from. Check out this guide to 18 cable cars in Korea to find.
- Address: 51 Palgongsan-ro 185-gil, Dong-gu, Daegu (대구 동구 팔공산로185길 51)
- Hours: Tuesdays – Sundays: 9:30am ~ 5:00pm-7:00pm. The closing time changes depending on the season.
- Admission: Adults: One way: W7,500; Round Trip: W11,000; Children: One Way: W4,000; Round Trip: W6,000
Paragliding
Korea has some spectacular places to paraglide. With numerous mountains to leap off of, you can get some amazing views and feel like you’re flying through the sky. In Daegu, you can glide through the air safely attached to an experienced instructor and see Daegu from above. Additionally, they take some fun pictures and video of you… will you be screaming or smiling?
- Admission: W130,000
- You can book this experience on Trazy to ensure they have a time reserved for you.
Daegu Events To Check Out
The Daegu Chimac Festival (대구치맥페스티벌)
Most places in Korea have some sort of traditional claim to fame like Jeonju and bibimbap for example. Daegu… well, Daegu is famous for their fried chicken and beer. I’m not really sure if they’re famous for it actually, but they did claim the duo for their own festival. The annual chicken/beer festival takes place in July and as you can imagine there is a lot of eating and drinking and drinking and eating and it’s in the summer when Daegu is the hottest of the hot. Get ready for some fun!
- When: Usually in July
Daegu Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Festival (대구약령시한방문화축제)
As mentioned above, the Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Market is the largest herbal medicine market in the country and has a great festival to celebrate their holistic know-how. Visit and try a variety of holistic herbal experiences from relaxing to curative. I’ve visited the festival at the Seoul Yangnyeongsi Market and there was so much to learn and it was really a great experience so do check it out if you can.
- When: Usually in the beginning of May.
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2 Comments
Anton
Hi Hallie, I’m preparing to go on holidays to Korea and your blog has been very helpful, thank you very much for your work!
I will spend a couple of weeks in the country, stopping in Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan. I would also like to add one more stop between Seoul and Gyeongju, I am doubting between Andong (including the Hahoe Folk Village) or Daegu (including the Haeinsa Temple), which one would you recommend more? It is my first time visiting Korea.
Thank you!
Hallie Bradley
Oh two very good choices. If you’ve got a whole day, the Andong Hahoe Village would be a good stop I think. Plenty to do there and see and nice places to sit by the river and relax too. I hope you have a great trip to Korea!