• Learn about Korea's Buddhist heritage by experiencing the serenity of a temple. The country has over 10,000 temples and 20,000 monks and you can stay at some of them, practising meditation, lantern-making, tea ceremonies and simple elements of Buddhism.

• Shop until you drop in the myriad markets and malls of Seoul (see Going Out), with many shops providing special duty-free prices for foreigners. 

• Join in the Korean love of theme parks. Try Lotte World in Seoul or head to the Everland leisure complex, an hour outside the city.

• Go on an excursion to the demiliitarised zone (DMZ) and the truce village of Panmunjeom, one hour from Seoul, on the border with North Korea, where the 1953 armistice negotiations took place. Access is possible only on an official tour.

• Hike in the three national parks, Seoraksan, Odaesan and Chuwangsan, each accessible from the East Coast highway. Seoraksan National Park, the northernmost, is widely considered to offer the most beautiful scenery in Korea.

• For winter sports, head to the Alps Ski Resort. There are 13 ski resorts within four or five hours of Seoul. The city of Pyeongchang has plenty of action, such as the Dragon Valley (Yongpyong), but has failed in two recent Winter Olympics bids. Odaesan National Park is also famous for its ski resorts.

• Go to Korea's ‘honeymoon island' of Jeju-do, off the southwest coast. Here, follow the trail to the summit of Mount Hallasan, Korea's highest mountain at 1,950m (6,400ft), looking out for the atmospheric ‘stone grandfather' statues (made from black lava) all over the island, spectacular waterfalls and the volcanic scenery of Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak.

• Watch or take part in T'aekwondo (the main martial art practised in Korea) at Gyeonghuigung Palace in Seoul.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.