South Korea

Green days out from Seoul: the tree-lined paths of Nami Island, lovely in every season; hikes to the granite viewpoints of Bukhansan National Park, with the quiet Eunpyeong Hanok Village at its foot; and the Garden of Morning Calm, whose gardens light up on winter evenings.

A guided tour to the DMZ, the border with the North, often paired with the book town and art village of Paju. South of Seoul, the walls of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon are a UNESCO site, with Everland theme park nearby. Incheon, by the airport, has a waterfront, a Chinatown and a modern seaside district.

The east coast: the granite peaks and autumn colours of Seoraksan National Park, the beaches and coffee street of Gangneung, surfing at nearby Yangyang and, by ferry, the cliffs of Ulleungdo, one of Korea's wildest islands.

Gyeongju, the 'museum without walls', was a royal capital for a thousand years: Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, both UNESCO-listed, the grassy royal tombs of Daereungwon, the Cheomseongdae observatory and Anapji Pond, lit up at night. Daegu, an hour away, is a quieter big city with temples in the mountains around it.

Busan is Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches, the hillside colours of Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi fish market, the cliffs of Taejongdae and Haedong Yonggungsa, a temple on the rocks above the sea. West along the coast, Tongyeong has a cable car over its island-dotted harbour, and from Geoje Island boats go to the garden island of Oedo Botania.

Slower Korea in the south-west: Jeonju's hanok village and its famous bibimbap, Damyang's bamboo forest and the green tea terraces of Boseong rolling down the hills. The wetlands of Suncheon Bay and the trails of Jirisan National Park are close by.

A volcanic island an hour's flight south: sunrise from Seongsan Ilchulbong, the Manjanggul lava tube, a hike up Hallasan, and the Cheonjiyeon and Jeongbang waterfalls, Jeongbang dropping straight into the sea. Udo, a short ferry away, has the best beaches.